Purdue loses to IU in Oaken Bucket game

By Greg Doddridge
Staff Writer

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For the first time since 1996, the Indiana Hoosiers have possession of the Old Oaken Bucket, as they defeated Purdue 13-7 Saturday on a rain-soaked field in Memorial Stadium.

Purdue freshman quarterback Kyle Orton, in his first collegiate start, had the Boilers in position for the go-ahead touchdown twice in the fourth quarter, but the Boilermaker offense couldn’t get the ball in the end zone.

On fourth-and-goal from inside the 1-yard line with 10:08 to play in the fourth quarter, junior Montrell Lowe was stopped short of the goal line on a drive where Orton converted three third downs with passes to three separate receivers.

"I was surprised (Lowe) didn’t go airborne on the play," said Purdue coach Joe Tiller. "We've done it before. I thought he would go over the top."

The Boilers had the ball at the Indiana 24-yard line with less than two minutes to play, but Orton had two consecutive incomplete passes that allowed Indiana to take over possession and run out the clock.

"After having those real good drives that we had and then not getting any points out of them, that was the most disappointing part of it," said Orton, who was 31-of-62 passing for 263 yards and one touchdown.

Orton's 62 passing attempts in a game are the fourth most in Purdue history. The top three spots are all held by Drew Brees.

Purdue ran the ball 18 times for a total loss of eight yards, but they rushed only twice on 50 plays in the second half. The Boilers passed the ball 77.5 percent in the game, which is the highest percentage of pass plays called in a game this season. Purdue had been running the ball 54.6 percent of the time before Saturday’s game.

"We felt coming into this game, we could run the ball," said Purdue coach Joe Tiller. "But the field conditions forced us out of that."

Orton was 25-of-48 passing for 200 yards and one touchdown in the second half.

"We felt like (Indiana) was having a tough time covering our receivers," said Tiller. "The thing for us to do was to come out and wing the ball and get back to the old Purdue, which is pass until you get hot and once you get hot, keep passing."

But it was Indiana’s running game and Purdue’s lack of offense in the first half that doomed the Boilers (6-4, 4-4 Big Ten).

Indiana's (4-6, 4-4) first touchdown came on the fifth play of its first possession of the game, as senior Levron Williams took a pitch and ran 52 yards for a score. Akin Ayodele had Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El wrapped up, but Randle El managed to pitch the ball to Williams, who cut back into the open field.

The Hoosiers scored their second and final touchdown of the game in the second quarter after Orton fumbled a snap and the Indiana defense recovered. The Hoosiers drove 34 yards in eight plays, and the drive was capped by a Randle El 10-yard touchdown run. The Hoosiers missed the extra point but took a 13-0 lead into halftime.

The Hoosiers controlled the clock in the first half, as they amassed 148 rushing yards on 28 carries, while the Boilers punted three times and fumbled the ball twice.

The second half started with an exchange of turnovers.

Purdue drove to the Indiana 33 after a 10-yard pass to senior tight end Tim Stratton on third-and-8. But on the next play, Purdue running back Sedrick Brown fumbled the ball and Indiana’s A.C. Carter made the recovery.

Indiana’s Jeremi Johnson then gave the ball back to Purdue, as Purdue linebacker Niko Koutouvides recovered Johnson's fumble.

After a pass interference call on Indiana's Sharrod Wallace, Orton found John Standeford in the end zone for the 14-yard touchdown, pulling the Boilers to within six at 13-7 with 10:52 to go in the third quarter.

The loss to Indiana was the first for the Purdue seniors.

"You don’t ever want to lose to Indiana," said senior defensive tackle Matt Mitrione. "Ever, ever, ever. Once you do, it's like you got stomped in the mouth and you can't do anything about it."

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