Purdue scores three times after halftime in win
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/20/2006
Paul Miller | Exponent Photographer
Indiana's Leslie Majors and Purdue junior wide receiver Dorien Bryant tumble during Purdue's victory over Indiana. Bryant held on to the ball to gain 29 yards on the play.
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For the first 30 minutes, the Purdue offense played about as badly as it could possibly play, according to its coach.
After turning the ball over four times in the first half and scoring only seven points, the Purdue offense recovered in the second half. The Boilers scored three times and put up 250 yards of total offense after halftime on their way to a 28-19 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday.
"We couldn't play any worse than we did the first half offensively," coach Joe Tiller said. "It was a tale of two halves. We got some things going in the second half offensively."
The Hoosiers kept with the Boilers for most of the game. Freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis led Indiana with 103 rushing yards and 290 passing yards to go along with two touchdowns.
The game was still close midway through the fourth quarter, but a 15-yard touchdown run by junior wide receiver Dorien Bryant midway through the fourth quarter put the Boilers up by two scores.
The game was so close because the Boiler offense couldn't get going in the first half.
Sophomore quarterback Curtis Painter threw for 121 yards, had three interceptions and completed less than 50 percent of his passes before halftime. The Hoosiers held the Boiler offense to only 185 yards of total offense.
But in the second half, Painter completed 65 percent of his passes and connected with sophomore wide receiver Greg Orton on a 14-yard touchdown pass, his only touchdown pass of the game.
Purdue's running game also improved. The Boilers (8-4, 5-3) finished the first half with only 64 yards on the ground, but tallied 111 rushing yards after the break.
"I think our running game really improved in the second half," Painter said. "We ran it well in the first half, but we were really successful in the second half. We were a lot more crisp and a lot more calm I think, a lot more composed."
Bryant, who finished the game with five catches for 74 yards and a rushing touchdown, said the Boilers just needed to settle down and get back to their game plan.
"Some guys were pressing early on, trying to make things happen instead of taking what they were giving us," Bryant said. "Coaches basically told us the truth, �we are killing ourselves. If we go out and play a game like we know we can play, then we'll win this game.'"