By The Numbers, Penn State’s
Win at Purdue Ain’t Pretty

By Paul Smith
paul.smith@collegeblitz.com

West Laugh-at-it, Ind. — Yes, one knows, the name of this town is West Lafayette, but after Saturday's three hour re-enactment of The Original Football Follies, what better name for a backdrop that included...

1. FOUR dropped potential Purdue interceptions of Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli, one a hugely likely touchdown return by linebacker Al Royal.

2. THREE Penn State receiver drops of Morelli's passes.

3. TWO instances of Penn State backfielders doing the bump before completing a play, both resulting in drive-killing losses.

4. The good news: There were no partridges spotted in the rare Tippecanoe County pear trees. But make no mistake, this was an early Christmas gift from Purdue.

But one hugely-respected Penn State media regular was heard to replay when asked what he'd do with the A.B.C. TV tape of the Nittany Lions' 12-0 victory over the Boilermakers: "Burn It!!"

Ouch. But not quite ouchy enough that coach Joe Paterno didn't find at least a few comforting things as he addressed the media in a makeshift quonset-hut type environment afterward.

For one thing, shutting out a Joe Tiller-coached Purdue team for the first time in Tiller's 10 seasons in West Lafayette. "I did not know that this was the first time he'd been shut out," Paterno said.

For another, teaming with a nasty Siberian express northwestern wind to hold down the nation's fourth most prolific passing offense (309.6 yards per game) to 178 (243 overall).

"The wind restricted the passes," said Paterno, whose team is 6-3 overall (3-2 in Big Ten play) going into a key game at 8-1 Wisconsin, which is the only remaining Big Ten team outside the Big Two (No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan) to maintain Top 25 status). "It was almost impossible to throw a pass accurately."

Somehow, that law of physics eluded the Boilermakers' brain trust. In falling to 5-4, 2-3, Purdue's Curtis Painter threw 39 times, completing 22 -- only six of which went for more than 10 years, a very un-Purdue-like set of numbers.

And the Boilers ran the ball very sparingly. "It was the first time this season that we've had multiple (busted plays caused by opposing linebackers), with guys coming through the offensive line," Tiller said. "Hopefully, this is just a one-game issue."

For the first time, Boilers fans are voicing their displeasure with their largely-successful coach, whose career mark in West Lafayette is a pretty impressive 72-47, a better than .600 percentage.

But on this day, there could be little or no doubt he was outsmarted by Joe Pa's ability to adjust his team to game-day circumstances. "A lot of things went our way today," he said, "like field position.

The last team to shut out the Boilers was Notre Dame (17-0) Sept. 14, 1996, the last year of the Jim Coletto era.

Penn State's day could be summed up in eight key words -- Tony Hunt (142 yards in 31 carries, including a one-yard bolt with 12:36 left in the game for the only touchdown), Dan Connor, Paul Posluszny/Jay Alford.

The last three were prominent residents of a defense that simply kept the vise on Purdue's offense much as it had against the thunderous Michigan O and Illinois at Beaver Stadium the previous two weeks. Hunt's dominance helped Penn State build a 35 minute, 22-second (to Purdue's 24:38 possession advantage.

"We did an excellent job this week in practice," Hunt said, even though the Lions fumbled four times, losing only one. "The last two weeks, we got better (after being shut down almost totally in the 17-10 loss to Michigan). They were tough defensively.

"I didn't think (Purdue's) passing game would be quite that ineffective. Their guys did a good job getting open, but..."
Left unsaid was Tiller's insisttence on continuing the air assault. "Today we had an accuracy problem," he admitted. "And that's something we need to fix. Until we straighten it out, we will continue to have a problem."

Assuming the wind doesn't come whistling across the plains of central Michigan, maybe Painter can regain his touch at Michigan State next Saturday.

But the Lions knew their route to victory would come on the ground, where they literally ground out 240 yards in 50 tries, an impressive 4.8-yard average. Morelli did complete a key 22-yarder to Andrew Quarless, however, during the fourth-quarter drive that led to Hunt's T.D.

"This (practice) week was important," Hunt said. "We got tired of hearing the blah-blah-blah about (the offense). This was the toughest week the offensive line had since I've been here." GIven the fact the 6-feet, 2-inch, 230 pounder is a senior, that's no small comparison.

"We've got two wins in a row going into Wisconsin -- it's always good to get more intensity," Hunt said.

While Posluszny and Connor combined for 21 tackles, Alford, a 6-3, 288 pound defenseive tackle out of Orange, N.J., was perhaps the key ingredient in a defense that sacked Painter three times and chased him much of the day.

"Our defense having that intensity was a key," said Alford, who pursued Painter four other times, forcing three incompletions and a drive-killing second-quarter Connor interception that spiked a promising Purdue drive at the Penn State 18. "We've been playing in close games, so you need that intensity. No plays off.

"(Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley) told us in the beginning of the game we were going to have a lot of wind today. (Defensive line coach Larry Johnson) really had us prepared for this one. They have a great offense."

Purdue fans might appreciate the compliment, but after the past two weeks they'd be more inclined to shoot back in unision, "Oh yeah? Well, where is it?"

They should be able to find it next week at backsliding Michigan State, which took a 31-7 palliade at Indiana.

For Penn State, the key will be to keep up the intensity as they enter the forbidding environment that is Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium. A win there could vault the Nitts back into the rankings and set up a run to a 9-3 finish that would get them to a fairly major bowl.