1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team

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. Purdue had its best season since 1980 under new head coach Joe Tiller.

1997 Purdue Boilermakers football
Alamo Bowl champion
Alamo Bowl, W 33–20 vs. Oklahoma State
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 15
APNo. 15
Record9–3 (6–2 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJim Chaney (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread offense
Defensive coordinatorBrock Spack (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Captains
Home stadiumRoss–Ade Stadium
(Capacity: 67,861)
1997 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 1 Michigan $  8 –0   12 –0  
No. 12 Ohio State  6 –2   10 –3  
No. 16 Penn State  6 –2   9 –3  
No. 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

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 66:00 pmat Toledo*
L 22–3627,700
September 132:30 pmNo. 15 Notre Dame*
ABCW 28–1768,789
September 201:00 pmBall State*
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 28–1445,947
September 2711:30 amNorthwestern
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPNW 21–942,112
October 116:00 pmat Minnesota
ESPN+W 59–4337,821
October 181:00 pmNo. 24 Wisconsindagger
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 45–2054,252
October 251:00 pmat IllinoisNo. 23
W 48–345,122
November 112:30 pmat No. 16 IowaNo. 18
ESPN2L 17–3570,397
November 812:30 pmMichigan StateNo. 24
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPN2W 22–2155,539
November 1512:00 pmNo. 6 Penn StateNo. 19
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPNL 17–4252,156
November 221:00 pmat IndianaNo. 25
W 56–746,599
December 308:00 pmOklahoma State*No. 17
ESPNW 33–2055,552
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[1]

Personnel

Coaching staff

Starters

Game summaries

Toledo
See also: 1997 Toledo Rockets football team
Purdue at Toledo
1 234Total
Purdue 7 708 22
• Toledo 21 636 36
Scoring summary
1PURWatson 45-yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 7-0
1TOLReynolds 1-yard run (Merrick kick)Tied 7-7
1TOLHarris 5-yard run (Merrick kick)TOL 14-7
1TOLFreeman 29-yard pass from Wallace (Merrick kick)TOL 21-7
2TOLMerrick 25-yard field goalTOL 24-7
2TOLMerrick 37-yard field goalTOL 27-7
2PURAlford 73-yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)TOL 27-14
3TOLMerrick 21-yard field goalTOL 30-14
4TOLKreitzburg 6-yard pass from Wallace (two-point failed)TOL 36-14
4PURSutherland 5-yard run (Watson rund)TOL 36-22

Joe Tiller's first game as Purdue head coach[4]

Notre Dame
See also: 1997 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
Notre Dame at Purdue
1 234Total
Notre Dame 0 1007 17
• Purdue 7 7014 28
Scoring summary
1PUREdwin Watson 1-yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 7-0
2NDSanson 34-yard field goalPUR 7-3
2PUREdwin Watson 1-yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 14-3
2NDAutry Denson 16-yard run (Sanson kick)PUR 14-10
4PURAdrian Beasley 43-yard fumble return (Ryan kick)PUR 21-10
4NDAutry Denson 1-yard pass from Ron Powlus (Sanson kick)PUR 21-17
4PURKendall 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
See also: 1997 Ball State Cardinals football team
Ball State at Purdue
1 234Total
Ball State 0 707 14
• Purdue 3 10150 28
  • Date: September 20
  • Location: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 45,947

[6]

Northwestern
See also: 1997 Northwestern Wildcats football team
Northwestern at Purdue
1 234Total
Northwestern 3 600 9
• Purdue 7 770 21
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 42,112

[7]

  • Kendall Matthews 29 rushes, 152 yards [8]

Minnesota
See also: 1997 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
Purdue at Minnesota
1 234Total
• Purdue 17 21147 59
Minnesota 14 7715 43
Scoring summary
Q110:31MINNNelson 31 yard pass from Atwell (Bailey kick)MINN 7−0
Q110:03PURWatson 65 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)Tie 7–7
Q16:30PURRyan 32 yard field goalPUR 10–7
Q13:21PURMatthews 33 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 17–7
Q10:23MINNDuerr 3 yard pass from Sauter (Bailey kick)PUR 17–14
Q28:05PURWatson 21 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)PUR 24–14
Q25:07MINNWyrick 42 yard pass from Rindels (Bailey kick)PUR 24–21
Q24:45PURAlford 93 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)PUR 31–21
Q21:36PURWatson 1 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 38–21
Q313:53MINNEvans 45 yard run (Bailey kick)PUR 38–28
Q310:11PURDicken 11 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 45–28
Q31:33PURAlford 89 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)PUR 52–28
Q49:40PURJones 4 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)PUR 59–28
Q47:21MINNAtwell 46 yard pass from Cockerham (Bailey kick)PUR 59–35
Q40:38MINNBean 1 yard run (Bean run)PUR 59–43
  • Purdue's first win in Minneapolis since 1983.

[9]

Wisconsin
See also: 1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team
Wisconsin at Purdue
Homecoming
1 234Total
Wisconsin 0 1073 20
• Purdue 21 7710 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.[10]

Illinois
See also: 1997 Illinois Fighting Illini football team and Purdue Cannon
Purdue at Illinois
1 234Total
• Purdue 14 2077 48
Illinois 0 300 3

[11]

  • Kendall Matthews 16 rushes, 177 yards [12]

Iowa
See also: 1997 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Purdue at Iowa
1 234Total
Purdue 10 700 17
• Iowa 0 14210 35

[13]

Michigan State
See also: 1997 Michigan State Spartans football team
Michigan State at Purdue
1 234Total
Michigan State 7 707 21
• Purdue 0 7015 22
  • Date: November 8
  • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium
    West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 55,539

[14]

  • Edwin Watson 24 rushes, 115 yards [15]

Penn State
See also: 1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
Penn State at Purdue
1 234Total
• Penn State 0 141414 42
Purdue 0 908 17
  • Date: November 15
  • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium
    West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 52,156

[16]

  • Edwin Watson 19 rushes, 133 yards [17]

Indiana
See also: 1997 Indiana Hoosiers football team and Old Oaken Bucket
Purdue at Indiana
1 234Total
• Purdue 14 7728 56
Indiana 0 700 7
Scoring summary
1PURWatson 14 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 7–0
1PURDicken 6 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 14–0
2INDConner 42 yard pass from Rodgers (Payne kick)PUR 14–7
2PURL. Johnson 35 yard fumble return (Ryan kick)PUR 21–7
3PURWatson 48 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 28–7
4PURI. Jones 16 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)PUR 35–7
4PURRose 24 yard interception return (Ryan kick)PUR 42–7
4PURBrees 5 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 49–7
4PURGraham 49 yard run (Ryan kick)PUR 56–7

[18] [19]

  • Edwin Watson 18 rushes, 163 yards [20]

Oklahoma State
See also: 1997 Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma State vs. Purdue
Alamo Bowl
1 234Total
• Purdue 7 3203 33
Oklahoma State 3 377 20

[21]

Roster
1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 1 Donald Winston So
QB 3 John Reeves Sr
WR 5 Willie Tillman Sr
WR 6 Isaac Jones Sr
WR 52 Fahim Chesti So
QB 12 Billy Dicken  Sr
WR 20 Chris Daniels  So
RB 36 Edwin Watson Sr
RB 43 Kendall Matthews Sr
OT 54 Mark Fischer Sr
G 56 Chukky Okobi  Fr
OT 76 Dan Maly Sr
G 79 Chad Manning Sr
WR 80 Brian Alford  Sr
TE 81 Brandon Jewell  Sr
TE 84 Jon Blackmon Sr
WR 88 Jason Loerzel Fr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
FS 2 Derrick Brown Sr
LB 4 Mike Rose So
SS 7 Adrian Beasley So
SS 10 Lee Brush Sr
CB 11 Michael Hawthorne So
CB 14 Jamel Coleman Sr
CB 28 Henry Bell Jr
DE 49 Chukie Nwokorie Jr
DE 58 Warren Moore Fr
DE 59 Rosevelt Colvin Jr
DT 71 Anthony Gutwein Jr
DT 82 David Nugent So
DE 87 Rocco Foggio Fr
DT 97 Greg Smith Sr
DT 98 Leo Perez Sr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
PK 22 Aaron Bunten Fr
P 26 Danny Rogers So
LS 60 Andy Standifer So
P 92 Brandon Kaser Jr
PK 96 Shane Ryan So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: November 28, 2016

Awards

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. 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-27.
  9. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  10. "Boilermakers Rout Wisconsin." 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  11. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  12. 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21.
  13. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
  14. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  15. 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2021-Jan-02.
  16. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  17. 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-29.
  18. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
  19. USA Today.
  20. 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21.
  21. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
  22. 2011 Purdue football information guide
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