Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar threw two touchdown passes to wide receiver Anthony Mahoungou to start the second half in a 24-15 win over Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday.

The Boilermakers' defense also proved to be a difference in the game.

Purdue (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) had six sacks and 10 tackles for loss overall. Iowa (6-5, 3-5) finished with only 82 yards rushing, the fourth consecutive opponent held by the Boilermakers to less than 100 yards on the ground.

The Boilermakers won for the first time at Iowa City since 2012.

Sindelar completed 22 of 37 pass attempts for 327 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. His touchdown passes of 42 and 16 yards to Mahoungou on Purdue's first two possessions of the second half enabled the Boilermakers to take a 21-9 lead.

Mahoungou had seven catches for 135 yards. Markell Jones rushed for 74 yards on 14 carries for Purdue, which can become bowl eligible with a win over Indiana next week.

Purdue's defense kept Iowa in check most of the second half, allowing the Hawkeyes' offense to advance barely past the 50-yard line twice on sustained drives before Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a kickoff 53 yards to the Purdue 45 with 3:48 left.

Before that in the half, the Hawkeyes got as far as only the 47- and 44-yard lines of Purdue on 11-play drives that each went 39 yards.

When Iowa got to the 44-yard line with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter, Nate Stanley's pass was intercepted by Purdue cornerback Navon Mosley.

Purdue was forced to punt and Iowa returner Matt Vanderberg fumbled the ball. Antonio Blackmon recovered for the Boilermakers, who ultimately scored on a 27-yard field goal by J.D. Dellinger that increased the lead to 24-9 with 3:55 left.

Smith-Marsette's long kickoff return followed. Stanley culminated another 11-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Noah Fant that cut the lead to 24-15 with 1:04 left. The Hawkeyes went for the 2-point conversion but Stanley's pass attempt fell incomplete.

Stanley completed 16 of 33 pass attempts for 176 yards with one touchdown and an interception.