Northwestern
4-2 , 2-1
Purdue
2-4 , 0-3
Fourth-Quarter Rally Lifts Wildcats Past Boilermakers
10/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 15, 2005
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Tyrell Sutton scored from a yard out on fourth down with 1:50 left, giving Northwestern a 34-29 victory over Purdue on Saturday.
After Sutton scored, Purdue drove near midfield but Marquice Cole intercepted a pass by Brandon Kirsch with a minute left to secure the victory.
Northwestern (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) led 28-9 at the half, only to see Purdue storm back and pull ahead 29-28 before the Wildcats pulled together for the game-winning drive.
Brett Basanez threw for 463 yards and three touchdowns and ran seven times for 43 yards and a score as Northwestern piled up 603 yards. Purdue (2-4, 0-2), which totaled 505 yards, has lost four in a row after being ranked as high as No. 11.
Dorien Bryant led Purdue's comeback, and finished with a 16 catches for 153 yards - both career highs. He also returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
Kirsch threw for 360 yards although he was benched for four series in the second half when Northwestern built a big lead. However, he returned to help Purdue take a lead.
Northwestern led 28-23 early in the fourth quarter and drove to the Purdue 2 before the Boilermakers' Rob Ninkovich forced a fumble and Al Royal recovered. Kirsch then led an 18-play, 98-yard scoring drive. Brandon Jones' 1-yard touchdown run gave Purdue its first lead, 29-28.
Northwestern responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that Sutton finished with the winning touchdown.
Bryant's kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half cut the Northwestern lead to 28-16. Later in the third quarter, Purdue forced a Northwestern punt and Lance Melvin returned it 34 yards to the Northwestern 7. Jones scored from the 1 to cut the Wildcats' lead to 28-23.
Team Stats
NU 7, PUR 0
NU - Peterman, Eric 67 yd pass from Basanez, Brett (Howells, Joel kick) 4 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:12
NU 14, PUR 0
NU - Abernathy, F. 5 yd pass from Basanez, Brett (Howells, Joel kick) 7 plays, 79 yards, TOP 0:58
NU 14, PUR 3
PUR - Jones,Ben 47 yd field goal 7 plays, 35 yards, TOP 1:52
NU 21, PUR 3
NU - Basanez, Brett 9 yd run (Howells, Joel kick), 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:33
NU 21, PUR 9
PUR - Void,Jerod 15 yd run (Jones,Ben kickfailed), 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:19
NU 28, PUR 9
NU - Roberson, B. 11 yd pass from Basanez, Brett (Howells, Joel kick) 8 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:58
NU 28, PUR 16
PUR - Bryant,Dorien 95 yd kickoff return (Jones,Ben kick)
NU 28, PUR 23
PUR - Jones,Brandon 1 yd run (Jones,Ben kick), 2 plays, 7 yards, TOP 0:43
NU 28, PUR 29
PUR - Jones,Brandon 1 yd run (Kirsch,Brandon passfailed), 18 plays, 98 yards, TOP 4:13
NU 34, PUR 29
NU - Sutton, Tyrell 1 yd run (Basanez, Brett passfailed), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:27
