Purdue at Northwestern

10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football

Oct. 18, 2008

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Northwestern Post-Game Notes

Purdue won the toss and elected to receive. It was the fifth straight game that NU did not win the coin toss after winning it the opening two weeks.

Northwestern's two honorary captains today were a pair of former NU All-Americans: offensive lineman Chris Hinton (1979-82) and punter John Kidd (1980-83). Both players enjoyed lengthy NFL careers.

At halftime, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald was honored by the National Football Foundation for his upcoming induction into College Football's Hall of Fame. Fitzgerald will be inducted on Dec. 9, 2008 in New York City. Already the youngest FBS head football coach, he will be the youngest member of the Hall of Fame once he is inducted.

Northwestern ended a two-game series losing streak to Purdue with today's win. The Wildcats have now won three of the last five meetings with the Boilermakers. Today's contest marked Joe Tiller's final game against NU.

NU's 48 points are the most scored by a Wildcat team against Purdue in 76 all-time meetings.
With the victory, Northwestern improves to 6-1, matching its start in 1996, Pat Fitzgerald's senior season. The Wildcats are now bowl-eligible with the win.

Northwestern, which entered the game ranked 23rd nationally in scoring defense, allowed 26 points, the second-most in a game this year. The Wildcats were allowing just 16.5 ppg at the start of the day. Conversely, Northwestern scored a season-high 48 points (and its most points since defeating Minnesota 49-48 in 2OT last year) and upped its season scoring average to 27.6 ppg. Northwestern's 48 points were its most in a non-overtime game since the Wildcats defeated Michigan State 49-14 on Oct. 22, 2005.
Six different players (RB Tyrell Sutton, RB Omar Conteh, QB C.J. Bachér, SB Brendan Mitchell, WR Eric Peterman, WR Sidney Stewart) scored touchdowns for Northwestern, and PK Amado Villarreal was the seventh different NU player to score points. The touchdowns for Stewart and Mitchell were the first of their careers. Stewart's TD came on a throw from wide receiver Eric Peterman, the first TD pass of his career.

NU's 24 second-quarter points were its most in a 15-minute period since the Wildcats tallied 27 in the third quarter of a 51-48 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 8, 2005.

Northwestern equaled a season single-game best with five takeaways today (NU also had five takeaways in its other Big Ten win at Iowa.) Northwestern recorded three interceptions-one by three of its four starters in the secondary (S Brad Phillips, CB Jordan Mabin and CB Sherrick McManis)-and a pair of fumble recoveries-one by LB Prince Kwateng and S Brian Peters. NU now has a +2 turnover margin for the season with 14 of its 16 takeaways coming in its last four games. The interceptions for Phillips and McManis were the third of their careers, while the pick by Mabin was his second.

RB Tyrell Sutton now has more career receptions than any other running back in school history. Sutton's four catches upped his career total to 142, and he surpasses Ricky Edwards (1980-83) who totaled 140 receptions. Sutton is now seventh on NU's career reception list.

Sutton, who missed his 15th career 100-yard rushing game by just four yards, totaled 158 all-purpose yards to increase his career all-purpose total to 4,904 yards. He remains in second place behind NU's all-time leader Damien Anderson, who totaled 5,271 yards during his career. Sutton also upped his career rushing yardage to 3,695 yards, just 98 yards shy of Darnell Autry, who is in second place on NU's career list.

Sutton scored his 36th career TD, on a 9-yard pass from C.J. Bachér, to move him within two of NU's career record for touchdowns scored (38).

QB C.J. Bachér completed 20-of-33 passes for 230 yards, 3 TD's and 1 interception. He also added 41 rushing yards and a TD for a game-high 271 yards of total offense. It was the seventh time in Bachér's career that he has thrown three or more TD passes in a single game. He now has thrown 36 career TD passes, eight shy of Brett Basanez and Len Williams, who both tossed 44 during their career.

It was the 21st time (in 24 career starts) that Bachér has thrown for 200 or more yards in a game. He now owns a 14-10 career record as NU's starting quarterback.

Bachér completed passes to nine different players today. His 45-yard TD pass to Eric Peterman was the team's longest scoring pass play of the year. It equaled a 45-yard pass play (Peterman from Bachér) at Duke.

Northwestern went six-for-seven in red-zone scoring opportunities today, upping its season red-zone mark to 30-of-34 (88 percent). The Wildcats totaled four touchdowns and two field goals with its one empty trip coming on a missed 25-yard field goal.

Freshman WR Jeremy Ebert set single-game career bests for both receptions (4) and yards (65) today. Senior WR Ross Lane, who had four receptions today, moved into 10th place on NU's career receptions list. He now has 135 career catches for 1,787 yards. His career yardage now places him sixth on NU's all-time list.

NU's quartet of Sutton, Rasheed Ward, Lane and Peterman now have combined for more than 500 career receptions. The senior foursome has totaled 510 catches.

NU, which prior to the game ranked fourth nationally in fewest sacks allowed (0.5 per game), gave up a season-most two today and now has allowed just five sacks.

Although PK Amado Villarreal missed a short field goal attempt, he did convert his two other tries (26 and 29 yards) and is now 13-of-16 for the season. Villarreal moved into fifth place on NU's all-time field goal list and has converted 26-of-35 tries in his career.

Northwestern, which ranked 23rd at the start of the day in defensive third-down efficiency, limited Purdue to 3-of-12 on third-down attempts today. NU is now holding its foes to 30-of-97 (30.9 percent) on third-down tries.

P Stefan Demos, who placed two more punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line (he has 14 this season, out of 32 total), had his first punt of the season go in the end zone for a touchback. Demos averaged 50.0 yards per punt (three attempts) today.

LB Malcolm Arrington suffered a game-ending left knee injury in the first half. Arrington, who totaled three tackles in the game, came in averaging 8.2 tackles per game, which ranked eighth in the Big Ten. An announcement on his status for the remainder of the season will be announced on Monday.

Safeties Brendan Smith and Brad Phillips led the Wildcats with eight and seven tackles, respectively. Phillips lead the team with 59 hits this year.

NU, which ranked seventh nationally in sacks with 3.2 per game, added two more to its season total, giving the Wildcats 21 for the season. LB Quentin Davie and DE Vince Browne recorded sacks today.

Northwestern will put its perfect road record (2-0) on the line next Saturday in Bloomington, Ind., against the Indiana Hoosiers. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT (noon ET) with the Big Ten Network televising the game.

Purdue Post-Game Notes

Historical

Curtis Painter moved past Northwestern's Brett Basanez for No. 2 in Big Ten history for completions. For his career, Painter has completed 919 passes.

Team

The 24 first-half points allowed by Purdue were the most since surrendering 31 in the first 30 minutes to Michigan State last season on Nov. 10. (48-31 MSU final).
Ryan Baker's interception in the first quarter was Purdue's first turnover forced in three games (211 plays between takeaways -- Dwight Mclean INT vs. Central Michigan on Sept. 20).
The Boilermakers scored more points in the first 28:51 on Saturday (12) than they did in the previous nine quarters combined (nine points in 135 minutes dating back to the fourth quarter of the Notre Dame game.)
Purdue's fumble recovery in the second quarter was its first since the Oregon game on Sept. 13.
Purdue missed a second consecutive PAT attempt after a string of 111 straight successful conversions prior to the Penn State game.
Mike Neal's sack in the second quarter marked a fourth straight game that at least one Boilermaker has gotten to the opposing quarterback in a passing situation.

Individual

Fifth-year defensive tackle Ryan Baker recorded his second career interception on an inside screen pass in the first quarter (last vs. Wisconsin, 2006).
Curtis Painter's 32-yard TD pass to Greg Orton in the fourth quarter was the longest completion for Purdue since the Notre Dame game on Sept. 27.
Orton's TD reception in the fourth quarter was his second of the season and the 10th of his career.
Fifth-year linebacker Anthony Heygood recovered his second career fumble in the second quarter.
Cornerback Royce Adams finished with a career-high 10 tackles in the game.
Senior defensive tackle Mike Neal posted his first two-sack game of his career. His third and fourth sacks of the season tied Ryan Kerrigan for the Purdue single-game high this year. For his career Neal has six sacks.
Fifth-year running back Kory Sheets finished with 168 yards on the ground to move past Scott Dierking (2,863) for the No. 3 spot on the career rushing yardage list. Sheets has now rushed for 2,943 yards in his career.
The 100-yard rushing day for Sheets was the eighth of his career and his second this season (Oregon).
Sheets extended his school record for total TDs (46) and rushing TDs (41) on a two-yard run in the second quarter.