Nov 17, 2001
Purdue-Michigan State Statstics Game Packet in PDF Format
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By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Montrell Lowe ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns and backup quarterback Kyle Orton led Purdue on three of its four scoring drives in a 24-14 victory over Michigan State on Saturday.
Orton replaced the ineffective Brandon Hance on the final drive of the first half. Hance was 7-for-12 for 65 yards but couldn't get Purdue near the red zone.
Orton, who attempted 19 passes in three games, went 6-for-9 for 61 yards. Nearly all of his completions went for double digits and came on scoring drives.
Purdue (6-3, 4-3 Big Ten) trailed 7-0 in the third quarter when Orton led an 11-play, 84-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard TD run by Lowe. Orton had two completions of 16 yards and one of 15 on the drive.
Michigan State's T.J. Duckett fumbled on the second play after the kickoff and the Boilermakers converted on a 42-yard field goal by Travis Dorsch.
A 13-yard completion from Orton to Taylor Stubblefield set up a 2-yard run by Lowe to make it 17-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Hance returned for one play on Purdue's next possession, was sacked and then booed off the field.
The Spartans (5-4, 3-4) were without starting quarterback Jeff Smoker, who sprained his left shoulder in the Spartans' 37-28 loss last week to Indiana. Backup Ryan Van Dyke was out with a fractured jaw, so the Spartans turned to Damon Dowdell, who had thrown one pass this season.
Dowdell finished 24-for-45 for 304 yards and two interceptions. He broke a scoreless game at halftime with a 7-yard TD pass to Charles Rogers in the third and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth.
Rogers had seven catches for 108 yards.
The Spartans trailed 17-14 late in the fourth when defensive tackle Craig Terrill recovered Dowdell's fumble and scored from 12 yards out.
On Michigan State's next possession, Dowdell's pass was intercepted by Joe Odom. Dowdell's pass also was picked off by Stu Schweigert to end the game.
Dowdell was hindered by poor field position most of the first half, as twice the Spartans started inside their own 8.
Seven of Dowdell's nine first-half completions, out of 21 attempts, were for double-digit gains.
Any momentum Michigan State built in the half was squashed by missed field goals of 45 and 37 yards by Dave Rayner. Dowdell also lost a fumble on Purdue's 29 after he was stripped by right tackle Matt Mitrione.
Purdue avoided its first three-game losing streak since the 1996 season, when it twice had three-game losing streaks under Jim Colletto.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller moved into third place on Purdue's career victory list with 39. Noble Kizer (42) and Jack Mollenkopf (84) are ahead of him.