[Quack Attack]

Effort, but no result for Purdue

Boilers let big lead slip away in heartbreaking loss to visiting Ducks


By Jeff Rabjohns
Posted: September 14, 2008



WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue had the monkey in its hands, ready to throw it to the ground. The Boilermakers, who hadn't beaten a ranked opponent since 2003, built a 17-point lead on No. 16 Oregon. Even after the lead dissipated, they had a kick to win it.

But Chris Summers' 44-yard field goal attempt into the wind at the end of regulation knuckled left, and the Ducks scored a touchdown in the second overtime to spoil Purdue's upset bid, 32-26. For the Boilers, it was a disappointing end to an inspired effort against a team predicted by many to win by double figures. "It felt like nobody thought we were going to come out here and play, the announcers on TV and stuff saying they were going to score 100 points on us," said Boilers running back Kory Sheets, who rushed for a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns.

"That's disrespectful to any team. That's like we're a high school team playing a Division I school. I think we showed the world we can play with anybody in the country." The Boilers, who beat Northern Colorado 42-10 last week in their opener, play Central Michigan at home Saturday, followed by a Sept. 27 game at Notre Dame. Ignited by Sheets' 80-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage and 10 points off turnovers, Purdue jumped ahead 20-3 early in the second quarter.
Oregon (3-0) entered the game averaging a nation's best 592 yards per game, but Purdue held the Ducks' offense out of the end zone for nearly three quarters.

With Nike founder and major Oregon booster Phil Knight among the crowd of 54,666 at Ross-Ade Stadium, the Boilers picked off two passes inside their 20-yard line, returning one 60 yards to set up a field goal, and recovered a misplayed kickoff into the wind to set up another touchdown.
Oregon, averaging 40.4 points per game since the beginning of the 2007 season, didn't get an offensive touchdown until 11 seconds remained in the third quarter.

"A loss is never positive," said Purdue sophomore defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, whose forced fumble was one of four Oregon turnovers. "We did some things well, but we didn't finish and that's of utmost importance.
"We didn't finish the game and we lost. There's a few positive things we can take from it -- the turnovers, coming up big when they got in our territory -- but overall, it's disappointing because we lost."
Purdue's last win over a nationally ranked team came in the 10th game of the 2003 season, 27-14 over No. 10 Iowa.

Purdue senior quarterback Curtis Painter was 26-for-50 passing for 207 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. One interception with less than a minute left in the first half led to an Oregon field goal that cut Purdue's lead to 20-6. Both teams kicked field goals in the first overtime, and Purdue, with the ball first in the second overtime, came up wide right on a 47-yard field goal. Oregon's LaGarrette Blount scored on a 2-yard touchdown run in the second overtime.

"It certainly isn't a moral victory," Purdue coach Joe Tiller said. "I'm really pleased about our effort level. I think if our football team goes out and puts it on the line like that every week, we're going to win our share of football games. "We'll have a chance to win every football game if we play that hard every week out."