Purdue slips past Arizona for high-scoring bowl win
The Sports Xchange
Dec 28, 2017
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A 38-yard touchdown pass from Elijah Sindelar to Anthony Mahoungou with 1:44 left in the fourth quarter provided the winning points in Purdue's 38-35 victory over Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl on Wednesday night at Levi's Stadium.
Purdue safety Jacob Thieneman then intercepted a pass by Arizona's Khalil Tate to put the game way.
Purdue (7-6) finishes the year with a three-game winning streak to post its first winning season since 2011 and its second in the past 10 years.
Tate, who gained national attention this season for his running ability, had only 58 yards on 20 carries, but completed 17 of 26 passes for 302 yards and five touchdowns with the one interception.
Arizona (7-6) ends the season on a three-game losing streak. The Wildcats, who entered the game ranked third nationally in rushing at 324.4 yards per game, had a season-low 128 yards on the ground.
Sindelar completed 33 of 53 passes for 396 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, which came on a tipped pass. Gregory Phillips had 14 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns for the Boilermakers, who held a 17-point halftime lead.
Mahoungou made six catches for 118 yards and two scores.
The Wildcats reduced a 31-14 halftime deficit to 31-21 on a 40-yard scoring pass from Tate of Tony Ellison early in the third period.
Arizona got closer when an interception by Scottie Young Jr. paved the way for Tate's 40-yard touchdown throw to Tyrell Johnson. The TD made it a 31-28 game with 6:31 to go in the third quarter.
Arizona took a 35-31 lead with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter when Tate found Shun Brown wide open in the end zone for a 24-yard scoring pass.
That set up Purdue's final winning drive, an eight-play, 75-yard match that provided the Boilermakers' only points of the second half.
Purdue's Spencer Evans booted a 26-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter, giving the Boilermakers a 31-14 lead and completing a wild last minute of the half.
With Purdue ahead 28-14, Tate appeared to have a first down at the Arizona 32-yard line with 56 seconds left in the half. But Purdue called timeout just before the next play was run, giving officials time to review the play and rule that Tate had fumbled the ball, giving Purdue possession at its 32.
Purdue then lined up as if it would take a knee to run out the clock, but Sindelar instead handed the ball to a squatting T.J. Knox, who skirted left end for a 30-yard gain. The Boilermakers ended that drive with Evans' field goal.
Purdue scored on its first possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. The drive ended on Sindelar's 31-yard touchdown pass to Mahoungou.
Arizona tied the score midway through the opening quarter on Tate's 31-yard touchdown pass to wide-open Shawn Poindexter.
The Wildcats took a 14-7 lead on Tate's 29-yard touchdown pass to Ellison, which came three plays after Arizona's defense stopped Purdue's Markell Jones short of a first down on a fourth-and-1 play from the Boilermakers' 34-yard line.
A 42-yard touchdown pass from Sindelar to Phillips tied the score again 14-14, and Purdue took the lead with the help of an Arizona penalty.
A fourth-down, roughing-the-kicker penalty at the Purdue 17-yard line kept alive a Boilermakers possession that they turned into a 90-yard scoring drive. A 22-yard touchdown pass to Phillips finished the march and gave Purdue a 21-14 advantage.
The Boilermakers expanded their lead to 28-14 on Knox's 13-yard touchdown run with 4:11 left in the half.
NOTES: Arizona QB Khalil Tate entered the game averaging 10.2 yards per rushing attempt, which led the nation. ... Purdue RB Markell Jones rushed for 217 yards in a 31-24 victory over Indiana in the final regular-season game, which made the Boilermakers bowl-eligible. ... Arizona finished the regular season ranked third in the nation in rushing offense. ... Purdue had won no more than three games in each of the four previous seasons.
Dec 28, 2017
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A 38-yard touchdown pass from Elijah Sindelar to Anthony Mahoungou with 1:44 left in the fourth quarter provided the winning points in Purdue's 38-35 victory over Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl on Wednesday night at Levi's Stadium.
Purdue safety Jacob Thieneman then intercepted a pass by Arizona's Khalil Tate to put the game way.
Purdue (7-6) finishes the year with a three-game winning streak to post its first winning season since 2011 and its second in the past 10 years.
Tate, who gained national attention this season for his running ability, had only 58 yards on 20 carries, but completed 17 of 26 passes for 302 yards and five touchdowns with the one interception.
Arizona (7-6) ends the season on a three-game losing streak. The Wildcats, who entered the game ranked third nationally in rushing at 324.4 yards per game, had a season-low 128 yards on the ground.
Sindelar completed 33 of 53 passes for 396 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, which came on a tipped pass. Gregory Phillips had 14 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns for the Boilermakers, who held a 17-point halftime lead.
Mahoungou made six catches for 118 yards and two scores.
The Wildcats reduced a 31-14 halftime deficit to 31-21 on a 40-yard scoring pass from Tate of Tony Ellison early in the third period.
Arizona got closer when an interception by Scottie Young Jr. paved the way for Tate's 40-yard touchdown throw to Tyrell Johnson. The TD made it a 31-28 game with 6:31 to go in the third quarter.
Arizona took a 35-31 lead with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter when Tate found Shun Brown wide open in the end zone for a 24-yard scoring pass.
That set up Purdue's final winning drive, an eight-play, 75-yard match that provided the Boilermakers' only points of the second half.
Purdue's Spencer Evans booted a 26-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter, giving the Boilermakers a 31-14 lead and completing a wild last minute of the half.
With Purdue ahead 28-14, Tate appeared to have a first down at the Arizona 32-yard line with 56 seconds left in the half. But Purdue called timeout just before the next play was run, giving officials time to review the play and rule that Tate had fumbled the ball, giving Purdue possession at its 32.
Purdue then lined up as if it would take a knee to run out the clock, but Sindelar instead handed the ball to a squatting T.J. Knox, who skirted left end for a 30-yard gain. The Boilermakers ended that drive with Evans' field goal.
Purdue scored on its first possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. The drive ended on Sindelar's 31-yard touchdown pass to Mahoungou.
Arizona tied the score midway through the opening quarter on Tate's 31-yard touchdown pass to wide-open Shawn Poindexter.
The Wildcats took a 14-7 lead on Tate's 29-yard touchdown pass to Ellison, which came three plays after Arizona's defense stopped Purdue's Markell Jones short of a first down on a fourth-and-1 play from the Boilermakers' 34-yard line.
A 42-yard touchdown pass from Sindelar to Phillips tied the score again 14-14, and Purdue took the lead with the help of an Arizona penalty.
A fourth-down, roughing-the-kicker penalty at the Purdue 17-yard line kept alive a Boilermakers possession that they turned into a 90-yard scoring drive. A 22-yard touchdown pass to Phillips finished the march and gave Purdue a 21-14 advantage.
The Boilermakers expanded their lead to 28-14 on Knox's 13-yard touchdown run with 4:11 left in the half.
NOTES: Arizona QB Khalil Tate entered the game averaging 10.2 yards per rushing attempt, which led the nation. ... Purdue RB Markell Jones rushed for 217 yards in a 31-24 victory over Indiana in the final regular-season game, which made the Boilermakers bowl-eligible. ... Arizona finished the regular season ranked third in the nation in rushing offense. ... Purdue had won no more than three games in each of the four previous seasons.
