WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue provided the perfect ending to Joe Tiller’s tenure Saturday.
The offense didn’t stop scoring, the defense gave up virtually nothing and Tiller got his hands back on the Old Oaken Bucket.
Curtis Painter threw for 448 yards and five touchdowns, and the Boilermakers scored on their first 10 possessions to roll past archrival Indiana 62-10 — matching the largest victory margin in Ross-Ade Stadium history set twice before, all under Tiller.
Yes, it looked look a throwback to his early days in West Lafayette when Big Ten defenses were confounded by the innovative spread offense.
This time, Purdue (4-8, 2-6) produced the fourth-highest point total in this 111-game rivalry and the most lopsided victory margin since a 64-point win in 1893.
It was flawless.
Painter opened the game with a 9-yard TD pass to Desmond Tardy, followed that with a 79-yard TD pass to Aaron Valentin and then the Boilermakers recovered a pooch kick that Indiana (3-9, 1-7) couldn’t get to. That miscue led to a 24-yard field goal from Carson Wiggs to make it 17-0 just 8:54 into the game, and the rout was on.
Purdue was just getting started.
Before the quarter ended, Painter hooked up with Brandon Whittington for a 5-yard TD and before the half ended, Kory Sheets had two more scoring runs. That gave Sheets the school’s single-season record for rushing touchdowns (15), and he added No. 16 in the third quarter.
Indiana’s first score came when a 68-yard kickoff return set up Austin Starr’s 27-yard field goal.
But it was 41-3 at the half.
Purdue added two more touchdowns in the third quarter, and the game was so lopsided Purdue’s defensive players danced on the field between the third and fourth quarters.
The Hoosiers’ only touchdown came on Kellen Lewis’ 16-yard pass to Ray Fisher to make it 55-10.
Painter responded with an 18-yard TD pass to Keith Smith.
Sheets finished with 15 carries for 61 yards, passing Otis Armstrong for second on the school’s career rushing list. Painter was 38-of-54 and moved into third on the Big Ten’s career list for total offense.
Smith caught 12 passes for 136 yards, while Tardy had nine receptions for 114 yards.
And Tiller finished his career with 87 wins, three more than Jack Mollenkopf’s previous school record.
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