1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team

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.

1997 Purdue Boilermakers football
Alamo Bowl champion
Alamo Bowl, W 33–20 vs. Oklahoma State
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 15
APNo. 15
Record9–3 (6–2 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJim Chaney (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinatorTim Lappano (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorBrock Spack (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Captains
Home stadiumRoss–Ade Stadium
Seasons
← 1996
1998 →
1997 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Michigan $   8 0     12 0  
No. 12 Ohio State   6 2     10 3  
No. 16 Penn State   6 2     9 3  
No. 15 Purdue   6 2     9 3  
Wisconsin   5 3     8 5  
Iowa   4 4     7 5  
Michigan State   4 4     7 5  
Northwestern   3 5     5 7  
Minnesota   1 7     3 9  
Indiana   1 7     2 9  
Illinois   0 8     0 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule edit

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 66:00 pmat Toledo*L 22–3627,700
September 132:30 pmNo. 15 Notre Dame*ABCW 28–1768,789
September 201:00 pmBall State*
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 28–1445,947
September 2711:30 amNorthwestern
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPNW 21–942,112
October 116:00 pmat MinnesotaESPN PlusW 59–4337,821
October 181:00 pmNo. 24 Wisconsin 
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 45–2054,252
October 251:00 pmat IllinoisNo. 23W 48–345,122
November 112:30 pmat No. 16 IowaNo. 18ESPN2L 17–3570,397
November 812:30 pmMichigan StateNo. 24
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPN2W 22–2155,539
November 1512:00 pmNo. 6 Penn StateNo. 19
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPNL 17–4252,156
November 221:00 pmat IndianaNo. 25W 56–746,599
December 308:00 pmOklahoma State*No. 17ESPNW 33–2055,552
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Rankings edit

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked т = Tied with team above or below
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP22192319т2318181715
Coaches231824202518171615

Personnel edit

Coaching staff edit

Starters edit

Game summaries edit

Toledo edit

Purdue at Toledo
1 234Total
Purdue 7 708 22
Toledo 21 636 36

Joe Tiller's first game as Purdue head coach[3]

Notre Dame edit

Notre Dame at Purdue
1 234Total
Notre Dame 0 1007 17
Purdue 7 7014 28

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."[4]

Ball State edit

Ball State at Purdue
1 234Total
Ball State 0 707 14
Purdue 3 10150 28
  • Date: September 20
  • Location: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 45,947

[5]

Northwestern edit

Northwestern at Purdue
1 234Total
Northwestern 3 600 9
Purdue 7 770 21
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 42,112

[6]

  • Kendall Matthews 29 rushes, 152 yards [7]

Minnesota edit

Purdue at Minnesota
1 234Total
Purdue 17 21147 59
Minnesota 14 7715 43
  • Purdue's first win in Minneapolis since 1983.

[8]

Wisconsin edit

Wisconsin at Purdue
Homecoming
1 234Total
Wisconsin 0 1073 20
Purdue 21 7710 45
  • Date: October 18
  • Location: 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.[9]

Illinois edit

Purdue at Illinois
1 234Total
Purdue 14 2077 48
Illinois 0 300 3

[10]

  • Kendall Matthews 16 rushes, 177 yards [11]

Iowa edit

Purdue at Iowa
1 234Total
Purdue 10 700 17
Iowa 0 14210 35

[12]

Michigan State edit

Michigan State at Purdue
1 234Total
Michigan State 7 707 21
Purdue 0 7015 22
  • Date: November 8
  • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium
    West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 55,539

[13]

  • Edwin Watson 24 rushes, 115 yards [14]

Penn State edit

Penn State at Purdue
1 234Total
Penn State 0 141414 42
Purdue 0 908 17
  • Date: November 15
  • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium
    West Lafayette, IN
  • Game attendance: 52,156

[15]

  • Edwin Watson 19 rushes, 133 yards [16]

Indiana edit

Purdue at Indiana
1 234Total
Purdue 14 7728 56
Indiana 0 700 7

[17][18]

  • Edwin Watson 18 rushes, 163 yards [19]

Oklahoma State edit

Oklahoma State vs. Purdue
Alamo Bowl
1 234Total
Purdue 7 3203 33
Oklahoma State 3 377 20

[20]

Roster edit

1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 1 Donald Winston So
QB 3 John Reeves Sr
WR 5 Willie Tillman Sr
WR 6 Isaac Jones Sr
WR 52 Fahim Chesti So
QB 12 Billy Dicken   Sr
WR 20 Chris Daniels   So
RB 36 Edwin Watson Sr
RB 43 Kendall Matthews Sr
OT 54 Mark Fischer Sr
G 56 Chukky Okobi   Fr
OT 76 Dan Maly Sr
G 79 Chad Manning Sr
WR 80 Brian Alford   Sr
TE 81 Brandon Jewell   Sr
TE 84 Jon Blackmon Sr
WR 88 Jason Loerzel Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
FS 2 Derrick Brown Sr
LB 4 Mike Rose So
SS 7 Adrian Beasley So
SS 10 Lee Brush Sr
CB 11 Michael Hawthorne So
CB 14 Jamel Coleman Sr
CB 28 Henry Bell Jr
DE 49 Chukie Nwokorie Jr
DE 58 Warren Moore Fr
DE 59 Rosevelt Colvin Jr
DT 71 Anthony Gutwein Jr
DT 82 David Nugent So
DE 87 Rocco Foggio Fr
DT 97 Greg Smith Sr
DT 98 Leo Perez Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
PK 22 Aaron Bunten Fr
P 26 Danny Rogers So
LS 60 Andy Standifer So
P 92 Brandon Kaser Jr
PK 96 Shane Ryan So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Roster
Last update: November 28, 2016

Awards edit

References edit

  1. ^ 2011 Purdue football information guide
  2. ^ 2011 Purdue football information guide
  3. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  4. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  5. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  6. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  7. ^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-27.
  8. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  9. ^ "Boilermakers Rout Wisconsin." 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  10. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011
  11. ^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21.
  12. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
  13. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  14. ^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2021-Jan-02.
  15. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  16. ^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-29.
  17. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
  18. ^ USA Today.
  19. ^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21.
  20. ^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011
  21. ^ 2011 Purdue football information guide