"Syracuse wanted to play Cincinnati (originally scheduled to play the Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium Sept. 18) this year, because Cincinnati is coming into the Big East," Tiller had said.

"So then we had this opening and Syracuse agreed to this (Sunday) date and now I'm having second thoughts about scheduling Syracuse."

After Sunday, maybe Coach Joe should have Eleventh Thoughts. Because if his Boilermakers played half as well in the remaining 10 games, they'd be playing for a national championship in the Orange Bowl come January.

The staggering events for Sunday Sept. 5 will live for a long time in the memories of the 56,827 sun worshippers.

For Purdue, it was a beyond-wildest-dreams event. For Syracuse, it may have started a very loud clock ticking in coach Paul Pasqualoni's ears.

51-0.

By the numbers — the Boilers piled up 517 yards' total offense, tying the 10th best output ever.

There were few moments where the word "competitive" could be applied to this game.

"It was, in every respect, a total whipping," said Pasqualoni, who has had far more ups than downs in his dozen years in upstate New York. "The conditions were really tough on us today. I think our kids are in good shape and they worked hard, but not much went our way."

About the only thing that worked in Syracuse's favor was a missed 37-yard field goal by Ben Jones that fluttered left. But inexperienced quarterback Joe Fields, harried all afternoon by a huge Purdue rush, never could find the controls of Pasqualoni's sophisticated offense.

And that was that.

In a school that has produced many major National Football League quarterbacks, Kyle Orton was Fields' polar opposite.

"I don't think I got hit in the pocket all day," the 6-feet, 4-inches, 230-pounder said. "We used the snap count to our advantage and didn't get a false start all day."

While Orton's statistics weren't glistening — he completed 16-of-30 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns — his execution certainly was. Four passes were dropped that might have pushed him close to 400 yards.

But the team-game aspects and Purdue's beginning-to-end focus erased any of those memories except for some midweek film sessions where the semi-guilty parties may get reminded.

Still, after Ray Edwards and Anthony Spencer sacked Fields back at his 6, the Orange were forced to punt from the back line and Brendan Carney's punt only squigged to the Syracuse 37. In workmanlike fashion, the Boilers ran off eight plays, with tailback Jarod Void scoring from the one -- not necessarily any readable omen of what would come.

"That was good to get on the board early like that, though," Void said. "We thought they had a pretty good defense the way they shut down Notre Dame (38-12 last December)."

But Orton was getting luxurious protection in the pocket and after another failed Syracuse drive resulted in another Carney punt, Purdue began at its 25.

The result could be heard on radio replays from coast to coast. Brian Hare, a relatively-unheralded junior college transfer, caught strong safety in a single-drop 1-on-1 situation, faked a post move and wiggled behind him, taking Orton's perfect throw over his left shoulder and sprinting to the end zone for a 14-0 lead.

"It always helps when you get a big catch in your first game," Hare said. "It was amazing to have it on A.B.C. and in front of 60,000 people in your first game. We also had great blocking up front and Kyle threw a great pass."

For Syracuse, things just basically collapsed from there.

"It was tough," admitted Fields, who took a fearsome pounding (3 sacks, 10 other hits, numerous hurried passes), going 8-for-15 passing for 93 yards and missing a couple of wide open receivers who might have had a chance to get the Orange back into the game. By the late third quarter, his team down 34-0, Pasqualoni went to fullscale substitutions.

"It was college football at its highest level," Fields said. "The game was very frustrating. Their defense played hard but we didn't give them anything to play for."

For Syracuse, it was one of its all-time low points, the Orange's fifth largest margin of defeat by shutout and the 11th worst loss in Syracuse history.

Unwisely, the Orange defense, gave the Boilers' many receivers plenty to play for.

"They played 'Cover-zero,' " said Taylor Stubblefield, who despite his 835 receiving yards last year was regarded as more of a possession type receiver.

"That means their d-backs felt they were better (matching up) than our receivers. There was no safety help."

That is suicide against a Joe Tiller offense, particularly when it is deep in quality receivers. Stubblefield helped Orton out on one of the rare times the Altoona, Iowa native was rushed. "You're taught to always try to get in his view," Stubblefield said. "So I just broke left and he got the ball there."

He outleaped two Syracuse defenders in the right side of the end zone and, despite pass interference, caught Orton's pass for a 33-yard score with 6:15 left in the half. Even a missed Ben Jones extra point couldn't dim the serendipity that engulfed the stadium and the Purdue sideline. "That was a check-off (audible)," Orton said.

Across the field, and among the tiny Syracuse contingent loosely strewn in Ross-Ade's farthest precincts, it might as well have been 200-0.

Meanwhile, the Boilers' defense continuously stuffed the efforts of tailback Walter Reyes, hyped by some east coast media as a Heisman candidate, holding him to a day's total of 35 yards in 12 carries and effectively turning the 'Cuse into a predictable one-dimension operation.

This from a team that lost eight starters from last season's 9-4 team, including standout free safety Stuart Schweigert and pass rushing standouts Shaun Phillips and Niko Koutouvides.

"Our defense did a good job penetrating," Tiller said. "I think our starters are definitely better run defenders anyway. George Hall (linebacker) did exactly what we wanted him to as did (down lineman) Cliff Avril and (safety) Kyle Smith...We needed people to step up today and they did."

None bigger than Stubblefield, though. On Purdue's second possession of the third quarter, he ran a very similar route to Hare's, again beating Smith deep. The result was a 67-yard touchdown pass. "People think Taylor's not really a scorer," Orton kidded. "But he can get open. He sure did today."

Indeed. So did Brandon Jones, a junior running back, who helped Orton avoid a blitz with an adept slide block, then fanned down the left sideline on a "wheel" pattern, beating the step-late 'Cuse d-backs and catching yet another T.D. pass to put Purdue up 34-0.

Four touchdown passes took Orton past Eric Hunter and into sixth place on the Boilers' all-time passing list with 36 career T.D.s. One ahead is Mike Phipps, who likely will be passed next Saturday when Purdue hosts Ball State.

Brandon Kirsch and the Backups, a likely name for a Purdue rock band, did the rest, as backup running back Jerome Brooks burst through the right side for a 44 yard T.D., after Ben Jones had hit a 34 field goal one series earlier. And Kirsch connected with Dustin Keller in the final minutes for a 47-yard T.D.

"When you end up winning the way we did today," assessed Tiller, "you have to be pleased. We did a lot of positive things in all phases of the game. Our defense did what we hoped it would, and put heat on them up front.

"Our offense held up well inside and we looked like an experienced team throwing the ball. We made good adjustments throughout."

That about covers it. And suddenly, the traditional Big Two (Ohio State and Michigan) will likely have at least one other team to very seriously consider.