WEB UPDATE: Game-winning field goal lifts Purdue to 51-48 victory over CMU at Motor City Bowl
Posted Dec. 26
DETROIT - Purdue kicker Chris Summers converted a 40-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in regulation to beat CMU 51-48 on Wednesday in front of a bowl-record 60,624 people at the 11th annual Motor City Bowl in Detroit.
The play ended a thrilling second half in which the Chippewas fought back from a 34-13 halftime deficit to tie the game at 41 apiece by the end of the third quarter.
Coach Butch Jones called it "a heck of a football game" despite the loss.
"I am really proud of these kids," he said. "Obviously, it didn't turn out the way we wanted it to, but you saw something out there in these young men. They believed in each other. They fought to the bitter end."
The Chippewas began the comeback when freshman receiver Antonio Brown converted a short pass from sophomore quarterback Dan LeFevour into a 76-yard touchdown scamper to make the score 34-20. Purdue quickly answered when quarterback Curtis Painter threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jake Standeford.
Less than two minutes later, LeFevour connected with sophomore receiver Bryan Anderson for a 10-yard touchdown pass to shorten Purdue's lead to 41-27.
Two defensive stands, including an interception by freshman defensive back E. J. McLaughlin, allowed LeFevour to score two rushing touchdowns and tie the game.
"We did a much better job in the second half in tackling," Jones said. "I think that was the main difference."
Purdue broke the tie when tailback Jaycen Taylor ran for a 13-yard touchdown with 8:19 remaining in regulation.
With 1:09 remaining, LeFevour answered with his fourth touchdown pass, floating the ball to Anderson for a 19-yard play that tied the game at 48.
However, Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter completed four of his five passes on the following drive to set up Summers' kick.
"We run through that stuff on Sunday and Thursday," Painter said of the two-minute drill. "We were able to execute our offense very well. We did a great job being crisp."
Painter was 35-for-54 and set a Motor City Bowl record with 546 passing yards. He threw three touchdowns and two interceptions, both of which were deflected.
LeFevour finished 17-for-34 for 292 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on 33 attempts. Anderson caught seven passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns.
Both teams set several offensive Motor City Bowl records as well.
The two teams combined for 99 points, the highest-scoring Motor City Bowl since Marshall's 48-29 victory over Louisville in 1998. Central scored a bowl-record 28 points in one quarter (third), while Purdue scored the most points in a first quarter (21).
Despite the loss, LeFevour said the fans, which made up a majority of the attendance on Wednesday, were a help to the team.
"The atmosphere was amazing," he said. "As we started rolling in the second half, the crowd started getting into it more and it just got better and better."
sports@cm-life.com
