If this 87th annual Rose Bowl was going to become a shootout, certainly many in the capacity crowd of 94,392 would put their money on quarterback Drew Brees and the high-powered Purdue offense.
This was a day made for long spirals and points galore. The temperature at kickoff was 72 degrees on a glorious, sun-splashed Southern California afternoon, with barely a breeze to alter any airborne deliveries.
Washington opened the third quarter with a field goal. Purdue responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Vinny Sutherland, and Washington came right back with another field goal.
The onus was back on the Drew Crew. But instead of lighting it up, the Boilermakers went three plays and out. Twice. Then all the Boilermakers could do was watch as the physically imposing Huskies of the Pac-10 powered their way to a 34-24 victory over the Big Ten champions, snapping the conference’s four-game Rose Bowl winning streak.
“That was a disastrous quarter for us,” Purdue coach Joe Tiller said of the fateful third. “Our defense did the job today, but it was our offense that underperformed.”
That inefficiency led to a lopsided time of possession in the second half. No. 4-ranked Washington (11-1) had the football for 23 minutes 29 seconds to a mere 6:31 for No. 14 Purdue (8-4).
“It’s very hard for a defense to stay on the field [practically] an entire quarter,” said Brees, who completed 23-of-39 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns in his final college performance. “Our goal is to give the defense a rest and to score points. We didn’t do that. On those two third-down plays in the third quarter, both completions came up short. We have to know where the first-down sticks are.”
After Washington kicker John Anderson’s second field goal–from 42 yards–gave Washington a 20-17 lead, the Huskies took control.
Quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, who left the game briefly at the end of the third quarter after jamming his right shoulder, hooked up with 6-foot-3-inch receiver Todd Elstrom on an 8-yard fade pattern, the touchdown victimizing 5-7 cornerback Chris Clopton early in the fourth quarter.
On Purdue’s ensuing possession, Washington strong safety Greg Carothers made perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game. He stripped the ball from running back Montrell Lowe and recovered the fumble. Running back Willie Hurst began finding gaping holes as he followed the blocking of 6-5, 335-pound Chad Ward and 6-7, 320-pound Elliot Silvers. Hurst’s 8-yard TD run with 7:25 left in the game made it 34-17.
It was sweet vindication for Hurst, a backup tailback who found himself in coach Rick Neuheisel’s office looking for more playing time last year. “In life, we all go through adversity,” Hurst said. “I wanted to prove to Coach that I belonged in the game. I’ve never been one to run from adversity.”
Rose Bowl player of the game Tuiasosopo (213 yards total offense, one TD run, one TD pass) ran into a little adversity of his own.
Purdue had closed to 34-24 after Sedrick Brown broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run with 6:37 to go.
On the Huskies’ next possession, Tuiasosopo turned the corner on the quarterback option and was heading for a big gain when he suddenly pitched the ball back to Elstrom. The toss went awry, and Purdue cornerback Ashante Woodyard pounced on it.
Here was another opportunity for Brees to work his late-game magic. Instead, the Huskies’ defense, led by nose tackle Larry Triplett, strong safety Hakim Akbar and linebacker Derrell Daniels, clamped down. When Travis Dorsch missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt, Washington began to think about the bigger picture.
Because the Huskies beat No. 2 Miami, which beat No. 3 Florida State, there is a way for Washington to lay claim to a national title. It would take Florida beating Miami in Tuesday’s Sugar Bowl and Florida State topping No. 1 Oklahoma in Wednesday’s Orange Bowl.
Neuheisel couldn’t pass up a chance to lobby for his team.
“We’d love to be national champions, but it’s been my experience that by saying things louder than anyone, you’re not going to sway the vote,” the Huskies’ second-year coach said. “The voters got a chance to see us play today.”
Washington scored on its opening possession, going 64 yards in 10 plays with Braxton Cleman getting the touchdown on a 1-yard run. When Purdue long snapper Tim Stratton sent one sailing over the head of punter Scott Kurz, the Huskies took over at the Boilermakers’ 25. Tuiasosopo covered the distance in two runs, the second for 5 yards and a touchdown. Brees hit Sutherland with a 5-yard TD pass, and Dorsch’s 26-yard field goal made it 14-10 at halftime.
Tuiasosopo “is a warrior, the absolute epitome of what a quarterback should be,” Neuheisel said. “He’s everything you could ask for as a person, a player and a leader, and I can’t wait to watch him play on Sundays.”
He’ll also enjoy watching Purdue’s quarterback.
“I’d like to single out Drew Brees,” Neuheisel said. “He’s everything as advertised. He’s had a marvelous college career, and it’s been great to witness it.”
