2003 Purdue Boilermakers football team
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University
in the 2003 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Tiller
and played its home games at Ross-Ade Stadium
. Purdue played thirteen games in the 2003 season, finishing with a 9-4 record and a loss in the Capital One Bowl
to Georgia.
Falcons in a 27-26 upset.
After Purdue took the season's opening drive for a TD (a jump-ball TD catch by 6' 9" freshman WR Kyle Ingraham), Bowling Green's senior QB Josh Harris responded with outstanding clutch play, throwing for 350 yards and 3 TDs in the see-saw contest. Late in the game with Purdue leading 24-20, the Purdue offense could not take advantage of a DE Shaun Phillips
interception. With under 3 minutes remaining, Harris drove the Falcons down the field to a 4th and 14 situation at the Purdue 32 yard line. In a play eerily similar to the 2002 "Holy Buckeye" play, Harris evaded a heavy rush to deliver a deep pass to WR Charles Sharon, who outfought 2 Purdue defenders to make the winning TD catch.
Purdue WR Taylor Stubblefield had 16 catches for 139 yards and caught his first-ever regular season TD in defeat, but had an unfortunate drop on the final drive that could have set up a game-tying FG attempt. Falcons WR Cole Magner ran out the last 8 seconds of the game clock on a 4th down play by running into and then out of the end zone for a safety, bringing the score to its final tally.
Bowling Green would go on to have one of its best football seasons ever, finishing 11-3 in 2003 with a Motor City Bowl
win over Northwestern. Purdue would emerge from this loss with a new determination in the weeks ahead that would bring success...
made a game-clinching tackle for loss on a late 4th and short situation after the Deacons forced a turnover. "Stu" also set up a FG with an interception on the game's first play from scrimmage.
New Purdue kicker Ben Jones, a transfer from Butler, made 3 important FGs to provide the final margin.
record margin of 59-7. The offense outgained Arizona 580-174, achieving near perfect balance with 288 rushing and 292 passing yards. Redshirt freshman RB Jerome Brooks paced Purdue with 122 yards on the ground, and the Purdue defense sacked Arizona QBs 5 times; fifth-year senior LB Landon Johnson
recovered a fumble and had an interception.
, making his first start, repeatedly knocking him down and intercepting him 4 times (FS Stuart Schweigert had 2 of these thefts). Quinn still managed to throw for 297 yards, but Julius Jones
and the Irish running game was bottled up by the Boilermaker defense, which made the ND offense one-dimensional. The Irish defense played well in defeat, holding Purdue's offense to 223 total yards, but they could not force any turnovers.
Purdue struck first with QB Kyle Orton
's 36 yard TD pass to Ray Williams on a busted coverage, then they turned LB Niko Koutouvides
' interception into a FG for a 10-0 lead. The Irish pulled to 13-10 before the half on WR Maurice Stovall's 85 yard TD catch-and-run. But the Irish did not score again, and Quinn's third interception early in the 4th quarter was turned into a goal-line TD pass from Orton to DE Shaun Phillips
, who lined up at TE on the play to provide the final 23-10 margin (repeating his feat vs. Minnesota the year before).
WR John Standeford became Purdue's all-time leader in receptions with 2 catches on the early TD drive. The record was short-lived however, as his teammate WR Taylor Stubblefield
would shatter this mark in 2004.
Purdue's veteran defense shined once again, limiting the Illinois offense to 191 total yards and no TDs. The Illini's lone score came on a late punt return score by RB E.B. Halsey.
Penn State sophomore QB Michael Robinson, filling in for injured QB Zach Mills, endured a difficult day (10-32; 98 yards, 2 interceptions) at the hands of the Purdue defense, who limited PSU to 204 total yards. After Chambers' punt return TD made the score 17-7, Purdue's promising late first half drive was thwarted by CB Alan Zemaitis
' 90 yard interception return, setting up a Robinson TD pass to cut Purdue's lead to 3. But the Nittany Lions would not score again.
Physical sophomore RB Brandon Jones relieved injured starting RB Jerod Void to the tune of 149 yards on 29 carries with 2 short TD runs. Kicker Ben Jones missed his first FG of the year, but made his other 2 attempts, improving his early season tally to 9 FGs in 10 attempts.
by prevailing over #14 Wisconsin, which had ended Ohio State's 19 game winning streak the previous week.
The Boilermakers played conservatively on offense most of 2003, but this game was an exception to that as Purdue led with their passing game. QB Kyle Orton
masterfully engineered TD drives on Purdue's first 2 possessions for an early 14-0 lead. But Wisconsin rallied with an Anthony Davis TD run and LB Jeff Mack's fumble return for TD to close the margin to 14-13 early in the second quarter (the Badgers missed an extra point). The Badgers kept Purdue out of the end zone the rest of the game, but Purdue did add 3 field goals to produce a 23-16 lead. With less than 3 minutes left, Wisconsin safety Jim Leonhard
made a spectacular punt return TD to tie the game. But that's when Orton guided the Purdue offense on an 82 yard drive for the winning Ben Jones 18 yard FG with 3 seconds left. On the winning drive, Orton converted 2 3rd down and long passes, and burned Wisconsin on a deep completion to WR Ray Williams to set up the winning kick.
In defeat, Wisconsin LB Alex Lewis recorded an amazing 5 sacks and forced the fumble that Mack returned for a TD. In victory, the Purdue defense continued its terrific 2003 performance by sacking Badger QBs 9 times, yielding only 12 first downs on less than 300 yards, and forcing 2 turnovers (including an interception by senior CB Jacques Reeves
on Wisconsin's first offensive play).
Kyle Orton completed his first 15 passes on the way to a 38-55; 411 yard performance. Senior WR John Standeford and junior WR Taylor Stubblefield combined to catch 30 of Orton's completions for 314 yards. It was Stubblefield's second 16-catch performance of the season.
Despite being dominated, Purdue had a chance to seize momentum late in the first half when the Boilers recovered a fumble from a Shaun Phillips sack of Michigan QB John Navarre
. After driving to a first and goal, QB Kyle Orton was intercepted in the end zone by CB Leon Hall
, the first of 2 picks for the freshman playing for an injured Marlin Jackson
.
The Michigan offense had a solid if not dominant day against the stout Purdue defense, as senior RB Chris Perry grinded out 95 yards on 28 carries. The terrific trio of Michigan WRs (Braylon Edwards
, Jason Avant
and Steve Breaston
) each made valuable contributions. Avant had 5 catches for 90 yards, Breaston took an end-around 21 yards for a score, and Edwards had 6 catches for 86 yards and 2 scores, including a highlight-reel TD catch over CB Jacques Reeves
to put the game completely out of reach.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller
praised the Michigan receiving corps before and after the game as "the best...(he had) ever seen." He also was impressed by what he referred to as the "creatures" on the Wolverine defense.
The normally fumble-free (NCAA-low 2 fumbles lost coming in) Wildcats lost 4 fumbles to Purdue. Two of these were turned into TDs by the Purdue offense, led by an efficient Kyle Orton (14-24; 212 yards, 1 rushing TD). Late in the 3rd quarter, after the Purdue defense had stopped Northwestern short of the end zone, the Boilermakers embarked on a 98 yard TD drive that ended with RB Jerod Void's 2nd TD run to salt the game away .
Senior WR John Standeford set the Big Ten career receiving yards record in this game, getting a brief ovation after setting the record in the 4th quarter.
For the 8th time in 10 games, the Boilers took their opening drive for a score, as Void took advantage of terrific blocking by his offensive line and junior FB Jon Goldsberry for a 22 and then a 9 yard run, the latter going for a TD. Purdue added 2 field goals before halftime, while Iowa miscues kept them scoreless. Iowa QB Nathan Chandler missed 2 open receivers for TDs, then a TD pass to WR Mo Brown was called back by penalty, and finally kicker Nate Kaeding
missed his first FG of the year.
In opening drive of the 2nd half, Purdue took advantage of a big kickoff return to midfield, followed by a busted coverage that allowed QB Kyle Orton to hit WR Anthony Chambers for a 45 yard TD on a 3rd and 5 for a 20-0 lead. On the Boilers' next drive, Orton's efficient passing and nifty bootleg runs set up Void's second TD for a 27-0 advantage with 7:30 to go in the 3rd quarter. After Iowa drove for TDs on their next 2 possessions to narrow the score to 27-14 with 9:56 left, Orton directed the Purdue offense on an 8 minute drive that featured numerous 3rd down conversions to bring the clock down to 2:09 to go, but the drive came up empty when kicker Ben Jones missed the FG attempt. The Iowa offense proceeded to make the game interesting by moving into scoring position on a couple of brilliant Mo Brown receptions. It was then that Purdue's great free safety Stuart Schweigert - playing in his last home game - put an end to the Hawkeye rally with an end zone interception.
Purdue held terrific Iowa RB Fred Russell
to 35 yards rushing on 18 carries, and sacked Chandler 4 times.
As expected, the defenses largely controlled the game by keeping it low in points and high in punts. Purdue took its opening offensive drive 53 yards before settling for a Ben Jones FG. Late in the first quarter, the Buckeyes struck on a 58 yard pass from QB Craig Krenzel
to WR Michael Jenkins to set up a 1st and goal. A controversial pass interference no-call resulted in a short FG for Buckeyes' all-time great kicker Mike Nugent
to tie the game at 3. Purdue RB Jerod Void returned the ensuing kickoff near midfield, resulting in a short drive that ended with a long Jones FG to put Purdue back up 6-3. The Buckeyes slowly gained an edge in field position for the rest of the half, as they turned a short drive into a 52 yard Nugent FG to send the teams into the locker room tied at 6.
The game turned into a field position battle for the better part of the 2nd half, as neither team's offense had turned the ball over. Purdue did, however, fail to benefit from an 86 yard drive that ended with a missed Ben Jones FG that hooked badly wide left.
Early in the 4th quarter Purdue faced a 3rd and long deep in their own territory. OSU defensive linemen Will Smith
and Tim Anderson
converged on QB Kyle Orton
, forcing a fumble that DE Mike Kudla recovered for a TD that gave OSU their first lead at 13-6. After a punt exchange, Purdue started a drive from their own 8 yard line with 6:36 to go and quickly faced another 3rd down and long yardage situation. Starting with a third down conversion pass to Anthony Chambers, Orton moved the Purdue offense over the next 5 plays to the OSU 11 yard line and then capped the impressive game-tying drive with a well-executed Statue of Liberty TD run by Void.
After the Buckeyes' next drive ended just outside of FG range, the OSU punt by B. J. Sander pinned Purdue inside their own 20 yard line for the seventh time in the game. With under 2 minutes left, the Boilermakers moved the ball to their 32 yard line, but then Orton mishandled a QB snap, resulting in a fumble that the Buckeyes recovered. OSU proceeded to run the clock down to 4 seconds on three running plays to set up Nugent's winning FG attempt. However, on the last play of regulation reserve LB Bobby Iwuchukwu
(in for the injured Gilbert Gardner) blocked the FG, keeping Purdue alive and sending the game to Overtime.
On Ohio State's overtime possession, the offense could not get a first down, but Nugent kicked a FG (partially blocked again by Iwuchukwu) to put the Buckeyes ahead 16-13. Needing a FG to tie or TD to win, Purdue gained a first down on an amazing effort by WR Taylor Stubblefield but could not advance further, bringing in Jones for a game-tying FG attempt. Unfortunately for Purdue, Jones missed the FG wide left, ending the game.
In defeat, Senior captain LB Niko Koutouvides
had 15 tackles and 2 pass defenses in a truly valiant effort by Purdue against the eventual 2004 Fiesta Bowl
champions.
Two of Purdue's unassuming senior stars - WR John Standeford (6-151, 2 TDs) and LB Landon Johnson - had big days and key plays. The Hoosiers had eroded a 21-3 deficit late in the 3rd quarter into a 21-16 margin early in the 4th quarter, with a chance to take the lead by capitalizing on 2 interceptions of QB Kyle Orton. After Orton's 2nd interception, LB Landon Johnson picked off Matt Lovecchio to end the IU threat, and then Purdue added a Ben Jones FG and ran out the rest of the clock.
In defeat, IU freshman RB (and future Ole Miss star) BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a great day agaisnt Purdue's stout defense w/ 155 yards on the ground.
Purdue set a team record with 9 NFL Draft picks, breaking the school record of 8 in 1973.
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in the 2003 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Tiller
Joe Tiller
Joe Tiller is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, compliling a career college football record of 126–92–1...
and played its home games at Ross-Ade Stadium
Ross-Ade Stadium
Ross–Ade Stadium is a stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. It is the home of the Purdue University Boilermakers football team.-History:...
. Purdue played thirteen games in the 2003 season, finishing with a 9-4 record and a loss in the Capital One Bowl
2004 Capital One Bowl
The 2004 Capital One Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 1, 2004, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Georgia entered the game after a disappointing loss in the SEC Championship Game, while Purdue entered as the...
to Georgia.
Schedule
Bowling Green
The senior-laden Boilermakers (8 senior starters on defense) entered the year with high expectations (#18 preseason ranking), but suffered an opening day stunner at the hands of the MAC's Bowling GreenBowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
Falcons in a 27-26 upset.
After Purdue took the season's opening drive for a TD (a jump-ball TD catch by 6' 9" freshman WR Kyle Ingraham), Bowling Green's senior QB Josh Harris responded with outstanding clutch play, throwing for 350 yards and 3 TDs in the see-saw contest. Late in the game with Purdue leading 24-20, the Purdue offense could not take advantage of a DE Shaun Phillips
Shaun Phillips
- San Diego Chargers :As a rookie, Shaun Phillips played in all 16 games and was second on the team with four sacks. He continued to improve in his second season as he recorded seven sacks in 15 games, good for second on the team....
interception. With under 3 minutes remaining, Harris drove the Falcons down the field to a 4th and 14 situation at the Purdue 32 yard line. In a play eerily similar to the 2002 "Holy Buckeye" play, Harris evaded a heavy rush to deliver a deep pass to WR Charles Sharon, who outfought 2 Purdue defenders to make the winning TD catch.
Purdue WR Taylor Stubblefield had 16 catches for 139 yards and caught his first-ever regular season TD in defeat, but had an unfortunate drop on the final drive that could have set up a game-tying FG attempt. Falcons WR Cole Magner ran out the last 8 seconds of the game clock on a 4th down play by running into and then out of the end zone for a safety, bringing the score to its final tally.
Bowling Green would go on to have one of its best football seasons ever, finishing 11-3 in 2003 with a Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
win over Northwestern. Purdue would emerge from this loss with a new determination in the weeks ahead that would bring success...
Wake Forest
Purdue rebounded from their opening day loss with a close win at Wake Forest - which was nationally-ranked for the first time in 16 years after starting the season with wins over 2 ranked opponents. All-American free safety Stuart SchweigertStuart Schweigert
Stuart Schweigert is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Schweigert played quarterback and safety for Saginaw Heritage...
made a game-clinching tackle for loss on a late 4th and short situation after the Deacons forced a turnover. "Stu" also set up a FG with an interception on the game's first play from scrimmage.
New Purdue kicker Ben Jones, a transfer from Butler, made 3 important FGs to provide the final margin.
Arizona
After sporting Gold unis at home since 2002, the Boilermakers were "Back in Black" uniforms for the first of a 4 game homestand beginning with the struggling Arizona Wildcats of the PAC-10. The Boilermakers blew out Arizona by a Ross-Ade StadiumRoss-Ade Stadium
Ross–Ade Stadium is a stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. It is the home of the Purdue University Boilermakers football team.-History:...
record margin of 59-7. The offense outgained Arizona 580-174, achieving near perfect balance with 288 rushing and 292 passing yards. Redshirt freshman RB Jerome Brooks paced Purdue with 122 yards on the ground, and the Purdue defense sacked Arizona QBs 5 times; fifth-year senior LB Landon Johnson
Landon Johnson
Landon Tremone Johnson is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
recovered a fumble and had an interception.
Notre Dame
The Boilermakers improved to 3-1 and returned to the Top 25 with a win over their rival Notre Dame. Purdue's senior-laden defense feasted on freshman QB Brady QuinnBrady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
, making his first start, repeatedly knocking him down and intercepting him 4 times (FS Stuart Schweigert had 2 of these thefts). Quinn still managed to throw for 297 yards, but Julius Jones
Julius Jones
Julius Andre Maurice Jones is an American football running back who played college football at the University of Notre Dame and is currently a member of the Free Agent Class of the National Football League. Before signing with the Saints on October 12, 2010, Julius had stints with the Dallas...
and the Irish running game was bottled up by the Boilermaker defense, which made the ND offense one-dimensional. The Irish defense played well in defeat, holding Purdue's offense to 223 total yards, but they could not force any turnovers.
Purdue struck first with QB Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
's 36 yard TD pass to Ray Williams on a busted coverage, then they turned LB Niko Koutouvides
Niko Koutouvides
Niko Stelios Koutouvides is an American football linebacker, currently with the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
' interception into a FG for a 10-0 lead. The Irish pulled to 13-10 before the half on WR Maurice Stovall's 85 yard TD catch-and-run. But the Irish did not score again, and Quinn's third interception early in the 4th quarter was turned into a goal-line TD pass from Orton to DE Shaun Phillips
Shaun Phillips
- San Diego Chargers :As a rookie, Shaun Phillips played in all 16 games and was second on the team with four sacks. He continued to improve in his second season as he recorded seven sacks in 15 games, good for second on the team....
, who lined up at TE on the play to provide the final 23-10 margin (repeating his feat vs. Minnesota the year before).
WR John Standeford became Purdue's all-time leader in receptions with 2 catches on the early TD drive. The record was short-lived however, as his teammate WR Taylor Stubblefield
Taylor Stubblefield
Taylor Evans Stubblefield is a former American football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He left Purdue owning the most receptions in NCAA history. Stubblefield is currently a wide receivers coach at Central Michigan University. A...
would shatter this mark in 2004.
Illinois
In their Big Ten opener on homecoming, Purdue jumped all over Illinois early and often in a 43-10 win that brought them to a 4-1 mark. Purdue scored TDs on 4 of their first 5 drives for a 27-0 lead by early in the 2nd quarter. Terrific protection by C Nick Hardwick and the rest of the offensive line helped sophomore RB Jerod Void rush for 119 yards and 4 TDs. RB Jerome Brooks added 82 yards on the way to 300+ yards team rushing.Purdue's veteran defense shined once again, limiting the Illinois offense to 191 total yards and no TDs. The Illini's lone score came on a late punt return score by RB E.B. Halsey.
Penn State
Purdue improved to 5-1 largely thanks to a terrific day of punt returns from Anthony Chambers, who returned one for a TD and set up 2 other TDs with long returns.Penn State sophomore QB Michael Robinson, filling in for injured QB Zach Mills, endured a difficult day (10-32; 98 yards, 2 interceptions) at the hands of the Purdue defense, who limited PSU to 204 total yards. After Chambers' punt return TD made the score 17-7, Purdue's promising late first half drive was thwarted by CB Alan Zemaitis
Alan Zemaitis
Alan Zemaitis is a professional American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 4th round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
' 90 yard interception return, setting up a Robinson TD pass to cut Purdue's lead to 3. But the Nittany Lions would not score again.
Physical sophomore RB Brandon Jones relieved injured starting RB Jerod Void to the tune of 149 yards on 29 carries with 2 short TD runs. Kicker Ben Jones missed his first FG of the year, but made his other 2 attempts, improving his early season tally to 9 FGs in 10 attempts.
Wisconsin
In a Big Ten classic hosted by ESPN College Gameday, the Boilermakers became bowl-eligible for the seventh year in a row under Joe TillerJoe Tiller
Joe Tiller is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, compliling a career college football record of 126–92–1...
by prevailing over #14 Wisconsin, which had ended Ohio State's 19 game winning streak the previous week.
The Boilermakers played conservatively on offense most of 2003, but this game was an exception to that as Purdue led with their passing game. QB Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
masterfully engineered TD drives on Purdue's first 2 possessions for an early 14-0 lead. But Wisconsin rallied with an Anthony Davis TD run and LB Jeff Mack's fumble return for TD to close the margin to 14-13 early in the second quarter (the Badgers missed an extra point). The Badgers kept Purdue out of the end zone the rest of the game, but Purdue did add 3 field goals to produce a 23-16 lead. With less than 3 minutes left, Wisconsin safety Jim Leonhard
Jim Leonhard
James Andrew "Jim" Leonhard is an American football safety for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Leohnard has also played for the Baltimore Ravens...
made a spectacular punt return TD to tie the game. But that's when Orton guided the Purdue offense on an 82 yard drive for the winning Ben Jones 18 yard FG with 3 seconds left. On the winning drive, Orton converted 2 3rd down and long passes, and burned Wisconsin on a deep completion to WR Ray Williams to set up the winning kick.
In defeat, Wisconsin LB Alex Lewis recorded an amazing 5 sacks and forced the fumble that Mack returned for a TD. In victory, the Purdue defense continued its terrific 2003 performance by sacking Badger QBs 9 times, yielding only 12 first downs on less than 300 yards, and forcing 2 turnovers (including an interception by senior CB Jacques Reeves
Jacques Reeves
Jacques Dimitri Reeves is a free agent American football cornerback of the National Football League. Reeves most recently played for the Houston Texans. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
on Wisconsin's first offensive play).
Kyle Orton completed his first 15 passes on the way to a 38-55; 411 yard performance. Senior WR John Standeford and junior WR Taylor Stubblefield combined to catch 30 of Orton's completions for 314 yards. It was Stubblefield's second 16-catch performance of the season.
Michigan
In a Top 15 showdown, Purdue's long winning streak came to an abrupt end in Ann Arbor, dropping to 6-2 against the supremely talented and eventual Big Ten champion #13 Michigan Wolverines. From start to finish, the entire Purdue offense was bullied, harassed and roughed-up by an ultra-aggressive Michigan defense that employed numerous blitzing schemes (7 sacks) and press "bump and run" coverage to limit the Boilermakers to only 242 yards of offense.Despite being dominated, Purdue had a chance to seize momentum late in the first half when the Boilers recovered a fumble from a Shaun Phillips sack of Michigan QB John Navarre
John Navarre
John Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility...
. After driving to a first and goal, QB Kyle Orton was intercepted in the end zone by CB Leon Hall
Leon Hall
Leon Lastarza Hall is an American football defensive back who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at the University of Michigan. Hall was drafted by the Bengals with the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft...
, the first of 2 picks for the freshman playing for an injured Marlin Jackson
Marlin Jackson
-Indianapolis Colts:Jackson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 29th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. As an NFL rookie he had 52 tackles and one interception. Marlin played mostly in passing situations with one start in 15 games. In his second season, he had 82 tackles and 1...
.
The Michigan offense had a solid if not dominant day against the stout Purdue defense, as senior RB Chris Perry grinded out 95 yards on 28 carries. The terrific trio of Michigan WRs (Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
, Jason Avant
Jason Avant
Jason Raye Avant is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
and Steve Breaston
Steve Breaston
Steven William Breaston is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
) each made valuable contributions. Avant had 5 catches for 90 yards, Breaston took an end-around 21 yards for a score, and Edwards had 6 catches for 86 yards and 2 scores, including a highlight-reel TD catch over CB Jacques Reeves
Jacques Reeves
Jacques Dimitri Reeves is a free agent American football cornerback of the National Football League. Reeves most recently played for the Houston Texans. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
to put the game completely out of reach.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller
Joe Tiller
Joe Tiller is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, compliling a career college football record of 126–92–1...
praised the Michigan receiving corps before and after the game as "the best...(he had) ever seen." He also was impressed by what he referred to as the "creatures" on the Wolverine defense.
Northwestern
After the nightmare in Ann Arbor, Purdue returned home and to their winning 2003 formula - turnover-producing defense, running game, play-action passing - against the solid Northwestern Wildcats in a 34-14 win that improved Purdue to 7-2 and kept them in the hunt for a share of the Big Ten title.The normally fumble-free (NCAA-low 2 fumbles lost coming in) Wildcats lost 4 fumbles to Purdue. Two of these were turned into TDs by the Purdue offense, led by an efficient Kyle Orton (14-24; 212 yards, 1 rushing TD). Late in the 3rd quarter, after the Purdue defense had stopped Northwestern short of the end zone, the Boilermakers embarked on a 98 yard TD drive that ended with RB Jerod Void's 2nd TD run to salt the game away .
Senior WR John Standeford set the Big Ten career receiving yards record in this game, getting a brief ovation after setting the record in the 4th quarter.
Iowa
On a Senior Day clash with a defense every bit as strong as their own, #14 Purdue scored a surprisingly decisive 27-14 win over #10 Iowa to improve to 8-2 - Purdue's best record this late into the season since 1979. Boilermaker sophomore RB Jerod Void had his best game of the season with 34 carries for 120 yards and 2 TDs against an NCAA top 10 ranked run defense.For the 8th time in 10 games, the Boilers took their opening drive for a score, as Void took advantage of terrific blocking by his offensive line and junior FB Jon Goldsberry for a 22 and then a 9 yard run, the latter going for a TD. Purdue added 2 field goals before halftime, while Iowa miscues kept them scoreless. Iowa QB Nathan Chandler missed 2 open receivers for TDs, then a TD pass to WR Mo Brown was called back by penalty, and finally kicker Nate Kaeding
Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
missed his first FG of the year.
In opening drive of the 2nd half, Purdue took advantage of a big kickoff return to midfield, followed by a busted coverage that allowed QB Kyle Orton to hit WR Anthony Chambers for a 45 yard TD on a 3rd and 5 for a 20-0 lead. On the Boilers' next drive, Orton's efficient passing and nifty bootleg runs set up Void's second TD for a 27-0 advantage with 7:30 to go in the 3rd quarter. After Iowa drove for TDs on their next 2 possessions to narrow the score to 27-14 with 9:56 left, Orton directed the Purdue offense on an 8 minute drive that featured numerous 3rd down conversions to bring the clock down to 2:09 to go, but the drive came up empty when kicker Ben Jones missed the FG attempt. The Iowa offense proceeded to make the game interesting by moving into scoring position on a couple of brilliant Mo Brown receptions. It was then that Purdue's great free safety Stuart Schweigert - playing in his last home game - put an end to the Hawkeye rally with an end zone interception.
Purdue held terrific Iowa RB Fred Russell
Fred Russell
Fred Russell was an American sports writer prominent in the Golden Era of Sports in the 20th century...
to 35 yards rushing on 18 carries, and sacked Chandler 4 times.
Ohio State
For the second time this year, ESPN College Gameday visited a contest involving Purdue, and with a chance to qualify for a share of the Big Ten title or an at-large BCS bowl game, the Boilermakers suffered a heartbreaking loss for the 2nd straight year to the #4 Ohio State Buckeyes, falling 16-13 to the Buckeyes in overtime.As expected, the defenses largely controlled the game by keeping it low in points and high in punts. Purdue took its opening offensive drive 53 yards before settling for a Ben Jones FG. Late in the first quarter, the Buckeyes struck on a 58 yard pass from QB Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel is a former college and professional American football quarterback. He is currently a radio commentator for WBNS 97.1 The FAN in Columbus, which broadcasts the Ohio State Buckeyes football games.-High school career:...
to WR Michael Jenkins to set up a 1st and goal. A controversial pass interference no-call resulted in a short FG for Buckeyes' all-time great kicker Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
to tie the game at 3. Purdue RB Jerod Void returned the ensuing kickoff near midfield, resulting in a short drive that ended with a long Jones FG to put Purdue back up 6-3. The Buckeyes slowly gained an edge in field position for the rest of the half, as they turned a short drive into a 52 yard Nugent FG to send the teams into the locker room tied at 6.
The game turned into a field position battle for the better part of the 2nd half, as neither team's offense had turned the ball over. Purdue did, however, fail to benefit from an 86 yard drive that ended with a missed Ben Jones FG that hooked badly wide left.
Early in the 4th quarter Purdue faced a 3rd and long deep in their own territory. OSU defensive linemen Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson (American football)
Timothy J. Anderson was an American football defensive tackle for the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
converged on QB Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, forcing a fumble that DE Mike Kudla recovered for a TD that gave OSU their first lead at 13-6. After a punt exchange, Purdue started a drive from their own 8 yard line with 6:36 to go and quickly faced another 3rd down and long yardage situation. Starting with a third down conversion pass to Anthony Chambers, Orton moved the Purdue offense over the next 5 plays to the OSU 11 yard line and then capped the impressive game-tying drive with a well-executed Statue of Liberty TD run by Void.
After the Buckeyes' next drive ended just outside of FG range, the OSU punt by B. J. Sander pinned Purdue inside their own 20 yard line for the seventh time in the game. With under 2 minutes left, the Boilermakers moved the ball to their 32 yard line, but then Orton mishandled a QB snap, resulting in a fumble that the Buckeyes recovered. OSU proceeded to run the clock down to 4 seconds on three running plays to set up Nugent's winning FG attempt. However, on the last play of regulation reserve LB Bobby Iwuchukwu
Bobby Iwuchukwu
Robert Chukuma Iwuchukwu is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the New Orleans Saints in 2006. He played collegiately at Purdue.-High school career:...
(in for the injured Gilbert Gardner) blocked the FG, keeping Purdue alive and sending the game to Overtime.
On Ohio State's overtime possession, the offense could not get a first down, but Nugent kicked a FG (partially blocked again by Iwuchukwu) to put the Buckeyes ahead 16-13. Needing a FG to tie or TD to win, Purdue gained a first down on an amazing effort by WR Taylor Stubblefield but could not advance further, bringing in Jones for a game-tying FG attempt. Unfortunately for Purdue, Jones missed the FG wide left, ending the game.
In defeat, Senior captain LB Niko Koutouvides
Niko Koutouvides
Niko Stelios Koutouvides is an American football linebacker, currently with the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
had 15 tackles and 2 pass defenses in a truly valiant effort by Purdue against the eventual 2004 Fiesta Bowl
2004 Fiesta Bowl
The 2004 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 2004, was the 33rd edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game pitted #7 Ohio State against #8 Kansas State. It was a match-up between a perennial powerhouse in Ohio State, and a school that was only recently accustomed to winning in Kansas State...
champions.
Indiana
Purdue finished a highly successful regular season at 9-3 to qualify for a New Years' Day bowl, but it was not without struggle against the lowly 2-10 Indiana Hoosiers. The Boilermakers had to overcome some uncharacteristic mistakes that turned a comfortable margin into a thin one in a 24-16 win.Two of Purdue's unassuming senior stars - WR John Standeford (6-151, 2 TDs) and LB Landon Johnson - had big days and key plays. The Hoosiers had eroded a 21-3 deficit late in the 3rd quarter into a 21-16 margin early in the 4th quarter, with a chance to take the lead by capitalizing on 2 interceptions of QB Kyle Orton. After Orton's 2nd interception, LB Landon Johnson picked off Matt Lovecchio to end the IU threat, and then Purdue added a Ben Jones FG and ran out the rest of the clock.
In defeat, IU freshman RB (and future Ole Miss star) BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a great day agaisnt Purdue's stout defense w/ 155 yards on the ground.
Georgia
2004 NFL Draft
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
| Nick Hardwick | Center | 2 | 66 | San Diego Chargers 2004 San Diego Chargers season The 2004 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2003. They finished the campaign 1st in their division and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. In the playoffs they lost in overtime to the New York Jets... |
| Stuart Schweigert Stuart Schweigert Stuart Schweigert is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Schweigert played quarterback and safety for Saginaw Heritage... |
Safety | 3 | 67 | Oakland Raiders 2004 Oakland Raiders season The 2004 Oakland Raiders season was their 45th in the league. They improved upon their previous season's output of 4–12, instead winning five games. The team had a five game losing streak in the middle of the season and only won one game by a touchdown or more, a rematch with their Super Bowl... |
| Gilbert Gardner Gilbert Gardner Gilbert Ravelle Gardner, II is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.... |
Linebacker | 3 | 69 | Indianapolis Colts 2004 Indianapolis Colts season The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance farther into the playoffs... |
| Landon Johnson Landon Johnson Landon Tremone Johnson is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
Linebacker | 3 | 96 | Cincinnati Bengals 2004 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2004 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 37th year in professional football and its 35th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-References:* * *... |
| Shaun Phillips Shaun Phillips - San Diego Chargers :As a rookie, Shaun Phillips played in all 16 games and was second on the team with four sacks. He continued to improve in his second season as he recorded seven sacks in 15 games, good for second on the team.... |
Defensive End | 4 | 98 | San Diego Chargers 2004 San Diego Chargers season The 2004 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2003. They finished the campaign 1st in their division and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. In the playoffs they lost in overtime to the New York Jets... |
| Niko Koutouvides Niko Koutouvides Niko Stelios Koutouvides is an American football linebacker, currently with the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
Linebacker | 4 | 116 | Seattle Seahawks 2004 Seattle Seahawks season The 2004 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 29th season with the National Football League. Seahawks Stadium was renamed Qwest Field when Qwest bought the naming rights on June 2, 2004.-2004 NFL Draft:-Regular season:-Playoffs:-External links:... |
| Kelly Butler Kelly Butler Kelly Don Butler is a Canadian football offensive lineman for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of CFL. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
Offensive Line | 6 | 172 | Detroit Lions 2004 Detroit Lions season The 2004 Detroit Lions season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2003.-Staff:-Final roster:-Schedule:-References:... |
| Craig Terrill Craig Terrill Craig Adam Terrill is an American football defensive tackle who is currently with the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.... |
Defensive Tackle | 6 | 189 | Seattle Seahawks 2004 Seattle Seahawks season The 2004 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 29th season with the National Football League. Seahawks Stadium was renamed Qwest Field when Qwest bought the naming rights on June 2, 2004.-2004 NFL Draft:-Regular season:-Playoffs:-External links:... |
| Jacques Reeves Jacques Reeves Jacques Dimitri Reeves is a free agent American football cornerback of the National Football League. Reeves most recently played for the Houston Texans. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft... |
Cornerback | 7 | 223 | Dallas Cowboys 2004 Dallas Cowboys season Even before 2004 season began, the Cowboys would face adversity and be forced to adjust. Coming off their first winning season in 5 years, the team, under Bill Parcells direction, would continue to bring in veteran talent and draft promising prospects. In the off-season, the Cowboys would sign... |
Purdue set a team record with 9 NFL Draft picks, breaking the school record of 8 in 1973.