2003 Bucket Game

2003 – November 22

1              2              3              4              T

PUR       7              7              7              3              24

IND        3              0              10           3              16

BLOOMINGTON, IN (AP) - Purdue's John Standeford struggled all season with a foot injury. Standeford caught two touchdowns from Kyle Orton and raced 56 yards on a late catch-and-run to help seal No. 16 Purdue's 24-16 victory over Indiana.

"I got here today and I was feeling the best I have all year," Standeford said. "So you could tell, probably, a little bit out here. I was just running around having fun."

In a game the Boilermakers (9-3, 6-2) needed to win to help secure a New Year's Day bowl bid, Standeford excelled, catching six passes for 151 yards.

He needs four more receptions to break David Williams' Big Ten career record for catches and moved into a tie for second on the school's career touchdown receptions list with 27.

But Standeford was more concerned with winning than accolades. By claiming the Old Oaken Bucket for the sixth time in coach Joe Tiller's seven year, Purdue finished its Big Ten season in a second-place tie with Ohio State.

And it was Standeford's sore foot that proved the difference. He raced right past two Indiana defenders on a 41-yard touchdown pass in the first half, a play Orton set up beautifully with a pump fake.

On his 33-yard TD catch in the third quarter, Standeford spun inside one defender and darted untouched for the final 17 yards.

On the play that sealed the game, Standeford made a handful of defenders miss, twice cutting inside them, as he raced 56 yards to the Indiana 8.

Earlier this week, Tiller had said Standeford didn't look like the same player this year that he had his first three seasons.

While far from flawless Saturday -- Indiana defenders twice wrestled balls away from him for interceptions -- Standeford did give Tiller a glimpse of his old self. "I thought he came back and made a big play, and I'm glad to see a senior go out that way," Tiller said.

Indiana (2-10, 1-7) not only struggled to stop Standeford, it also allowed Jerod Void to rush for a career-high 141 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries.

But the Hoosiers, who lost for the eighth time in nine games, responded to their biggest rivalry with one of their best efforts of the season.

They rallied from a 21-3 deficit early in the third quarter and the primary reason was BenJarvus Green-Ellis. He carried 35 times for 155 yards and one touchdown, caught four passes for 39 yards and snapped Purdue's streak of 15 games without allowing a 100-yard runner.

It was the first time since Alex Smith in 1994 that the Hoosiers had a true freshman run for 100 yards in back-to-back games. Green-Ellis ran for 203 yards last week at Penn State.

Indiana also missed out on a series of scoring chances. Bryan Robertson had one field goal attempt blocked in the first half and another missed short. Matt LoVecchio threw a fourth-quarter interception inside the Purdue 20 and also missed wide open Alex Stscherban on the goal line.

To coach Gerry DiNardo, that was the discouraging part. "Our offense's inability to take advantage of good fortune, the two missed field goals and the goal line incompletion toward the end of the game were the differences," DiNardo said.

The Boilermakers also helped Indiana with some uncharacteristic errors.  Orton had thrown just four interceptions all year before being picked off twice in Purdue territory in the fourth quarter. He

finished 11-of-20 for 222 yards with two touchdowns.

When Purdue appeared to take control of the game on Standeford's 33-yard touchdown, they also couldn't put Indiana away.

The Hoosiers charged back when Green-Ellis burst through the middle for a 39-yard touchdown run and Robertson hit a 40-yard field goal as the third quarter ended to make it 21-13.

Five plays later, Cedric Henry ripped the ball away from Standeford and lateralled to Duane Stone, who returned it to the Boilermakers 16. Robertson then kicked a 22-yard field goal.

On Purdue's next play, Orton's pass was picked off by Herana-Daze Jones. Indiana drove to the Purdue 20 before LoVecchio was intercepted by Landon Johnson.

LoVecchio was 12-of-26 for 115 yards. "We had chances to tie the game and put some points on the

board, but, unfortunately, we didn't do that," LoVecchio said. "I'm upset we couldn't get it done."

Instead, Orton went back to Standeford, whose 56-yard catch and brilliant run set up Ben Jones for 22-yard field goal with 5:25 left.

It was all the Boilermakers needed. "I just wanted to get some more points on there at the end,"

Standeford said. "We're just happy to get out of here with a win."

2002 Bucket Game

2002 – November 23

1              2              3              4              T

IND        0              3              0              7              10

PUR       7              10           7              10             34

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) _ Brandon Jones ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns as Purdue beat Indiana 34-10 to become bowl-eligible for a sixth straight season and regain the Old Oaken

Bucket.

Purdue stormed the field and huddled for the Bucket presentation. Players held it over their heads and ran toward the crowd in celebration. Fans spilled out onto the field, but they were calm and followed the team back in the direction of the locker room instead of trying to tear down the goal posts.

The Boilermakers (6-6, 4-4 Big Ten) are headed for their sixth bowl game in six seasons under coach Joe Tiller. They had only been to five bowls before he took over _ and none since 1984.

Kyle Orton, who on Tuesday said he would consider transferring if he couldn't win back his starting job next spring, came off the bench to lead Purdue on five scoring drives and 539 yards of total offense.

Orton completed his first five attempts and was 22-for-28 overall for 173 yards, picking apart Indiana (3-9, 1-7) with short passes while moving the ball downfield.

Brandon Kirsch started for the Boilermakers and threw their only touchdown pass, placing the ball on the outstretched hands of John Standeford for a 60-yard score on their first possession. They led

7-0 and never trailed.

After Kirsch _ who was 2-for-6 for 70 yards _ finished a drive that had started at the end of the first quarter, he was pulled on the next series for Orton. That drive ended with a 41-yard touchdown run by Jones, who took a pitch through a wide-open hole on the right, and cut back toward midfield at the 20 before dragging two defenders into the end zone for a 14-3 lead.

Berin Lacevic added a 31-yard field goal for a 17-3 halftime lead. Jerod Void had a 1-yard TD, Jones added a 4-yard score and Lacevic kicked a 23-yarder in the second half. Joey Harris ran for 102 yards and became the seventh Boilermaker to rush for 1,000 yards. He has 1,022 yards.

Indiana's only points came on Bryan Robertson's 50-yard field goal and Gibran Hamdan's 6-yard TD pass to Stephen Anthony late in the fourth. That score was set up by an 85-yard kickoff return to Purdue's 6 by A.C. Carter.

Indiana receiver Courtney Roby became the third Hoosier to reach the 1,000-yard mark with three catches for 65 yards. He finished with 1,039 yards.

Last year, Indiana won the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since 1996 with a 13-7 victory. The Boilermakers lead the series 64-35-6, and the Bucket portion of the series 50-25-3. The inaugural Bucket game was in 1925.

2001 Bucket Game

2001 – November 24

  1              2              3              4              T

PUR     0              0            7               0            7

IND      7            6             0                   0             13

Trailing 13-7 early in the fourth quarter, Purdue took over on its own 45-yard line. The Boilermakers successfully converted three third downs in their drive down to the Indiana 1-yard-line with 10:08 left.

On fourth-and-goal, Purdue came out in a power formation with two defensive linemen inserted as blockers. IU responded with a goal line defense that featured an extra defensive lineman and three linebackers, anchored by the 6-1, 243-pound LaPostolle in the middle.

Montrelle Lowe took Kyle Orton's handoff, and when he went off left tackle he was promptly stuffed just short of the goal line by LaPostolle. The defensive stop proved pivotal, as the Hoosiers held on for the 13-7 triumph.

The tone for the 2001 game was set during game week, when Purdue defensive tackle Matt Mitrione made some disparaging comments about the IU running backs and receivers.

Senior tailback Levron Williams wasted no time in response, taking an option pitch left and cutting back for a 52-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the opening quarter. Adam Braucher's extra point gave Indiana a 7-0 lead.

Indiana added to its lead late in the first quarter, as the Boilermakers fumbled away the football on their own 34-yard line. Eight plays later, Randle El ran 10 yards up the middle on a draw play for the touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, but the Hoosiers maintained a 13-0 lead.

In addition to the 13-0 halftime advantage, the Hoosiers outgained the Boilermakers, 214-60 in first half total offense.

Purdue opened the second half by driving to the Hoosier 23-yard line, but a fumble by Sedrick Brown gave the ball back to Indiana. Jeremi Johnson fumbled the ball right back to the Boilers, and following a pass interference call, Orton connected with John Standeford for a 14-yard touchdown to cut the IU lead to 13-7.

As it turns out, LaPostolle snuffed out Purdue's next opportunity, and the Boilermakers' subsequent two possessions resulted in punts. Purdue mounted one final drive, and when Orton's fourth-down pass to tight end Tim Stratton went incomplete with 1:27, the Hoosiers ran out the clock to celebrate the victory.

IU Wisconsin One for the Ages

2001 INDIANA 63, WISCONSIN 32
Oct. 6 - Madison, Wis.
Attendance: 79,264

With Indiana's collective backs planted firmly against the wall, Cam Cameron's charges produced a stunning, yet equally impressive, 63-32 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers before 79,264 at Camp Randall Stadium. Indiana recorded 449 rushing yards and was paced by senior running back Levron Williams, who rushed for a career-high 280 yards and six touchdowns on only 20 carries. Williams joined Michigan State's Blake Ezor as the only players in Big Ten history to record six touchdowns in a Big Ten Conference game. Also, senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El completed 8 of 13 passes for 182 yards and one score and rushed 14 times for 102 yards.

To say that the Hoosiers got off to a fast start would be an understatement. Indiana jumped to a 32-0 lead by the end of the first quarter despite possessing the football for only four minutes. Wisconsin lost two yards on its first possession and Indiana scored only two plays later as Randle El connected with redshirt freshman wideout Travis Haney for a 47-yard pass play. Williams then scored from six yards out on IU's second offensive play of the game.

Randle El accounted for 284 yards against Wisconsin.

Wisconsin only gained six yards on its next possession and after Indiana took possession, Williams broke free on a 56-yard touchdown run that gave the Hoosiers a 13-0 lead after the extra point was missed.

Indiana went ahead 20-0 on its next possession when Williams scored on a 3-yard run. IU had taken possession just four plays earlier when senior linebacker Justin Smith forced a fumble by wide receiver Lee Evans that was recovered at the Badger 39 by cornerback Sharrod Wallace.

Trailing 20-0, Wisconsin took possession at its own 20-yard line and gained four yards on three plays. On fourth down, junior Brian Lewis blocked a Kirk Munden punt and Duane Stone raced 10 yards for a touchdown that gave IU a 26-0 lead.

After both teams traded punts, Wallace forced a fumble by running back Jerome Pettus that defensive end Herman Fowler recovered at the Badger 42. Four plays later, Randle El hooked up with tight end Aaron Halterman on a 4-yard pass play that gave IU a 32-0 lead. Halterman's reception was the first of his career and Randle El's touchdown pass was the 36th of his career, a school record.

Wisconsin cut the IU lead to 32-10 on a 43-yard scoring pass from quarterback Brooks Bollinger (24-15-222-1INT-2TDs) to Lee Evans (career high 9 receptions for 148 yards and one score). However, IU pushed its advantage to 39-10 with 3:10 remaining in the first half on an 8-yard run by Williams. The run pushed the Evansville, Ind., product over the 2,000 yard rushing mark for his career.

Indiana outscored Wisconsin 21-15 in the second half. The 63 points scored by Indiana is a school record for points scored in a Big Ten game. The point total matched the most points ever scored against the Badgers as Wisconsin surrendered 63 points to Minnesota on November 15, 1890.

DON FISCHER'S THOUGHTS

In my mind, the most memorable game was the first quarter of the Wisconsin game in 2001. We scored 32 points and still should have scored three more. We missed three extra points.

We scored 26 points in the first five-and-a-half minutes of the game. They fumbled three times, we blocked a punt for a touchdown and Levron Williams had three scores in the first quarter. He scored six touchdowns in the game and set the single-game record. All were rushing touchdowns, so he has that record as well. We were up 32-0 at the end of the first quarter, 42-17 at halftime. We kind of let them back into it a little bit. In the second half, it became just a general football game. That first quarter of play, we scored twice in our first three plays from scrimmage. I had never seen an Indiana team dominate another team like they did in that first quarter. It was the best quarter of football in the history of IU. Antwaan Randle El was absolutely amazing. That one ballgame epitomized their greatness as offensive players. That game, to me, we said on the air that we know a lot of people back home aren't believing what we are saying about the score. They were up 32-0 at the end of the first quarter. It was a tremendous performance and Wisconsin was a good football team. They had a good program. They had only been beaten by two top-10 ranked teams up to that point. They were shell-shocked by it. I have never heard a stadium quieter. They had 70,000-plus fans there and you could hear a pin drop at times. It was ridiculous. They were dumbfounded by it. They were booing early, but after awhile, they just sat there. It was an amazing scene.

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