2007 –November
17
1 2 3 4 T
PUR 0 3 7 14 24
IND 7 10 7 3 27
BLOOMINGTON,
Ind. (AP) - Kellen Lewis ran for two touchdowns, and Indiana held off a
frantic Purdue rally Saturday when Austin Starr made a 49-yard field goal with
30 seconds left to hang on for a 27-24 victory.
The win likely gives the Hoosiers (7-5, 3-5 Big
Ten) their first bowl bid in 14 years, fulfilling the promise late coach Terry
Hoeppner made to fans when he was hired three years ago.
Indiana delivered this one almost the way Hoeppner
drew it up. Playing in front of the first home sellout of the season, Marcus
Thigpen ran for a career-high 140 yards, Lewis kept Purdue's defense off
balance with a nifty mix of run and pass and Starr made a career-long field
goal for the winner.
The Boilermakers (7-5, 3-5) looked bewildered most
of the game. Curtis Painter was 28-of-45 for 279 yards and one TD, but Purdue
was limited to 78 yards rushing -- minus-12 in the first half -- and lost for
the third straight week.
Indiana won for only the second times in 11 games
against its biggest rival and the victory set off a wild celebration that
included Hoeppner's wife, Jane, hugging Starr on the field.
It appeared Indiana had the game wrapped up after
Lewis ran 9 yards for one score, threw 8 yards to James Hardy for the second
and scooted 8 yards to make it 24-3 early in the second half.
But Purdue rallied with two 1-yard TD runs from
Kory Sheets and finally tied the score at 24 after taking advantage of
Thigpen's late fumble. Painter followed that with a 5-yard pass to Jake
Standeford, who was wide open in the end zone with 3:39 to go.
Then Lewis drove the 45 yards to set up Starr,
whose field goal just cleared the crossbar.
