Nov 3, 2001
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By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Kurt Kittner hardly started the game looking like the leading passer in the Big Ten.
Three interceptions, 11 yards passing in the first quarter and a halftime deficit had Illinois on the ropes.
But when Purdue couldn't capitalize on the turnovers, Kittner and the Illinois defense found a way to win.
Kittner threw for 299 yards, Brandon Lloyd caught six passes for 112 yards and Illinois returned two interceptions for touchdowns as the No. 21 Illini beat No. 20 Purdue 38-13 Saturday.
As a freshman in 1998, Kittner was 5-for-11 for 31 yards, two interceptions and a fumble in a 42-9 loss to the Boilermakers. In his first game against Purdue since then, he was on track for a repeat performance.
"This was by far worse than three years ago," he said. "It's horrible. I haven't played like that since eighth grade or freshman year."
Kittner said he needed to show some leadership when the Illini trailed.
"You need to come back and be focused on offense," he said. "The guys are looking at you, and you need to look at them and say 'I'm over this, let's go. Let's move on."'
The Illini (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) handed the Boilermakers just their fourth loss at Ross-Ade Stadium since 1997 and first since losing to Wisconsin on Nov. 6, 1999.
Kittner, the Big Ten's leader in passing and touchdown passes, finished 15-for-34 with four interceptions and two touchdowns.
He needed only 1:45 to move the Illini on a 65-yard drive culminating on a 1-yard scoring run by Antoineo Davis to put them ahead 17-13 midway through the third quarter.
The Boilermakers (5-2, 3-2) struggled to find any consistency as they failed to fully take advantage of five turnovers and a string of solid drives stalled. They were 4-for-18 on third-down attempts.
They punted on fourth-and-1 trailing by four in the third quarter, but Joe Odom, who earlier had a a 51-yard run on a fake punt, recovered a fumble by Christian Morton.
Two plays later, Brandon Hance's pass was intercepted by safety Bobby Jackson, who ran 83 yards for a touchdown.
Kittner threw a 20-yard TD pass to Walter Young with 25 seconds left in the third. Morton gained some redemption on Purdue's first drive in the fourth when he returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown and a 38-13 lead.
Hance, who completed 15 of 29 passes for 132 yards, was pulled after the second interception and replaced by freshman Kyle Orton. Orton provided little relief, losing two fumbles and passing for 46 yards.
Hance and Orton were sacked six times.
"Illinois defense brought all kinds of pressure," Hance said. "We just were not effective and not prepared for the pressure."
The Boilermakers picked off Kittner three times in the first half and recovered one fumble but scored only six points off the turnovers.
"There's not many who can play that well and show that much character after getting off to a horrible start," Illinois coach Ron Turner said of Kittner. "The way he played after the first quarter was championship football."
Linebacker Gilbert Gardner recovered a fumble at the Illinois 31, but the Boilermakers gained 4 yards before punting.
Gardner then returned an interception 51 yards to the Illinois 8. After three running plays and an incomplete pass, the drive stalled at the 1.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller said his team should have blown the game open in the first two quarters.
"I thought our defense played as well as it could in the first half," he said. "We let our opponent hang around after we had the opportunity early to put them away. We had a chance to put them away and did not capitalize."
Purdue went ahead 7-0 in the first quarter on an 8-yard TD pass from Hance to Seth Morales with 2:26 left.
Kittner was picked off by Landon Johnson on the ensuing drive and Purdue converted with a career-long 50-yard field goal by Travis Dorsch.
Dorsch was just short on a 52-yarder in the third quarter.
Dorsch kicked a 37-yard field goal in the second to cap a drive started by safety Stuart Schweigert's 10th career interception - one shy of Purdue's career record.
"I'm not putting all the poor play on our offense," Turner said. "They made good calls defensively."
Illinois entered second in the Big Ten in scoring offense and fourth in total offense but were held to 12 yards of offense in the first quarter.
"Our offense could not have played worse," Turner said. "Then we started to play more aggressive. That's our style."
Kittner found his groove in the second quarter, throwing for 163 yards. He set up a 47-yard field goal by John Gockman and threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Lloyd with 1:18 left in the first half and pull Illinois to 13-10.
This was the first time in the 79-game history of the series both teams were ranked.