1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team

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Ranking
Coaches	No. 15
AP	No. 15

1997 Big Ten Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 Michigan $		8	–	0					12	–	0
No. 12 Ohio State		6	–	2					10	–	3
No. 16 Penn State		6	–	2					9	–	3
No. 15 Purdue		6	–	2					9	–	3
Wisconsin		5	–	3					8	–	5
Iowa		4	–	4					7	–	5
Michigan State		4	–	4					7	–	5
Northwestern		3	–	5					5	–	7
Minnesota		1	–	7					3	–	9
Indiana		1	–	7					2	–	9
Illinois		0	–	8					0	–	11
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. They played their home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana and were members of the Big Ten Conference.

Schedule

September 66:00 PMat Toledo*

• Glass Bowl
• Toledo, OH

L 22–36 27,700 September 132:30 PMNo. 15 Notre Dame*

• Ross–Ade Stadium
• West Lafayette, IN (Rivalry)

ABCW 28–17 68,789 September 201:00 PMBall State*

• Ross–Ade Stadium
• West Lafayette, IN

W 28–14 45,947 September 2711:30 AMNorthwestern

• Ross–Ade Stadium
• West Lafayette, IN

ESPNW 21–9 42,112 October 116:00 PMat Minnesota

• Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
• Minneapolis, MN

ESPN+W 59–43 37,821 October 181:00 PMNo. 24 Wisconsin

• Ross–Ade Stadium
• West Lafayette, IN

W 45–20 54,252 October 251:00 PMat IllinoisNo. 23

• Memorial Stadium
• Champaign, IL (Purdue Cannon)

W 48–3 45,122 November 112:30 PMat No. 16 IowaNo. 18

• Kinnick Stadium
• Iowa City, IA

ESPN2L 17–35 70,397 November 812:30 PMMichigan StateNo. 24

• Ross–Ade Stadium
• West Lafayette, IN

ESPN2W 22–21 55,539 November 1512:00 PMNo. 6 Penn StateNo. 19

• Ross–Ade Stadium
• West Lafayette, IN

ESPNL 17–42 52,156 November 221:00 PMat IndianaNo. 25

• Memorial Stadium
• Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket)

W 56–7 46,599 December 308:00 PMOklahoma State*No. 17

• Alamodome
• San Antonio, TX (Alamo Bowl)

ESPNW 33–20 55,552

Personnel

Coaching staff

• Head Coach: Joe Tiller
• Assistants: Tim Burke, Jim Chaney, Scott Downing, Gary Emanuel, Danny Hope, Larry Korpitz, Tim Lappano, Randy Melvin, Greg Olson, Brock Spack

Starters

• Offense: WR Brian Alford, WR Gabe Cox, LT Mark Fischer, WR F Chestovich, LG Brian Nicely, C Jim Niedrach, RG Chukky Okobi, RT Dan Maly, TE Jon Blackman, WR Isaac Jones, QB Billy Dicken, RB Edwin Watson, K Shane Ryan

• Defense: LE Chukie Nwokorie, LT Leo Perez, RT Greg Smith, RE Rosevelt Colvin, WLB Willie Burroughs, MLB Willie Fells, SLB Mike Rose, LCB Michael Hawthorne, FS Adrian Beasley, SS Lee Brush, RCB Lamar Conrad, P Brandon Kaser

Game summaries

Toledo

See also: 1997 Toledo Rockets football team

Purdue at Toledo

1 2 3 4 Total Purdue 7 7 0 8 22 • Toledo 21 6 3 6 36 Date: September 6 Location: Glass Bowl, Toledo, OH Game attendance: 26,700

Scoring summary 1 PUR Watson 45-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 7-0 1 TOL Reynolds 1-yard run (Merrick kick) Tied 7-7 1 TOL Harris 5-yard run (Merrick kick) TOL 14-7 1 TOL Freeman 29-yard pass from Wallace (Merrick kick) TOL 21-7 2 TOL Merrick 25-yard field goal TOL 24-7 2 TOL Merrick 37-yard field goal TOL 27-7 2 PUR Alford 73-yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) TOL 27-14 3 TOL Merrick 21-yard field goal TOL 30-14 4 TOL Kreitzburg 6-yard pass from Wallace (two-point failed) TOL 36-14 4 PUR Sutherland 5-yard run (Watson rund) TOL 36-22

Joe Tiller's first game as Purdue head coach

Notre Dame

See also: 1997 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Notre Dame at Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total Notre Dame 0 10 0 7 17 • Purdue 7 7 0 14 28 Date: September 13 Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN Game attendance: 68,789

Scoring summary 1 PUR Edwin Watson 1-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 7-0 2 ND Sanson 34-yard field goal PUR 7-3 2 PUR Edwin Watson 1-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 14-3 2 ND Autry Denson 16-yard run (Sanson kick) PUR 14-10 4 PUR Adrian Beasley 43-yard fumble return (Ryan kick) PUR 21-10 4 ND Autry Denson 1-yard pass from Ron Powlus (Sanson kick) PUR 21-17 4 PUR Kendall Matthews 3-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 28-17

In Joe Tiller's first home game, Purdue snapped an 11-game losing streak to Notre Dame as fans tore down the goalposts after the victory. Edwin Watson, who had two touchdown runs, had said earlier in the week that former head coach and new Irish offensive coordinator Jim Colletto "was used to losing here (Purdue), so it would be nothing new for him."

Ball State

See also: 1997 Ball State Cardinals football team

Ball State at Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total Ball State 0 7 0 7 14 • Purdue 3 10 15 0 28 Date: September 20 Location: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN Game attendance: 45,947

Northwestern

See also: 1997 Northwestern Wildcats football team

Northwestern at Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total Northwestern 3 6 0 0 9 • Purdue 7 7 7 0 21 Date: September 27 Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN Game attendance: 42,112

Minnesota

See also: 1997 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Purdue at Minnesota

1 2 3 4 Total • Purdue 17 21 14 7 59 Minnesota 14 7 7 15 43 Date: October 11 Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN

Wisconsin

See also: 1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Wisconsin at Purdue
Homecoming

1 2 3 4 Total Wisconsin 0 10 7 3 20 • Purdue 21 7 7 10 45 Date: October 18 Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN

With the win over Wisconsin, Purdue is off to its best start since 1978 and produced their first five-game winning streak since 1980.

Illinois

See also: 1997 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

See also: Purdue Cannon

Purdue at Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total • Purdue 14 20 7 7 48 Illinois 0 3 0 0 3 Date: October 25 Location: Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL Game attendance: 45,122

Iowa

See also: 1997 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

Purdue at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total Purdue 10 7 0 0 17 • Iowa 0 14 21 0 35 Date: November 1 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game attendance: 70,397

Michigan State

See also: 1997 Michigan State Spartans football team

Michigan State at Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total Michigan State 7 7 0 7 21 • Purdue 0 7 0 15 22 Date: November 8 Location: Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN Game attendance: 55,539

Penn State

See also: 1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Penn State at Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total • Penn State 0 14 14 14 42 Purdue 0 9 0 8 17 Date: November 15 Location: Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN Game attendance: 52,156

Indiana

See also: 1997 Indiana Hoosiers football team and Old Oaken Bucket

Purdue at Indiana

1 2 3 4 Total • Purdue 14 7 7 28 56 Indiana 0 7 0 0 7 Date: November 22 Location: Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN Game attendance: 46,599

Scoring summary 1 PUR Watson 14 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 7–0 1 PUR Dicken 6 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 14–0 2 IND Conner 42 yard pass from Rodgers (Payne kick) PUR 14–7 2 PUR L. Johnson 35 yard fumble return (Ryan kick) PUR 21–7 3 PUR Watson 48 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 28–7 4 PUR I. Jones 16 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) PUR 35–7 4 PUR Rose 24 yard interception return (Ryan kick) PUR 42–7 4 PUR Brees 5 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 49–7 4 PUR Graham 49 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 56–7

Oklahoma State

See also: 1997 Alamo Bowl

Oklahoma State vs. Purdue
Alamo Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total • Purdue 7 3 20 3 33 Oklahoma State 3 3 7 7 20 Date: December 30 Location: Alamodome San Antonio, TX Game attendance: 55,552

Awards

• All-Americans: Brian Alford (Football News)
• All-Big Ten: Brian Alford (1st), Rosevelt Colvin (2nd), Billy Dicken (1st)