Indiana University
Purdue
Boilers Outlast Hoosiers, 28-19
11/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 18, 2006
Final Stats | Notes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Indiana football team registered five takeaways, including four interceptions, but Purdue's 21 second-half points sealed the 28-19 victory for the Boilermakers in 82nd edition of the Old Oaken Bucket game on Nov. 18 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. The Hoosiers closed the 2006 season with an overall record of 5-7 and a 3-5 mark in the Big Ten.
Kellen Lewis led a balanced offense that rolled up 506 yards of total offense. Lewis completed 26 passes for 290 yards, as the Jacksonville, Fla., native finished the season with 2,221 yards, which ranks seventh in the IU record books.
Sophomore wide receiver James Hardy led IU's receiving corps with nine catches for 151 yards and one touchdown, averaging 16.8 yards per catch. On the ground, Indiana registered 215 rushing yards led by Lewis' 10 carried for 103 yards.
With Purdue threatening on its second drive Will Meyers picked up the first takeaway of the game, intercepting a Curtis Painter pass with eight minutes to play in the opening quarter. On second-and-3 from the IU 35, Painter looked to the right slot, where Jordan Grimes was running a deep post. Meyers jumped the route and grabbed his fourth interception of the season, returning it 30 yards to give the Hoosiers possession near midfield.
Three plays later, Tyson Beattie lined up for a punt at the Indiana 40. Beattie's punt was blocked by Purdue's Adam Wolf, and the Boilers took possession at the Hoosier 32. After Painter found Dorien Bryant for a 29-yard gain, Jaycen Taylor leapt in from three yards out to give the home squad a 7-0 lead with 5:58 to go in the opening quarter.
Indiana bounced back with a 15-play, 72-yard drive, but the Purdue defense registered its first takeaway of the game, when Justin Scott forced Demetrius McCray to fumble at the 1-yard-line, and George Hall fell on it to give the Boilermakers possession at their own 1. On the drive, Lewis went 8-for-9 for 72 yards, pushing him past the 2,000-yard mark on the season. He became the ninth different Hoosier QB to pass for 2,000 in a single season, posting the 10th 2,000 yard season in IU history.
Purdue looked poise to take advantage of the turnover, but Meyers came up big again for the Hoosiers. Painter looked to the right for Keith Smith, but the ball sailed high, and after Leslie Majors tipped it, Meyers jumped in for his second interception of the game and fifth of the season, giving IU the ball back at its own 22.
On the first play of the drive, Lewis faked a handoff to Thigpen and darted to the left side. After evading a pair of Purdue tacklers, he rumbled 62 yards to give IU a first down at the PU 16. It marks the longest run by a Hoosier since Levron Williams posted an 80-yard TD run against Michigan State on Nov. 10, 2001. Three plays later, Austin Starr drilled his 11th field goal of the year to trim the lead to 7-3 with 8:27 to play in the half.
Neither team scored again before the end of the half, but there were plenty of fireworks before the teams went to the locker rooms. On the game's wildest play, the Boilers rushed up the left side on an option, with Jaycen Taylor picking up 31 yards before Meyers forced him to fumble. Tracy Porter picked up the fumble and scampered 57 yards up the left sideline. But Porter was caught from behind by Jake Standeford, who punched the ball out and it rolled through the end zone to give the Boilers the ball back at the 20.
The Boilers extended their lead with 9:13 to play in the third on their second possession of the half. Purdue went 70 yards on eight plays, culminating with a 14-yard TD pass from Painter to Orton, making the score 14-3. Painter went 3-for-4 on the drive, gaining 52 yards through the air.
The Hoosiers responded quickly, though, posting a six-play, 74-yard drive to draw within four at 14-10. Lewis picked up his fifth rushing score of the season, a 16-yard run up the right side on a fake to McCray. The biggest play on the drive was a lob over the top to James Hardy near the sideline, which picked up 28 yards and moved IU into Boiler territory.
The offenses continued to roll, with PU going nine plays for 80 yards to extend its lead to 21-10. Sheets picked up his second score of the day on the final play of the drive, a two-yard run on a sweep to the right side. Painter completed three passes for 42 yards on the drive, which used 4:11 of the clock.
Indiana responded with a 52-yard drive of its own, with Starr nailing home a 31-yard field goal to bring the Hoosiers within one score at 21-13. Lewis completed a pair of passes to Hardy on the drive, picking up 49 yards in the air. On third-and-8 from the 13, Lewis escaped from the Boiler pressure and rolled to his right, but his pass for Andrew Means was just out of the redshirt freshman's reach, and IU had to settle for a field goal.
Indiana posted its fifth takeaway of the game came on Porter's fourth interception of the year, giving IU four picks in a game for this first time since Sept. 19, 1998, when the Hoosiers picked off Tim Couch four times. On the next play, McCray darted 53 yards up the right side to give the Hoosiers first-and-goal from the 2. On fourth down from the 7, the Hoosiers elected to go for the touchdown, and Lewis found Hardy in the slot for his 10th score of the year. Indiana went for the two-point conversion, but Lewis was stopped short of the goal line on a rush, leaving the Hoosiers down 21-19 with 9:29 to play.
The Boilers made it a two-score game with 4:58 to play in the game, as Bryant took an end around 15 yards through the left side to make the score 28-19. Purdue went nine plays for 76 yards, gaining 45 yards on the ground, running 4:31 off the game clock. The Hoosiers could not score again, being stopped on fourth-and-1 on their final offensive play of the contest.
