Buckle-up: Trips to Minnesota deliver chaos, thrills for Purdue

Purdue is packing its bags for its first Big Ten road trip.

“You look at now the opportunity to go on the road, and we’ll use it in a way that it is us against everybody,” said Barry Odom. “I think that’s one thing that most teams do when you go on the road, especially in conference, how important that is to approach it with the right mentality.”

The destination: Minnesota, a place that has produced some wild games for the Boilermakers over the years. Sit down and buckle-up to re-live some of the most zany clashes of recent vintage.

2020: As if playing a season under the cloud of a global pandemic wasn’t weird enough, Purdue endured one of the weirdest offensive pass interference calls ever, a PI on TE Payne Durham with 44 seconds left that still has fans scratching their heads.

“I think you know what I think,” Jeff Brohm said through clenched teeth “I don’t like it a lot. I can’t really comment on it. It’s part of the game. We’ve got to move forward.”

Had Durham’s TD grab been allowed to stand and Purdue converted the extra point, Minnesota would have had less than a minute with two timeouts to try to score a winning TD to overcome a four-point deficit.

“I haven’t really let it go at all, to be honest with you,” Durham said of the call in the 34-31 loss after he caught what appeared to be a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jack Plummer until the official tossed his yellow flag.

Purdue TE Payne Durham scores the go ahead TD here with under a minute left, but refs flag him for OPI, Purdue then ends up throwing an INT and Minnesota wins the game pic.twitter.com/Fc7RLL1iBh

— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) November 21, 2020

2001: Grace under pressure. That’s what Purdue showed in executing a last-second field goal to stun the Gophers, 35-28, in what has become known as the “Miracle in the Metrodome.”

Purdue had the ball on its own 6-yard line with 19 seconds left. QB Brandon Hance threw a 27-yard pass to John Standeford and a 39-yarder to Taylor Stubblefield. As officials hastily spotted the ball and moved the chains, K Travis Dorsch set up for a potential game-winning 48-yard field goal … and nailed it as the clock hit triple zeros.

“It’s tough to swallow,” Minnesota coach Glen Mason said. “I don’t know how they get it off in 1 second. The only way is to snap it on the whistle. That did not happen. Fact.”

Tiller didn’t concur with Mason’s assessment.

“I specifically watched it,” he said. “When he chopped the clock, the ball was on the way.”

1993: There is no crazier game in Purdue annals than this 59-56 loss.

Purdue led 28-21 at the half and 42-28 midway through the third quarter, but Minnesota rallied and booted an 18-yard field goal with eight seconds left to prevail.

The game produced some stupefying numbers in the old Metrodome, including a combined 1,184 yards. Gopher QB Scott Eckers threw for 402 yards and six TD passes. Mike Alstott ran for 171 yards and four touchdowns, while sidekick Corey Rogers added 94 yards and three touchdowns.

“They did whatever they wanted,” Jim Colletto said of Minnesota’s passing attack. “It was like shooting fish in a barrel. It was by far the worst loss I’ve had here at Purdue.”

Defensive coordinator Moe Ankney and defensive line coach Tony Caviglia turned in their resignations the next day.

“They offered their resignations and we accepted them,” Colletto said.

A crazy footnote: Minnesota took a 6-3 decision vs. Purdue two years earlier in the Metrodome.

1997: Another barn burner in the now-razed Metrodome saw Billy Dicken play a star role in a 59-43 win.

Dicken hit just 10-of-22 passes but made them count, throwing for 333 yards and five TDs with a 93-yard TD to Brian Alford. Dicken also ran eight times for 44 yards and a score, helping notch another win in Tiller’s magical debut season.

The Boilermakers’ 59 points were the most scored by a Purdue team since a 62-7 victory over Boston University in 1947.

1995: Purdue could not tackle Minnesota RB Chris Darkins, who ran for 294 yards and three TDs in a 39-38 win.

Mike Alstott did what he could, running for 133 yards and three TDs. And Purdue out gained Minnesota, 546-470. Still, Gopher QB Corey Sauter had a 1-yard TD and then hit Ryan Thelwell with a 2-point pass to win it.

2005: Glen Mason finally beat Purdue, ending a seven-game skid vs. the Boilermakers with a 42-35 double OT win.

“Maybe this is payback for all those close games in the past few years,” said Gopher QB Bryan Cupito. “It feels great to win this game. We finally beat Purdue!”

Purdue had a chance to tie the game in the second OT, but Jerod Void was stymied on third-and-1 from the Minnesota 17. Then, TE Charles Davis was unable to haul in QB Brandon Kirsch’s fourth-down pass.

MORE: Opponent view: Minnesota | The 3-2-1: Now hear this–Purdue needs to fix communication breakdown in secondary | Barry Odom: Purdue ‘not good enough’ as Boilers seek answers before Minnesota | First look: Minnesota | First and 10: Purdue-Minnesota