Nov. 3, 2008
Purdue Football Game Notes 
SOME GAME THEMES
Purdue looks to keep its bowl eligibility alive ... Purdue heads out of town for the first of back-to-back road games ... With No. 18 Michigan State up next, the Boilermakers get yet another crack at halting what is now an 18-game winless streak against top 25 teams ... Justin Siller or Curtis Painter? Who will man the tiller in East Lansing? ... Kory Sheets continues his quest to become the first 1,000-yard rusher at Purdue since 2002 (Joey Harris, 1,115) ... Greg Orton looks to become just the fifth player in school history to rack up over 200 career receptions (12 shy) ... Linebacker Anthony Heygood's pursuit of becoming the first Boilermaker defender to rack up over 100 tackles in a single season since Niko Koutouvides in 2002 (102) ... Purdue's defense looks for a eighth consecutive game with a sack.
A LOOK AT THE BOILERMAKERS
The Purdue football team, under 12th-year head coach Joe Tiller, enters its ninth week of the 2008 season 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten after defeating Michigan 48-42 in West Lafayette last Saturday.
THIS DATE IN BOILERMAKER HISTORY
The Boilermakers are 8-4-3 all-time on November 8 and have won their last two games on this date (2003 and 1997). Purdue has played Michigan State three times on Nov. 8 previous to this weekend and is 2-0-1 all-time against the Spartans on the date. The Boilers defeated MSU 22-21 in 1997 and 41-13 in 1969. The pair played to 0-0 draw in 1941, one of just eight scoreless ties in Purdue football history.
QUICK HITS - MICHIGAN
The 48 points scored by Purdue were the most by a Boilermaker team in 54 all-time games against a Michigan team (previous high was 37 on Oct. 20, 1962) ... The point total also was the highest in a single game this season for Purdue (previous 42 vs. Northern Colorado) ... Purdue's 522 yards of total offense in the game was easily the most this season for Purdue (previous 466 at Northwestern) ... Purdue's 256 yards rushing in the game was a season high ... Led by a balanced attack (266 yards passing, 256 yards rushing) Purdue dominated the time of possession 37:42 to 22:18. It was the fifth-most TOP in a single game in the Joe Tiller Era ... Purdue's win snapped a five-game losing streak to stave off matching the longest negative skid in the 11-plus seasons under head coach Joe Tiller (six in 2005) ... Purdue also ended a five-game losing streak to Michigan dating back to the 2000 season ... Justin Siller's three TD passes were the most by a Purdue quarterback this season ... Purdue allowed a punt return for a touchdown for the second time this season (also vs. Oregon, Jairus Byrd 87 yards) ... Kory Sheets' two-yard TD run in the first quarter was the first touchdown for Purdue since the six-minute mark in the fourth quarter at Northwestern on October 18 (75 minutes, 18 seconds) ... Purdue's 14 points in the first quarter were the most in the first 15 minutes of a game this season ... The 49 combined points scored by Michigan and Purdue in the first half were more than the combined final score in four of the Boilermakers' first eight games this season ... Ryan Kerrigan's three sacks in the game marked the seventh straight game the Boilermakers have gotten to the quarterback in a passing situation ... Curtis Painter saw his streak of 40 consecutive starts at quarterback come to an end. Painter's streak was the longest in the nation for quarterbacks heading into the game today ... Sophomore Justin Siller made his first career start in place of Painter (shoulder) ... Siller obviously had career-highs in attempts (34), completions (21), passing yards (266) and touchdown passes (3) ... Siller's 10-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the first in his Purdue career. His seven-yard scoring pass to Kory Sheets in the third quarter was his first Boilermaker TD throw ... Kory Sheets scored two or more touchdowns in a single game (three rushing, one receiving on Saturday) for the fifth time this season and the 12th time in his career. His four scores matched his career best for a single game (also against Miami (OH) in 2006 - all rushing) ... Sheets rushed for over 100 yards for the third time this season and the ninth time in his career. Sheets is now tied for fourth in Purdue history with Scott Dierking on the all-time 100-yard games list ... Sheets 30 carries were a single-game career high ... Linebacker Anthony Heygood, a converted fullback, rushed for a career-long 61 yards on a fake punt in the fourth quarter ... Ryan Kerrigan recorded a career-high in total tackles (10) and sacks (3). His three sacks in the game was a single-season high for an individual player.
TOUGH SLATE
Eight of Purdue's first nine Football Bowl Subdivision opponents have racked up an impressive 56-16 (.778) combined record 11 weeks into the 2008 season. No. 3 Penn State (9-0) is one of just six FBS schools remaining with an undefeated record. Meanwhile, Minnesota (7-2), No. 12 Ohio State (7-2), Northwestern (7-2) and Central Michigan (7-2) have but two losses each. The week's opponent, No. 18 Michigan State, is the fifth ranked team that Purdue has played this season.
2008 Purdue Opponent Records
Northern Colorado - 1-7
Oregon - 6-3
Central Michigan - 7-2
Notre Dame - 5-3
No. 3 Penn State - 9-0
No. 12 Ohio State - 7-2
Northwestern - 7-2
Minnesota - 7-2
Michigan - 2-7
No. 18 Michigan State - 8-2
Iowa - 5-4
Indiana - 3-6
JOEVEMBER
After enduring a rough month of October, Purdue is hoping that history repeats itself in November. Including last weekend's 48-42 win over Michigan, the Boilermakers are 22-14 in the 11th month of the year under Joe Tiller.
PURDUE-MICHIGAN STATE HISTORY
The Boilermakers and Spartans have played 60 times in a series that dates back to 1918 ... Just one victory separates the two, with Michigan State owning a 29-28-3 edge in the series ... The Boilermakers are 12-17 all-time against the Spartans in East Lansing, but have won two consecutive meetings there (2006 and 2002) and three of the last four ... This weekend will mark the first time since 2000 that one of the two schools will be in the top 25 entering the game ... Purdue's longest win streak in the all-time series is five straight from 1978-82 ... Michigan State won six consecutive games from 1985-1990 ... In nine meetings with Michigan State, retiring Purdue head coach Joe Tiller has posted a 7-2 record ... In the nine games under Tiller's guide five have been decided by a touchdown or less - all of which Purdue has won.
PURDUE-MICHIGAN STATE - THE LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State capitalized on three Purdue turnovers to run away with a 48-31 victory at Ross-Ade Stadium last season. Leading 34-24 early in the fourth quarter, MSU's Travis Key scooped up a Dorien Bryant fumble and ran 20 yards for a touchdown to push Sparty's lead to 41-24. A Kory Sheets 41-yard touchdown reception from Curtis Painter cut the advantage back to 10 with just over 13 minutes to play in the final frame, but MSU responded on its next possession with an 11-play, 65-yard touchdown drive to salt the game away. The Boilermakers outgained the Spartans 517 to 416 in the game, but MSU controlled the time of possession 38:18 to 21:42 and did not turn the ball over to send Purdue to a second consecutive loss.
NOTHING SILLY ABOUT SILLER'S PERFORMANCE
Quarterback-turned-running back-turned-quarterback Justin Siller was impressive in his first career start, so much so that he was named the co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (also Mike Kafka, NU). The sophomore from Detroit helped the Boilermakers defeat the school located just down the road from Motown, Michigan, on Nov. 1 by completing 21 of 34 passes for 266 yards and three TDs. Siller, who also rushed for 77 yards and another score against the Wolverines, became just the second Purdue QB under Joe Tiller's guide to win in his first career start (also Brandon Hance).
First Career Starts - QBs in the Joe Tiller Era
Player, Year Opponent, Result Comp-Att-Int Yards TD Long
Billy Dicken, 1997 at Toledo, L 36-22 13-35-2 207 1 73
Drew Brees, 1998 at USC, L 27-17 30-52-2 248 2 43
Brandon Hance, 2001 at Cincinnati, W 19-14 15-25-0 117 0 19
Kyle Orton, 2001 at Indiana, L 13-7 31-62-0 263 1 35
Brandon Kirsch, 2002 vs. Michigan, L 23-21 17-33-0 172 1 31
Curtis Painter, 2005 at Wisconsin, L 31-20 23-44-3 212 1 28
Justin Siller, 2008 vs. Michigan, W 48-42 21-34-0 266 3 35
MR. 3,000
With 73 yards rushing on 21 carries against Minnesota on Oct. 25, running back Kory Sheets became just the third Boilermaker in school history to eclipse the 3,000-yard barrier (also Mike Alstott and Otis Armstrong). Sheets, who rushed for 571 yards as a sophomore, 780 yards as junior and 859 yards last season as a senior, has a career-high 924 yards on 181 carries this season to rack up 3,134 yards on the ground in his career. Alstott's all-time school record of 3,635 rushing yards appears to be safe, but with a strong effort down the stretch Sheets could pass the only other member of the 3,000 club, Armstrong, for the No. 2 slot in the rushing record book (3,315).
3000-Yard Rushers at Purdue
Mike Alstott - 644 carries, 3,635 yards, 39 touchdowns
Otis Armstrong - 670 carries, 3,315 yards, 17 touchdowns
Kory Sheets - 611 carries, 3,134 yards, 45 touchdowns
SEARCHING FOR 1,000
Fifth-year running back Kory Sheets is looking to become just the sixth player in school history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a single year. With three games remaining in the regular season, Sheets needs just 76 yards to join former Boilermaker greats Mike Alstott, Otis Armstrong, Joey Harris, Leroy Keyes and Scott Dierking in the club. Alstott and Armstrong are the only Purdue running backs to have two 1,000-yard seasons. Sheets' 924 yards this year is already the 14th-best effort in school history and the fifth-most under Joe Tiller's guide (since 1997).
1,000-Yard Rushers at Purdue
Player Year Attempts Yards Avg. Milestone Game
Mike Alstott 1995 243 1,436 5.9 8th vs. Wisconsin
Otis Armstrong 1972 243 1.361 5.6 10th vs. Michigan
Mike Alstott 1994 202 1,118 5.5 10th at Michigan State
Joey Harris 2002 250 1,115 4.5 12th vs. Indiana
Otis Armstrong 1970 213 1,009 4.7 10th vs. Indiana
Leroy Keyes 1968 193 1,003 5.2 10th vs. Indiana
Scott Dierking 1976 201 1,000 5.0 11th vs. Indiana
Kory Sheets 2008 181 924 5.1 N/A
IT'S GOOD TO KING
Kory Sheets, Purdue's all-time touchdown king (51), is looking to etch his name in the record books again. With 13 rushing touchdowns this season, Sheets is just one endzone trip away from tying the single-season school record.
Purdue Season Rushing Touchdown Records
1. Tony Butkovic - 14 - 1943
Leroy Keyes - 14 - 1968
Mike Alstott - 14 - 1994
4. Leroy Keyes - 13 -1967
Jerod Void - 13 -2003
Kory Sheets - 13 - 2008
GETTING TO THE POINT
Kory Sheets' 14 touchdowns (13 rushing, one receiving) has accounted for 84 of Purdue's 210 points thus far (40%). The 84 points scored is tied for 13th all-time at Purdue and tied for the second-most of any non-kicker in the Joe Tiller Era (1997-Present). Taylor Stubblefield scored 96 points in 2004 to lead all Tiller Era non-kickers and Vinnie Sutherland finished with 84 in 2000. Leroy Keyes scored 114 points in 1967 to top the single-season point scoring list. Sheets' 306 career points scored is the most by any non-kicker in school history and is second to only Travis Dorsch's all-time record of 355.
HEY JOE, WHATTA YA KNOW?
Considered the Godfather of the spread offense in the Big Ten, Purdue head coach Joe Tiller knows quite a bit actually. The Boilers' 12th-year head man enters his final season at the helm of the program with an 86-60 overall record at Purdue- the most wins in school history - and a 52-41 mark in Big Ten games. He has guided Purdue to 10 bowl games in 11 seasons, including the Boilers' first Rose Bowl berth since 1967 and two others on New Year's Day. He has collected at least seven wins in eight of his previous 11 seasons at Purdue and has tallied three nine-win campaigns. Additionally, he has delighted Ross-Ade Stadium fans with a .724 winning percentage (55-21) at home to boot. Not too shabby for a coach that inherited a program that had just one winning season in the 12 years prior to his arrival and had not appeared in a single bowl game since 1984. In January this year Tiller was awarded the Order of the Griffin, one of Purdue's highest honors that is presented to individuals whose commitment to the University goes well beyond on the call of duty, and whose strength and vision have greatly benefited the institution.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOES
Joe Tiller took over the mantle as the winningest coach in school history against Central Michigan on Sept. 20. Upon achieving his milestone 85th win, the Boilers' chief joined Penn State's Joe Paterno as the only two active Big Ten Conference coaches to lead their respective schools in coaching victories.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
The Boilermakers are 74-22 (.771) in 96 games against unranked opponents under Joe Tiller.
TAKING ON THE BIG BOYS
The Boilermakers are 12-38 (.240) when facing a ranked opponent in the 11-plus years with Joe Tiller ... The Boilermakers are 1-2 all-time against the No. 18 team in the nation, the spot currently held by upcoming opponent Michigan State ... Purdue last played the No. 18 team in an AP Poll in 1956 when it defeated Notre Dame 28-14 in South Bend.
BACKS AGAINST THE WALL
The Boilers' defense has been pretty good of limiting the damage on a short field. Opponents have posted a touchdown just 51 percent of the time when penetrating the redzone (20 for 39) and have found the endzone just 63 percent of the time when sitting at first and goal (15 for 24).
WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE
Proof that statistics can be misleading, Purdue's defense, ranked last in the Big Ten, limited the two highest ranked conference teams, No. 3 Penn State and No. 13 Ohio State, to 20 and 16 points, respectively. The Nittany Lions scored nearly 30 points below their season average of 49.8 heading into the game against Purdue and the Boilers did not allow an offensive touchdown to the vaunted OSU tandem of Chris Wells and Terrelle Pryor. Penn State, which has won its nine games by an average of 30.7 points, has scored 38 or more points seven times this year, with the lone exceptions being the Purdue game and against the Buckeyes.
THE BUCK STOPS HERE
No. 12 Ohio State ran 56 offensive plays against Purdue on Oct. 11, 22 of them went for no gain or for a loss (39%). The Boilermaker defense stopped Buckeye rushers at the line of scrimmage 10 times, had eight tackles for loss, including three sacks, and Ohio State finished with four incomplete passes in the game.
NO PASSING ZONE
The 97 yards passing by No. 12 Ohio State on Oct. 11 were the fewest surrendered by a Purdue defense since Illinois managed just 95 yards through the air in 2006. It marked the 11th time that the Boilers have held an opponent under 100 aerial yards in the last 11-plus years. The Joe Tiller Era low for passing yards in a game is 31 by Notre Dame in 2001.
BUILDING A CASE FOR THE DEFENSE
In terms of yards, the Boilermakers allowance of just 222 yards against No. 12 Ohio State on Oct. 11 was the best effort in 54 games dating back to Sept. 11, 2004 when it gave up 197 yards in a 59-7 win over Ball State. It was the 12th-lowest output by an opposing offense since Brock Spack took over as defensive coordinator in 1997, and the lowest in a opposing Big Ten stadium in the Tiller Era.
LONG DISTANCE DIALING
Kicker Carson Wiggs has a big leg. How big you ask? Well, Joe Tiller thinks enough of the freshman that his first three collegiate field goal attempts were from 60, 52 and 53 yards out. His 60-yard attempt against Central Michigan was dead-on accurate but fell just short of going through, his 52-yard attempt at Ohio State on Oct. 11 missed wide left by about a foot and his 53-yard attempt against the Buckeyes later in the game sailed through the uprights for his first career make, breaking Purdue's school record in the process.
NOT TOO SHABBY FOR HIS FIRST MAKE
Carson Wiggs' school-record 53-yard field goal at Ohio State on Oct. 11 is tied for the seventh-longest in the nation this season, and is the longest by a freshman.
64 - Jose Martinez (Sr.), UTEP vs. UCF, Sept. 27
58 - Kevin Goessling (So.), Fresno State at Utah State, Oct. 25
54 - Leigh Tiffin (Jr.), Alabama at Clemson, Aug. 30
54 - Aaron Pettrey (Jr.), Ohio State vs. Youngstown State, Aug. 30
54 - Jake Rogers (So.), Cincinnati at Connecticut, Oct. 25
54 - Daren Daley (Sr.), UCF at Tulsa, Oct. 26
53 - Graham Gano (Sr.), Florida State at Miami (Fla.), Oct. 4
53 - Louie Sakoda (Sr.), Utah at Michigan, Aug. 30
53 - Patrick Shadle (Sr.), Syracuse at West Virginia, Oct. 11
53 - Carson Wiggs (Fr.), Purdue at Ohio State, Oct. 11
53 - Graham Gano (Sr.), Florida State at N.C. State, Oct. 16
53 - Brooks Rossman (Sr.), Kansas State at Colorado, Oct. 18
POLLING PLACE
Although not ranked to enter this week, Purdue has been among the Associated Press' Top 25 80 weeks (out of 194 possible) in the 11-plus seasons under Joe Tiller. That figure is tied for the most by any Purdue coach. Jack Mollenkopf also was on the sidelines for 80 ranked teams from 1956 to 1969, including five weeks at No. 1 in the 1968 season. The Boilermakers have been ranked 238 weeks in their history.
NO NON-SENSE
The Boilermakers took care of business outside of the Big Ten in Joe Tiller's 12 years, compiling a 30-13 (.698) record in 43 games against non-conference foes during the regular season.
COMEBACK JOE
In the 14 fourth quarter comeback wins in the Joe Tiller Era, the Boilermakers have never won a game when trailing as late as they did (1:18) against Central Michigan. The Boilermakers fell behind No. 4 Kansas State with 1:24 left in the 1998 Alamo Bowl before pulling out a 37-34 win.
IRON MEN
Purdue began its season-long stretch of 12 straight Saturdays without a weekend off against Northern Colorado on September 6. After being the only school in the Bowl Subdivision (nee Division I-A) to play 13 and 12 straight regular season games without an open week in 2006 and `07, respectively, New Mexico will join the Boilermakers with such `distinction' this year.
30 SOMETHING
The Boilermakers have scored 30 or more points in a game an impressive 67 times in 146 tries (46%) since 1997 and have posted a dominating 62-5 record (.925) when doing so. To put those numbers in perspective, Purdue scored 30 or more points just 21 times in the 121 games over the 11 seasons from 1986-96 (17%) and went 17-3-1 (.833) when doing so.
NOT ENOUGH?
If 30 points in a game doesn't do it for you, will 40 work? The Boilers have scored 40 or more points in a contest 35 times during Tiller's tenure, including five times last year and twice this season, and have yet to meet defeat when doing so.
GOOD? HEY, HE'S BETTER THAN GOOD
Fifth-year Boilermaker Anthony Heygood has been a mainstay in the Purdue linebacking corps. Amassing a team-best 88 tackles through eight games, already seven better than his previous single-season high of 81 last year, Heygood is on pace for 117 tackles in Purdue's 12-game regular season. Should he reach the century mark in total stops he would become the first Purdue player to do so since Niko Koutouvides in 2002 (102). Heygood has led Purdue in tackles in five of the nine games played thus far and has recorded double-digit tackles in a game four times, including a career-high 14 against Central Michigan on Sept. 20 and at Northwestern on Oct. 18. His 9.8 tackles per game average is third-best in the Big Ten and his 88 total tackles are also tied for third among all league defenders. Not too bad bad for a guy who moved over to defense midway through his junior year.
RYAN'S HOPE
After spraining his ankle during fall camp, defensive end Ryan Kerrigan finally shed his protective brace against Ohio State on Oct. 11 and the freedom proved to be quite bountiful. The second-year Boilermaker chased down elusive OSU quarterback Terelle Pryor to record a pair of sacks for a combined loss of 10 yards. It was the first multi-sack game of his career and the first by a Purdue player this year. Kerrigan added three more sacks of Michigan QB Steven Threet on Nov. 1 to take over the team lead with six. The three sacks against the Wolverines were a single-game high for a Purdue player this season and a personal best for the sophomore DE.
MR. BOILER-BAKER
Team captain Ryan Baker is turning in quite an effort in his final season in the Gold and Black. The defensive tackle has been a menace to the opposition with a team-best eight tackles for loss. After posting a single-game-best three TFL against Ohio State on Oct. 11, he is on pace to smash his single-season high of 8.5 set during his sophomore season. His 22 total tackles this season are just three below his best season as a Boilermaker (25 in 2006).
DOWN IN THE TRENCHES
The Boilermakers' defensive line has been quite active in racking up 20 of Purdue's 22 total sacks to date. End Ryan Kerrigan leads the way with 6.0 sacks, a figure that places the interior lineman in a tie for 37th nationally in sacks per game (0.67). Joining him at the quarterback from the D-line have been DT Mike Neal (5.5), DE Alex Magee (3.5), DE Gerald Gooden (2.0), DT Keyon Brown (1.5), DT Jermaine Guynn (1.0) and DT Ryan Baker (0.5). Purdue has recorded at least one sack in seven consecutive games dating back to the Central Michigan game on Sept. 20.
YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!
Purdue's six interceptions this season have proved to be quite bountiful. Including a 60-yarder by Brandon King and a 58-yarder for a TD by Frank Duong, the Boilers have racked up 146 yards going the opposite directions to surpass last season's total of 138 on 14 interceptions. The school record for interception return yardage is held by the 1957 club that amassed 353 yards on 13 picks.
LEARNING ON THE FLY
Sophomore Joe Holland has had to just that. The first-year starter was moved from safety to linebacker very late in fall camp and has had to learn on the job. Despite moving so late he has picked up his new position pretty well. In nine games Holland is averaging 6.4 stops per contest and he enters the weekend third on the team in total tackles (58). He posted a career-best 11 tackles against Notre Dame on Sept. 27 and tallied his first sack against Minnesota on Oct. 25.
HEALTHY, HAPPY AND HELPFUL
After enduring a broken leg in spring practice that cost him the entire 2005 season, falling victim to a season-ending knee injury in the first game of 2006 and then rupturing his Achilles tendon in the seventh game of last season, safety Torri Williams is finally healthy. He has responded to his good health by tallying a career-high 59 tackles in eight games, second on the team, and coming up with a personal-best four PBUs, which places him third for Purdue.
PBU PENDER
Cornerback David Pender has a knack for getting into passing lanes. The senior has knocked down nine passes in eight games to establish a new single-season career high.
IT'S COME DOWN TO ME AND DREW
Curtis Painter has climbed his way past all but one of the members in Purdue's "Cradle of Quarterbacks" in the career record book. Painter took over Mark Herrmann`s No. 2 slot in school history for career passing yards against Penn State on Oct. 4 and he now trails only Drew Brees in attempts, completions, yards passing, total offensive plays and total offense at Purdue. To see where Painter ranks in Big Ten history, please refer to page 9 of the notes.
Purdue Career Passing and Total Offense Numbers
No. 1 Brees - 1,678 att., 1,026 comp., 11,792 yards passing, 1,975 off. plays, 12,692 off. yards
No. 2 Painter - 1,564 att., 925 comp., 10,525 yards passing, 1,784 off. plays, 10,868 off. yards
FLINGING FOURSOME
Curtis Painter became just the fourth player in Big Ten history to throw for more than 10,000 yards in a career when he connected with Greg Orton on a six-yard throw-and-catch against Ohio State on Oct. 11. The others to achieve the yardage milestone in league history are Purdue's Drew Brees (11,792), Northwestern's Brett Basanez (10,580) and Iowa's Chuck Long (10,461). For his career, Painter has thrown for 10,525 yards.
BACK UNDER CENTER
Backup quarterback Joey Elliott's season-ending shoulder injury necessitated sophomore Justin Siller to move back to his original position. Siller, who was bumped up to the No. 2 QB slot and could make his second career start should Curtis Painter not be able to go again this weekend (shoulder), was previously moved from quarterback to running back in the middle of fall camp in August. In his first career action at QB after Painter went down with a shoulder injury against Minnesota on Oct. 25, Siller completed 10 of 17 passes for 73 yard. He also rushed 10 times for an additional 17 yards.
GEE-OH
Fifth-year wide receiver Greg Orton entered the season labeled as Purdue's go-to guy in the passing game, and he's done nothing to disprove that. Purdue's leading returning receiver from last year tops the pass-catching charts this year with 54 grabs for 610 yards and three TDs. Nationally he is tied for 28th in receptions per game (6.0) and is 57th among all Bowl Subdivision players in receiving yards per game (67.8). He posted a season-high nine receptions at Notre Dame on Sept. 27 and had 100 yards receiving against Northwestern on Oct. 18.
INTO THE TOP 10
Greg Orton has joined the all-time top 10 at Purdue in both career receptions and yards. After an eight-catch day against Michigan last weekend, the fifth-year senior pushed his career total to 188 receptions to move him into fifth on the receptions list, and his 89 yards receiving game against the Wolverines on Nov. 1 pushed him into seventh on the yardage list.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
After playing behind Dorien Bryant for the last three years, fifth-year wide receiver Desmond Tardy has taken flight in 2008. Ranked 63rd nationally in receiving yards per game (66.0), he posted career-highs at Notre Dame on Sept. 27 in receptions (10) and receiving yards (175). His 54-yard catch-and-run TD in South Bend was the longest scoring reception in his career. Tardy is averaging 102.6 all-purpose yards per game, which would probably be much higher if the opposition would not shy away from him on kickoff returns.
BUCKING THE LABEL
Fair or not, Purdue running back Kory Sheets entered the season labeled as a "fumbler". With eight fumbles lost on 430 carries heading in to play in 2008 (a pretty decent average of one fumble lost for every 53.8 carries), Sheets has made a point to prove his critics wrong. The all-time touchdown leader at Purdue has rushed a team-high 181 times this year and has just a single fumble lost.
2005 - 2 fumbles lost on 104 carries (one fumble lost every 52 carries) - 10 rushing TD
2006 - 2 fumbles lost on 158 carries (one fumble lost every 79 carries) - 11 rushing TD
2007 - 4 fumbles lost on 168 carries (one fumble lost every 42 carries) - 11 rushing TD
2008 - 1 fumble lost on 181 carries (one fumble lost every 181 carries) - 13 rushing TD
Career - 9 fumbles lost on 611 carries (one fumble lost every 68 carries) - 45 rushing TD
SHEETS' MUSIC
Fifth-year running back Kory Sheets is Purdue's all-time touchdown king. Sheets surpassed Mike Alstott's career record for total touchdowns on a game-winning 46-yard jaunt against Central Michigan on Sept. 20. The Manchester, Conn., native scored 11 TDs his sophomore season (10 rushing/1 special teams on a blocked punt), and 13 in both his junior and senior campaigns (11 rushing, 2 receiving each time). He has scored 13 rushing touchdowns and one receiving TD this season to raise his career total to 51 and his rushing total to 45, both are tops all-time at Purdue. Sheets' 51 career TDs are sixth-most in Big Ten history.
All-Time Big Ten Touchdown Leaders
1. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin - 71 (1996-99)
2. Anthony Thompson, Indiana - 68 (1986-89)
3. Pete Johnson, Ohio State - 58 (1973-76)
4. Anthony Thomas, Michigan - 56 (1997-00)
5. Tyrone Wheatley, Michigan - 54 (1991-94)
6. Kory Sheets, Purdue - 51 - (2005-Present)
STAT SHEETS
Along with toppling the touchdown records, Kory Sheets is quickly climbing the rushing record book as well. With 3,134 rushing yards, Sheets is only the third player to rack up over 3,000 yards in the rushing annals at Purdue. His 611 attempts are currently fourth all time and his 5.13 yards per rush average places him eighth in the Purdue record book.
RANKING SHEETS
Fifth-year running back Kory Sheets has been the Boilers' top offensive threat this year. Purdue's leading rusher ranks 25th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a 102.7 yards per game average. He is tied for 16th nationally in scoring (9.3 points per game) and is 21st in the NCAA in all-purpose yards per game (156.1).
CENTURY SHEETS
Fifth-year running back Kory Sheets recorded his third 100-yard rushing day of the season against Michigan on Nov. 1 (also vs. Oregon and at Northwestern). Sheets has topped the century mark on the ground nine times during his Boilermaker career to tie him with Scott Dierking for the fourth-most in school history.
Career 100-yard Rushing Games
Mike Alstott 16
Otis Armstrong 13
Henry Szulborski 11
Scott Dierking 9
Kory Sheets 9
