Boilers prepare for ‘nutty’ game on Saturday

By Anne McLaren
Assistant Sports Editor

Two teams fighting for bowl positions meet when Purdue visits Michigan State on Saturday.

If the No. 9 Boilers (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) win their remaining two games, they will go to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 34 years. Otherwise, Purdue would need Northwestern to lose to keep Purdue's Rose Bowl hopes alive.

If the Spartans (4-5, 1-5) win their remaining two games, they will be bowl-eligible for the second straight season.

"It’s the same situation," said Purdue quarterback Drew Brees. "This is a must win for them, just like it is for us. They’re going to be ready to play."

Purdue and Michigan State kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. The game is being televised nationally by ABC.

"We think we’ll draw their best game," said Purdue coach Joe Tiller. "As a result, we need to play our best game.

"In our opinion, that’s what it will take, because we’re on the road against a team with its back against the wall and we expect to draw their best game."

Under Tiller, the Boilers and the Spartans have played in three wacky football games. In 1997, the Boilers were down 21-10 and came back to win the game 22-21.

Tiller said that was the craziest game he’s ever been a part of.

"With the blocked field goal return — the prospect of that happening are slim and none," he said. "Yet it happened in that particular game."

In 1998, Purdue was down 11 points late in the game, again, and came back to win 25-24.

"It was pretty funny, because (in 1998) at East Lansing, we were down once again by almost two touchdowns," said Brees. "We had to go into the two-minute drill to win the game at the end. We ended up doing that and winning the game by one point."

A year ago, when the Spartans were ranked No. 5 in the nation and undefeated, the Boilers started quickly and won the game 52-28 behind Brees’ 509 yards passing and five touchdowns and Chris Daniels’ 21 receptions for 301 yards.

"To beat them here at home in the fashion that we did was great," said Brees. "It was our Homecoming crowd, so that was one of the nuttiest games I’ve been involved with. I expect the same this year — for it to be a crazy game.

"East Lansing is a tough place to play and Michigan State is a good football team. So it should be interesting."

Michigan State hopes to stop Purdue’s passing attack with the country’s No. 2 pass defense. The Spartans give up just 145.3 yards per game in the air. The Boilers, on the other hand, are No. 4 in the nation in passing yards, at 327.0 per game.

"I think Michigan State’s secondary is one of the best in the land," said Brees. "They have exceptional athletes. I’ve seen them make plays on film that not a lot of players can make."

While the Spartan defense is pronounced, the Spartan offense has been somewhat questionable. The Spartans are scoring just 16 points per game and have scored 14 or fewer points five times this season. T.J. Duckett is the nation’s 14^th-leading rusher, with an average of 116.1 yards per game.

"They have the biggest tailback in the league in T.J. Duckett," said Tiller. "They’re going to run the football No. 1 and throw it No. 2."

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Sports editor: Paul Trembacki

Assistant sports editors: Anne McLaren, Keith Thomas

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