The 2003 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Joe Tiller and played its home games at Ross–Ade Stadium. Purdue played thirteen games in the 2003 season, finishing with a 9–4 record and a loss in the Capital One Bowl to Georgia.
Schedule
Rankings
Roster
Game summaries Bowling Green State
A Purdue Boilermaker football team loaded with experience (8 senior starters on defense) entered 2003 with high expectations (#18 preseason ranking), but they suffered a stunning opening-day 27–26 upset loss to the MAC's Bowling Green Falcons.
After Purdue took the season's opening drive for a touchdown (a jump-ball touchdown catch by 6' 9" freshman WR Kyle Ingraham), Bowling Green QB Josh Harris responded with outstanding clutch play, throwing for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns in the see-saw contest. Midway through the 4th quarter with Purdue leading 24–20, the Boilermaker offense could not take advantage of a DE Shaun Phillips interception. With under 3 minutes remaining, Harris drove the Falcons down the field to a 4th and 14 situation at the Purdue 32-yard line. In a play eerily similar to the 2002 "Holy Buckeye" play, Harris evaded a heavy rush to deliver a deep pass to WR Charles Sharon, who outfought 2 Purdue defenders to make the winning touchdown catch.
Purdue WR Taylor Stubblefield had 16 catches for 139 yards and caught his first-ever regular season touchdown in defeat, but had an unfortunate drop on the final drive that could have set up a game-tying FG attempt. Falcons WR Cole Magner ran out the last 8 seconds of the game clock by taking an intentional safety, bringing the score to its final tally.
Bowling Green finished 11–3 with a Motor City Bowl win over Northwestern.
Wake Forest
Purdue rebounded from their opening day loss with a close win at #20 Wake Forest – which was ranked for the first time in 16 years after starting the season with two wins over ranked opponents.
Late in the close game with Purdue clinging to a 16–10 lead, the Deacons created an opportunity for victory by forcing a turnover on a punt return by Anthony Chambers. But the Purdue defense stopped Wake Forest on a 4th down running play thanks to a well-timed run blitz by All-American free safety Stuart Schweigert, who made a game-clinching tackle for loss. "Stu" earlier had set up a FG with an interception and long return on the game's first play from scrimmage.
Purdue kicker Ben Jones, a recent transfer from Butler University, made three important FGs that helped provide the final margin.
Arizona
After the Boilermakers had worn primarily gold uniforms at home in 2002, the Boilermakers were "Back in Black" for the first of a four-game homestand that began with the struggling Arizona Wildcats of the Pac-10. The Boilermakers dominated Arizona by a then-Ross–Ade Stadium record margin of 59–7. The offense outgained Arizona 580–174 in yards, achieving near perfect balance with 288 rushing and 292 passing. Redshirt freshman RB Jerome Brooks paced Purdue with 122 yards on the ground, and the Purdue defense sacked Arizona QBs 5 times; fifth-year senior LB Landon Johnson recovered a fumble and had an interception.
Notre Dame
The Boilermakers improved to 3–1 and returned to the Top 25 with a win over their in-state rival Notre Dame. Purdue's senior-led defense continually pressured freshman QB Brady Quinn in his first college start with many knockdowns, and intercepted him 4 times (FS Stuart Schweigert had 2 picks). Still, Quinn managed to throw for 297 yards, but the Boilermaker defense made the Irish offense one-dimensional by limiting Julius Jones and the Irish running game to under 50 yards. The Irish defense played very well in defeat, holding Purdue to 223 yards of offense, but they could not force any Purdue turnovers.
The Boilermakers struck on their first drive with QB Kyle Orton's 36-yard touchdown pass to Ray Williams on a missed coverage assignment, then they turned LB Niko Koutouvides' interception into a FG for a 10–0 first quarter lead. The Irish pulled to 13–10 before the half on WR Maurice Stovall's 85-yard touchdown catch.
But the Irish did not score again. Quinn's third interception early in the 4th quarter was turned into a goal-line touchdown pass from Orton to DE Shaun Phillips, who lined up at TE on the play to provide the final 23–10 margin. It was Phillips' second career touchdown catch, duplicating his feat vs. Minnesota in 2002.
WR John Standeford became Purdue's all-time leader in receptions with 2 catches on the early touchdown drive. The record was short-lived however, as his teammate WR Taylor Stubblefield would shatter this mark in 2004.
Illinois
Purdue jumped all over their Homecoming opponent Illinois early and often in a 43–10 win in their Big Ten opener, bringing them to a 4–1 mark. The Boilermakers scored touchdowns on 4 of their first 5 drives to take a 27–0 lead by early in the 2nd quarter. Terrific protection by Nick Hardwick and the rest of the offensive line helped sophomore RB Jerod Void gain 119 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. RB Jerome Brooks added 82 yards on the ground to help Purdue amass 300+ Team rushing yards.
Purdue's veteran defense shined once again, limiting QB Jon Beutjer and the Illinois offense to 191 total yards and no touchdowns. The lone Fighting Illini touchdown came on a punt return by RB E.B. Halsey.
Penn State
Purdue improved to 5–1 with another solid defensive effort and a few terrific punt returns from Anthony Chambers, who returned one for a touchdown and set up 2 other touchdowns with long returns.
Penn State sophomore quarterback Michael Robinson, filling in for injured QB Zach Mills, had a difficult day (10–32; 98 yards, 2 interceptions) at the hands of the Purdue defense, who limited PSU to 204 total yards. After Chambers' punt return touchdown made the score 17–7, Purdue's late first half drive was thwarted by CB Alan Zemaitis' 90-yard interception return, which set up a short Robinson touchdown pass to Isaac Smolko to cut Purdue's lead to 3. But the Nittany Lions would not score again.
Starting RB Jerod Void was injured on his first run of the day on a tackle from LB Gino Capone. But Sophomore RB Brandon Jones was terrific in relief, physically pounding the young PSU defense with 149 yards on 29 carries, and scoring 2 goal-line touchdowns. Kicker Ben Jones missed his first FG of the season, but made his other 2 attempts, improving his early season tally to 9 FGs in 10 attempts.
Wisconsin
In a Big Ten classic hosted by ESPN College Football Gameday, the Boilermakers became bowl-eligible for the seventh year in a row under Joe Tiller by prevailing over #14 Wisconsin, which had ended Ohio State's 19-game winning streak the previous week.
Though the Boilermakers played conservatively on offense most of 2003, this game was an exception as Purdue's offense went with a Drew Brees-era style by featuring the passing game. QB Kyle Orton completed his first 15 passes to masterfully engineer touchdown drives on Purdue's first 2 possessions for a 14–0 lead. But Wisconsin rallied with an Anthony Davis touchdown run and LB Jeff Mack's fumble return for touchdown to close the margin to 14–13 early in the second quarter (the Badgers missed an extra point). The Badgers kept Purdue out of the end zone the rest of the game, but Purdue did add 3 field goals to produce a 23–16 lead. With less than 3 minutes left, Wisconsin safety Jim Leonhard made a spectacular punt return touchdown to tie the game. But that's when Orton guided the Purdue offense on a winning drive, setting up a Ben Jones FG with 3 seconds left. Orton converted 2 3rd down and long passes on the drive, and then completed a deep pass to WR Ray Williams to set up the winning kick.
In defeat, Wisconsin LB Alex Lewis recorded an amazing 5 sacks and forced the fumble that Mack returned for a touchdown. In victory, the Purdue defense continued its terrific 2003 season by sacking Badger QBs 9 times (Shaun Phillips had 4.5), yielding only 12 first downs and less than 300 yards of offense, and forcing 2 turnovers (including an interception by senior CB Jacques Reeves on Wisconsin's first play).
Kyle Orton completed his first 15 passes on the way to a 38–55; 411 yard performance. Senior WR John Standeford and junior WR Taylor Stubblefield combined to catch 30 passes for 314 yards. It was Stubblefield's second 16-catch performance of the season.
As of 2023, the 2003 contest is the Boilermakers' most recent win over the Badgers.
Michigan
Purdue's 6 game winning streak came to an end in Ann Arbor, dropping to 6–2 against the talented and eventual Big Ten champion #13 Michigan Wolverines. From start to finish, the Purdue offense was bullied, harassed and roughed-up by a Michigan defense that employed numerous blitzing schemes (7 sacks) and press "bump and run" coverage to limit the Boilermakers to only 242 yards of offense.
Despite being dominated, Purdue had a chance to seize momentum late in the first half when the Boilers recovered a fumble from a Shaun Phillips sack of Michigan QB John Navarre. QB Kyle Orton quickly moved the Purdue offense to a first and goal, but then threw an end zone interception to CB Leon Hall, the first of 2 picks for the freshman playing for an injured Marlin Jackson.
The Michigan offense had a solid day against the stout Purdue defense, as senior RB Chris Perry grinded out 95 yards on 28 carries. The WRs Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant and Steve Breaston each made contributions: Avant had 5 catches for 90 yards, Breaston took an end-around 21 yards for a score, and Edwards had 6 catches for 86 yards and 2 scores, including a highlight-reel third-quarter touchdown catch over CB Jacques Reeves that put the game out of reach.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller praised the Michigan receiving corps before and after the game as "the best...(he had) ever seen." He was impressed with what he referred to as the "creatures" on the Wolverine defense.
Northwestern
The Boilermakers returned home and to their formula of ball control running, play-action passing and turnover-producing defense to bounce back from Ann Arbor, defeating the Northwestern Wildcats 34–14 to improve to 7–2 and stay in the hunt for a share of the Big Ten title.
The Wildcats had excelled at ball security with an NCAA-low 2 lost fumbles, but they came apart against the Purdue defense by losing 4 fumbles. Two of these were turned into first quarter touchdowns by the Boilermaker offense, led by an efficient Kyle Orton (14–24; 212 yards, 1 rushing touchdown). Late in the 3rd quarter, after the Purdue defense had stopped Northwestern on a goal line stand, the Boilermakers embarked on a 98-yard touchdown drive that ended with RB Jerod Void's 2nd touchdown run to effectively put the game away.
Senior WR John Standeford set the Big Ten career receiving yards record in this game, getting a brief ovation after a 31-yard catch in the 4th quarter.
Iowa
On a Senior Day game with a notable defense, #14 Purdue scored a 27–14 win over #10 Iowa to improve the 8–2 – Purdue's previous best record this late into the season since 1979. Boilermaker sophomore RB Jerod Void had his best game of the season to date with 34 carries for 120 yards, and 2 touchdowns against the NCAA top 10 ranked Iowa run defense.
For the 8th time in 10 games, the Boilers took their opening drive for a score, as Void took advantage of terrific blocking by his offensive line and junior FB Jon Goldsberry for 22 and 9-yard runs, the latter going for a touchdown. Purdue then added 2 field goals before halftime, while Iowa miscues kept them scoreless. On two different occasions Iowa QB Nathan Chandler missed open receivers for touchdowns. On another drive a Chandler touchdown pass to WR Mo Brown was called back by penalty, and then the Hawkeyes came up empty when kicker Nate Kaeding missed his first FG of the year.