Heart of Dallas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Purdue
BY Staff Reports
Monday, December 03, 2012
12/03/12 at 4:30 AM
Related Story: OSU gets bowl in prime recruiting territory
11 a.m. Jan. 1
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
TV: ESPNU-253
Radio: KFAQ am1170
Tickets: tulsaworld.com/osusports
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Season record: 6-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten
Coach: Patrick Higgins (interim coach, 0-0)
Best win: Purdue's best wins were moral victories. The Boilermakers lost close games to two teams that went 12-0 during the regular season, falling 20-17 against Notre Dame and 29-22 to Ohio State in overtime. Marshall (which went 5-7) was the winningest team that Purdue beat this season.
Worst loss: Purdue was dealt a 16-point defeat by a Minnesota team that went 6-6 and lost six of its final eight games. Only once in the last nine games did the Gophers score more than 17 points - and that came when they dropped 44 on the Boilermakers.
Top players
DT Kawann Short: A first-team All-Big Ten selection, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound senior produced 14.5 tackles for losses, six sacks, four pass break-ups and four blocked kicks. He is eighth all-time in school history in tackles for losses (48) and sacks (18.5).
CB Ricardo Allen: A 5-foot-9, 186-pound junior and a second-team All-Big Ten selection, Allen owns the school record for interceptions returned for a touchdown with four. He is Purdue's sixth-leading tackler this season.
CB Josh Johnson: A 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior and a second-team All-Big Ten honoree, Johnson is Purdue's third-leading tackler with 58 stops, including 53 solo. His 19 passes defensed (16 pass break-ups, three interceptions) rank second among Big Ten players this season.
Schedule
Sept. 1: Purdue 48, Eastern Kentucky 6 (at West Lafayette, Ind.)
Sept. 8: Notre Dame 20, Purdue 17 (at South Bend, Ind.)
Sept. 15: Purdue 54, Eastern Michigan 16 (at West Lafayette, Ind.)
Sept. 29: Purdue 51, Marshall 41 (at West Lafayette, Ind.)
Oct. 6: Michigan 44, Purdue 13 (at West Lafayette, Ind.)
Oct. 13: Wisconsin 38, Purdue 14 (at West Lafayette, Ind.)
Oct. 20: Ohio State 29, Purdue 22 OT (at Columbus, Ohio)
Oct. 27: Minnesota 44, Purdue 28 (at Minneapolis, Minn.)
Nov. 3: Penn State 34, Purdue 9 (at West Lafayette, Ind.)
Nov. 10: Purdue 27, Iowa 24 (at Iowa City, Iowa)
Nov. 17: Purdue 20, Illinois 17 (at Champaign, Ill.)
Nov. 24: Purdue 56, Indiana 35 (at West Lafayette, Ind.)
