1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 1997 Purdue Boilermakers football Big Ten Conference Big Ten 15 15 9–3 6–2 Joe Tiller 1st Jim Chaney 1st Tim Lappano 1st Spread Brock Spack 1st 4–3 Brian Alford Rosevelt Colvin Mark Fischer Ross–Ade Stadium Alamo Bowl champion Alamo Bowl W 33–20 vs. Oklahoma State The 1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Joe Tiller, the Boilermakers compiled an overall record of 9–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie in the Big Ten. Purdue had its best season since 1980. The team played home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. Schedule 1997 AP Eastern September 6 6:00 pm l y y Toledo Glass Bowl Toledo, OH Food Town Kickoff II 22–36 27,700 September 13 2:30 pm w y Notre Dame 12 Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN rivalry ABC 28–17 68,789 September 20 1:00 pm w y Ball State Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN 28–14 45,947 September 27 11:30 am w Northwestern Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN ESPN 21–9 42,112 October 11 6:00 pm w y Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN ESPN Plus 59–43 37,821 October 18 1:00 pm w y Wisconsin 24 Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN 45–20 54,252 October 25 1:00 pm w y 22 Illinois Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL rivalry 48–3 45,122 November 1 12:30 pm l y 18 Iowa 15 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA ESPN2 17–35 70,397 November 8 12:30 pm w 23 Michigan State Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN ESPN2 22–21 55,539 November 15 12:00 pm l 19 Penn State 6 Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN ESPN 17–42 52,156 November 22 1:00 pm w y 23 Indiana Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN Old Oaken Bucket 56–7 46,599 December 30 8:00 pm w y 17 Oklahoma State 24 Alamodome San Antonio, TX Alamo Bowl ESPN 33–20 55,552 Rankings 1997 NCAA Division I-A football rankings AP 0 17 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 22 18 23 19т 23 18 18 17 15 Coaches 0 17 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 23 18 24 20 25 18 17 16 15 Game summaries Toledo 1997 Toledo Rockets football team Purdue at Toledo Purdue 7 7 0 8 Toledo 21 6 3 6 September 6 Glass Bowl, Toledo, OH 26,700 yes 1 PUR Watson 45-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 7-0 1 TOL Reynolds 1-yard run (Merrick kick) Tied 7-7 1 TOL Harris 5-yard run (Merrick kick) TOL 14-7 1 TOL Freeman 29-yard pass from Wallace (Merrick kick) TOL 21-7 2 TOL Merrick 25-yard field goal TOL 24-7 2 TOL Merrick 37-yard field goal TOL 27-7 2 PUR Alford 73-yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) TOL 27-14 3 TOL Merrick 21-yard field goal TOL 30-14 4 TOL Kreitzburg 6-yard pass from Wallace (two-point failed) TOL 36-14 4 PUR Sutherland 5-yard run (Watson rund) TOL 36-22 yes Joe Tiller's first game as Purdue head coach1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011 Notre Dame 1997 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team Notre Dame at Purdue Notre Dame 0 10 0 7 Purdue 7 7 0 14 September 13 Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN 68,789 yes 1 PUR Edwin Watson 1-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 7-0 2 ND Sanson 34-yard field goal PUR 7-3 2 PUR Edwin Watson 1-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 14-3 2 ND Autry Denson 16-yard run (Sanson kick) PUR 14-10 4 PUR Adrian Beasley 43-yard fumble return (Ryan kick) PUR 21-10 4 ND Autry Denson 1-yard pass from Ron Powlus (Sanson kick) PUR 21-17 4 PUR Kendall Matthews 3-yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 28-17 yes 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."1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011. Ball State 1997 Ball State Cardinals football team Ball State at Purdue Ball State 0 7 0 7 Purdue 3 10 15 0 September 20 Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN 45,947 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011 Northwestern 1997 Northwestern Wildcats football team Northwestern at Purdue Northwestern 3 6 0 0 Purdue 7 7 7 0 September 27 Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN 42,112 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011 Kendall Matthews 29 rushes, 152 yards 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-27. Minnesota 1997 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team Purdue at Minnesota Purdue 17 21 14 7 Minnesota 14 7 7 15 October 11 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN yes Q1 10:31 MINN Nelson 31 yard pass from Atwell (Bailey kick) MINN 7−0 Q1 10:03 PUR Watson 65 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) Tie 7–7 Q1 6:30 PUR Ryan 32 yard field goal PUR 10–7 Q1 3:21 PUR Matthews 33 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 17–7 Q1 0:23 MINN Duerr 3 yard pass from Sauter (Bailey kick) PUR 17–14 Q2 8:05 PUR Watson 21 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) PUR 24–14 Q2 5:07 MINN Wyrick 42 yard pass from Rindels (Bailey kick) PUR 24–21 Q2 4:45 PUR Alford 93 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) PUR 31–21 Q2 1:36 PUR Watson 1 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 38–21 Q3 13:53 MINN Evans 45 yard run (Bailey kick) PUR 38–28 Q3 10:11 PUR Dicken 11 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 45–28 Q3 1:33 PUR Alford 89 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) PUR 52–28 Q4 9:40 PUR Jones 4 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) PUR 59–28 Q4 7:21 MINN Atwell 46 yard pass from Cockerham (Bailey kick) PUR 59–35 Q4 0:38 MINN Bean 1 yard run (Bean run) PUR 59–43 yes Purdue's first win in Minneapolis since 1983. 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011 Wisconsin 1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team Wisconsin at PurdueHomecoming Wisconsin 0 10 7 3 Purdue 21 7 7 10 October 18 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."Boilermakers Rout Wisconsin." 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011 Illinois 1997 Illinois Fighting Illini football team Purdue Cannon Purdue at Illinois Purdue 14 20 7 7 Illinois 0 3 0 0 October 25 Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL 45,122 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011 Kendall Matthews 16 rushes, 177 yards 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21. Iowa 1997 Iowa Hawkeyes football team Purdue at Iowa Purdue 10 7 0 0 Iowa 0 14 21 0 November 1 Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA 70,397 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011 Michigan State 1997 Michigan State Spartans football team Michigan State at Purdue Michigan State 7 7 0 7 Purdue 0 7 0 15 November 8 Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN 55,539 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011. Edwin Watson 24 rushes, 115 yards 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2021-Jan-02. Penn State 1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team Penn State at Purdue Penn State 0 14 14 14 Purdue 0 9 0 8 November 15 Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN 52,156 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011. Edwin Watson 19 rushes, 133 yards 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-29. Indiana 1997 Indiana Hoosiers football team Old Oaken Bucket Purdue at Indiana Purdue 14 7 7 28 Indiana 0 7 0 0 November 22 Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN 46,599 yes 1 PUR Watson 14 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 7–0 1 PUR Dicken 6 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 14–0 2 IND Conner 42 yard pass from Rodgers (Payne kick) PUR 14–7 2 PUR L. Johnson 35 yard fumble return (Ryan kick) PUR 21–7 3 PUR Watson 48 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 28–7 4 PUR I. Jones 16 yard pass from Dicken (Ryan kick) PUR 35–7 4 PUR Rose 24 yard interception return (Ryan kick) PUR 42–7 4 PUR Brees 5 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 49–7 4 PUR Graham 49 yard run (Ryan kick) PUR 56–7 yes 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011 USA Today. Edwin Watson 18 rushes, 163 yards 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21. Oklahoma State 1997 Alamo Bowl Oklahoma State vs. PurdueAlamo Bowl Purdue 7 3 20 3 Oklahoma State 3 3 7 7 December 30 AlamodomeSan Antonio, TX 55,552 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011 Personnel Roster 1997 Purdue Boilermakers y Donald Winston 1 WR SO John Reeves 3 QB SR y John Reeves (American football) Willie Tillman 5 WR Sr y Isaac Jones 6 WR SR y Isaac Jones (American football) Fahim Chesti 52 WR SO Billy Dicken 12 QB SR y y Chris Daniels 20 WR SO y Edwin Watson 36 RB SR Kendall Matthews 43 RB SR Mark Fischer 54 OT SR Chukky Okobi 56 OG FR y y Dan Maly 76 OT SR Brian Nicely 78 OG JR Brian Alford 80 WR SR y y Brandon Jewell 81 TE SR y Jon Blackmon 84 TE SR Jason Loerzel 88 WR FR Derrick Brown 2 FS SR Mike Rose 4 LB SO Adrian Beasley 7 SS SO Lee Brush 10 SS SR Michael Hawthorne 11 CB SO y Jamel Coleman 14 CB SR Henry Bell 28 CB JR Chukie Nwokorie 49 DE JR y Warren Moore 58 DE FR Rosevelt Colvin 59 DE JR y Anthony Gutwein 71 DT JR David Nugent 82 DT SO David Nugent (American football) y Rocco Foggio 87 DE FR Greg Smith 97 DT SR Leo Perez 98 DT SR Aaron Bunten 22 PK FR Danny Rogers 26 P SO Andy Standifer 60 LS SO Brandon Kaser 92 P JR Shane Ryan 96 PK SO http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/pur-m-footbl-depth.html November 28, 2016 Joe Tiller Tim Burke (defensive backs) Jim Chaney (offensive coordinator) Scott Downing Coaching staff Head coach: Joe Tiller Assistants: Tim Burke, Jim Chaney, Scott Downing, Gary Emanuel, Danny Hope, Larry Korpitz, Tim Lappano, Randy Melvin, Greg Olson, Brock Spack2011 Purdue football information guide Starters Offense: WR Brian Alford, WR Gabe Cox, LT Mark Fischer, WR F Chesti, LG Brian Nicely, C Jim Niedrach, RG Chukky Okobi, RT Dan Maly, TE Jon Blackman, WR Isaac Jones, QB Billy Dicken, RB Edwin Watson, K Shane Ryan Defense: LE Chukie Nwokorie, LT Leo Perez, RT Greg Smith, RE Rosevelt Colvin, WLB Willie Burroughs, MLB Willie Fells, SLB Mike Rose, LCB Michael Hawthorne, FS Adrian Beasley, SS Lee Brush, RCB Lamar Conrad, P Brandon Kaser2011 Purdue football information guide Awards All-Americans: Brian Alford (Football News) All-Big Ten: Brian Alford (1st), Rosevelt Colvin (2nd), Billy Dicken (1st)2011 Purdue football information guide References Purdue Category:Purdue Boilermakers football seasons Category:Alamo Bowl champion seasons Purdue Boilermakers football