1987 Purdue Boilermakers football team

American college football season

1987 Purdue Boilermakers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record3–7–1 (3–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
  • Fred Akers (1st season)
Offensive coordinatorBob Stanley (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorPhil Bennett (1st season)
MVPAnthony Hardy
CaptainMike Connors, Anthony Hardy, Fred Strickland
Home stadiumRoss–Ade Stadium
Seasons
← 1986
1988 →
1987 Big Ten Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 8 Michigan State $ 7 – 0 – 1 9 – 2 – 1
No. 16 Iowa 6 – 2 – 0 10 – 3 – 0
Indiana 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
No. 19 Michigan 5 – 3 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
Ohio State 4 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 1
Minnesota 3 – 5 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Purdue 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 1
Illinois 2 – 5 – 1 3 – 7 – 1
Northwestern 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 1
Wisconsin 1 – 7 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1987 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Fred Akers, the Boilermakers compiled an overall record of 3–7–1 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the Big Ten. Purdue played home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendance
September 12at No. 12 Washington*L 10–2870,492
September 19Louisville*T 22–2263,125
September 26No. 8 Notre Dame*
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)
L 20–4468,526
October 3at MinnesotaL 19–2149,376
October 10Illinois
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)
W 9–359,483
October 17No. 17 Ohio State
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
L 17–2066,501
October 24at IowaL 14–3867,700
October 31Wisconsindagger
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 49–1460,267
November 7at No. 15 Michigan State
L 3–4576,933
November 14Northwestern
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 20–1550,468
November 21at No. 20 IndianaL 14–3551,951
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[1]

Personnel

1987 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB Doug Downing
RB James Medlock
WR Calvin Williams So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K Jonathan Briggs
P, QB Shawn McCarthy So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Preseason

Jeff George transferred following the hiring of Fred Akers as head coach, who had recently been fired from Texas.

Game summaries

At Washington

Louisville

  • James Medlock 25 rushes, 126 yards

Notre Dame

At Minnesota

Illinois

  • James Medlock 33 rushes, 131 yards

Ohio State

#17 Ohio State Buckeyes (3–1–1) at Purdue Boilermakers (1–3–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
Ohio St 7 10 0320
Purdue 0 0 10717

at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana

  • Date: October 17, 1987
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Overcast, 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,501
  • Referee: John Nealon
  • TV: Raycom
  • Box Score
Team Category Player Statistics
Ohio St Passing Tom Tupa 8/16, 174 Yds, TD
Rushing James Bryant 23 Rush, 77 Yds
Receiving Vince Workman 4 Rec, 88 Yds, TD
Purdue Passing Doug Downing 20/26, 218 Yds, 2 TD, INT
Rushing James Medlock 17 Rush, 44 Yds
Receiving Calvin Williams 8 Rec, 107 Yds, 2 TD
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP OSU PU
1 5:30 9 66 4:10 Ohio St Vince Workman 36-yard touchdown reception from Tom Tupa, Matt Frantz kick good 7 0
2 4:45 2 9 0:42 Ohio St Tom Tupa 6-yard touchdown run, Matt Frantz kick good 14 0
2 0:22 8 47 1:25 Ohio St 18-yard field goal by Matt Frantz 17 0
3 6:33 13 65 6:44 Purdue 25-yard field goal by Jonathan Briggs 17 3
3 1:00 7 74 1:32 Purdue Calvin Williams 10-yard touchdown reception from Doug Downing, Jonathan Briggs kick good 17 10
4 13:09 3 38 0:57 Purdue Calvin Williams 30-yard touchdown reception from Doug Downing, Jonathan Briggs kick good 17 17
4 3:10 6 35 3:13 Ohio St 50-yard field goal by Matt Frantz 20 17
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 20 17

At Iowa

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Badgers at Purdue Boilermakers
Period 1 2 34Total
Wisconsin 0 7 7014
Purdue 14 14 02149

at Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana

  • Date: October 31
  • Game attendance: 60,267
  • [2]
Game information
  • PUR - Myles 4 yard run (Briggs kick)
  • PUR - Moore 34 yard pass from McCarthy (Briggs kick)
  • PUR - Myles 2 yard run (Briggs kick)
  • WIS - Bestor 17 yard pass from Keyes (Gregoire kick)
  • PUR - Hardy 37 yard pass from Mascheck (Briggs kick)
  • WIS - Artley 2 yard run (Gregoire kick)
  • PUR - Hardy 42 yard pass from McCarthy (Briggs kick)
  • PUR - C. Williams 9 yard pass from McCarthy (Briggs kick)
  • PUR - Myles 4 yard run (Briggs kick)
Purdue
  • Shawn McCarthy 20/31, 333 yards

At Michigan State

Northwestern

1 2 3 4 Total
Northwestern 0 6 9 0 15
Purdue 14 3 0 3 20

[3]

At Indiana

References

  1. ^ "2022 Purdue Football Record Book" (PDF). Purdue University Athletics. p. 91. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  2. ^ Gainesville Sun. 1987 Nov 01. Retrieved 2019-Apr-10.
  3. ^ Gainesville Sun. 1987 Nov 15. Retrieved 2019-Jan-06.
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