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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) -
Kory Sheets
broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run with a minute left in the game to lift Purdue to a 32-25 victory over Central Michigan
on Saturday.
Central Michigan (2-2) appeared set to pull off an upset after taking a 25-24 lead with 1:18 to go on a 6-yard touchdown pass
by
Dan LeFevour
followed by a 2-point conversion pass to
Antonio Brown
.
But the Boilermakers (2-1) got a 39-yard kickoff return from
Desmond Tardy
and the Chippewas were hit with a 15-yard facemask penalty. On first down, Sheets took a handoff from
Curtis Painter
, made a cut that faked out several defenders and raced into the end zone. Painter followed with a 2-point conversion pass
to
Greg Orton
.
Purdue's
Dwight Mclean
intercepted a pass by LeFevour with 27.7 seconds left to clinch the win for Purdue against a pesky Mid-American Conference
opponent.
After LeFevour's 6-yard TD pass to
Ontario Sneed
brought Central Michigan within a point at 24-23, Chippewas coach Butch Jones opted to go for two points. The 2-point pass
completion to Brown was reviewed before officials ruled it a catch, rather than a trap.
Sheets' game-winning TD gave him the school record for career touchdowns. His total of 43 surpassed Mike Alstott, who scored
42 from 1992-1995. Sheets finished with 91 yards on 17 carries.
The win also gave Purdue coach Joe Tiller the school record for career wins. His 85 victories tops the previous mark of 84
set by Jack Mollenkopf from 1956-1969.
It was the third meeting between the teams in 13 months. Purdue won 45-22 last September, then won again 51-48 in the Motor
City Bowl.
Painter, who threw for a school record 546 yards in the Motor City Bowl win, passed for 261 yards and a touchdown Saturday.
LeFevour passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns and ran 24 times for 112 yards and another score.
With the score tied at 10 in the third quarter, Purdue's
Mike Neal
hit LeFevour as he threw and forced the ball to pop into the air.
Frank Duong
intercepted the wobbly pass and raced 58 yards for a touchdown to give the Boilermakers a 17-10 lead.
LeFevour scored on a 12-yard run early in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 17.
Painter came up big on Purdue's next possession. On a third-and-10, he found
Aaron Valentin
on a slant pattern, and he broke away for a 57-yard gain. Painter found Tardy for a 2-yard touchdown with 7:34 left, and the
Boilermakers took a 24-17 lead.
Purdue could have put the game away, but on a third-and-1 at the Purdue 49, Painter fumbled the snap, recovered and tried
to drive for the first down. Central Michigan's
LaVarus Williams
stripped Painter, and
Sean Murnane
recovered to give the Chippewas another chance. That led to Sneed's touchdown.
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