Spartans Fall To Boilermakers
11/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 5, 2005
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Purdue's defense sure didn't look like one of the worst in the nation.
The Boilermakers, struggling to stop opponents all season, shut out Michigan State in the second half Saturday and got three touchdowns by Jerod Void in a 28-21 victory that ended their longest losing streak in 12 years at six games.
"The defense played its best game," a relieved Purdue coach Joe Tiller said.
"That shows how quickly things can turn on you. I told them it's one thing to hate failure, it's another thing to fear it. ... Don't worry about something bad happening; make something good happen."
Void rushed for 134 yards, and Curtis Painter, making his third straight start in place of quarterback Brandon Kirsch, passed for a career-high 226 yards and one TD for the Boilermakers (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten).
Purdue came in ranked 106th in scoring defense, 116th in total defense and 117th -- dead last among all Division I-A teams -- in pass defense. But the Boilermakers held the Spartans 182 yards under their season average, sacked Drew Stanton three times and came up with a game-ending interception in the closing seconds.
The 21 points were the fewest allowed by Purdue in any game all season.
"It's a big weight off our shoulders because we've been struggling and the last few games have been really close," Painter said. "I am definitely starting to feel more comfortable."
Michigan State (5-4, 2-4), trying for a sixth victory to become bowl-eligible, came in ranked third in the nation in total offense at more than 530 yards a game. But Purdue held the Spartans to 30 yards in the second quarter, and the Boilermakers tied the game at 21 on Void's second touchdown, a 2-yard run early in the third period.
Michigan State reached the Purdue 25 on its next possession, but a fourth-down pass from Stanton to Jerramy Scott was broken up in the end zone by Brian Hickman, giving the ball back to the Boilermakers on downs.
Painter hit three straight passes to help Purdue to the Spartans' 28 on the following series. He then pitched the ball to Desmond Tardy, who passed it back to Painter. The pass was incomplete, but an interference penalty on Kaleb Thornhill gave the Boilermakers the ball at the 13 and Void ran in from the 6 two plays later for his third touchdown and Purdue's first lead of the game.
Michigan State's last chance ended at the Purdue 10 when Bernard Pollard intercepted a pass by Stanton with 5 seconds remaining.
"Everyone is finally on the same page and everyone knows their assignments," Pollard said of the defense. "Our technique off the line of scrimmage has improved. ... We were just trying to get the ball back to the offense because they were playing great today."
Stanton was 22-of-30 for 248 yards, and the Spartans totaled a net 351 yards for the game.
"They were good and quick up front," Stanton said. "They weren't allowing us to get our running game established."
Purdue totaled 447 yards, including 221 on the ground. Void's first touchdown came on a career-long 64-yard run that tied the game at 7 in the first quarter.
"They got us with blitzes," Michigan State coach John L. Smith said. "They pressured us all day. But we can't make excuses. We've just got to get them blocked."
Stanton, who passed 16 yards to Jason Teague for Michigan State's first touchdown, added a 1-yard TD run later in the opening period for a 14-7 lead.
Purdue tied it again on a 39-yard pass from Painter to Dorien Bryant and appeared headed to another touchdown late in the period before Painter was sacked and fumbled. The Spartans' David Herron recovered the ball and fumbled as he was tackled, but teammate Eric Smith picked up the ball and ran the final 65 yards for a touchdown and a 21-14 halftime lead.
"We got good momentum there," Smith said. "But you've got to come out and play with more emotion. .. We made adjustments at halftime, and so did they. Their plan seemed to work a little better than ours."
