Going into its Oct. 16 game against Wisconsin, Purdue seemed unbeatable.

The Boilermakers scored 38 points or more in four of its first five games. Quarterback Kyle Orton had nearly locked up the Heisman Trophy, throwing for more than 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns in those five games.

Then something happened. Leading 17-14 late in the game against Wisconsin, Orton fumbled the ball. Wisconsin returned the ball for a touchdown and went on to win, 20-17.

Purdue has not won since Orton’s ominous fumble. Gone is the inspired play of the offense. Gone are Orton’s Heisman dreams. Saturday’s 13-10 loss to Northwestern sent the Boilermakers spiraling out of the Top 25 and to a 2-3 record in the Big Ten.

‘We need to find a way to win a football game, if that’s possible,’ Purdue head coach Joe Tiller said. ‘All we can ask for is the opportunity to play again. We’ve had some problems closing out opponents.’

Purdue had not seen the depths of its problems yet. Tiller pulled Orton out of the game against Northwestern after two hip injuries hampered the quarterback’s effectiveness. With a hip pointer on one side and a hip flexor on the other, Orton couldn’t twist his body and generate power behind his throws. And while he has practiced this week, Brandon Kirsch may replace Orton in this week’s game at Iowa.

‘It’s been a rough and frustrating three weeks,’ Orton said. ‘I couldn’t do anything out there. I couldn’t throw the ball, and I was just hurting the team. It’s about as frustrated as I’ve been as a player here. I’ve played hurt before and I thought I could throw and play through it. When I got hurt, it just seemed like everything was falling apart. I was extremely angry and frustrated.’

Orton is not the only Boilermaker who is frustrated. When it seemed the passing game was coming alive, wide receivers dropped passes. Just as the offense would begin to drive, a turnover dashed the momentum.

‘We’ve lost some confidence,’ Orton said. ‘We’ve been beat the last three weeks on offense pretty bad, and I think the entire defense has lost confidence. We want to win more than anyone. Every time you lose, it’s like a punch in the stomach. We’re fighting and clawing to get a win.’

The Boilermakers hope to catch a break Saturday at Iowa. Purdue’s pass-heavy spread offense has created problems for the Hawkeyes defense in the past. And Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz feels even an injured Orton can hurt his team.

‘Orton is an outstanding player,’ Ferentz said. ‘You don’t just fall into being a Heisman candidate. It’s obvious he’s dinged up. He didn’t look like himself (last week). When he gets going, watch out.’

Amid all the negativity, the Boilermakers are trying to stay positive. Tiller preached the importance of having a selective memory after the loss at Northwestern. Though October was cruel to Purdue, the Boilermakers still have the ability to finish strong and make a bowl game.

‘When someone comes up short when they had control of the situation, they don’t need to be reminded that they messed up,’ Tiller said. ‘They need to draw on the positive things they did, set their jaw and make a commitment to one another that when they are in that situation again, they’ll react differently. This team has not demonstrated that they’ll take the field and not give you everything they’ve got.’

The Keith Gilbertson era in Washington is finished 15 months after it began.

Gilbertson will step down as head coach following this season, according to Washington athletic director Todd Turner.

Gilbertson was named head coach in the summer of 2003. Former coach Rick Nueheisel was fired after he was caught betting on NCAA men’s basketball. Since Gilbertson took over, Washington has gone 7-13.

‘I want the best for this program,’ Gilbertson said. ‘I want the school to make a commitment to football like it did when we were the best football program in the country. Whoever they bring in, I will support them all that I can. The best thing for me has been the great people I have got to work for here as an assistant coach, the great people that I coached with and these unbelievable young guys I got to coach.’

When Ashlan Davis gets the ball, Tulsa fans expect something special. So far, Davis has delivered.

With his 82-yard kickoff return against Rice on Saturday, Davis tied an NCAA record with a kickoff return for a touchdown in three consecutive games. Davis shares the record with Purdue’s Stan Brown, who set it in 1970.

‘Ashlan Davis was a real spark for us,’ Steve Kragthorpe, Tulsa’s head coach, said. ‘He’s a guy that’s willing to stick it in there. That’s what you need to do on a kick return – stick it in there.’

Published on November 3, 2004 at 12:00 pm