Purdue offense controls game, IU falters

The Hoosiers didn't have enough time on Saturday to overcome their 17-3 halftime deficit and lost to Purdue 34-10. The Boilermakers won back the Old Oaken Bucket by keeping a tired Hoosier defense on the field most of the second half.\nIU (3-9, 1-7) struggled running the ball early and led to three punts on their opening three drives. Meanwhile, Purdue (6-6, 4-4) got on the board on their first drive with a 60-yard pass from freshman Brandon Kirsch to junior John Standeford.\nGoing into the game, senior quarterbacks Tommy Jones and Gibran Hamdan said they would split time in this game.\nHamdan replaced Jones at the start of the second quarter and led IU on a nine play, 40 yard drive that ended in a 50-yard field goal by sophomore Bryan Robertson. Hamdan said he didn't mind sharing time with Jones.\n"Surprisingly, I thought it went very well," Hamdan said. "Tommy and I both got a chance to play. I thought it was the right thing to do. It was very comfortable."\nSophomore Courtney Roby had two catches for 46 yards in the first half. That put him over 1,000 yards for the season, making him only the third player in school history to accomplish that feat.\nPurdue would respond to the field goal with a 5:30 minute drive. Freshman Brandon Jones ran it in from 41 yards out to give the Boilers a 14-3 lead. They would add a field goal as time expired to extend that lead to 17-3. IU would never get any closer.\nPurdue's offense controlled the ball and the clock in the second half. They wore down the defense and never gave the Hoosier offense an attempt at making the comeback. \nDiNardo said the defense was on the field too much for the team. He said the offense's inability to move the ball and the defense stopping Purdue from converting third downs led to a tired defense.\nIU continued to struggle running the ball in the second half. The team only managed 29 yards on the ground. \nFreshman Yamar Washington said it had more to do with IU's offense than Purdue's defense.\n"We knew what they were doing, but we had some mental breakdowns on our part. And that's what led to a lack of running game," Washington said. "We were moving the ball fine, and we'd find a mistake. And it would mess up the whole drive."\nPurdue coach Joe Tiller said stopping the run was the game plan against IU. He said the defense did a good job of limiting the IU offense.\n"We knew going in that they would throw the ball against us, so we came in with the attitude of bend but don't break," Tiller said in a statement. "If we could eliminate their run, we could make them a one dimensional offense, and that would give us a good chance to win."\nPurdue had two long drives in the third quarter, the second resulting in a fourth and goal touchdown from the one-yard line by freshman Jerod Void. Defensive Coordinator Tim Kish said the coaches threw everything at Purdue to try and stop them.\nPurdue went on another long drive early in the fourth that resulted in a field goal to push the lead to 27-3. Senior A.C. Carter returned the Purdue kick-off 85 yards.\nThe Hoosiers took advantage of the short field to score their first and only touchdown of the day. Hamdan threw a six-yard pass to senior Stephen Anthony for the score. Hamdan said it was a special moment since the pass was to his roommate of five years.\nHamdan said it was frustrating to stand on the sidelines and not have the chance to get in to lead a comeback. He credited Purdue's efficiency on offense as the key.\n"This game was very tough in terms of the way we controlled the ball," Hamdan said. "We never really moved up field like we wanted to. The second half was the key to this game, and they did a good job of pinning us down and stopping ball movement."\nThe game had its moments of ugliness and bitterness that a game between rivals normally has. Freshman linebacker John Kerr picked up a Purdue receiver and slammed him to the ground following a catch. Later, the game would have to be delayed a few minutes after fans threw objects into the field. DiNardo said he was concerned for some of the IU staff because they had no protection.\nDiNardo said the team can take away something from this season despite the losing record. \n"Everybody comes to work every day knowing what is expected of them," DiNardo said. "The standards have been set, and I think everyone knows we won't change that standard. We just have a lot of work to do."\nHamdan said he is proud of the way the team kept their heads up all season.\n"The true measure of character is when you can stay strong through adversity and adverse times," Hamdan said. "We have a lot of guys on this team that can say that was the case with them. \n"It's easy to be up when everyone is cheering for you, and everybody loves you. But when you're not playing so well, and you don't have a good season, your true character shows. I think guys hung in there and stayed strong through it"