Oct 23, 2001
No unranked team has won at Purdue in nearly five years. If Northwestern can change that on Saturday, it could quickly forget last week's loss to the nation's worst offensive team.
Northwestern (4-2, 2-2 Big Ten) comes off Saturday's 38-35 home loss to previously winless Penn State, which was averaging just eight points. The Wildcats gave up over 500 yards.
Wildcats coach Randy Walker knows his team can regain its confidence with a victory at Ross-Ade Stadium, where no unranked team has won since Nov. 23, 1996.
"As disappointing as it might seem, I don't think anybody on our football team believes we're out of it," said Walker, whose team dropped 1{ games behind unbeaten Michigan. "I think we believe we're still a good football team."
Northwestern began the season 3-0 for the first time in almost 40 years, but has lost two of three to fall from the Top 25.
Walker said poor tackling was the problem against the Nittany Lions. He isn't sure what to do about it, though.
"Just who do you practice tackling against?" he said. "We have four tailbacks in our program. All four of them play. ... None of us wants to lose those guys."
Northwestern has lost four straight against Purdue (4-1, 2-1) since a 27-24 home victory on Nov. 16, 1996.
"It's a huge game for us," Wildcats quarterback Zak Kustok said. "There's a big difference between being 5-2 and 4-3."
Although the Boilermakers are known for their passing game, Northwestern's Napoleon Harris said he's looking to stop the running game first, particularly leading rusher Montrell Lowe.
"We're going to have our hands full," Walker said. "Our defense needs to rally and regroup."
The Boilermakers, who are 23-3 at home under Joe Tiller, have had an extra week to prepare for the Wildcats. They have not played since a 24-10 road loss to the Wolverines on Oct. 13.
Purdue opened the season with four straight wins, two against conference foes, before that setback.
Against Michigan, quarterback Brandon Hance was 16-of-33 for 198 yards with a touchdown, but Purdue committed 11 first-half penalties for 70 yards and finished with 15 penalties - one short of the school record - for 105 yards.
"We learned everything we needed to learn in one loss," said Tiller, whose squad tumbled from No. 17 to 24. "When you play a good football team, which Michigan is, the margin for error is extremely small. You certainly can't shoot yourself in the foot."
Purdue leads the all-time series 44-23-1, including a 19-8-0 mark in West Lafayette, Ind.