Nov. 17, 2008
Purdue Football Game Notes 
SOME GAME THEMES
Joe Tiller coaches his final collegiate game ... Purdue says farewell to an 18-member senior class ... Running back Kory Sheets looks to continue his march up the single-season and career rushing record charts ... Linebacker Anthony Heygood will continue his shot at leading the Big Ten in total tackles during the regular season ... Greg Orton attempts to finish strong on both the career receptions and yardage lists ... The development of Purdue's young nucleus on defense gets one more crack in 2008 ... For a third straight week - Will it be Siller of Painter under center for the Boilers? ... Regardless of records it's the Old Oaken Bucket and state bragging rights are on the line.
A LOOK AT THE BOILERMAKERS
The Purdue football team, under 12th-year head coach Joe Tiller, enters its 12th and final week of the 2008 season 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten after falling at Iowa 22-17 in Iowa City last Saturday.
THIS DATE IN BOILERMAKER HISTORY
The Boilermakers are 11-4-1 all-time on November 22 and have won their last six consecutive games on this date ... Purdue and Indiana have squared off 12 times on Nov. 22, with the Boilers owning an 8-3-1 advantage over the Hoosiers ... The only other opponents Purdue has faced on this date are Notre Dame (1919), Butler (1902) and Illinois (1890 and 1899).
QUICK HITS - MICHIGAN STATE
Joe Tiller coached the final road game of his career against the Hawkeyes on Saturday. Tiller will retire after this weekend's game against Indiana in West Lafayette, Ind. ... Purdue's 17-play drive that resulted in Carson Wiggs' 27-yard field goal in the second quarter was the longest scoring drive of the season in terms of number of plays ... Senior Brandon King recorded his first career fumble forced and his first career fumble recovery on the same play in the first quarter ... Quarterback Curtis Painter made his first appearance in a game since injuring his shoulder in the first quarter against Minnesota on Oct. 25 (12 consecutive quarters) and led Purdue on an eight-play, 55-yard scoring drive in the final two minutes of the first half ... Painter's 12-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Tardy was the fifth-year QB's first scoring pass since hitting Greg Orton on a 32-yarder at Northwestern on Oct. 18 ... Including a deflected pass attempt that was caught by offensive lineman Jared Zwilling, Painter went 5 for 6 for 40 yards on the scoring drive ... Painter, who finished the game 24 for 30 for 190 yards, moved past Northwestern's Brett Basanez for second in Big Ten history in career attempts (1,594) and passing yards (10,715). His two TD passes bumped him to ninth in conference history with 62 career scoring throws ... Tardy had a career-high 13 receptions for 131 yards and the score in the loss ... Orton had as season-high 10 grabs for 76 yards and a score in the fourth quarter ... Orton's effort improved the fifth-year senior's career totals to 199 receptions and 2,324 yards, good enough for fifth and sixth, respectively, in Purdue history ... Defensive end Ryan Kerrigan recorded his team-leading seventh sack of the season in the third quarter and tied King and Torri Williams for the team high with eight total tackles in the contest ... Anthony Heygood forced his fifth career fumble in the third quarter which was covered by Williams for his first career recovery.
TOUGH SLATE
Nine of Purdue's 11 Football Bowl Subdivision opponents this season have racked up a winning record and gone a combined 72-25 (.742) overall thus far. All nine are ensured of posting winning records, meaning Purdue will face only two FBS schools this season with a losing mark. No. 7 Penn State (10-1) has just one loss and 10 wins already, meanwhile No. 10 Ohio State (9-2), No. 17 Michigan State (9-2) and Central Michigan (8-2) have but two losses each. The Chippewas' two losses have come at the hands of nationally-ranked Georgia and the Boilermakers. Oregon (8-3), which has only three losses this year and reentered the AP top 25 this week at No. 24, needed two overtime periods to defeat Purdue.
2008 Purdue Opponent Records
Northern Colorado - 1-8
Oregon - 8-3
Central Michigan - 8-2
Notre Dame - 6-4
No. 7 Penn State - 10-1
No. 10 Ohio State - 9-2
Northwestern - 8-3
Minnesota - 7-4
Michigan - 3-8
No. 17 Michigan State - 9-2
Iowa - 7-4
Indiana- 3-8
PURDUE-INDIANA HISTORY
The Boilermakers and Hoosiers have played 110 times in a series that dates back to 1891 and on a yearly basis without interruption since 1920 ... The Boilermakers are 68-36-6 all-time against the Hoosiers, but saw a five-game win streak come to an end last season with a 27-24 defeat in Bloomington ... Indiana has surprisingly had more success against Purdue in West Lafayette than in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have won 20 of their 36 games in the series on the road ... From 1948-1961 Purdue went 13-0-1 against IU, which included a series-high 10-game win streak from 1948-57 ... Indiana's longest win streak in the all-time series is four straight from 1944-47 ... In 11 career meetings with rival Indiana, retiring Purdue head coach Joe Tiller has posted a 9-2 record.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Besides state bragging right, Indiana and Purdue will vie for the Old Oaken Bucket trophy on Saturday. One of the oldest and most prestigious football trophies in the nation, the bucket goes annually to the winner of the gridiron battle ... While the presentation of the trophy dates 83 years, the bucket itself is more than 100 years old ... The bucket was found, in a bad state of repair and covered with moss and mold, on the old Bruner farm between Kent and Hanover in southern Indiana, after the Chicago alumni groups of both Purdue and Indiana enthusiastically decided in 1925 that a traditional trophy for the winner of the gridiron clash would be appropriate ... Russell Gray of Purdue and Dr. Clarence Jones of Indiana were given the task of finding a suitable trophy. They recommended that "an old oaken bucket would be a most typical trophy from this state and should be taken from a well somewhere in Indiana." ... Purdue's Fritz Ernst and Whiley J. Huddle of Indiana found the fabled bucket and it is said that Confederate General Morgan's command used it during an incursion into Indiana during the Civil War. It has had an equally storied history since 1925, several times having been kidnapped by partisans from both schools - a couple of times missing so long that it was given up as lost, only to turn up mysteriously just before or after the annual game ... The time-worn bucket was presented as a prize by the late George Ade, distinguished humorist from Purdue, and the late Harry Kurrie, then president of the Monon Railroad, representing Indiana ... The first game ended in a 0-0 tie, resulting in the "I-P" link attached to the bucket. Since then, there have been 53 "P" links, 26 "I" links and two additional "I-P" links attached to the chain. Indiana won the 2007 meeting 27-24 in Bloomington.
PURDUE-INDIANA - THE LAST TIME OUT
After racing out to a 24-3 advantage, Indiana overcame a furious Purdue rally to win 27-24 on Austin Starr's 49-yard field with 30 seconds remaining in Bloomington last season. The victory snapped a five-game Purdue win streak over IU and ensured the Hoosiers of their first bowl berth since 1993. After falling behind, Purdue ripped off 21 unanswered points to make things all square at 24, but the Hoosiers went 45 yards on 12 plays in the fourth quarter to set up Starr for his game-winning kick. It was only the third win for IU over Purdue in the last 13 games in series (since 1995).
SENIOR SALUTE
Here are the 18 Boilermaker seniors playing their final game in the Old Gold and Black. Purdue University, the athletic department and the football program wish the best of luck to each and every one of them in their future endeavors. Hail Purdue and Boiler Up!
DT Ryan Baker, C Cory Benton, S Frank Duong, DT Jermaine Guynn, LB Anthony Heygood, DE Alex Magee, CB Fabian Martin, WR Roberto McBean, OT Garret Miller, WR Greg Orton, QB Curtis Painter, OT Sean Sester, RB Kory Sheets, WR Desmond Tardy, TE Jerry Wasikowski, WR Joe Whitest, WR Brandon Whittington and S-CB Torri Williams
LAST DANCE
Head coach Joe Tiller is looking to wrap up his 12-year tenure at Purdue with a victory over Indiana. Should he do so, Joe will join the likes of Leon Burtnett, Bob DeMoss, Jack Mollenkopf, Stu Holcomb and Jim Phelan to cap off their Boilermaker coaching careers with a win over the rival Hoosiers.
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 1,070 yards on 219 carries this season to rack up 3,280 yards on the ground in his career. Alstott's all-time school record of 3,635 rushing yards appears to be safe, but with 36 yards against Indiana this weekend 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 - 649 carries, 3,280 yards, 45 touchdowns
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 Butkovich - 14, 1943
Leroy Keyes - 14, 1968
Mike Alstott - 14, 1994
4. Leroy Keyes - 13, 1967
Jerod Void - 13, 2003
Kory Sheets - 13, 2008
CARD CARRYING MEMBER
Fifth-year running back Kory Sheets' quest to become just the sixth player in school history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a single year came to fruition on Nov. 8 at Michigan State. Sheets joined former Boilermaker greats Mike Alstott, Otis Armstrong, Joey Harris, Leroy Keyes and Scott Dierking in the exclusive club. Alstott and Armstrong are the only Purdue running backs to have two 1,000-yard seasons. Sheets' 1,070 yards this year is already the fifth-best effort in school history and the second-most under Joe Tiller's guide (since 1997). With just one game remaining for Purdue, Sheets is looking to push his way higher on the single-season list. He needs 46 yards to pass Joey Harris for fourth, 49 yards to pass Mike Alstott for third, 292 yards to pass Otis Armstrong for second and a Herculean 366 yards to get past Alstott's all-time single-season record of 1,436.
GETTING TO THE POINT
Kory Sheets' 14 touchdowns (13 rushing, one receiving) has accounted for 84 of Purdue's 234 points thus far (36%). 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 86-62 overall record at Purdue- the most wins in school history - and a 52-43 mark in Big Ten games. He has guided Purdue to 10 bowl games in 12 seasons, including the Boilers' first Rose Bowl berth since 1967 and two others on New Year's Day. He collected at least seven wins in eight of his previous 11 seasons at Purdue and 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 74-23 (.763) in 97 games against unranked opponents under Joe Tiller.
TAKING ON THE BIG BOYS
The Boilermakers went 12-39 (.235) when facing a ranked opponent in the 12 years under Joe Tiller.
KEEP IT DOWN
The Purdue defense has surrendered just 920 yards of total offense in its last three games (300 vs. Michigan, 300 at #18 Michigan State and 320 at Iowa) and has held Big Ten opponents to 300 or less yards in a game three times this season (also 222 yards at No. 12 Ohio State). Including this year, Purdue has held league opponents to 300 or less yards in a game three times during a season four times in the Joe Tiller Era (1997-present). The 1998 Boilermaker squad and 2003 team did it four times, while this season's defense joins the 2002 team with three.
300 or less yards of Total Offense for the Opposition in Big Ten Games
1998 (4) - at Wisconsin (229), Illinois (299), Iowa (256) and Indiana (248)
2003 (4) - Illinois (191), Penn State (204), at Wisconsin (293) and Iowa (294)
2002 (3) - at Northwestern (268), Ohio State (267) and Indiana (223)
2008 (3) - at Ohio State (222), Michigan (300) and at Michigan State (300)
BACKS AGAINST THE WALL
The Boilers' defense has been pretty good at limiting the damage on a short field. Opponents have posted a touchdown just 51 percent of the time when penetrating the redzone (23 for 45) and have found the endzone just 65 percent of the time when sitting at first and goal (17 for 26).
WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE
Proof that statistics can be misleading, Purdue's defense, ranked second-to-last in the Big Ten, limited the two highest ranked conference teams, No. 7 Penn State and No. 10 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 10 games by an average of 30.3 points, has scored 34 or more points seven times this year, with the lone exceptions coming against Purdue, Ohio State and Iowa.
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 72 yards passing by Iowa on Nov. 15 marked the second time this season Purdue has limited an opponent to less than 100 yards through the air (also at No. 12 Ohio State, 97) and were the fewest surrendered by a Purdue defense since Notre Dame managed just 50 yards through the air in 2002. It was the 12th 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 eighth-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 - Ryan Succop (Sr.), South Carolina vs. Arkansas, Nov. 8
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
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 ... The Boilers' fourth quarter rally at Iowa fell just one desperation pass short last weekend in a 22-17 loss. Had Curtis Painter's pass ended up in someone's hands it would have erased a 12-point deficit and been the largest fourth quarter come-from behind victory under Joe Tiller's guide (11 four times).
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 148 tries (45%) 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 107 tackles through 11 games, already 26 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. Heygood's career-high-tying 14 tackles against Michigan State on Nov. 8 pushed him over 100 stops for the season to make him the first Purdue player to eclipse the century mark since Niko Koutouvides in 2002 (102). Heygood has led Purdue in tackles in six of the 11 games played thus far and has recorded double-digit tackles in a game five times, including three times with a career-high 14 (Central Michigan, at Northwestern and at Michigan State). His 9.7 tackles per game average is third-best in the Big Ten and his 107 total tackles are also third among all league defenders. Not too 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 and another against Iowa last weekend to push his total to seven. 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 nine tackles for loss. His stop behind the line of scrimmage last weekend at Iowa nudged his season total to a career-best nine TFL for the year (previous high was 8.5 in 2007). His 27 total tackles this season are also a career-high at Purdue, eclipsing the 25 stops he had in 2006.
DOWN IN THE TRENCHES
The Boilermakers' defensive line has been quite active in racking up 21 of Purdue's 23 total sacks to date. End Ryan Kerrigan leads the way with 7.0 sacks, a figure that places the interior lineman in a tie for 36th nationally in sacks per game (0.64). 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).
YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!
Purdue's eight 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 175 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 do 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 11 games Holland is averaging 6.3 stops per contest and he enters the weekend third on the team in total tackles (69). He posted a career-best 11 tackles against Notre Dame on Sept. 27 and tallied his first sack against Minnesota on Oct. 25.
CARLINO'S WAY
A year ago at this time, linebacker Chris Carlino was wrapping up his prep career at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Ind. This year the true freshman linebacker has consistently improved his play on the Division I level and has nabbing the starting middle linebacker slot. He enters the IU game coming off a strong seven-tackle performance at Iowa last weekend and seventh on the team with 34 stops to date.
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 76 tackles in 11 games, second on the team, and coming up with a personal-best six 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 10 passes in 11 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 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., 949 comp., 10,715 yards passing, 1,817 off. plays, 11,062 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 10,715 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. A week later, Siller helped the Boilermakers defeat Michigan 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). His efforts against Michigan earned him co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.
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 65 grabs for 688 yards and four TDs. Nationally he is 32nd in receptions per game (5.9) and is 70th among all Bowl Subdivision players in receiving yards per game (62.6). He posted a season-high 10 receptions at Iowa last weekend 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 at Iowa on Nov. 15, the fifth-year senior pushed his career total to 199 receptions to place him fifth on the receptions list, and his 76 yards receiving game against the Hawkeyes pushed him into sixth 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. Des posted a career-high 13 receptions at Iowa last weekend to tie the single-game high in the Big Ten this season (also Minnesota's Eric Decker vs. Indiana). Ranked 53rd nationally in receiving yards per game (69.3), he posted a career-high 175 yards receiving at Notre Dame on Sept. 27. His 54-yard catch-and-run TD in South Bend was the longest scoring reception in his career. Tardy is averaging 102.1 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 219 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 219 carries (one fumble lost every 219 carries) - 13 rushing TD
Career - 9 fumbles lost on 649 carries (one fumble lost every 72 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 3,280 rushing yards, Sheets is only the third player to rack up over 3,000 yards in the rushing annals at Purdue. His 649 attempts are currently second all-time and his 5.10 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 29th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a 97.3 yards per game average. He is tied for 53 nationally in scoring (7.6 points per game) and is 34th in the NCAA in all-purpose yards per game (142.2).
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
