Defense plays complete game in win over Iowa
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 10/22/2007
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The Purdue football team broke its two-game losing streak Saturday as it rode a dominant defensive effort to victory.
After yielding a total of 71 points in losses to Ohio State and Michigan, the Purdue (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten) defense stiffened against Iowa (3-5, 1-4) to surrender only two field goals on its way to a 31-6 win. Both field goals came after Purdue mistakes, an interception and a shanked punt, leading to Iowa starting within Boilermaker territory.
Iowa threatened to score a touchdown only once, late in the fourth quarter, when Purdue corner Terrell Vinson ended its drive by intercepting an Iowa pass on the 2-yard line.
"(The defense) played certainly their best football. I think quite frankly they've been improving for over a month now," coach Joe Tiller said.
Iowa came into the weekend averaging 314 yards per game offensively, including 122 yards per game rushing. Purdue held the Hawkeyes to 254 total yards and only 77 yards rushing on Saturday.
"We played a complete game; we came out in the second half and didn't let up, and that was pretty impressive," Vinson said. "We just have to carry it to next week."
Purdue's defense came up big when it mattered the most, holding Iowa to only three third down conversions out of 16 attempts, including a streak of 12-straight attempts without a success.
A factor in Purdue's third down dominance was the pressure Purdue placed on Iowa's young starting quarterback sophomore Jake Christensen, who was routinely flushed from the pocket on passing downs. Purdue's defensive pressure sacked Christensen a total of five times, including twice by senior defensive end Eugene Bright.
After being physically dominated by Iowa in the two teams' meeting last year, Purdue defensive coordinator Brock Spack focused his players on playing with a more aggressive style than they have been in previous weeks.
"I was proud of them because this is a physical team we played (Saturday) and they pride themselves on that and we wanted to match their physical toughness," Spack said. "So I think we did a pretty good job there."
Purdue will play Northwestern for homecoming at noon next Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium.