Nov 8, 2003
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By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Iowa expected Purdue to rely on its wide-open passing game Saturday.
Purdue changed the plan.
Jerod Void ran for a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns against one of the nation's top run defenses and the No. 16 Boilermakers overpowered No. 10 Iowa 27-14.
"We wanted to run the ball and we did just that," coach Joe Tiller said. "That is the best Jerod has run, in terms of power running, all season."
Void's strong performance gave Purdue (8-2) its first 5-1 record in Big Ten play since 1979. The Boilermakers also moved into a three-way tie for first with Michigan and Ohio State headed into a showdown next Saturday at the seventh-ranked Buckeyes.
For Purdue, it was an impressive performance against the nation's No. 4 run defense.
Void carried a career-high 34 times, frequently breaking tackles and running over defenders. At times, he even resembled former Purdue fullback Mike Alstott in gaining extra yards.
The Hawkeyes, who were allowing 72.0 yards rushing per game and had not given up more than 75 yards in their previous seven games, yielded 77 in both halves.
"We respected their pass game; that was one of our main efforts - to really stop the pass," Iowa defensive end Howard Hodges said. "But they came out there today and executed the run game."
That opened things up for quarterback Kyle Orton and the results were predictable.
Iowa (7-3, 3-3) gave up 27 points, tying a season-high, and Void produced nearly as many rushing touchdowns Saturday as the Hawkeyes allowed in their first nine games (three).
Iowa also had its worst regular-season defeat since a 28-point loss to Ohio State on Oct. 21, 2000.
 Kyle Orton and John Standeford celebrate their 27-14 win over Iowa in West Lafayette, Ind.  | |
Void set the tone on the opening series by breaking a couple tackles on a bruising 20-yard run, then plowed over another Iowa defender for a 9-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
Purdue's defense took the cue.
The Boilermakers limited 1,000-yard runner Fred Russell to 35 yards on 18 carries and pressured quarterback Nathan Chandler all day. Iowa finished with 98 yards rushing on 36 carries, while Chandler was a mediocre 16-of-29 for 203 yards. He ran three yards for one touchdown and threw a touchdown - both after the outcome had been determined.
"The common thread through all of our games has been the consistency of the defense," Tiller said. "We have the smallest defense, physically, in the Big Ten, but that doesn't mean anything to them."
Instead Purdue found the perfect combination.
They got two field goals from Ben Jones, a 44-yarder to open the second quarter and a 42-yarder to close it, to take a 13-0 halftime lead.
And while Iowa had chances to stay close, it couldn't finish the job.
 | That is the best Jerod has run, in terms of power running, all season. Head coach Joe Tiller |
Chandler overthrew Ramon Ochoa on what looked like a sure touchdown midway through the first quarter. Later in the half, he overthrew another open receiver, Calvin Davis, who could have scored.
Not everything was Chandler's fault. An illegal formation erased a 12-yard TD pass to Maurice Brown, and kicker Nate Kaeding followed that by pushing a 34-yard field goal wide right. It was his first miss in 12 tries this season.
Brown had a career-high eight catches for 126 yards but failed to score.
"This was certainly a tough game for our football club," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "I have to give credit to Purdue, they're a tough team. This one's going to hurt for a while."
Things quickly deteriorated for Iowa in the second half.
Purdue's Jerome Brooks returned the opening kickoff 47 yards to midfield. Two plays later, Orton beat a blitz with an audible and lobbed a perfect pass to a wide open Anthony Chambers, who sprinted 45 yards down the middle of the field for a 20-0 lead.
Orton was 13-of-20 for 167 yards.
All Purdue had to do from that point was grind it out.
No problem.
On their next drive, the Boilermakers ran five straight times, the last being Void's 1-yard, spinning TD run to make it 27-0.
But Iowa couldn't stop Purdue's ground game and the Boilermakers held off Iowa's rally.
"They kept driving the ball and we couldn't stop them," Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway said. "Void is one of the best that we've seen."