Elliott leads Purdue past No. 7 Ohio St

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA -- Joey Elliott and Purdue shocked mistake-prone Ohio State. Elliott threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns, and the Boilermakers snapped a five-game losing streak by beating No. 7 Ohio State 26-18 Saturday to effectively end what national-title chances remained for the Buckeyes.

Purdue dominated the first three quarters, then held on as Ohio State tried to mount a comeback behind Terrelle Pryor, who threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.

The Boilermakers (2-5, 1-2) had lost five in a row since beating Toledo to start Danny Hope's first season as coach, and fans were starting to get uneasy. But when the clock ran out, joyous students poured onto the field to celebrate a major upset.

"Right now, a win against anybody is good for our football program," Hope said on TV as fans reached from behind to muss his hair affectionately.

It was Purdue's first win over a ranked team since 2003 and its first win over the Buckeyes since 2004. Ohio State (5-2, 3-1) failed to tie the Big Ten record of 17 straight conference road wins.

Purdue led 26-10 in the fourth quarter before Pryor got the Buckeyes back into the game. He avoided the rush, then heaved a 25-yard touchdown pass to DeVier Posey with 7:14 to play. Pryor ran in the 2-point conversion to cut Purdue's lead to 26-18.

Ohio State got the ball back and moved into Purdue territory. Ryan Kerrigan sacked Pryor on a third-and-5, setting up a fourth-and-14 from the Purdue 38. Pryor's inaccurate pass downfield was batted away by David Pender, and Purdue took over.

The Boilermakers appeared to be stopped when a screen pass on 3rd and-9 went nowhere, but one more mistake ended the Buckeyes chances.

Doug Worthington was flagged for a facemask and the personal foul gave Purdue a first down and the Boilermakers could kneel out the clock.

Ohio State finished with 66 yards rushing and 12 first downs.

Carson Wiggs made four field goals for Purdue, including a 55-yarder at the end of the first half and a 49-yarder in the fourth quarter.

His first came barely two minutes into the game when Purdue took advantage of Pryor's first fumble.

Pryor redeemed himself quickly by directing a 3-play, 66-yard touchdown drive, finishing it with a 6-yard run to give Ohio State a 7-3 lead.

Ohio State's Ray Small fumbled a punt early in the second quarter, and Purdue recovered at the Ohio State 13 but had to settle for a 27-yard field.

A 9-yard touchdown run by Ohio State's Brandon Saine was called back because of a hold. On the next play, Pryor fumbled again, and Kerrigan recovered at the Purdue 45.

Purdue moved to the Ohio State 11, but backup running back Dan Dierking threw into triple coverage in the end zone on a trick play, and Ohio State's Chimdi Chekwa intercepted the ball.

Purdue got the ball one more time with 26 seconds left in the half. Two completions from Elliott to Keith Smith moved the Boilermakers into scoring range, and Wiggs ended the half with a 55-yard field goal to give Purdue a 9-7 lead.

The Boilermakers asserted themselves immediately after the second-half kickoff. Purdue went 67 yards in eight plays, and Elliott's 15-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Valentin gave Purdue a 16-7 lead four minutes into the third quarter.

After Brandon King's second interception of the third quarter, Valentin scored on a 36-yard catch from Elliott that gave Purdue a 23-7 lead.