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(Top) 1 Schedule 2 Rankings 3 Personnel 3.1 Coaching staff 3.2 Starters 4 Game summaries 4.1 Toledo 4.2 Notre Dame 4.3 Ball State 4.4 Northwestern 4.5 Minnesota 4.6 Wisconsin 4.7 Illinois 4.8 Iowa 4.9 Michigan State 4.10 Penn State 4.11 Indiana 4.12 Oklahoma State 5 Roster 6 Awards 7 References

1997 Purdue Boilermakers football team

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1997 Purdue Boilermakers football
Alamo Bowl champion
Alamo Bowl, W 33–20 vs. Oklahoma State
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 15
AP	No. 15
Record	9–3 (6–2 Big Ten)
Head coach	Joe Tiller (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Jim Chaney (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Tim Lappano (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brock Spack (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Captains	Brian Alford (Senior year) Rosevelt Colvin (Junior year) Mark Fischer (Senior year)
Home stadium	Ross–Ade Stadium
Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

1997 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No.1Michigan $	8	–	0	12	–	0
No.12Ohio State	6	–	2	10	–	3
No.16Penn State	6	–	2	9	–	3
No.15Purdue	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

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 StadiuminWest Lafayette, Indiana.

Schedule[edit]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 6	6:00 pm	atToledo*		Glass Bowl Toledo, OH		L 22–36	27,700
September 13	2:30 pm	No. 12Notre Dame*		Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)	ABC	W 28–17	68,789
September 20	1:00 pm	Ball State*		Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN		W 28–14	45,947
September 27	11:30 am	Northwestern		Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	ESPN	W 21–9	42,112
October 11	6:00 pm	atMinnesota		Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN	ESPN Plus	W 59–43	37,821
October 18	1:00 pm	No. 24Wisconsin		Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN		W 45–20	54,252
October 25	1:00 pm	atIllinois	No. 22	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (rivalry)		W 48–3	45,122
November 1	12:30 pm	at No. 15Iowa	No. 18	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ESPN2	L 17–35	70,397
November 8	12:30 pm	Michigan State	No. 23	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	ESPN2	W 22–21	55,539
November 15	12:00 pm	No. 6Penn State	No. 19	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	ESPN	L 17–42	52,156
November 22	1:00 pm	atIndiana	No. 23	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket)		W 56–7	46,599
December 30	8:00 pm	No. 24Oklahoma State*	No. 17	Alamodome San Antonio, TX (Alamo Bowl)	ESPN	W 33–20	55,552
*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
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	22	18	23	19т	23	18	18	17	15
Coaches	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	23	18	24	20	25	18	17	16	15

Personnel[edit]

Coaching staff[edit]

Head coach: Joe Tiller
Assistants: Tim Burke, Jim Chaney, Scott Downing, Gary Emanuel, Danny Hope, Larry Korpitz, Tim Lappano, Randy Melvin, Greg Olson, Brock Spack^[1]

Starters[edit]

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 Kaser^[2]

Game summaries[edit]

Toledo[edit]

Purdue at Toledo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Purdue	7	7	0	8	22
• Toledo	21	6	3	6	36

Date: September 6
Location: Glass Bowl, Toledo, OH
Game attendance: 26,700

Scoring summary

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

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

Notre Dame[edit]

Notre Dame at Purdue

	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	0	10	0	7	17
• Purdue	7	7	0	14	28

Date: September 13
Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
Game attendance: 68,789

Scoring summary

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

InJoe 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	2	3	4	Total
Ball State	0	7	0	7	14
• Purdue	3	10	15	0	28

Date: September 20
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
Game attendance: 45,947

^[5]

Northwestern[edit]

Northwestern at Purdue

	1	2	3	4	Total
Northwestern	3	6	0	0	9
• Purdue	7	7	7	0	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	2	3	4	Total
• Purdue	17	21	14	7	59
Minnesota	14	7	7	15	43

Date: October 11
Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN

Scoring summary

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

Purdue's first win in Minneapolis since 1983.

^[8]

Wisconsin[edit]

Wisconsin at Purdue
Homecoming

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wisconsin	0	10	7	3	20
• Purdue	21	7	7	10	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	2	3	4	Total
• Purdue	14	20	7	7	48
Illinois	0	3	0	0	3

Date: October 25
Location: Memorial Stadium
Champaign, IL
Game attendance: 45,122

^[10]

Kendall Matthews 16 rushes, 177 yards ^[11]

Iowa[edit]

Purdue at Iowa

	1	2	3	4	Total
Purdue	10	7	0	0	17
• Iowa	0	14	21	0	35

Date: November 1
Location: Kinnick Stadium
Iowa City, IA
Game attendance: 70,397

^[12]

Michigan State[edit]

Michigan State at Purdue

	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan State	7	7	0	7	21
• Purdue	0	7	0	15	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	2	3	4	Total
• Penn State	0	14	14	14	42
Purdue	0	9	0	8	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	2	3	4	Total
• Purdue	14	7	7	28	56
Indiana	0	7	0	0	7

Date: November 22
Location: Memorial Stadium
Bloomington, IN
Game attendance: 46,599

Scoring summary

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

^[17] ^[18]

Edwin Watson 18 rushes, 163 yards ^[19]

Oklahoma State[edit]

Oklahoma State vs. Purdue
Alamo Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Purdue	7	3	20	3	33
Oklahoma State	3	3	7	7	20

Date: December 30
Location: Alamodome
San Antonio, TX
Game attendance: 55,552

^[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

Joe Tiller

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Jim Chaney (offensive coordinator)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: November 28, 2016

Awards[edit]

All-Americans: Brian Alford (Football News)
All-Big Ten: Brian Alford (1st), Rosevelt Colvin (2nd), Billy Dicken (1st)^[21]

References[edit]

^ 2011 Purdue football information guide

^ 2011 Purdue football information guide

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011.

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011

^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-27.

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011

^ "Boilermakers Rout Wisconsin." 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011

^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21.

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.

^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2021-Jan-02.

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.

^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-29.

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011

^ USA Today.

^ 2020 Purdue Record Book. Retrieved 2020-Dec-21.

^ 1997 Purdue football archives. PurdueSports.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011

^ 2011 Purdue football information guide

v t e Purdue Boilermakers football
Venues	Stuart Field (1892–1924) Ross–Ade Stadium (1924–present)
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Culture & lore	Boilermaker Special Cradle of Quarterbacks Purdue Pete Purdue Wreck "Hail Purdue!" All-American Marching Band
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