Another Bruising Win for Boilermakers

Craig Terrill won’t mind the welt on his chest this week.

The freshman defensive tackle blocked Vitaly Pisetsky’s 58-yard field-goal attempt in overtime and Ashante Woodyard returned it 36 yards for a touchdown as 17th-ranked Purdue defeated Wisconsin, 30-24, on Saturday.

“I squeezed through and it hit me right in the chest,” Terrill said. “I couldn’t believe it. I went after the ball, and Ashante just flew by me.”

Woodyard said he wanted the block, “but I don’t mind somebody else getting the glory.”

And the bruise that goes with it.

Drew Brees became the Big Ten’s career passing leader and the Boilermakers won in Madison for the first time since 1988, keeping them on track for their first Rose Bowl berth in 34 years.

The Boilermakers, 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, won the coin toss in overtime and elected to defend. The Badgers (4-4, 1-4) only went backward.

Michael Bennett was stuffed for no gain and Jim Sorgi threw an incomplete pass in the end zone. After a false start, Sorgi was sacked by Akin Ayodele on third and 15.

That brought up fourth and 25 from the 40 and after a high snap, Pisetsky’s kick was flat.

Woodyard scooped up the bouncing ball, shook of Pisetsky and outraced holder Kevin Stemke along the Boilermaker sideline. Woodyard’s teammates ran alongside him, then tackled him after he pranced into the end zone.

“It’s not a fun way to lose,” said Badger Coach Barry Alvarez, whose team must win three of its final four games to earn a bowl bid.

Boilermaker Coach Joe Tiller and his staff were already preparing their offensive play calls when Terrill made the plans moot.

“I guess our football team had other things in mind,” Tiller said.

It was the Badgers’ second loss in three overtime games at home this year.

“Overtime is no friend of ours,” Badger defensive tackle Wendell Bryant said. “I hate overtime.”

Brees completed 21 of 43 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns--by far his worst game against the Badgers, but also his first victory.

He had thrown for 844 yards in two losses against Wisconsin, and each time All-America cornerback Jamar Fletcher returned an interception for a score.

This time, Fletcher was burned on a 78-yard bomb that gave Purdue its first lead and Brees the conference passing mark.

Brees has 10,567 career passing yards, 106 more than Chuck Long had at Iowa from 1981-85.

Brees surpassed Long’s record with a 78-yard scoring strike to Seth Morales in the third quarter that gave the Boilermakers a 21-17 lead. Morales blew past Jason Doering on a deep post and Fletcher made a desperate dive to break up the pass at the Badger 30 and Morales jogged in for his first career touchdown.

After Travis Dorsch’s 44-yard field goal made it 24-17, the Badgers tied it with 3:50 remaining. Sorgi found tight end Jim Sigmund in the back of the end zone for a five-yard touchdown on fourth and one.

Brees’ 6-yard run tied it at 14 early in the third quarter and came after Montrell Lowe, limited to 15 yards on four carries in the first half, scampered 41 yards to the Badgers’ 22 behind a block by Brees that sent Doering to the sideline.

Brees noticed Doering was favoring the knee when he returned, and that’s why he threw the deep post pattern to Morales after Pisetsky’s 35-yard field goal had given Wisconsin a 17-14 lead.

“I saw he had put a knee brace on and was kind of limping around,” Brees said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

One for the Books

Purdue quarterback Drew Brees became the all-time Big Ten leader in passing yards Saturday:

1. Drew Brees, Purdue, 1997-current 10,567

2. Chuck Long, Iowa, 1981-85 10,461

3. Mark Herrmann, Purdue, 1977-80 9,946

4. Jack Trudeau, Illinois, 1981-85 8,723

5. Darrell Bevel, Wisconsin, 1992-95 7,686