2006 Purdue Boilermakers football team
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University
in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Tiller
and played its home games at Ross-Ade Stadium
. Purdue played thirteen games in the 2006 season, finishing with a 8-6 record and a loss in the 2006 Champs Sports Bowl
to Maryland
.
of the NFL
. Bill Legg and Ed Zaunbrecher succeeded Chaney as dual offensive coordinators. The Boilermakers returned seven starters on offense and four on defense. The condition of Ross-Ade Stadium
's turf became a major issue in the 2005 season. A permanent sod of Bermuda grass was laid down in the off-season to replace the old turf.
championship team by wearing throwback jerseys. The Boilermakers dominated the first quarter with touchdowns runs by Kory Sheets
and Curtis Painter
, respectively. A safety was sandwiched in between both of the running scores. The Sycamores of Indiana State then got on the board with a touchdown run by quarterback Reilly Murphy. Painter then completed a touchdown pass to Dorien Bryant
to close out the first quarter scoring. Indiana St. took advantage of a special teams miscue by Purdue when they returned a punt for a touchdown. Purdue got a field goal from Chris Summers before the blocked punt in the second quarter. Indiana State also scored a rushing touchdown right before halftime. Painter and Sheets both scored rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, while Sycamores running back Tony West also scored his second rushing touchdown of the day. Purdue blew open the game in the fourth quarter with three straight touchdowns. Kory Sheets scored his third rushing touchdown and Bryant caught two more TD passes from Painter. Indiana State capped off the scoring with two seconds left in the game when Murphy tossed a touchdown pass to receiver Brian Jackson.
. In overtime, Kory Sheets scored his fourth touchdown of the game and the Boilers' defense held for the 38-31 victory.
, for its first road game of the 2006 season to take on Notre Dame in their annual rivalry. The Irish went right down the field following the opening kickoff and scored on a short run by George West. Purdue answered later in the quarter to tie the game at 7-7 when Kory Sheets ran into the end zone from 7 yards out. Darius Walker put Notre Dame up 14-7 when he scored on a 14 yard run. Purdue fell behind 28-7 following Brady Quinn
's 6 yard pass to Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardzija
's 5 yard touchdown run on a fake field goal. The Boilermakers responded right before halftime when Curtis Painter found Selwyn Lymon over the middle for a 88 yard touchdown pass. McKnight caught his second touchdown pass of the afternoon from Quinn for the only scoring in the third quarter. Lymon capped off his 238 yard receiving day with his second touchdown catch of the day midway through the final quarter. The Boilermakers were unable to further score and the Irish retained possession of the Shillelagh Trophy
.
to fullback Tom Busch. Kyle Schlicher added two field goals in the second quarter and the Hawkeyes lead 20-3 at halftime. Purdue's only first half scoring came on a 44 yard field goal by freshman Chris Summers. Sims scored again on Iowa's first possession of the second half before Greg Orton caught a 18 yard touchdown pass from Curtis Painter. Tate then hit tight end Scott Chandler for a touchdown and Purdue then responded with a Jaycen Taylor touchdown run. The Boilermakers could get no closer as they were shut out in the fourth quarter. Shonn Greenne scored on a short run and Adam Shada returned an interception of a Curtis Painter pass 98 yards for a touchdown.
, caught a 1 yard pass from Painter to put Purdue up by two touchdowns by the end of the third quarter. Painter then scored on a 3 yard touchdown run in the final quarter to give Purdue the 31-10 victory.
scored from the one yard line in the second quarter and Taylor Mehlhaff added a 51 yard field goal a minute before halftime to give the Badgers a 10-3 advantage. Hill scored his second touchdown of the day in the third quarter and finished with 161 yards rushing for the game. Jamal Cooper finished off the scoring in the final quarter with an 8 yard run to give the Badgers the 24-3 victory, their third straight over Purdue.
ran for 142 yards and scored the only touchdown of the day on a 2 yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Nittany Lions won in West Lafayette for the first time since 1999.
threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to T.J. Williams. Purdue took the lead for good with about five minutes remaining in the game when senior kicker Casey Welch kicked the game-winning 18 yard field goal.
and Isiah Williams
both rushed for over 100 yards for the game. Williams, the Fighting Illini quarterback, scored the game's first touchdown on a 20 yard run. Jason Reda added a 38 yard field goal to give Illinois a 10-0 lead. Kory Sheets
scored from 3 yards out to cut the deficit to 3 by the end of the third quarter. Alex Magee recovered a Williams fumble in the end zone for Purdue, as the Boilermakers took the lead for the first time in the game. Reda kicked two second quarter field goals to give Illinois a 16-14 halftime lead. Rashard Mendenhall
extended the Illinois advantage to 23-14 in the third quarter. Curtis Painter
then ran 42 yards for a touchdown and hit Dorien Bryant
for a 20 yard scoring strike to put the Boilermakers back in the lead. Painter and Bryant both scored in the fourth quarter on runs of 18 and 6 yards, respectively. Thomas added the final score of the game on a 1 yard touchdown run with 7 minutes left in the contest.
trophy saw the Boilermakers extend their winning streak over Indiana to five games. The first half of the game featured several turnovers by both teams. Purdue managed the only first half touchdown on a 3 yard run by Jaycen Taylor in the first quarter. The Hoosiers responded with a second quarter field goal to go into halftime down 7-3. In the second half, Greg Orton caught a 14 yard touchdown pass from Curtis Painter
. Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis ran in a 16 yard touchdown, which was then followed by a short touchdown run by Kory Sheets
of Purdue. After another Indiana field goal, Purdue led 21-13 at the close of the third quarter. Hoosier wide receiver James Hardy caught a 7 yard touchdown from Lewis. Indiana then tried to tie the game with a two point conversion but the Boilermakers defense held. Purdue made the score 28-19 on a 15 yard Dorien Bryant touchdown run with five minutes left in the game. Indiana, which amassed over 500 total offensive yards in the game, began moving the ball steadily until the Purdue defense stopped the Hoosiers on a 4th down and short yardage play. The game features 9 turnovers in total; 5 by Purdue and 4 by Indiana.
, the Warriors' halfback, scored the first two touchdowns of the game on runs of 4 and 16 yards. Hawai'i added a short field goal with only a few seconds remaining in the second quarter to go up 17–0 at halftime. Purdue's offense cut the deficit to 17–14 after a touchdown pass from Curtis Painter to tight end Dustin Keller and a wide receiver option pass from Desmond Tardy to Kyle Adams. Hawai'i then added a field goal to push their lead back to 6 points at the end of the third quarter. The final quarter featured six touchdowns, three by each school, as Painter and Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan
each threw 3 touchdown passes. Painter first found Greg Orton from 28 yards out. Brennan then answered with a pass to Ross Dickerson to give the Warriors the lead again. Painter next found Keller again before putting Purdue up 35–27 after Selywn Lymon caught Painter's fourth touchdown pass of the game. Brennan led Hawai'i back by throwing a touchdown pass to Ryan Grice-Mullen and then hitting him again for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 35–35. After an interception was thrown by Painter, Hawai'i took the lead for good when Brennan found Ian Sample for the winning score. Brennan threw for 434 yards for the game and led the Hawai'i offense to over 650 total yards. Purdue finished the regular season at 8–5.
. Maryland controlled the game from the beginning and Purdue's offense only managed to score once in a 24-7 defeat. Maryland quarterback Sam Hollenbach
put the Terrapins ahead 7-0 after the first of two touchdown passes on the day, this one to Joey Haynos
. Maryland opened up a 14-0 lead after a i yard run by Cory Jackson
. Hollenbach then threw his second touchdown pass, a 46 yard strike to Darrius Heyward-Bey
. Purdue narrowed the gap to 21-7 before halftime when Curtis Painter
connected with Greg Orton
from 12 yards out. Both defenses controlled the second half, with the only scoring being a Maryland field goal. Purdue was out gained 429-285 and was a -2 in the turnover margin.
to the first team all-conference squad. Wide receiver Dorien Bryant
was chosen by the coaches for the second team, while the writers picked Bryant for the first team. Mike Otto
was also named by the coaches to second team offensive squad.
Three Boilermaker football players were selected in the 2007 NFL Draft
. Defensive End Anthony Spencer
was selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys
. Offensive Linemen Uche Nwaneri
and Mike Otto
were also drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
and Tennessee Titans
, respectively.
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Tiller
Joe Tiller
Joe Tiller is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, compliling a career college football record of 126–92–1...
and played its home games at Ross-Ade Stadium
Ross-Ade Stadium
Ross–Ade Stadium is a stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. It is the home of the Purdue University Boilermakers football team.-History:...
. Purdue played thirteen games in the 2006 season, finishing with a 8-6 record and a loss in the 2006 Champs Sports Bowl
2006 Champs Sports Bowl
The 2006 Champs Sports Bowl was played on December 29, 2006. This 17th edition to the college football bowl game featured the Maryland Terrapins and the Purdue Boilermakers....
to Maryland
2006 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2006 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was the Terrapins' 54th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its second within the...
.
Pre-season
Purdue entered 2005 highly ranked and as a dark horse candidate to win the Big 10 before losing six straight and falling to 2-6 after a blowout loss to Penn State. While the Boilermakers finished the 2005 season 5-6, the team closed out the year on a three game winning streak. Purdue's coaching staff experienced several changes in the off-season. Jim Chaney, the offensive coordinator, left for a position with the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Bill Legg and Ed Zaunbrecher succeeded Chaney as dual offensive coordinators. The Boilermakers returned seven starters on offense and four on defense. The condition of Ross-Ade Stadium
Ross-Ade Stadium
Ross–Ade Stadium is a stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. It is the home of the Purdue University Boilermakers football team.-History:...
's turf became a major issue in the 2005 season. A permanent sod of Bermuda grass was laid down in the off-season to replace the old turf.
Schedule
Roster
| (as of 09/18/2006) | ||||||
Wide Receivers
Offensive Line
Tight Ends
Fullbacks
|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Defensive Line
Linebackers
|
Defensive Backs
Punters
Kickers
|
||||
Indiana State
Purdue opened up the 2006 campaign with a win over Division 1-AA opponent Indiana State Purdue paid tribute to the 1966 Rose BowlRose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
championship team by wearing throwback jerseys. The Boilermakers dominated the first quarter with touchdowns runs by Kory Sheets
Kory Sheets
Kory Gerren Sheets is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
and Curtis Painter
Curtis Painter
Curtis Jeffrey Painter is a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.-High school career:...
, respectively. A safety was sandwiched in between both of the running scores. The Sycamores of Indiana State then got on the board with a touchdown run by quarterback Reilly Murphy. Painter then completed a touchdown pass to Dorien Bryant
Dorien Bryant
Dorien Lamar Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft, but later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent....
to close out the first quarter scoring. Indiana St. took advantage of a special teams miscue by Purdue when they returned a punt for a touchdown. Purdue got a field goal from Chris Summers before the blocked punt in the second quarter. Indiana State also scored a rushing touchdown right before halftime. Painter and Sheets both scored rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, while Sycamores running back Tony West also scored his second rushing touchdown of the day. Purdue blew open the game in the fourth quarter with three straight touchdowns. Kory Sheets scored his third rushing touchdown and Bryant caught two more TD passes from Painter. Indiana State capped off the scoring with two seconds left in the game when Murphy tossed a touchdown pass to receiver Brian Jackson.
Miami, OH
Purdue took on the Redhawks in their second home game of the 2006 season. The first quarter ended with neither team scoring any points. Kory Sheets scored on a short touchdown run early in the second quarter. This was followed by a Nathan Parseghian field goal to get Miami on the board. Chris Summers connected from 43 yards out to give Purdue a 10-3 halftime lead. Mike Kokal threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter to Jake O'Connell and Dustin Woods for the Redhawks. Sheets added his second rushing touchdown of the game between the Miami scores, as the quarter ended in a 17-17 tie. Kokal threw two more touchdown passes, both to Ryne Robinson, the last coming with around 6 minutes remaining to tie the game at 31-31. Kory Sheets had opened the quarter with his third touchdown run. Curtis Painter tossed a touchdown pass Greg Orton before Robinson's second touchdown. Purdue had a chance to drive for the possible win in the fourth quarter but Painter was intercepted. Miami's last second field goal was blocked by Boilermaker defender Anthony SpencerAnthony Spencer
Anthony E. Spencer II is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cowboys 26th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-High school career:Spencer played high school football at Bishop Luers High...
. In overtime, Kory Sheets scored his fourth touchdown of the game and the Boilers' defense held for the 38-31 victory.
Ball State
In the third game of the season, Purdue took on the Cardinals from Ball State. Ball State opened up the scoring with a touchdown pass from Joey Lynch to Louis Johnson. The Boilermakers responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Curtis Painter to tight end Dustin Keller. The Cardinals took a 10–7 lead at the end of the first quarter after a field goal. The only second-quarter scoring came from Purdue as Painter ran for a short touchdown and connected with halfback Kory Sheets on a 3-yard touchdown pass. Purdue extended its lead to 31–13 after three quarters following a touchdown run by Kory Sheets and a Chris Summers field goal. Painter tossed a second TD pass to Sheets in the final quarter before Ball State added two late scores from Brad Salyer and Darius Hill.Minnesota
The Boilermakers kicked off the Big Ten season against the Golden Gophers. Minnesota scored on its very first possession of the game with a 1 yard run from Justin Valentine. Purdue responded in kind with a 39 yard field goal from kicker Chris Summers. The Boilers took a 10-7 halftime lead when Curtis Painter found Dorien Bryant for a 27 yard touchdown pass. Purdue extended its lead to 20-7 in the third quarter with a touchdown run by halfback Jaycen Taylor and another Summers field goal. Minnesota closed the gap to 20-14 heading into the fourth quarter when quarterback Bryan Cupito found tight end Matt Spaeth for a 1 yard touchdown pass. Painter connected with Taylor for a touchdown in the final quarter before Cupito found Logan Payne for his second touchdown pass of the day. The Purdue defense held off the Gophers final drive to preserve the 27-21 victory and move to 4-0.Notre Dame
Purdue traveled to Notre Dame, INNotre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
, for its first road game of the 2006 season to take on Notre Dame in their annual rivalry. The Irish went right down the field following the opening kickoff and scored on a short run by George West. Purdue answered later in the quarter to tie the game at 7-7 when Kory Sheets ran into the end zone from 7 yards out. Darius Walker put Notre Dame up 14-7 when he scored on a 14 yard run. Purdue fell behind 28-7 following Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Quinn was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-Early Years:Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn was born on...
's 6 yard pass to Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardzija
Jeff Samardzija
Jeffrey Alan Samardzija is an American baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs...
's 5 yard touchdown run on a fake field goal. The Boilermakers responded right before halftime when Curtis Painter found Selwyn Lymon over the middle for a 88 yard touchdown pass. McKnight caught his second touchdown pass of the afternoon from Quinn for the only scoring in the third quarter. Lymon capped off his 238 yard receiving day with his second touchdown catch of the day midway through the final quarter. The Boilermakers were unable to further score and the Irish retained possession of the Shillelagh Trophy
Shillelagh Trophy
The Shillelagh Trophy is a trophy exchanged between Notre Dame and Purdue, being held by the winner of the annual football game. The two in-state rivals first played each other in 1896 and the game has occurred annually since 1946. The trophy, first presented in 1957, is a club donated by Joe...
.
Iowa
The Iowa Hawkeyes welcomed Purdue to Kinnick Stadium one week after losing their much anticipated game against top-ranked Ohio State. Iowa jumped on Purdue early and often, opening up a 14-0 first quarter lead with a touchdown run by Damian Sims and a pass from quarterback Drew TateDrew Tate
Drew Tate is a professional American and Canadian football quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Iowa....
to fullback Tom Busch. Kyle Schlicher added two field goals in the second quarter and the Hawkeyes lead 20-3 at halftime. Purdue's only first half scoring came on a 44 yard field goal by freshman Chris Summers. Sims scored again on Iowa's first possession of the second half before Greg Orton caught a 18 yard touchdown pass from Curtis Painter. Tate then hit tight end Scott Chandler for a touchdown and Purdue then responded with a Jaycen Taylor touchdown run. The Boilermakers could get no closer as they were shut out in the fourth quarter. Shonn Greenne scored on a short run and Adam Shada returned an interception of a Curtis Painter pass 98 yards for a touchdown.
Northwestern
Purdue broke its two game losing streak with one of its best defensive efforts of the 2006 season. Brandon Roberson put the Northwestern Wildcats on the scoreboard first with a 7 yard touchdown run. Jaycen Taylor then added his own 7 yard run for a score for the Boilermakers. Curtis Painter connected with Dustin Keller on a 19 yard scoring strike in the opening seconds of the second quarter. Northwestern added a field goal before Purdue answered with an 18 yard kick by Chris Summers to give the Boilermakers a 17-10 halftime lead. Purdue shut out the Wildcats in the second half and held the Northwestern offense to 251 yards for the game. Jake Standeford, younger brother of former standout Purdue receiver John StandefordJohn Standeford
John William Standeford is an American football wide receiver for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
, caught a 1 yard pass from Painter to put Purdue up by two touchdowns by the end of the third quarter. Painter then scored on a 3 yard touchdown run in the final quarter to give Purdue the 31-10 victory.
Wisconsin
For the first time in the 2006 season, the Boilermakers struggled to produce an effective and consistent offensive effort. The Wisconsin defense held Purdue to a mere 286 total yards for the game and the Purdue passing game was limited to 187 yards by the Badgers. Purdue's only points of the game came on a Chris Summers 47 yard field goal in the first quarter. Wisconsin freshman sensation P. J. Hill, Jr.P. J. Hill, Jr.
Parrish "P. J." Hill Jr. is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
scored from the one yard line in the second quarter and Taylor Mehlhaff added a 51 yard field goal a minute before halftime to give the Badgers a 10-3 advantage. Hill scored his second touchdown of the day in the third quarter and finished with 161 yards rushing for the game. Jamal Cooper finished off the scoring in the final quarter with an 8 yard run to give the Badgers the 24-3 victory, their third straight over Purdue.
Penn State
For the first time in the Joe Tiller coaching era at Purdue the Boilermakers were shut out by an opponent. The Penn State defense held Purdue to 240 yards for the game and forced three Boilermaker turnovers. Kevin Kelly kicked a 29 yard field goal in the first quarter and a 44 yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Nittany Lions a 6-0 halftime lead. While Purdue's defense kept them in the game, the offense could not capitalize. Tony HuntTony Hunt
Antonio Christopher Hunt is an American football running back for the Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna of the Austrian Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.-Early years:A standout player at T. C...
ran for 142 yards and scored the only touchdown of the day on a 2 yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Nittany Lions won in West Lafayette for the first time since 1999.
Michigan State
The Boilermakers snapped their two game losing streak with a 17-15 victory over Michigan State. Purdue scored first on a 25 yard touchdown pass from Curtis Painter to Dorien Bryant. The Spartans added two field goals in the second quarter before Purdue took a 14-6 halftime lead on Bryant's second touchdown catch from Painter. The only third quarter scoring was done by the Spartans on a field goal. Michigan State took a 15-14 lead when Drew StantonDrew Stanton
Drew Emeric Stanton is a quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans.-Early life:...
threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to T.J. Williams. Purdue took the lead for good with about five minutes remaining in the game when senior kicker Casey Welch kicked the game-winning 18 yard field goal.
Illinois
Purdue became bowl-eligible for the first time since the 2004 season with their second consecutive conference road victory. The Boilers had trouble containing the Illinois running game, as Pierre ThomasPierre Thomas (American football)
Charles Pierre Thomas Jr. is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League.- Early years :...
and Isiah Williams
Isiah Williams
Isiah John "Juice" Williams is an American football quarterback who is currently signed to the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. He was undrafted in 2010...
both rushed for over 100 yards for the game. Williams, the Fighting Illini quarterback, scored the game's first touchdown on a 20 yard run. Jason Reda added a 38 yard field goal to give Illinois a 10-0 lead. Kory Sheets
Kory Sheets
Kory Gerren Sheets is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
scored from 3 yards out to cut the deficit to 3 by the end of the third quarter. Alex Magee recovered a Williams fumble in the end zone for Purdue, as the Boilermakers took the lead for the first time in the game. Reda kicked two second quarter field goals to give Illinois a 16-14 halftime lead. Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
extended the Illinois advantage to 23-14 in the third quarter. Curtis Painter
Curtis Painter
Curtis Jeffrey Painter is a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.-High school career:...
then ran 42 yards for a touchdown and hit Dorien Bryant
Dorien Bryant
Dorien Lamar Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft, but later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent....
for a 20 yard scoring strike to put the Boilermakers back in the lead. Painter and Bryant both scored in the fourth quarter on runs of 18 and 6 yards, respectively. Thomas added the final score of the game on a 1 yard touchdown run with 7 minutes left in the contest.
Indiana
The annual battle for the Old Oaken BucketOld Oaken Bucket
The Old Oaken Bucket is the name of the trophy that is annually awarded to the winner of the Big Ten Conference college football game between Indiana University and Purdue University. It is one of the oldest football trophies in the nation...
trophy saw the Boilermakers extend their winning streak over Indiana to five games. The first half of the game featured several turnovers by both teams. Purdue managed the only first half touchdown on a 3 yard run by Jaycen Taylor in the first quarter. The Hoosiers responded with a second quarter field goal to go into halftime down 7-3. In the second half, Greg Orton caught a 14 yard touchdown pass from Curtis Painter
Curtis Painter
Curtis Jeffrey Painter is a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.-High school career:...
. Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis ran in a 16 yard touchdown, which was then followed by a short touchdown run by Kory Sheets
Kory Sheets
Kory Gerren Sheets is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
of Purdue. After another Indiana field goal, Purdue led 21-13 at the close of the third quarter. Hoosier wide receiver James Hardy caught a 7 yard touchdown from Lewis. Indiana then tried to tie the game with a two point conversion but the Boilermakers defense held. Purdue made the score 28-19 on a 15 yard Dorien Bryant touchdown run with five minutes left in the game. Indiana, which amassed over 500 total offensive yards in the game, began moving the ball steadily until the Purdue defense stopped the Hoosiers on a 4th down and short yardage play. The game features 9 turnovers in total; 5 by Purdue and 4 by Indiana.
Hawaii
For the first time since the 2001 season, Purdue played their final regular-season game against a team other than Indiana. The first half of the game was dominated by Hawai'i. Nate IlaoaNate Ilaoa
Nate Ilaoa is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, the Warriors' halfback, scored the first two touchdowns of the game on runs of 4 and 16 yards. Hawai'i added a short field goal with only a few seconds remaining in the second quarter to go up 17–0 at halftime. Purdue's offense cut the deficit to 17–14 after a touchdown pass from Curtis Painter to tight end Dustin Keller and a wide receiver option pass from Desmond Tardy to Kyle Adams. Hawai'i then added a field goal to push their lead back to 6 points at the end of the third quarter. The final quarter featured six touchdowns, three by each school, as Painter and Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan
Colt Brennan
Colton "Colt" James Brennan is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
each threw 3 touchdown passes. Painter first found Greg Orton from 28 yards out. Brennan then answered with a pass to Ross Dickerson to give the Warriors the lead again. Painter next found Keller again before putting Purdue up 35–27 after Selywn Lymon caught Painter's fourth touchdown pass of the game. Brennan led Hawai'i back by throwing a touchdown pass to Ryan Grice-Mullen and then hitting him again for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 35–35. After an interception was thrown by Painter, Hawai'i took the lead for good when Brennan found Ian Sample for the winning score. Brennan threw for 434 yards for the game and led the Hawai'i offense to over 650 total yards. Purdue finished the regular season at 8–5.
Maryland
Purdue closed out the 2006 season by competing in their ninth game under head coach Joe TillerJoe Tiller
Joe Tiller is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, compliling a career college football record of 126–92–1...
. Maryland controlled the game from the beginning and Purdue's offense only managed to score once in a 24-7 defeat. Maryland quarterback Sam Hollenbach
Sam Hollenbach
Samuel Hollenbach is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
put the Terrapins ahead 7-0 after the first of two touchdown passes on the day, this one to Joey Haynos
Joey Haynos
Joey Haynos is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. Maryland opened up a 14-0 lead after a i yard run by Cory Jackson
Cory Jackson
Cory Jackson is an American football fullback who is currently a member of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Maryland.-Early years:Jackson was born in Morgantown, West...
. Hollenbach then threw his second touchdown pass, a 46 yard strike to Darrius Heyward-Bey
Darrius Heyward-Bey
-Oakland Raiders:During Organized Team Activities following the draft, Heyward-Bey practiced early but was plagued by multiple hamstring injuries. On July 30, 2009, the Oakland Raiders agreed to terms on a five-year deal with Heyward-Bey.-External links:***...
. Purdue narrowed the gap to 21-7 before halftime when Curtis Painter
Curtis Painter
Curtis Jeffrey Painter is a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.-High school career:...
connected with Greg Orton
Greg Orton
Gregory Carlton Orton was an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Denver Broncos. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
from 12 yards out. Both defenses controlled the second half, with the only scoring being a Maryland field goal. Purdue was out gained 429-285 and was a -2 in the turnover margin.
Post-season
The Big Ten coaches and media selected Anthony SpencerAnthony Spencer
Anthony E. Spencer II is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cowboys 26th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-High school career:Spencer played high school football at Bishop Luers High...
to the first team all-conference squad. Wide receiver Dorien Bryant
Dorien Bryant
Dorien Lamar Bryant is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft, but later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent....
was chosen by the coaches for the second team, while the writers picked Bryant for the first team. Mike Otto
Mike Otto (American football)
Michael Everett Otto is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Titans in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
was also named by the coaches to second team offensive squad.
Three Boilermaker football players were selected in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. Defensive End Anthony Spencer
Anthony Spencer
Anthony E. Spencer II is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cowboys 26th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-High school career:Spencer played high school football at Bishop Luers High...
was selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Offensive Linemen Uche Nwaneri
Uche Nwaneri
Uchechukwu Eberechukwu "Uche" Nwaneri is an American football player who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Uche was born in Dallas, Texas on March 20, 1984. He played Guard for Purdue University after graduating from Naaman Forest High School...
and Mike Otto
Mike Otto (American football)
Michael Everett Otto is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Titans in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
were also drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, respectively.
2007 NFL Draft
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
| Anthony Spencer Anthony Spencer Anthony E. Spencer II is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cowboys 26th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-High school career:Spencer played high school football at Bishop Luers High... |
Defensive End | 1 | 26 | Dallas Cowboys 2007 Dallas Cowboys season The 2007 Dallas Cowboys season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished the regular season tied for the best record in the NFC , and earned a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs... |
| Uche Nwaneri Uche Nwaneri Uchechukwu Eberechukwu "Uche" Nwaneri is an American football player who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Uche was born in Dallas, Texas on March 20, 1984. He played Guard for Purdue University after graduating from Naaman Forest High School... |
Offensive Lineman | 5 | 149 | Jacksonville Jaguars 2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season -Final roster:-Schedule:The Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season schedule was announced on April 11, 2007.-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans:-Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons:-Week 3: at Denver Broncos:-Week 5: at Kansas City Chiefs:... |
| Mike Otto Mike Otto (American football) Michael Everett Otto is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Titans in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft... |
Offensive Lineman | 7 | 223 | Tennessee Titans 2007 Tennessee Titans season The 2007 Tennessee Titans season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League, and their eleventh in Tennessee. They entered the season in an attempt to improve on their 8–8 record from 2006, along with attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since... |