Boilermakers steam past Cowboys
Billy Dicken connects with Brian Alford for a 16-yard TD.
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SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Oklahoma State learned the hard way why Purdue has a reputation as a high-scoring team that loves to pass.
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| Purdue's Chris Clopton turns upfield past Oklahoma State
defender Clint Metcalf on a kickoff return. |
"This offense can explode at any time, and that is what happened," said first-year Purdue coach Joe Tiller.
After a low-scoring first half, the Boilermakers pulled away from the underdog Cowboys in the lively third quarter, extending a 10-6 lead to 30-13 with 3:52 left in the period.
Dicken completed 18-of-34 passes, including two for touchdowns. He had three interceptions. His 325 passing yards set a record for the five-year-old Alamo Bowl, which is sponsored by Builders Square.
It also was the highest-scoring game in Alamo Bowl history.
"If guys want to be part of a high-powered offense, this is the place to come," Dicken said. "It's exciting."
Tiller called Dicken's performance one of the "gutsiest" he has seen in 32 years of coaching, noting that Dicken injured his throwing shoulder early in the game.
Purdue opened the second half with a touchdown after gaining control of the ball when Adrian Beasley intercepted Tony Lindsay's pass and ran 36 yards to the Oklahoma State 6.
Dicken ran in from the 1, and the Boilermakers led 16-6 with 12:02 left. Shane Ryan's conversion kick missed after the ball was moved back 15 yards because of a personal foul.
Oklahoma State sent backup quarterback Chris Chaloupka into the game on the next drive, and the Cowboys answered with a touchdown of their own with 9:01 left in the quarter. Jamaal Fobbs ran the ball in from 21 yards, capping an 80-yard drive and closing the Cowboys to 16-13.
As Oklahoma State was kicking the extra point, a man clad only in skimpy blue underwear dashed onto the field and was tackled by two police officers in the opposite end zone. The Alamodome crowd of 55,552 cheered as he was led away in handcuffs.
The Boilermakers then responded with a 60-yard pass play from Dicken to Ed Watson, who moved the ball to the Oklahoma State 16. Vinny Sutherland's 16-yard run gave Purdue a 23-13 lead with 7:34 left in the third period.
Purdue scored on its next possession, on a 69-yard pass from Dicken to Chris Daniels, an Alamo Bowl record for longest reception. The touchdown gave Purdue a 30-13 lead with 3:52 left in the quarter.
"It took the wind out of us," said Oklahoma State coach Bob Simmons. "It hurt us mentally, and with a young team like ours it was hard to catch up."
The Boilermakers upped their lead to 33-13 early in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard field goal by Ryan.
The Cowboys got the final touchdown with only 55 seconds left when R.W. McQuarters scored on a 17-yard pass from Lindsay.
"The second half was more bad plays than good plays," Simmons said. "Something I have said all year is ball control and execution will win you the game. We did not do either."
Beasley, the defensive player of the game, said a halftime talk from the Purdue coaches got him going.
"Everyone was running to the ball and hustling. Our coaches stressed that at halftime," he said. "We took their advice and played hard and made things happen."
Oklahoma State got on the scoreboard first with a 34-yard field goal by Tim Sydnes in the first quarter.
Purdue turned the ball over on its next possession when Kevin Williams intercepted Dicken's pass in the end zone.
Beasley intercepted for Purdue two plays later, and the Boilermakers scored on an 18-yard pass from Dicken to Brian Alford to lead 7-3 with 1:19 left in the quarter.
The Cowboys moved within a point late in the second quarter on a 22-yard field goal by Sydnes.
A 42-yard field goal by Ryan 10 seconds before halftime made it 10-6.
The Alamo Bowl capped a surprise season for both teams. Each team was 8-3 entering the game, and both squads upset big-name opponents and surpassed early expectations during the season.
Purdue finished the regular season in a three-way tie for second in the Big 10, achieving its first winning record and bowl appearance since 1984.
Oklahoma State ended in a second-place tie in the South Division of the Big 12, and made it to its first bowl game since 1988.