Ohio State Rallies to Top Purdue, 42-14
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Ohio State scored 42 straight points after trailing 14-0 to spoil Purdue's homecoming. John Reeves hit Isaac Jones for an 86-yard touchdown on the Boilermakers' third play from scrimmage. On its next possession after forcing the Buckeyes to punt, Purdue scored on its first play -- a 55-yard TD from Reeves to Brian Alford -- and led by two touchdowns. But Ohio State stormed back with two TDs to tie the score at the break: an 11-yard pass from Stanley Jackson to Dimitrious Stanley and a 26-yard run by Pepe Pearson. OSU's defense shut down the Boilermakers in the second half, while the offense scored four TDs (two in the third and two in the fourth). Purdue had a season-high five turnovers (three INTs and two fumbles), while OSU had two. Purdue outgained OSU (414-381) and each team had 16 first downs. The game featured 19 punts (10 by Purdue). Pearson led all rushers with 152 yards, including a 64-yard TD in the fourth. True freshman Donald Winston led Purdue with 49 yards on only one carry. Purdue's Chike Okeafor led all defenders with 14 tackles.
GAME NOTES: Purdue had two receivers catch more than 100 yards of passes: Brian Alford had eight for 120 yards, and Isaac Jones had three for 102 yards (Willie Tillman added five catches for 88 yards)...John Reeves passed for a career-high 342 yards...Donald Winston's 49-yard run tied the team's longest of the season (also done by Edwin Watson)...Rosevelt Coleman had four tackles for loss (for -16 yards).
OHIO STATE 42, PURDUE 14
Game 7, Oct. 19, 1996(Attendance -- 58,323)
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Purdue 14 0 0 0 -- 14
Ohio State 7 7 14 14 -- 42
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
PU: Jones 86-yard pass from Reeves (Arnce kick), 10:55
PU: Alford 55-yard pass from Reeves (Arnce kick), 9:38
OSU: Stanley 11-yard pass from S. Jackson (J. Jackson kick), :28
Second Quarter
OSU: Pearson 26-yard run (J. Jackson kick), 12:12
Third Quarter
OSU: S. Jackson 9-yard run (J. Jackson kick), 12:32
OSU: Keller 63-yard pass from S. Jackson (J. Jackson kick), 3:03
Fourth Quarter
OSU: Pearson 64-yard run (J. Jackson kick), 13:44
OSU: Kelly 79-yard fumble return (J. Jackson kick), 2:39
TEAM STATATISTICS PU OSU
First Downs 16 16
Net Yards Rushing 34-72 39-155
Net Yards Passing 342 226
Passes (Att.-Comp.-Int.) 40-20-3 33-15-2
Total Net Yards 74-414 72-381
Possession Time 27:15 32:45
Punts 10-40.3 9-46.6
Penalties 6-50 6-55
Third Down Conversions 4-16 5-15
Total Turnovers 5 2
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing--Purdue: Winston 1-49, Watson 16-32, Matthews 4-(-2), Reeves
13-(-7). Ohio State: Pearson 26-152, Montgomery 4-10, Jackson 7-6,
Germaine 1-(-6), Wiley 1-(-7).
Passing--Purdue: Reeves 40-20-3 (2 TDs), 342. Ohio State: Jackson
22-9-1 (2 TDs), 162; Germaine 11-6-1 (0 TD), 64.
Receiving--Purdue: Alford 8-120, Tillman 5-88, Jones 3-102, Sanders
1-(-4), Watson 1-8, Jewell 1-21, R. Johnson 1-7. Ohio State: Stanley
5-59, Boston 4-62, Lumpkin 2-24, Keller 2-70, Pearson 1-6, Tillman
1-5.
Tackle Leaders--Purdue: Okeafor 14, Koeppen 9, Hagins 8, Williams 6,
Winston 6. Ohio State: Katzenmoyer 8, Bellisari 7, Vrabel 7, Springs
6.