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SAN ANTONIO (Dec 31, 1997
- 00:48 EST) - Billy Dicken passed for 325 yards, and No. 17 Purdue
scored three touchdowns in the third quarter on the way to a 33-20
victory over No. 24 Oklahoma State on Tuesday night in the Alamo Bowl.
After a low-scoring first half, Purdue pulled away from underdog
Oklahoma State in the lively third quarter, extending a 10-6 lead to
30-13 with 3:52 left in the period. Dicken completed 18 of 34 passes,
including two touchdown passes and three interceptions. His 325 passing
yards set a record for the 5-year-old Alamo Bowl, which is sponsored by
Builders Square. It also was the highest-scoring game in Alamo Bowl
history.
Purdue opened the second half with a touchdown after gaining control of
the ball when Adrian Beasley intercepted Tony Lindsay's pass and ran 36
yards to the Oklahoma State 6. Dicken ran in from the 1 for a touchdown,
and the Boilermakers led 16-6 with 12:02 left. Shane Ryan's point-after
kick missed after the ball was moved back 15 yards because of a personal
foul.
Oklahoma State sent backup quarterback Chris Chaloupka into the game on
the next drive, and the Cowboys answered with a touchdown of their own
with 9:01 left in the quarter. Jamaal Fobbs ran the ball in from 21
yards, capping an 80-yard drive and closing the Cowboys to 16-13. As
Oklahoma State was kicking the extra point, a man clad only in skimpy
blue underwear dashed onto the field and was tackled by two police
officers in the opposite end zone. The Alamodome crowd of 55,552 cheered
as he was led away in handcuffs.
The Boilermakers then responded with a 60-yard pass play from Dicken to
Ed Watson, who moved the ball to the Oklahoma State 16. Vinny
Sutherland's 16-yard run gave Purdue a 23-13 lead with 7:34 left in the
third period (video). Purdue scored on its next possession on a 69-yard pass
from Dicken to Chris Daniels, an Alamo Bowl record for longest
reception (video). The touchdown gave Purdue a 30-13 lead with 3:52 left in the
quarter.
The Boilermakers upped their lead to 33-13 early in the fourth with a
37-yard field goal by Ryan. The Cowboys scored the final touchdown with
only 55 seconds left in the game as R.W. McQuarters scored on a 17-yard
pass from Lindsay.
Oklahoma State got on the scoreboard first with a 34-yard field goal by
Tim Sydnes in the first quarter. Purdue turned the ball over on its next
possession when Kevin Williams of Oklahoma State intercepted Dicken's
pass in the end zone. Beasley intercepted for Purdue two plays later,
and the Boilermakers scored on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Dicken to
Brian Alford to lead 7-3 with 1:19 left in the quarter.
The Cowboys moved to within a point of Purdue late in the second quarter
on a 22-yard field goal by Sydnes. A 42-yard field goal by Ryan 10
seconds before halftime made it 10-6.
The Alamo Bowl capped a surprise season for both teams. Each team was
8-3 entering the game, and both squads upset big-name opponents and
surpassed early expectations during the season. Purdue finished the
regular season in a three-way tie for second in the Big 10, achieving
its first winning record and bowl appearance since 1984. Oklahoma State
ended in a second-place tie in the South Division of the Big 12 and made
it to its first bowl game since 1988. |
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Attendance- 55,552
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
OSU- FG Sydnes 34
PU- Alford 18 pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)
Second Quarter
OSU- FG Sydnes 22
PU- FG Ryan 42
Third Quarter
PU- Dicken 1 run (kick failed)
OSU- Fobbs 21 run (Sydnes kick)
PU- Sutherland 16 run (Ryan kick)
PU- Daniels 69 pass from Dicken (Ryan kick)
Fourth Quarter
PU- FG Ryan 37
OSU- McQuarters 17 pass from Lindsay (Sydnes kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing
PU- Dicken 8-43, Watson 13-41, Sutherland 2-38
OSU- Fobbs 11-82, Lindsay 12-61, Aikins 2-17
Passing
PU- Dicken 18-34-325
OSU- Lindsay 9-18-111, Chaloupka 8-17-95
Receiving
PU- Watson 5-102, Alford 4-61, Jones 3-27, Blackman 2-33, Daniels 1-69
OSU- Brown 4-52, McQuarters 4-43, Love 3-35, Steggs 2-30, Aikins 2-27,
Fobbs 2-19
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