Standeford with just over 3 minutes left. The defense then sealed the game by stopping a scrambling QB Damon Dowdell short of a first down near midfield in the closing minute. Purdue had a terrific day on the ground, running for over 300 yards as a team thanks to QB Brandon Kirsch and RBs Joey Harris and Brandon Jones (125, 89, and 88 yards respectively). Two all Big Ten WRs had phenomenal days. Purdue's Standeford had 5 catches for 136 yards and 2 scores, while the Spartans' Charles Rogers had 8 catches for 161 yards and 2 TDs. Indiana The Boilermakers qualified for their 6th bowl game in 6 years under Joe Tiller by reclaiming the Old Oaken Bucket from a depleted Indiana Hoosiers team in a decisive 34–10 win. (Per the ESPN telecast, less than 50 players dressed for IU.) The Purdue offense again shined, piling up 500+ yards behind another strong O-Line performance that enabled both Joey Harris and Brandon Jones to exceed 100 yards rushing. After an early long TD pass to John Standeford, QB Brandon Kirsch was replaced by Kyle Orton, who had a very efficient passing day with a 22–28; 173 yard performance. Fifth year senior SS Ralph Turner capped his final home game with a game-clinching interception. Sun Bowl The Boilermakers finished a difficult but rewarding 2002 campaign by defeating their 2001 Rose Bowl opponent Washington Huskies by the same score of that contest 2 seasons prior, 34–24. Purdue dug a big first quarter hole by committing numerous gaffes on offense (bad snap returned for TD) and special teams (punter mishandled the snap, turned into a short TD drive for the Huskies). After that, however, the Boilermakers found a rhythm and took control of the game. QB Kyle Orton had his best overall game of the season (25–37; 283 yards), backed by 17 combined catches from WRs John Standeford and Taylor Stubblefield as well as 93 rushing yards from Joey Harris. Purdue's final TD game on a forced fumble for TD by LB Gilbert Gardner, and their final points came on a Berin Lacevic FG after a time-killing drive. The 2002 Purdue Boilermakers, though they finished 7–6, nonetheless accomplished a rare feat; they finished ranked #1 in the Big Ten in total offense AND total defense yards per game. References Purdue Purdue Boilermakers football seasons Sun Bowl champion seasons Purdue Boilermakers football