ADVERTISEMENT

Favorite Purdue Game?

B

boiler17

All-American
Sep 23, 2013
6,983
2,841
113
Certainly a conversation we have had before: Im interested in what peoples favorite games are. Ive been going to season tickets since 93 when I was in middle school.

1. @MSU in 02. Game went down to the last drive, and the away section rocked it that day. I often really enjoy away games because the Purdue crowd seems more into it.

2. ND in 97. I will never forget the ND fans behind me asking "Why would you do that?" repeatedly about their new OC.

I'll also give an honerable mention to Wisky 2004 and ND 2012. Both heartbreaking losses, but fantastically entertaining games.
 
boiler17 said:
Certainly a conversation we have had before: Im interested in what peoples favorite games are. Ive been going to season tickets since 93 when I was in middle school.

1. @MSU in 02. Game went down to the last drive, and the away section rocked it that day. I often really enjoy away games because the Purdue crowd seems more into it.

2. ND in 97. I will never forget the ND fans behind me asking "Why would you do that?" repeatedly about their new OC.

I'll also give an honerable mention to Wisky 2004 and ND 2012. Both heartbreaking losses, but fantastically entertaining games.
Click to expand...

I was at the MSU game too but sitting in the MSU alum section. Great game but super cold.

The MSU game with the Colvin blocked kick was amazing too.

And I will always remember the Rose Bowl.
 
my favorite was when Purdue beat OSU in 1984 , I think it was 28 to 23, Woodson was awesome that day
 
All those mentioned thus far were great ones, but three others stand out in my mind as down-to-the-wire, heart-stopping moments. There was the 1999 Notre Dame game in W.L. when we sacked their QB inside the 10-yard line to preserve a 28-23 win. Second best, the 1975 Bucket game in Bloomington. Terribly cold day; Purdue leads 9-7 with seconds to go; IU driving toward their south endzone in easy fieldgoal range, but opts to run one more play anyway. A short pass right over the middle is complete, but instead of making the tackle, one of our linebackers holds the receiver up, and another of our players hammers the ball out of his hands for a fumble. Boilers recover and win.
Best ever: Another Bucket game - in Ross-Ade in 1980. IU has killed us all day on a short out pattern that they have run over and over and over. They score with a second or two to go, to pull within 24-23 and line up to go for two heading into our north endzone. Sixty-nine thousand people know what play is coming, and sure enough, just as our defender has been beaten all day long on the same pattern, he is beaten again... only in this case, he dives, stretches as far as he possibly can, and with a fingertip, deflects the ball to preserve the win. Pandemonium!
 
boiler17 said:
Wow, cant believe I spaced that. Chanting boiler up down the ramps while they sang their loser song... good stuff.
Click to expand...

I still have the VCR Tape of College Gameday previewing the game, the game, and College Gameday final. If I get around to it I'm putting on DVD
 
All great answers so far.

Let me add the Woodson game for the bucket in '86 and the Hook n' Ladder-al game against Michigan in 08 breaking their bowl streak, and the 1992 Bucket Game.
 
My top 10/11 since 1992 (when I began to follow Purdue football closely):

Tenth place: Purdue 27, Wisconsin 27 in 1994 and Purdue 56, Indiana 7 in 1997. Both games are memorable enough to mention here, but for different reasons. The 1994 game at Camp Randall didn't end in a Boiler victory, but Purdue was coming off a 1-10 season while Wisconsin was the reigning Rose Bowl champion. The 1997 Bucket game in Bloomington was much more competitive than the final score indicated - both teams had 400+ yards of offense - but it did put an exclamation mark on the magical 1997 season.

Ninth place: Purdue 51, Indiana 14 in 1995. Very little went right for Jim Colletto in his six years at Purdue. But he did ride the A-Train to one epic annihilation of Bill Mallory's Hoosiers in Bloomington and on national television (ABC) on the day after Thanksgiving in 1995.

Eighth place: Purdue 26, Ohio State 23 in 2011. Danny Hope's team struck the Buckeye's again! If only Hope could've faced the Buckeye's every week (he nearly beat 'em again in 2012).

Seventh place: Purdue 26, #7 OSU 18 in 2009. Like Purdue's 1976 upset at Michigan, this one just came out of nowhere. The Boilers were 1-5 heading into the game, but the upset sparked a 4-2 finish that provided a brief moment of hope in Danny Hope's troubled tenure.

Sixth place: Purdue 52 #5 MSU 28 in 1999: Chris Daniels caught 21 passes (3 for tds) as Purdue destroyed Nick Saban's undefeated Spartans.

Fifth place: Purdue 41, ND 16 in 2004. Purdue's first win in 30 years in South Bend is a memorable one that pushed Kyle Orton to an early lead in the Heisman race. Stubby earned a place in Purdue lore by waving his finger at the stunned Irish crowd all the way down the sideline to make it 26-3 early in the 3rd quarter.

Fourth place: Purdue 32, #6 Michigan 31 in 2000. Boilers didn't do very much right in the first half falling behind 28-10. But, oh what a second half! Travis Dorsch missed a go-ahead field goal late in the 4th but got a second chance moments later and just sneaked it inside the upright. I won't recount what he did next because we should all forgive and forget.

Third place: Purdue 22, MSU 21 in 1997. This was actually a very frustrating game until the last 3 minutes. Leading 21-10, MSU lined up to kick a field goal. Roosevelt Colvin blocked it and returned it for a touchdown. Purdue went for 2 to pull within a field goal but failed. Mike Rose recovered the onside kick, and the Boilers rode Ed Watson in for another touchdown to take a 22-21 lead. The Boilers again went for 2 to extend their lead to a field goal but again failed. MSU actually drove into field goal range in less than 30 seconds, but Chris Gardner shanked it and Purdue completed the wildest 3 minutes of football I've ever seen.

Second place: "Holy Toledo!" Purdue 31, OSU 27 in 2000. Drew Brees had never thrown a touchdown against Ohio State until the 4th quarter. He was picked off with Purdue trailing late just moments before he got a chance at redemption. And then Seth Morales somehow got behind the entire Buckeye secondary. Saw that game from the South Endzone. The play literally came right at me.

First place: Purdue 28, #15 ND 17. After opening the Joe Tiller era with a disjointed and demoralizing loss at Toledo, the Boilers regrouped to end an 11-year drought against the Irish. In retrospect, ND was nowhere near as good as their ranking indicated (they went on to lose 5 more games), but I'd be hard-pressed to find a more cathartic moment for Purdue football in the past 30 years.
 
Now some of my other favorites that haven't been or rarely mentioned:

Syracuse at Purdue 2004: Just a pure beating of another FBS program on National TV when it was the only game on.

Purdue at Illini 2006: Purdue came back to win with Curtis Painter breaking a long TD run that took him 20 seconds

Purdue at MSU 2008: Senior walk on Kicker Casey Welch makes his first FG in the final five minutes to give Purdue a win.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rgarlitz
Oh, man, how could I have forgot - beating #4 Kansas State in the 1999 (following 1998 season) Alamo Bowl. Kansas State fans still claim that their team just didn't care after being denied a BCS birth following a loss in the B12 championship game. Their on-the-field demeanor after Brees hit Isaac Jones for the game winner suggests otherwise.
 
Should definitely also mention beating Indiana 62-10 to close the Joe Tiller era in 2008. And then there was the 63-24 undressing of the Hoosiers in 2004.
 
rgarlitz said:
Should definitely also mention beating Indiana 62-10 to close the Joe Tiller era in 2008. And then there was the 63-24 undressing of the Hoosiers in 2004.
Click to expand...

How about beating the Hoosiers in Hope's last game...just one big play after another. IU's long run, then Marve throwing an INT and then getting the Hoosier DB at the goal line. Then Purdue coming back with INTS, long Shaver Runs and the throw back pass to Shaver in which he broke two tackles. Not a great game, but one that was exciting to watch.
 
Off the top of my head....ALL of the wins over IU and ND during my fifteen years as the "voice"! Also the 2000 come from behind wins over Michigan and Ohio State to put Boilers in the Rose Bowl...and the last second Alamo Bowl victory over K-State. If I had to pick one, it would be the "Brees to Morales" game. Biggest disappointments? The loss to Wisconsin, followed closely by two games that the Boilers were "jobbed" out of by the refs...the loss at Illinois, and the one at Penn State were the crew DID get suspended fore a game or two.
 
  • Like
Reactions: housedaddy72
Any win over Notre Dame going back to Dawson's debut in South Bend.

We didnt beat them often, but they hated us anyway. Well, fwiw, I dont think too highly of them either and I really dont feel that this board holds them in high regard either.

There was just such a good feeling when we beat them and it was such fun to watch their fan base come unhinged.

Having watched so many games over so many years, how really do you separate them one from the other? It would be so easy to pick on IU here, but in my mind they just have not been consistent football competition as opposed to basketball.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PaNDalum
Bullwhip, Marve, on a gimpy knee, chasing 80 yards to make a saving tackle in that game stands as one of the gutsiest plays I have ever seen.
 
The 2000 OSU and Michigan games will always be my top 2 and the KSU Alamo Bowl the next best.

A couple others not mentioned though:

My freshman year at Purdue, 1992, I remember watching the IU game with some buddies. Purdue takes the lead 13-10 late in the 4th quarter. IU drives the field and we were getting nervous, but then he throws an interception. The IU QB makes the tackle against the Purdue defender, but he is so pissed off at the INT, he makes it a vicious out-of-bounds tackle and he ends up getting ejected from the game.

Unfortunately it was a loss, but does anyone remember the Touchdown Rabbit game? 1993 Michigan game. The video doesn't give the hare justice as he actually scored about three touchdowns that day. I was at the game and cheering my head off for that waskily wabbit.


And while not a particularly meaningful game, the 2007 Motor City Bowl against CMU was kinda fun. Purdue dominated the first half, only to watch CMU come back in the second half to tie the game late. Purdue wins 51-48 on a time-expiring field goal.
 
Wheels Of Steel said:
Bullwhip, Marve, on a gimpy knee, chasing 80 yards to make a saving tackle in that game stands as one of the gutsiest plays I have ever seen.
Click to expand...

Only Purdue holding them to a FG would have made that play better. One of the two "never give up" plays I can remember with Jake Standeford causing a touchback after an INT

What's sad is that is Purdue's last Big Ten Win in Ross Ade.
 
1981 ND game: Bryant making 3 impossible plays in last drive to win it, including the bomb not even intended for him! And unlike the lilly-livered Ara from '66, we actually went for 2 with the game on the line...and nailed it!
 
SqueakyClean said:
The 2000 OSU and Michigan games will always be my top 2 and the KSU Alamo Bowl the next best.

A couple others not mentioned though:

My freshman year at Purdue, 1992, I remember watching the IU game with some buddies. Purdue takes the lead 13-10 late in the 4th quarter. IU drives the field and we were getting nervous, but then he throws an interception. The IU QB makes the tackle against the Purdue defender, but he is so pissed off at the INT, he makes it a vicious out-of-bounds tackle and he ends up getting ejected from the game.

Unfortunately it was a loss, but does anyone remember the Touchdown Rabbit game? 1993 Michigan game. The video doesn't give the hare justice as he actually scored about three touchdowns that day. I was at the game and cheering my head off for that waskily wabbit.
View embedded media


And while not a particularly meaningful game, the 2007 Motor City Bowl against CMU was kinda fun. Purdue dominated the first half, only to watch CMU come back in the second half to tie the game late. Purdue wins 51-48 on a time-expiring field goal.
Click to expand...
Yes ,that IU QB was Trent Green and he grabbed the facemask of Purdue DB Jimmy Young.
 
Purdue/MSU 1997. I was 10 years old at that game, which was my first PU game. There is almost nothing to compare that comeback to. It was still the greatest one I have seen.
 
boiler17 said:
Certainly a conversation we have had before: Im interested in what peoples favorite games are. Ive been going to season tickets since 93 when I was in middle school.

1. @MSU in 02. Game went down to the last drive, and the away section rocked it that day. I often really enjoy away games because the Purdue crowd seems more into it.

2. ND in 97. I will never forget the ND fans behind me asking "Why would you do that?" repeatedly about their new OC.

I'll also give an honerable mention to Wisky 2004 and ND 2012. Both heartbreaking losses, but fantastically entertaining games.
Click to expand...
My favorite game that I've attended was Purdue beating IU in 2000 to seal our Rose Bowl bid. The game wasn't all that great, but the celebration and the feeling in the crowd was awesome that cold night!
 
GodFamilyCountryPurdue said:
My favorite game that I've attended was Purdue beating IU in 2000 to seal our Rose Bowl bid. The game wasn't all that great, but the celebration and the feeling in the crowd was awesome that cold night!
Click to expand...
Not necessarily the "best" game I've ever been to but likely the coldest,
 
GodFamilyCountryPurdue said:
My favorite game that I've attended was Purdue beating IU in 2000 to seal our Rose Bowl bid. The game wasn't all that great, but the celebration and the feeling in the crowd was awesome that cold night!
Click to expand...

I remember some guy running around on the field with a helmet and shoulderpads on with a brees jersey. He just ran circles through the crowd with his arms up in the air. At first glance, you thought it was Drew, but upon further inspection he just had bball shorts on.
 
My favorite game that I've attended was the 1996 game against Michigan. That's the second Purdue football game that I remember going to, and it certainly had some impact on my forming obsession of not only Purdue football, but college football as well.

Another more recent, under the radar game was against NW in 2010. Short blocked the kick. A bunch of us were celebrating just off the end zone and the next thing we knew, the entire team was running at us, so we got to celebrate with them.

If I could travel back in time and go to any game, it'd have to be either 2000 OSU or 2000 Indiana. I guess that means they're my favorite. That October was magical for Purdue.

All this reminiscing makes me yearn so much for Purdue to be good again.
 
njm8845 said:
My favorite game that I've attended was the 1996 game against Michigan. That's the second Purdue football game that I remember going to, and it certainly had some impact on my forming obsession of not only Purdue football, but college football as well.

Another more recent, under the radar game was against NW in 2010. Short blocked the kick. A bunch of us were celebrating just off the end zone and the next thing we knew, the entire team was running at us, so we got to celebrate with them.
Click to expand...

Both of those were a ton of fun. Even if NW sat us at field level
 
GodFamilyCountryPurdue said:
I went to a game against PSU in the early to mid 2000s that I remember being the coldest I've been at a game. The IU game was cold, though.
Click to expand...
I was at a home game vs.PSU in late October 1999 that was really cold.The Nittany Lions hung on to win as Courtney Brown and Lavar Arrington each scored tds for the PSU defense and they got away with mugging Randall Lane on Purdues final drive.I felt the cold much worse that evening than I did when Purdue clinched the Rose Bowl bid in 2000.With that win,I actually felt like Purdue had never lost a game.
 
tigerchump said:
I was at a home game vs.PSU in late October 1999 that was really cold.The Nittany Lions hung on to win as Courtney Brown and Lavar Arrington each scored tds for the PSU defense and they got away with mugging Randall Lane on Purdues final drive.I felt the cold much worse that evening than I did when Purdue clinched the Rose Bowl bid in 2000.With that win,I actually felt like Purdue had never lost a game.
Click to expand...
That very well could've been the game. My memory of dates is not too good from those days. They all kind of bleed together.
 
I'm going back a few for most of my favorites. Growing up in Fowler as a kid I listened to the Boilers on WBAA on Saturdays but never went to a game until as a HS freshman I attended the Purdue-Ohio U game in Sept 1966 on Band Day. Lest we forget that was the first Rose Bowl year. Later in 1972 I saw Otis Armstrong on a miserable day destroy the Loosiers with his 276 yard rushing performance on a cold sometimes snowy day in RA. Seeing Phipps, Keyes, then Drew and team over the years was a treat. Probably the most highly talked about game that I missed was the game against O$U in 1970. I was a freshman and Bob DeMoss' first team was going nowhere fast. The Buckeyes came in ranked #3 in the country and it was the national game of the week. Early it became apparent it was not a game to enjoy the sun in RA. Started cold rain, falling temps and wind early in the AM. At times that afternoon it sleeted. I passed and spent the afternoon in a corner dorm room in Cary playing poker. Game was 7-7 until late when O$U scored to win 10-7. Pretty typical of the way the entire DeMoss era went.
 
SIBoiler2 said:
I'm going back a few for most of my favorites. Growing up in Fowler as a kid I listened to the Boilers on WBAA on Saturdays but never went to a game until as a HS freshman I attended the Purdue-Ohio U game in Sept 1966 on Band Day. Lest we forget that was the first Rose Bowl year. Later in 1972 I saw Otis Armstrong on a miserable day destroy the Loosiers with his 276 yard rushing performance on a cold sometimes snowy day in RA. Seeing Phipps, Keyes, then Drew and team over the years was a treat. Probably the most highly talked about game that I missed was the game against O$U in 1970. I was a freshman and Bob DeMoss' first team was going nowhere fast. The Buckeyes came in ranked #3 in the country and it was the national game of the week. Early it became apparent it was not a game to enjoy the sun in RA. Started cold rain, falling temps and wind early in the AM. At times that afternoon it sleeted. I passed and spent the afternoon in a corner dorm room in Cary playing poker. Game was 7-7 until late when O$U scored to win 10-7. Pretty typical of the way the entire DeMoss era went.
Click to expand...
I was at that 1970 OSU game and Purdue battled those Bucks toe to toe until the end.Daryl Stingley was a Sophomore that day and Jack Tatum was a senior for OSU and that was the day their rivalry started.Purdue knocked Rex Kern out by sacking him so hard,and the weather that day was the worst I can ever remember in a game I attended.I can remember Stan Brown,the diminuitive one returning a kickoff for a td,and the crowd went nuts.I am glad I was there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mullah
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BlackGoldTexas

DGL Visiting Illinois Today (Selected Excerpts)

Replies
29
Views
2K
The Depot
Casey Bartley
Casey Bartley
Purdue Grad in Texas

Saint Peter's v. Purdue Game Thread (NCAA Tournament - East Regional Semi-Final)

Replies
785
Views
33K
Boilermaker Men's Basketball
TwinDegrees2
TwinDegrees2
BlackGoldTexas

Illinois Message Boards (Selected Excerpts)

Replies
77
Views
5K
The Depot
delarno
D
V

Covering the Tracks: Notre Dame

Replies
5
Views
1K
The Depot
Dr_billy_badass
Dr_billy_badass
B

Favorite Purdue Game?

Replies
1
Views
434
Boilermaker Football
izakman
izakman
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
Top Bottom
Back