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WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (Ticker) -- After a subpar game last week, Drew Brees came back with Heisman Trophy-like numbers today. Brees threw for 409 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as No. 21 Purdue rebounded from a tough loss with a 38-24 victory over Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams. Brees, who posted career-low numbers in attempts and completions in a two-point loss to Notre Dame, bounced back to complete 33-of-49 passes for the sixth 400-yard passing game of his career and second this season. He also had 12 carries for a career-high and team-leading 88 yards, including an 11-yard score in the fourth quarter. In addition, Brees broke the school record for most career touchdown passes with 73, surpassing Mark Herrmann, and also set Big Ten records for career completions (820) and attempts (1,325). "We throw so much, those things are going to come," Brees said. "I guess I get more satisfaction from the completions record because if I'm completing passes, I'm doing my job." Purdue (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) stormed to a 24-3 halftime lead and recorded its fifth straight win over Minnesota and fourth straight win in a conference opener. But the Boilermakers await a tough conference slate which includes road games at Wisconsin and Michigan State and home games against Ohio State and Michigan. "We're a better football team than we were a month ago," Purdue coach Joe Tiller said. "We left the game in good shape physically, and that's important in a conference as tough as the Big Ten." Travis Cole, who replaced freshman quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq late in the first half, went 17-of-27 for 180 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (2-2, 0-1), which has not won at Purdue since 1990. "It makes it pretty difficult when you go into halftime with a score like that," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said. "When you're that far behind, sometimes the bottom just kind of falls out." Abdul-Khaliq was benched after completing 5-of-12 passes for 34 yards. Purdue outgained the Golden Gophers, 357-85, in the first half. The Boilermakers took a 7-0 lead with 3:17 left in the first quarter as Brees connected with Vinny Sutherland on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Brees engineered a seven-play, 72-yard early in the second quarter which resulted in an eight-yard scoring pass to A.T. Simpson. After forcing Minnesota to go three-and-out, Purdue grabbed a 17-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Travis Dorsch. The Golden Gophers again went three and out, and the Boilermakers marched 59 yards on nine plays as Steve Ennis ran it in from one yard out to give Purdue a 24-0 cushion with 2:29 remaining in the second quarter. The only score of the first half for Minnesota was a career-long 52-yard field goal by Dan Nystrom with 45 seconds left. Brees tried to engineer a last-minute score as he marched his team 73 yards downfield, but a 24-yard field goal try by Dorsch hit the right upright as time expired. Brees went 23-for-33 for 299 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and added 42 yards on the ground, while Sutherland had six catches for 96 yards. The Boilermakers scored on their opening drive of the second half as Ennis ran in from three yards out. Minnesota capitalized on a fumble recovery to cut Purdue's lead to 31-10 on a two-yard touchdown run by freshman Thomas Tapeh with 4:13 left in the third quarter. The Golden Gophers came within 14 points in the fourth quarter on a three-yard pass from Cole to Ben Utecht. But Brees showed his ability on the ground, carrying three times for 31 yards, including his 11-yard touchdown run with 3:06 remaining which put the game out of reach. Tim Stratton added nine catches for 105 yards for Purdue, which outgained Minnesota, 531-269. Montrell Lowe had 66 yards on 16 carries.
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