College Bowls 2000


	BOWL HISTORY\| MESSAGE BOARD

Brees frustrated with team's showing
Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. -- Drew Brees had a bad day on a big stage.

The Rose Bowl Presented by AT&T, and the chance to play in it, was the reason he returned to Purdue for this senior year. Yet on Monday, he couldn't carry the No. 14 Boilermakers to victory, finishing his college career with a 34-24 loss to No. 4 Washington.

"I wasn't frustrated with their defense, I was frustrated because we couldn't convert on third downs," the usually unflappable Brees said. "I was frustrated we didn't get more of an opportunity."

Brees completed just 23 of 39 passses for 275 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn't intercepted, but easily could have been twice. He was sacked twice after being sacked just seven times during the season.

Twice in critical situations, Brees also missed his favorite target, Vinny Sutherland, on plays that would have tightened the game.

"What they were doing was walking guys up and pressing our inside receivers," Brees said. "And then they were dropping the safeties, trying to confuse us."

Purdue (8-4) found itself relying primarily on the run in the first half when Montrell Lowe carried 16 times for 71 yards and receiver Tim Stratton seemed like a forgotten man.

"I thought our football team had its moments," coach Joe Tiller said. "As I told them after the game, the No. 1 way to win football games is not to penalize yourself out of the game. The No. 2 way is to put yourself in position to win the game, and I didn't think we did either one.

"I thought our defense stayed with them pretty good but our offense underperformed."

Lowe's fumble deep in Washington territory with 10:54 remaining cost the Boilermakers one scoring opportunity, some dropped passes cost Purdue others, and a season-high 11 penalties also hurt.

But what proved most costly were back-to-back series in the third-quarter in which Brees couldn't produce a first down.

"It's very difficult for our defense to stay on the field that long," Brees said. "It's our job when the defense comes out after a 15-play drive to go out and make some first downs."

Brees did manage to direct Purdue to a five-play, 61-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter and twice got the Boilermakers in scoring range again.

Sweet as a Rose: Huskies knock off Purdue 34-24

Paralyzed Washington player attends Rose Bowl

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