1996 Purdue Boilermakers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record3–8 (2–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTim Salem (2nd season)
Offensive schemePro set
Co-defensive coordinatorBob Morris (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinatorTy Smith (1st season)
Base defense4–3
MVPBrian Alford
CaptainJon Krick, Emmett Zitelli
Home stadiumRoss–Ade Stadium
1996 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Ohio State +  7 –1   11 –1  
No. 15 Northwestern +  7 –1   9 –3  
No. 7 Penn State  6 –2   11 –2  
No. 18 Iowa  6 –2   9 –3  
No. 20 Michigan  5 –3   8 –4  
Michigan State  5 –3   6 –6  
Wisconsin  3 –5   8 –5  
Purdue  2 –6   3 –8  
Minnesota  1 –7   4 –7  
Indiana  1 –7   3 –8  
Illinois  1 –7   2 –9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1996 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by Jim Colletto in his sixth and final season as head coach, the Boilermakers compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing eighth in the Big Ten. Purdue played home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Purdue started the season 0–3, averaging under seven points per game. Over the final eight games the Boilermakers went 3–5, failing to qualify for a bowl game for the 12 straight season. The Boilermakers also failed to win a road game.

Brian Alford received numerous postseason accolades, including First Team All-Big Ten honors by both the coaches and the media, and broke the Purdue record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season. Senior captain Emmett Zitelli was selected to the Second Team All-Big team by both the coaches and the media. After the season, none of the Boilermakers were selected in the 1997 NFL Draft, Zitelli signed as an undrafted free agent.

Preseason

In 1995 the Purdue Boilermakers had the second best season in the Colletto era. The team finished with a 4–6–1 regular season record, failing to qualify for a postseason bowl game for the 11th straight year. The Boilermakers struggled to win games, facing what was rated as the third most difficult schedule in the nation in 1995.[1] However, Purdue did finish first in the Big Ten in rushing offense.[2]

Going into 1996, there was doubt that Purdue could successfully replace all-time leading rusher Mike Alstott and have a winning season.[3] Entering the season, Colletto thought that each of his quarterbacks would be a contributor on offense, electing Rick Trefzger as the team's starting quarterback, and moving former tailback, Edwin Watson to fullback to replace Alstott.[4]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3112:30 pmat Michigan State
ESPNL 14–5272,511
September 142:30 pmat No. 9 Notre Dame*
NBCL 0–3559,075
September 217:00 pmWest Virginia*
L 6–2039,445
September 2812:00 pmNC State*
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPN PlusW 42–2139,739
October 52:00 pmMinnesota
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 30–2745,805
October 1212:30 pmat No. 10 Penn State
ESPNL 14–3196,653
October 193:30 pmNo. 2 Ohio Statedagger
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ABCL 14–4258,323
November 212:30 pmat Wisconsin
ESPNL 25–3378,330
November 912:30 pmNo. 9 Michigan
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
ESPN2W 9–339,328
November 1612:00 pmat No. 13 Northwestern
L 24–2741,178
November 231:00 pmIndiana
L 16–3349,197
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[5]

Roster

1996 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 1 Donald Winston Fr
QB 3 John Reeves  So
WR 5 Willie Tillman Jr
WR 6 Isaac Jones Jr
QB 12 Billy Dicken  Jr
QB 13 Rick Trefzger Sr
FB 16 Eric Haddad Jr
WR 20 Chris Daniels  Fr
WR 24 Kirk Olivadotti Sr
RB 25 Curtis Taylor Jr
FB 36 Edwin Watson Jr
FB 37 Dartanian Sanders Sr
RB 43 Kendall Matthews Sr
FB 45 Cullen Bryant Jr. Fr
OT 52 Nick Sweeney So
OT 54 Mark Fischer Sr
G 56 Chukky Okobi Fr
C 63 Jim Niedrach So
G 72 Emmett Zitelli Sr
OT 73 David Cohen So
G 74 Wayne Finchum So
G 76 Dan Maly Sr
C 78 Brian Nicley Sr
OT 79 Chad Manning Sr
WR 80 Brian Alford  Jr
TE 81 Brandon Jewell Sr
TE 90 Pete VanderWeele Jr
TE 91 Matt Light Fr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
FS 2 Derrick Brown Jr
CB 4 Derrick Winston Sr
SS 7 Adrian Beasley So
DB 10 Lee Brush Jr
FS 11 Michael Hawthorne So
CB 14 Jamel Coleman Jr
LB 19 Joe Hagins Sr
DB 22 Lamar Conard Fr
SS 23 Willie Burroughs Jr
CB 27 Willie Washington Fr
LB 28 Mike Rose Fr
DB 29 Reggie Johnson
LB 32 Noble Jones So
LB 34 Chike Okeafor Jr
CB 38 Bryce Gillins Fr
LB 29 Nick Zitelli
DB 46 Glenn Davis
LB 48 Chris Koeppen Sr
DE 49 Chukie Nwokorie So
LB 51 Troy Bacon
DT 53 Jon Krick Sr
LB 57 Ray Lee So
DE 58 Craig Williams Sr
DE 59 Rosevelt Colvin So
DT 71 Anthony Gutwein Jr
DE 82 David Nugent Fr
LB 86 Scott Dobbins
DT 97 Greg Smith Sr
DT 98 Leo Perez Sr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
PK 17 Chris Arnce Jr
P 26 Danny Rogers Fr
P 29 Brandon Kaser So
PK 96 Shane Ryan Fr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Tim Salem (offensive coordinator)
  • Bob Morris (co-defensive coordinator, defensive backs)
  • Ty Smith (co-defensive coordinator, linebackers)
  • Chester Caddas (defensive line)
  • Randy Fichtner (wide receivers, recruiting coordinator)
  • Tom Freeman (offensive line)
  • Leroy Keyes (running backs)
  • Karl Morgan (defensive line)
  • Kurt Van Valkenburgh (defensive backs)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Depth chart

Game summaries

NC State

  • Edwin Watson 29 rushes, 227 yards

Minnesota

  • Kendall Matthews 30 rushes, 131 yards

Michigan

#9 Michigan at Purdue
1 234Total
Michigan 0 030 3
• Purdue 0 306 9
  • Date: November 9
  • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana
  • Game attendance: 40,624
Scoring summary
27:22PurdueShane Ryan 28 yard field goalPurdue 3-0
310:07MichiganRemy Hamilton 21 yard field goalTie 3-3
47:20PurdueBrian Alford 5 yard pass from Rick Trefzger (kick failed)Purdue 9-3

Purdue's first win versus Michigan since 1984

Statistics

Passing

PlayerCompAttYardsTDINT
Rick Trefzger961701,15888
John Reeves5110277265
Billy Dicken408151814

Rushing

PlayerAttYardsTD
Edwin Watson1947686
Kendall Matthews1234713
John Reeves52157
Rick Trefzger43561
Donald Winston249
Lee Johnson1243
Eric Haddad624
Chris Koeppen124
Brian Alford322
Dartanian Sanders518
Billy Dicken20-40

Receiving

PlayerRecYardsTD
Brian Alford631,05712
Willie Tillman405572
Edwin Watson25220
Isaac Jones142411
Kirk Olivadotti16171
Brandon Jewell1192
Kendall Matthews929
Chris Daniels122
Eric Haddad219
Lee Johnson216
Matt Light116
Reggie Johnson17
Donald Winston15
Dartanian Sanders1-4

[8]

References

  1. ↑ "1995 Purdue Boilermakers Stats". www.sports-reference.com. USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Tim Salem Bio". www.fightingillini.com. University of Illinois-Champaign. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ Andrew Bagnato (November 5, 1996). "Purdue's Colletto 2nd Coach To Exit Big Ten Within Week". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  4. ↑ Geoff Mosher (August 29, 1996). "Boiling point". ww.collegian.psu.edu. The Daily Collegian. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  5. ↑ "2022 Purdue Football Record Book" (PDF). Purdue University Athletics. p. 93. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Purdue's Final Two-Deep for 1996". www.purduesports.com. Purdue University. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Purdue's Final Two-Deep for 1996". www.purduesports.com. Purdue University. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  8. ↑ "1996 Purdue football final statistics". Archived from the original on January 5, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
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