Champs Sports Bowl Player Profile & More

2006 Champs Sports Bowl Player Profile, History & More

Purdue (8-5) vs. Maryland (8-4)

Dec. 29th, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

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By Richard Cirminiello

Champs Sports Bowl
2005	Clemson 19, Colorado 10
2004	Georgia Tech 51, Syracuse 14
2003	NC State 56, Kansas 26
2002	Texas Tech 55, Clemson 15
2001	Pittsburgh 34, NC State 19
2000	NC State 38, Minnesota 30
1999	Illinois 63, Virginia 21
1998	Miami 46, NC State 23
1997	Georgia Tech 35, Virginia 30
1996	Miami 31, Virginia 21
1995	South Carolina 24, West Virginia 21
1994	Boston College 31, Virginia 13
1993	Stanford 24, Penn State 3
1991	Alabama 30, Colorado 25
1990	Florida State 24, Penn State 17

Champs Sports Bowl Player Profile
TE Dustin Keller, Purdue – Was there ever any doubt Keller was going to be a Boilermaker? Well, actually, yes.  Despite the fact that his mother and grandmother are alums, grandfather played on the 1952 football team, brothers, Dwight and Drew, attended the school and great grandfather was an electrical engineering professor at Purdue…Dustin’s destination was very much up in the air while he was attending nearby Jefferson (Ind.) High School in Lafayette.  Although he was the state’s high jump champ and one of its most prolific all-time receivers, Keller had to sweat out the 2003 recruiting cycle before finally receiving an offer from the Boilermakers at the 11^th hour.  Good thing for both sides because Keller, who’d given a verbal to Toledo, really wanted to be a Boiler and Purdue has turned the one-time wideout into one of the most productive tight ends in the country.  Playing a key role in the offense for the first time in his career, the junior has caught 55 passes for 751 yards and four touchdowns, each second on the team behind Dorien Bryant.  Keller’s 6-4 and 245 pounds, but it’s his athleticism and incredible leaping ability that really creates fits for linebackers and defensive backs when he finds a soft spot in the middle of the defense or gets anywhere near the goal line.  Considering that he’s still learning the new position and that the Boilers return just about everyone on offense next year, the local kid that almost got overlooked could be on the verge of an All-Big Ten season in 2007.                 

Best Boilermaker Bowl Moment – In its long history, Purdue has been to just a pair of Rose Bowls, winning one long before any current players were born.  Back in 1966 when Bob Griese was calling signals, the Boilermakers capped their first nine-win season in nearly a quarter century and a No. 6 ranking in the final polls by defeating USC 14-13.   

Best Terrapin Bowl Moment – In what is still the biggest win in Maryland history, the Terps shocked No. 1 and regular season national champ Tennessee in the 1952 Sugar Bowl.  The upset, led by Ed Modzelewski’s 153 yards rushing and Ed Fullerton’s two scores—one on offense and one on defense—sealed the only perfect season in Maryland history.

Maryland's best win ... Maryland 13 ... Clemson 12
Maryland upset Clemson with a Dan Ennis 31-yard field goal as time ran out to stay in the hunt for the Atlantic Division title. Two big calls shaped the games as Clemson RB C.J. Spiller ran down a fumble and was tackled close to the end zone, but after it officially being ruled a safety, it was determined that he was down at the one. Two plays later, QB Will Proctor connected with Thomas Hunter for a 71-yard play which led to an apparent James Davis touchdown run, but that was killed by an illegal procedure penalty. Jad Dean kicked his fourth field goal of the game hitting from 22 yards out with just over two minutes to play leaving the door open for the Terps. Maryland got a seven-yard touchdown catch from Danny Oquendo in the second quarter.

Maryland's worst loss ... Boston College 38 ... Maryland 16
Jolonn Dunbar returned two fumbled for touchdowns in the first five minutes and DeJuan Tribble returned an interception 42 yards for a score as Boston College got back in the hunt for the ACC title. Matt Ryan connected with Tony Gonzalez for a 34-yard touchdown and Brandon Robinson caught a 17-yard scoring pass as BC went out to a 28-3 lead and coasted from there. The Terps only managed three Dan Ennis field goals before Danny Oquendo got into the end zone on a nine-yard catch.

Purdue's best win ... Purdue 27 ... Minnesota 21
Each team cranked out 421 yards of total offense, with Purdue cranking out 48 yards over the final 2:08 to keep the ball away from the Gophers. Minnesota overcame a 20-7 deficit with two, short Bryan Cupito touchdown passes, but despite converting all three of its fourth down chances on the day, chose to punt it away late and never got another shot. Purdue got two touchdowns from Jaycen Taylor, but his biggest run came on a 37-yard dash to seal the win. Dorien Bryant caught a 27-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. 

Purdue's worst loss ... Iowa 47 ... Purdue 17
Iowa ripped off 539 yards of total offense with all phases of the attack working in the easy win. Damien Sims, who filled in for an injured Albert Young, ran for two touchdowns and Drew Tate threw two touchdown passes, while the defense held the Boilermaker offense down early and finished off the scoring with a 98-yard interception return for a score form Adam Shada. Purdue got an 18-yard Greg Orton touchdown catch and a 16-yard Jaycen Taylor touchdown run in the second half, but most of the yards and big plays came in the second half when the game was out of reach.

Champs Sports Bowl
Clemson 19 ... Colorado 10
Clemson RB James Davis outgained the Colorado offense by himself with 171 all-purpose yards to 124, but the Buffs made it interesting late. The Tigers held a 13-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter before Colorado replaced starting QB James Cox with Brian White, who completed seven of 12 passes for 81 yards and a two yard touchdown pass to Quinn Sypniewski. But Clemson responded with a 61-yard drive ending with a six-yard scoring run from Davis. Charlie Whitehurst ran for a five-yard score in the third quarter for Clemson.
Player of the game: Clemson RB James Davis ran 28 times for 150 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 21 yards.
Stat Leaders: Clemson - Passing: Charlie Whitehurst, 19-27, 196 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: James Davis, 28-150, 1 TD. Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 4-36
Colorado - Passing: Brian White, 7-12, 81 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Hugh Charles, 13-16. Receiving: Quinn Sypniewski, 4-50, 1 TD

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Purdue Bowl History (7-6)

2004	Sun	Arizona State 27, Purdue 23
2003	Capital One	Georgia 34, Purdue 27 (OT)
2002	Sun	Purdue 34, Washington 24
2001	Sun	Washington St 33, Purdue 27
2000	Rose	Washington 34, Purdue 24
1999	Outback	Georgia 28, Purdue 25 (OT)
1998	Alamo	Purdue 37, Kansas State 34
1997	Alamo	Purdue 33, Oklahoma St 20
1984	Peach	Virginia 27, Purdue 24
1980	Liberty	Purdue 28, Missouri 25
1979	Bluebonnet	Purdue 27, Tennessee 22
1978	Peach	Purdue 41, Georgia Tech 21
1966	Rose	Purdue 14, USC 13

Maryland Bowl History (10-10)

2003	Gator	Maryland 41, West Virginia 7
2002	Peach	Maryland 30, Tennessee 3
2001	Orange	Florida 56, Maryland 23
1990	Independence	Maryland 34, Louisiana Tech 34
1985	Cherry	Maryland 35, Syracuse 18
1984	Sun	Maryland 28, Tennessee 27
1983	Citrus	Tennessee 30, Maryland 23
1982	Aloha	Washington 21, Maryland 20
1980	Tangerine	Florida 35, Maryland 20
1978	Sun	Texas 42, Maryland 0
1977	Hall of Fame	Maryland 17, Minnesota 7
1976	Cotton	Houston 30, Maryland 21
1975	Gator	Maryland 13, Florida 0
1974	Liberty	Tennessee 7, Maryland 3
1973	Peach	Georgia 17, Maryland 16
1955	Orange	Oklahoma 20, Maryland 6
1953	Orange	Oklahoma 7, Maryland 0
1951	Sugar	Maryland 28, Tennessee 13
1949	Gator	Maryland 20, Missouri 7
1947	Gator	Maryland 20, Georgia 20