Bowl-bound Boilers earn winning season

By Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor

No one knows which game it'll be, but for the fifth straight season Purdue is going to a bowl game.

With a 24-14 win over Michigan State Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium, the Boilers clinched a winning season and made themselves eligible to be selected to play in a post-season bowl game.

Which bowl the Boilers go to depends on how Purdue fares in its final two games — at Indiana this Saturday and at home against Notre Dame Dec. 1.

"I think in the Big Ten there are no guarantees out front," coach Joe Tiller said. "In this conference anybody is capable of beating anyone on any Saturday.

"I think the biggest hurdle was guaranteeing a winning season."

Now that Tiller has led the Boilers to their fifth consecutive winning season, the Boilers can think about what bowls they are and aren’t going to play in.

The best bowl Purdue could be chosen for is the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day in Tampa, Fla. The other two bowls they could be selected for are the Alamo Bowl, which they won in 1997 and 1998, 3:30 p.m. Dec. 29 in San Antonio or the Sun Bowl 2 p.m. Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas.

Purdue is not in contention for a trip to the other two bowls that Big Ten teams are eligible for — the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

But not many Boilers are concerned with their postseason destiny.

"We just wanted to make sure we won (Saturday)," wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield said. "We wanted to have a winning season. We were tired of losing."

The Boilers avoided their first three-game losing streak of the Tiller era by out-rushing the Spartans and getting a boost on offense from backup quarterback Kyle Orton.

"Our football team needs a shot and whether or not he can provide it remains to be seen," Tiller said.

After Michigan State took a 7-0 lead in the third quarter, Orton directed the Boilers on a touchdown drive that ended with running back Montrell Lowe flipping into the end zone for a touchdown. After a 42-yard Travis Dorsch field goal made the score 10-7, Purdue never trailed.

Many players, such as Lowe and team captain Gene Mruczkowski, a junior center, expressed disgust with the way fans booed Hance and cheered Orton.

But Orton led the Boilers to 17 points, with the defense providing the other seven. Hance led them to none, but he's optimistic about the rest of the season.

"We put ourselves in bowl contention this week," Hance said. "Now that we’ve met expectations on our goal, we hope we can win our next two and place ourselves in a better bowl."

Bowl-bound Boilers earn winning season

Boiler ground game propels offense in 24-14 win

Purdue wins home opener by 56

Guards lead Boilers to season-opening victory over Valpo

Quarterback position remains open

Team earns top finish in opener

Volleyball team loses to Hoosiers and Illini

SPORTS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 251

Sports editor:
Paul Trembacki

Assistant sports editor:
Doug Healey

To send a letter to the editor, please email sports@purdueexponent.org