2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Recap: Western Michigan vs Purdue

Western Michigan Broncos vs Purdue Boilermakers - Purdue 37, Western Michigan 32

What is it about pizza that makes Detroit bowl games so deliciously entertaining? Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions, has witnessed two straight donnybrooks in the bowl game sponsored by a national pizza chain.

Last year, the Little Caesars Bowl witnessed a wacky game in which a Mid-American Conference team made a bold fourth-quarter surge and scored 32 points, only to get nipped at the wire thanks to a series of events that isn't seen every day. One year later, history repeated itself to the amazement of everyone who was in attendance in Motown.

In 2010, the Toledo Rockets were the MAC team that fell short in Detroit, losing to Florida International by a 34-32 score after the Golden Panthers converted a 4th and 17 in the final minutes, just before kicking a game-winning field goal. Toledo's offense thrived in that contest because of the exploits of gifted receiver Eric Page, who left a major imprint upon the mind's eye and impressed any NFL scouts who might have been taking in the action.

This year, so many aspects of the 2010 Little Caesars Bowl carried over to the 2011 edition. Once again, a MAC team - the Western Michigan Broncos - scored 32 points but lost to the Purdue Boilermakers in a crazy rollercoaster ride of a game. The Broncos posted 485 total yards on Purdue's defense in just 24 minutes and six seconds of actual possession time, all while the Boilermakers needed 35 minutes and 54 seconds to rack up 432 yards. In many ways, Western Michigan was the team that found it easier to move the ball. However, much as Florida International turned back the MAC 12 months ago thanks to a remarkable fourth-down Houdini act, Purdue needed some special situational magic to thwart Western Michigan's advances.

First of all, Purdue forced seven Western Michigan turnovers. If WMU quarterback Alex Carder had committed only four turnovers in this game, Western Michigan - down by five and in possession of the ball in the final minutes - might have been able to drive for a game-winning touchdown. Instead, Carder - who had already given away the ball four times by way of interceptions - fumbled for his fifth turnover of the game. When Purdue fell on the pigskin and secured the recovery, Western Michigan's last hope was extinguished. The reality of a five-turnover game from a veteran quarterback is not something you see every day; it might not be as spectacular as a 4th-and-17 conversion, but it was very much out of the ordinary, and it hurt the Broncos.

The other amazing aspect of this contest is that Purdue recovered not one, but two onside kicks - yes, two - to string together extra scoring drives and build a 24-15 lead late in the second quarter. The two onside kick recoveries tired out Western Michigan's defense and leveraged the larger situation in the Boilermakers' favor.

The final comparison between the 2010 and 2011 Little Caesars Bowls was found in the star turn of the best receiver on the losing team. Much as Eric Page stole the show for Toledo last year, Western Michigan receiver Jordan White proved to be the best player on the field this time around. White caught 13 passes for 249 yards in one of the all-time bowl performances college football has ever seen. It's amazing to comprehend the fact that Western Michigan owned the best player on the gridiron and yet couldn't close down a bowl win. Such is the crazy world of bowl season.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

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