Winning Winning: Boilers Finish '11 over .500

Today's bowl game seemed to be more important in the broader sense for the program than just what happened on the field.  As we've said for  a long time and as readers reiterated via Twitter and here, a .500 team from the B1G should beat a MAC team. Period.  And while the game leaves us with a slightly-sweet taste in our mouths to savor until Spring football, it had some putrid flavors as well.

I worried about Purdue's DBs and DEs struggling against WMU's pass-happy offense...they did; to the tune of allowing WMU's Carder to pass for 439 yards and three TDs.  I was concerned about stupid penalties and generally-stupid play killing my Boilers...it did.  But, I was wrong about the outcome; thankfully.  Purdue had a double-digit lead at the half and kept the Broncos down for most of the half by a similar margin, but after a few great plays followed by bone-headed situational awareness, Purdue put WMU in a position to win in the closing half.

First, in the third quarter, as Purdue held a commanding lead of 34-18, Gerald Gooden intercepted a WMU pass and headed up the sideline while palming the ball with his left hand like a mini basketball.  Instead of putting WMU away, Gooden's lack of situational awareness gave the ball back and WMU scored minutes later making the game 34-25.

In the fourth quarter, it was de ja vu all over again as Ryan Russell picked up a fumble and ran about 30 yards before losing a fumble at around midfield.  The result was WMU scored a few minutes later and made the game a 37-32 game; Purdue held onto that five point for the victory.