Michigan
5-5 , 1-5
Purdue
4-6 , 3-3
Michigan Stalls in Second Half, Falls to Purdue
11/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: Purdue 36, Michigan 34
Record: U-M (5-5, 1-5 Big Ten), Purdue (4-6, 3-3 Big Ten)
Attendance: 108,543
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Nov. 14 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 11 a.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Despite senior running back Brandon Minor (Richmond, Va./Varina) rushing for 154 yards and three touchdowns and sophomore/freshman slot receiver Roy Roundtree (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) catching 10 passes for 126 yards, Purdue overcame a 24-10 second-half deficit to hand the University of Michigan football team a 38-36 defeat on Saturday (Nov. 7) at Michigan Stadium.
Minor had a career game against the Boilermakers, producing two-thirds of Michigan's rushing yards as he ran for 154 yards and tied a career best with three touchdowns on 19 carries. Just 48 seconds into the second quarter, Minor had already rushed 101 yards for his sixth career 100-yard game.
Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) completed 15-of-24 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown pass, adding 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Roundtree led Michigan in the air, collecting 10 passes for a career-high 126 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Darryl Stonum (Stafford, Texas/Dulles) recorded two lengthy kickoff returns (55 and 54 yards), setting up touchdown drives in both instances and setting the U-M season record for kickoff-return yardage in the process.
Senior linebacker Stevie Brown (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) led Michigan's defensive efforts with nine tackles, including one for loss. Other notable Wolverines on defense included junior/sophomore safety Mike Williams (Santa Yuez, Calif./St. Bonaventure) with seven tackles, junior cornerback Donovan Warren (Long Beach, Calif./Polytechnic) with six tackles and an interception -- his fourth of the season -- and sophomore linebacker J.B. Fitzgerald (Princeton Junction, N.J./West Windsor Plainsboro) with five tackles, including two for loss.
Purdue took an early 7-0 lead on a 35-yard reception by running back Ralph Bolden 1:45 into the game, capping the Boilermakers' 80-yard opening drive.
Michigan responded with a touchdown of its own on the ensuing 81-yard drive. On a Michigan third-and-15, Roundtree and Purdue linebacker Jason Werner got their hands on Forcier's 26-yard pass down the middle, but Roundtree was able to wrestle the football away from Werner as they both fell to the turf to keep the series alive. Three snaps later, Minor started running left before cutting back and breaking multiple tackles to sprint 29 yards into the end zone. A crushing block by Roundtree opened up the right backfield, allowing Minor to leap over the goal line for a team-best sixth rushing touchdown of the season.
Senior defensive end Brandon Graham (Detroit, Mich./Crockett Technical) snuck up behind the Purdue quarterback seven plays into the next series, bringing Joey Elliott down at the Michigan 25 and forcing the Boilermakers to settle for a 41-yard field goal to regain the lead, 10-7.
The Wolverines quickly responded, tacking on three points of their own to even the game at 10 points apiece. Stonum returned the subsequent kickoff for a career-high 55 yards, but Michigan was unable to get a touchdown in the six-play possession. Fifth-year senior placekicker Jason Olesnavage (Ferndale, Mich./Ferndale) managed to split the uprights for a career-best 51-yard field goal.
A Michigan defender tipped Elliott's throw on Purdue's second-and-11, enabling junior/sophomore linebacker Kevin Leach (Kentwood, Mich./Grand Rapids Catholic Central) to pick off the pass in Purdue's third drive of the quarter at the U-M 27-yard mark. On the first snap in the second quarter, Minor ran at the left guard and then charged 55 yards down the left sideline for a career-long run and his second touchdown of the contest.
After the Maize and Blue defense forced Purdue to punt, Michigan marched 92 yards down the field in eight plays. Forcier once again connected down the middle with a wide-open Roundtree, who broke from an attempted tackle for a 43-yard touchdown to extend Michigan's lead to 24-10, which stood heading into halftime.
Purdue cornerback Brandon King forced a fumble at the Michigan 19-yard line and the Boilermakers made sure to take advantage of the prime field position, scoring a 19-yard rushing touchdown by Bolden.
Stonum returned the following kickoff for 54 yards, placing the Wolverines at Purdue's 46. Six plays into the series, Forcier faked a handoff to Minor and then darted at the right guard, pushing past a Purdue defender for the touchdown. The kick attempt for the extra point sailed wide, leaving the score at 30-17.
The combined efforts of Elliott, Bolden and wide receiver Keith Smith pushed the Boilermakers 91 yards down the field, with Bolden recording his second rushing touchdown of the quarter to make it a 30-24 difference. Much to the surprise of the Maize and Blue, Purdue recovered an onside kick on the subsequent play to spot the Boilermakers at their own 46-yard line. Elliott then threw a 54-yard bomb to wide receiver Cortez Smith, giving Purdue a narrow 31-30 advantage late in the third quarter.
Michigan opened the fourth quarter with a 53-yard drive spanning 10 plays, but Olesnavage's 48-yard field goal attempt sailed wide of the left post. Purdue used the change in momentum to its advantage as Elliott dashed eight yards into the end zone, extending the Boilermakers' lead to 38-30.
The Wolverines had a glimmer of hope when junior/sophomore wide receiver Junior Hemingway (Conway, S.C./Conway) returned Purdue's punt 37 yards to the Boilermakers' 11. Three plays later, Minor bulldozed his way through the middle and into the end zone. The Maize and Blue went for the two-point conversion to tie but was unsuccessful and the score remained 38-36.
The Wolverines travel to Madison, Wis., next Saturday (Nov. 14) to face Wisconsin in their last road game of the regular season. The game is slated to start at 11 a.m. CST and will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
Team Stats
PUR 7, MICH 0
PUR - Bolden, Ralph 35 yd pass from Elliott, Joey (Wiggs, Carson kick) 4 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:45
PUR 7, MICH 7
MICH - Minor, Brandon 29 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 7 plays, 81 yards, TOP 2:22
PUR 10, MICH 7
PUR - Wiggs, Carson 41 yd field goal 8 plays, 53 yards, TOP 3:11
PUR 10, MICH 10
MICH - Olesnavage, J. 51 yd field goal 6 plays, 6 yards, TOP 1:40
PUR 10, MICH 17
MICH - Minor, Brandon 55 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 6 plays, 73 yards, TOP 2:27
PUR 10, MICH 24
MICH - Roundtree, Roy 43 yd pass from Forcier, Tate (Olesnavage, J. kick) 8 plays, 92 yards, TOP 2:50
PUR 17, MICH 24
PUR - Bolden, Ralph 19 yd run (Wiggs, Carson kick), 1 plays, 19 yards, TOP 0:08
PUR 17, MICH 30
MICH - Forcier, Tate 6 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kickfailed), 6 plays, 46 yards, TOP 1:56
PUR 24, MICH 30
PUR - Bolden, Ralph 10 yd run (Wiggs, Carson kick), 14 plays, 91 yards, TOP 6:29
PUR 31, MICH 30
PUR - Smith, Cortez 54 yd pass from Elliott, Joey (Wiggs, Carson kick) 1 plays, 54 yards, TOP 0:09
PUR 38, MICH 30
PUR - Elliott, Joey 8 yd run (Wiggs, Carson kick), 4 plays, 69 yards, TOP 2:07
PUR 38, MICH 36
MICH - Minor, Brandon 1 yd run (Forcier, Tate rushfailed), 4 plays, 11 yards, TOP 1:21
