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MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Drew Brees had some help, and it came from Montrell Lowe. Brees threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns and Lowe rushed for 127 yards and a pair of scores to lead the 22nd-ranked Boilermakers past Minnesota, 33-28, in the Big Ten Conference. The expected high-scoring affair finally unfolded late, with 35 of the game's points coming in the final quarter. Brees threw a 51-yard pass to Vinny Sutherland to set up a one-yard TD run by Lowe that gave Purdue a 26-14 lead with 11:03 left. The Heisman Trophy candidate added an eight-yard scoring strike to Randall Lane to make it 33-21 seven minutes later. "This guy has a way of spoiling us," Purdue coach Joe Tiller said, "In the second half, I thought he turned up the dial from the intensity standpoint. He seemed to be a litte more focused, and a little more intense on the sidelines." Purdue, a last-second loser to second-ranked Penn State last week, won for just the second time in five games, improving to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. Brees completed 28 of 41 passes and was not intercepted. Chris Daniels caught 13 passes for 101 yards for the Boilermakers, who did not commit a turnover. "No turnovers is always nice, especially through the air," Brees said. Thomas Hamner of Minnesota rushed for 127 yards on 28 carries, passing the century mark for the fifth straight game. It was the second straight close loss to a ranked team for Minnesota (5-3, 2-3), which was edged by Ohio State last week. "Like I've told my team, I'm starting to sound like a broken record," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said of losing another close game. "Today was one heck of a football game." Purdue defeated Minnesota for the fourth straight time, including a 56-21 decision last season, when Brees threw for a career-best 522 yards. The previous six games between the teams have averaged 85.6 points. Brees started strong, completing six of seven passes on a 83-yard, game-opening drive that ended with an 11-yard scoring strike to tight end Tim Stratton. The Gophers, ranked second nationally in passing defense, stiffened up the rest of the first half, allowing only a 30-yard field goal to Travis Dorsch. The Boilermakers did all the scoring in the third quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Dorsch and a two-yard TD run by Lowe. Minnesota cut the deficit to 19-14 on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Billy Cockerham early in the fourth quarter. But Purdue responded quickly on the one-yard TD run by Lowe. Less than two minutes later, Hamner exploded on a 60-yard TD run to pull the Gophers within 26-21, but Lane later responded with a one-handed catch in the end zone. Cockerham capped the scoring with a 12-yard TD pass to Ron Johnson with 2:38 left. Cockerham completed 13-of-24 passes for 179 yards. Hamner scored Minnesota's first TD on a nine-yard run 28 seconds into the second quarter.
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