Western Michigan came oh so close to making a statement for the Mid-American Conference.
A victory over a Big Ten team—even a 6-6 Purdue team—would have been a huge win for the program.
But the Boilermakers held on after causing a fumble on the final drive, which was one of six Western Michigan turnovers, for a 37-32 win in the Little Caesars Bowl.
While the game was sloppy, it was also filled with gadget plays and two successful Purdue onside kicks.
Western struck first with a successful 49-yard flea flicker from Alex Carder to Jordan White. Then the Broncos followed that with a fake PAT for two points to take an 8-0 lead.
WMU wanted to run its fast-paced spread offense, but turnovers and Purdue’s ability to control the ball limited the Broncos’ offensive continuity…especially in the first half. That’s not to take away from Alex Carder’s 439-yard passing performance, which also included three touchdowns.
But he had four interceptions and was stripped of the ball in that final drive to win the game.
So the big day goes to Purdue running back Akeem Shavers. He finished with 149 yards on 22 carries while replacing the injured Ralph Bolden. Or maybe it should go to Purdue coach Danny Hope, who was fearless in his play calling and looked like a guy who just signed a contract extension.
Of course this would have been a program-changing win for Western Michigan, but don’t underestimate how important this victory was for Hope and the Boilermakers. Securing a winning season and getting a bowl win for the Big Ten are both a good start.
On a personal note, I would have enjoyed seeing more of Robert Marve at quarterback for the Boilermakers.
Marve was a stud coming out of Tampa Plant High School, and was a key to the Miami Hurricanes’ recruiting class in 2007. But a car accident and discipline problems cut his time in Coral Gables short. He finally landed at Purdue, which was a school he originally considered coming out of high school.
But his time at Purdue has been marred by injuries.
He saw limited action in Detroit and was 6 of 7 for 76 yards with a 1-yard scoring pass in the first quarter.
Yep, this was a bowl game of two 7-6 teams and I enjoyed every minute of it.
