Purdue Boilermakers @ Illinois Fighting Illini Football Recap

The Purdue Boilermakers’ bowl hopes took a major blow on Saturday with an ugly 44-10 loss at Illinois.

One week removed from a pounding by Ohio State, the injury-weakened Purdue offense, led by true freshman third-string quarterback Sean Robinson, provided few highlights.  With starter Rob Henry limited with a finger injury, Robinson was forced to handle the bulk of the action while also dealing with strong winds that made downfield passing difficult.

The Purdue offense just couldn’t get the wind at its back thanks to the Illini’s ball-control first quarter.  After the teams traded three-and-outs to start the game, the Illini rolled 80 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 17-yard pass from Nathan Scheelhaase to A.J. Jenkins. On the ensuing kickoff, rather than kick into the teeth of the wind, Illinois kicker Derek Dimke booted the ball low, straight toward Purdue’s Joe Holland.  The ball struck a surprised Holland and was recovered by the Illini at their 42-yard line. Scheelhaase and the Illinois offense picked up where they left off, driving 58 yards in 11 plays and taking a 14-0 lead on a one-yard run by Mikel Leshoure with 20 seconds to play in the opening quarter.

The back-to-back Illini scoring drives meant Purdue would only run four offensive plays in the entire first quarter before turning around and facing the nasty winds in the second.  Robinson and the Purdue offense couldn’t overcome the breeze, or the Illinois defense.  Robinson attempted just six passes in the entire first half, completing two. A Dimke field goal as the second quarter expired gave Illinois a 17-0 halftime lead.

With the wind at their backs, the Illini put the game away in the third quarter.  A 20-yard pass from Scheelhaase to a wide-open Leshoure, courtesy of a coverage breakdown by the gassed Purdue defense, gave Illinois a 24-0 lead.  On the ensuing Purdue drive, running back Al-Terek McBurse fumbled, and Illini linebacker Martez Wilson recovered at the Boilermaker 26.  Leshoure would score his second touchdown in less than two minutes with a one-yard plunge that put Illinois ahead 31-0 with 7:00 to play in the third quarter.

The Illini made it a bona-fide blowout 1:46 later, when Scheelhaase hit Darius Millines for a 10-yard TD.  A botched snap on the PAT attempt kept the score at 37-0.

It wouldn’t be a Purdue game in 2010 without significant injuries, and the Boilermaker offense took another major hit on Saturday when freshman receiver O.J. Ross went down with a shoulder injury.  One of Purdue’s featured playmakers of late, Ross will miss the rest of the season. Offensive coordinator Gary Nord had put together a package of plays that featured Ross, but the injury, suffered while returning a first-half kickoff, meant Nord had to scrap the package.

At 4-4 with four games left, Purdue now needs two wins to reach bowl eligibility.  The Boilermakers host Wisconsin and Michigan the next two weeks before traveling to Michigan State.  The season ends at home with the annual Old Oaken Bucket battle against Indiana.

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