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| 09-26-2003 | Previous edition: 09-25-2003 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Boilers strive to end losing streak
Assistant Sports Editor Don't waste your breath telling them — they know as well as anyone. The Purdue football team's seniors are well aware that this is their last chance to keep from going 0-for-Notre Dame. Of course, they won't tell you that. "It's just like any other week," said senior center Nick Hardwick. "They're just another team we've got to beat." Sure. And the Shillelagh is just another big stick. Whether or not the players will admit that it matters, the fact still remains: if the Boilers lose Saturday's game against the Irish, 21 Purdue seniors will graduate knowing they've never beaten Notre Dame. The three-game losing streak dates back to 2000. On that warm afternoon of Sept. 16, a promising group of young Purdue freshmen watched their team fall just short in a heartbreaking 21-23 loss on the Irish's turf. The year after that, the Boilers lost another close one to the tune of 24-18, this time in their own stadium. Then there was last year — otherwise known as "the one that got away." It was early September, sunny and 83 degrees, and Purdue was on top of its game. That is, until the start of the second quarter. Just over a minute into the second, the Boilers fumbled the ball, which was picked up by a defender and returned for a 54-yard touchdown. 11 seconds later, it happened all over again. In a span of less than a minute, Purdue had let a scoreless stalemate collapse into a 14-point deficit. By the end of the game, the Boilers had given up three touchdowns on three turnovers. They dominated the Irish in nearly every statistical category during the game, with a few rather notable exceptions — turnovers and points scored. Junior wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield watched from the sidelines as his Boilers imploded. He's not eager to see it again. "We're going to go out there and play hard for the seniors," Stubblefield said. "You want to win every game, no matter who it's against. But this isn't just any other team — it's Notre Dame. "We want our trophy back." Purdue's done without the Shillelagh before; and for a lot longer than three years. During one 10-year stretch, the Boilers lost 11 games in a row to Notre Dame. During that span, Notre Dame outscored Purdue 433-123, with three shutouts. The streak spanned from the '86 to '96 seasons, the longest the Boilers have ever gone without beating the Irish. For now, the losing streak is at three games. Senior safety Stu Schweigert doesn't expect it to last past Saturday. "I think we have a great game plan going into this game," Schweigert said. "We've got some special things planned. I feel more confident this year than I have in the past. "There isn't really any pressure." Hardwick says there's plenty of pressure, however — the pressure the Boilers have put on themselves. "We're trying to get better every week," he said. "That's all we can control, really: Ourselves. We're just going to play within ourselves Saturday. "Then go out and try to get a win." Printer-friendly version |
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