1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team

1997 Purdue Boilermakers football
Alamo Bowl Champions
Alamo Bowl, W 33–20 vs. Oklahoma State
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 15
AP	No. 15
1997 record	9–3 (6–2 Big Ten)
Head coach	Joe Tiller (1st year)
Offensive coordinator	Jim Chaney (1st year)
Offensive scheme	Spread offense
Defensive coordinator	Brock Spack (1st year)
Base defense	4–3
Captain	Brian Alford (Senior year)
Captain	Rosevelt Colvin (Junior year)
Captain	Mark Fischer (Senior year)
Home stadium	Ross–Ade Stadium (Capacity: 67,861)

1997 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
#1 Michigan $		8	–	0					12	–	0
#12 Ohio State		6	–	2					10	–	3
#16 Penn State		6	–	2					9	–	3
#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

Date	Time	Opponent^#	Rank^#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 6	6:00 PM	at Toledo*		Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH		L 22–36	27,700
September 13	2:30 PM	No. 15 Notre Dame*		Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Rivalry)	ABC	W 28–17	68,789
September 20	1:00 PM	Ball State*		Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN		W 28–14	45,947
September 27	11:30 AM	Northwestern		Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN	ESPN	W 21–9	42,112
October 11	6:00 PM	at Minnesota		Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, MN	ESPN+	W 59–43	37,821
October 18	1:00 PM	No. 24 Wisconsin		Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN		W 45–20	54,252
October 25	1:00 PM	at Illinois	No. 23	Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Purdue Cannon)		W 48–3	45,122
November 1	12:30 PM	at No. 16 Iowa	No. 18	Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA	ESPN2	L 17–35	70,397
November 8	12:30 PM	Michigan State	No. 24	Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN	ESPN2	W 22–21	55,539
November 15	12:00 PM	No. 6 Penn State	No. 19	Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN	ESPN	L 17–42	52,156
November 22	1:00 PM	at Indiana	No. 25	Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket)		W 56–7	46,599
December 30	8:00 PM	Oklahoma State*	No. 17	Alamodome • San Antonio, TX (Alamo Bowl)	ESPN	W 33–20	55,552
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Time.

^[1]

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^[2]

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^[3]

Game summaries

Toledo

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^[4]

Notre Dame

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."^[5]

Ball State

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

^[6]

Northwestern

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

^[7]

Minnesota

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

^[8]

Wisconsin

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.^[9]

Illinois

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

^[10]

Iowa

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

^[11]

Michigan State

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

^[12]

Penn State

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

^[13]

Indiana

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

^{[14] [15]}

Oklahoma State

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

^[16]

Roster

1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Winston, DonaldDonald Winston So QB 3 Reeves, JohnJohn Reeves  Sr WR 5 Tillman, WillieWillie Tillman Sr WR 6 Jones, IsaacIsaac Jones Sr WR 9 Tolbert, RobertRobert Tolbert So QB 12 Dicken, BillyBilly Dicken  Sr WR 20 Daniels, ChrisChris Daniels  So RB 36 Watson, EdwinEdwin Watson Sr RB 43 Matthews, KendallKendall Matthews Sr OT 54 Fischer, MarkMark Fischer Sr OG 56 Okobi, ChukkyChukky Okobi  Fr OT 76 Maly, DanDan Maly Sr OG 79 Manning, ChadChad Manning Sr WR 80 Alford, BrianBrian Alford  Sr TE 81 Jewell, BrandonBrandon Jewell  Sr TE 84 Blackmon, JonJon Blackmon Sr WR 88 Loerzel, JasonJason Loerzel Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class FS 2 Brown, DerrickDerrick Brown Sr LB 4 Rose, MikeMike Rose So SS 7 Beasley, AdrianAdrian Beasley So SS 10 Brush, LeeLee Brush Sr CB 11 Hawthorne, MichaelMichael Hawthorne So CB 14 Coleman, JamelJamel Coleman Sr CB 28 Bell, HenryHenry Bell Jr DE 49 Nwokorie, ChukieChukie Nwokorie Jr DE 58 Moore, WarrenWarren Moore Fr DE 59 Colvin, RoseveltRosevelt Colvin Jr DT 71 Gutwein, AnthonyAnthony Gutwein Jr DT 82 Nugent, DavidDavid Nugent So DE 87 Foggio, RoccoRocco Foggio Fr DT 97 Smith, GregGreg Smith Sr DT 98 Perez, LeoLeo Perez Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class PK 22 Bunten, AaronAaron Bunten Fr P 26 Rogers, DannyDanny Rogers So LS 60 Standifer, AndyAndy Standifer So P 92 Kaser, BrandonBrandon Kaser Jr PK 96 Ryan, ShaneShane Ryan So	Head coach Joe Tiller Coordinators/assistant coaches Jim Chaney (Offensive Coordinator) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: November 28, 2016

Awards

• All-Americans: Brian Alford (Football News)
• All-Big Ten: Brian Alford (1st), Rosevelt Colvin (2nd), Billy Dicken (1st)^[17]

References

1. 2011 Purdue football information guide
2. 2011 Purdue football information guide
3. 2011 Purdue football information guide
4. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
5. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
6. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
7. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
8. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
9. "Boilermakers Rout Wisconsin." 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
10. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
11. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
12. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
13. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
14. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
15. USA Today.
16. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
17. 2011 Purdue football information guide