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University of Minnesota Athletics
Weber Leads Gophers Past Purdue 17-6
10/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota defeated Purdue 17-6 in a classic Big Ten defensive battle on a cool and cloudy day in West Lafayette this afternoon. Adam Weber accounted for 276 total yards and two scores as Minnesota improved to 7-1 for the first time since 2002. The Gophers advanced to 3-1 in conference action.
The Gophers overcame 12 penalties and forced four Purdue turnovers. The stingy Gopher defense surrendered just 226 yards and only 108 through the air.
Minnesota defeated Purdue on the road for the first time since 1990.
With the game hanging in the balance with a four-point lead in the fourth quarter, Weber converted on two huge third downs deep in Minnesota territory. He connected with Eric Decker four four yards on a 3rd-and-2 from the Minnesota 27 and with Brandon Green for 11 yards on a 3rd-and-9 from the 37. Weber then made the game-changing play, running 39 yards up the middle to the Boiler 9-yard line. On the ensuing play, he hooked up with Jack Simmons on a 9-yard strike for a touchdown and the Gophers led 17-6 with 6:14 to go. It was the 34th career touchdown pass of Weber’s career, moving him into fourth all-time at Minnesota.
Minnesota forced Purdue to turn the ball over on downs on the next drive, recording three sacks to essentially put the game away.
Weber completed 21-of-34 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 62 yards on 13 carries. In his first career start at wide receiver, Brandon Green stepped up in a big way with five catches for 101 yards while Decker snagged seven balls for 51 yards. Decker is just two catches shy of his school record of 67 set last season. DeLeon Eskridge ran 17 times for 41 yards.
Curtis Painter and Justin Siller combined to complete just 16-of-29 for 108 yards. Kory Sheets managed 73 yards on 21 carries for the Boilermakers.
It didn’t take long for the Gophers to get on the board in the first quarter. On 3-and-7 from the Purdue 23, Weber connected with Green deep down the right sideline for a 71-yard completion, immediately putting the Gophers in business. Two plays later, Weber took it into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Gophers a 7-0 lead just 1:40 into the contest.
Purdue answered on the ensuing kickoff as Aaron Valentin returned the Joel Monroe kickoff 58 yards to the Minnesota 27. The Boilers advanced to the Gopher 9-yard line but the energy was taken away when Willie VanDeSteeg knocked Painter out of the game with a crushing hit while throwing a screen. With backup Joey Elliott already injured, Purdue was forced to go with running back-quarterback combo Justin Siller. The Gophers held on third down and Carson Wiggs kicked a 31-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.
Teams exchange 3-and-outs but Purdue staged a 10-play drive buoyed by 33 yards rushing by Kory Sheets and was capped by a Wiggs 40-yard field goal and the Gophers’ lead was trimmed to 7-6 with 2:40 left in the first quarter.
The Gophers answered with a 13-play, 54-yard drive but Joel Monroe missed a 44-field goal to the left and Purdue took over at their 27-yard line.
After receiving treatment in the locker room, Painter returned to the game with about 10 minutes left in the second. It didn’t provide much of an immediate boost for the Boilermakers as Painter appeared to complete a 6-yard pass to wide receiver Joe Whitest on the sideline but Marcus Sherels ripped the ball away as the ball entered his hands and took it the other way 24 yards. The second pick of the season for Sherels gave the Gophers a first down on the Purdue 38. The Gophers capitalized with a Monroe 41-yard field goal to boost their lead to 10-6. Minnesota advanced inside the 10 but a pair of penalties backed the Gophers up.
Another Boiler drive that had advanced in Gopher territory was halted when the opportunistic Gopher defense recovered a Painter botched exchange with Sheets. Garrett Brown recovered the fumble on the Minnesota 44 with 2:34 left in the half. Minnesota failed to increase its lead and took a 10-6 lead into the half. Minnesota held the Boilers to just 117 yards in the first half and just 45 through the air.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller turned to Siller again in the second half and it paid dividends early. Siller scrambled for 15 yards and Sheets broke away for a 21-yard scamper to drive into Gopher territory. A 15-yard pass from Siller to Greg Orton was called back after a Purdue holding call but the Gophers gave it right back after Deon Hightower was flagged for a personal foul after a Siller scramble. Siller completed two straight balls to get inside the Gopher 20 but the Gopher defense rose up again. Tramaine Brock blasted Sheets in the hole and popped the ball loose. After a scramble, Nate Triplett came away with the ball for the third Gopher takeaway of the game with over eight minutes left in the third.
Although the Gophers were winning the turnover battle, they were giving much of it back with penalties. Three false start flags on the drive almost halted a productive drive but Weber connected with Decker for 14 yards on a third-and-15, bringing a 4th-and-1 from the Purdue 30. Weber snuck up the middle but the Boiler defense stood up and took over on downs. The three flags on the drive gave Minnesota nine for the game.
Purdue mounted a threat early in the fourth quarter. Traye Simmons was flagged for a personal foul and Siller connected with Brandon Whittington to drive to the Gopher 43. On 3rd-and-7, Siller scrambled for nine and Purdue appeared to be gaining confidence. The Boilers got to the Gopher 28 but no closer. Wiggs missed a 41-yard field goal off the left upright allowing the Gophers to maintain the four-point edge.
Minnesota returns to Minneapolis for homecoming next Saturday against Northwestern at 11 a.m. The Wildcats fell to Indiana 21-19 this afternoon in Bloomington to fall to 7-2.
