Purdue runs over Southeast Missouri State football team

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue was looking for a nice pick-me-up following last week's crushing loss at Rice.

Southeast Missouri State provided just the right medicine for Purdue, which paid the Redhawks $315,000 for Saturday's expected mismatch.

Expectations met reality. An announced crowd of 46,116 at 62,500-seat Ross-Ade Stadium saw the Boilermakers pummel Southeast 59-0. They led 38-0 at halftime.

Southeast Missouri State's Lennies McFerren (3) looks for room against Purdue during Saturday's game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue won 59-0. (Michael Heinz)

Football Bowl Subdivision member Purdue improved to 2-1 while dropping the Football Championship Subdivision Redhawks to 0-2.

"We came out and played like I thought we should against this opponent," said Purdue coach Danny Hope, whose team had a 31-yard field-goal attempt blocked on the final play during the 24-22 loss to Rice. "I thought we showed up and played very hard. I know Southeast Missouri isn't as good as Rice or Middle Tennessee [which Purdue beat], but that's who was on the schedule today."

The Redhawks suffered their first shutout since a 2006 defeat at Tennessee State, a string of 47 games. The Boilermakers recorded their first shutout since 2004, when they blanked Syracuse.

Southeast Missouri State's Lennies McFarren (3) looks for room against Purdue during Saturday's game at Ross-Ade stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue won 59-0. (Michael Heinz)

It was Purdue's largest margin of victory ever at Ross-Ade Stadium and largest margin of victory since 1947.

"They're big. They're fast. They're a typical Division I team," Southeast junior linebacker Blake Peiffer said. "But we should have played them better."

Southeast's first meeting with a Big Ten Conference opponent was as lopsided as the final score.

Purdue's Kawann Short sacks Southeast Missouri State quarterback Matt Scheible during Saturday's game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. (Michael Heinz)

Purdue finished with an overwhelming total yardage advantage of 627 to 153. That ledger was 396 to 57 in the first half. The Boilermakers had 33 first downs compared to nine for Southeast. The edge was 20 to three in the opening two quarters.

"They have 85 scholarships and we have 63," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said about his squad's offensive struggles. "This is a money game."

Southeast's longest offensive play was a 16-yard run by senior quarterback Matt Scheible. The Redhawks never reached Purdue's 40-yard line.

The Redhawks punted seven times, giving them 13 punts in their first two games, the other being a 38-10 season-opening loss to SIU. Purdue punted just once.

"We just didn't execute," Scheible said. "We got to a couple third downs where we were a yard away from a first down and we didn't get it. And it's just a snowball effect with mistakes. Their linebackers were really big and very experienced. Also the secondary played well. The defense worked well together."

Saturday's rout began innocently enough when Purdue was forced to punt on its first possession, and Southeast sophomore safety Ben Kargbo recovered a fumble deep in Redhawks territory to end the Boilermakers' second possession.

Then came the avalanche. Purdue got a field goal and five touchdowns on its next six possessions to account for the 38-0 halftime bulge. There was a long drive (70 yards), several medium drives (61, 59, 55) and a couple of short ones (42, 37).

"It was not just me, the whole offense was very efficient," said Purdue junior quarterback Caleb TerBush, who completed 13 of 16 first-half passes for 133 yards. "We ironed out a lot of the wrinkles from the first few games, and it definitely paid dividends for us."

While Purdue's offense thrived in the first half, Southeast's offense went nowhere. The Redhawks suffered from horrible field position, starting seven of their nine first-half possessions from their own 20-yard line or deeper, including three from inside their 15.

The Redhawks crossed midfield just once in the opening two periods, and that only was because of a Purdue personal foul penalty on a third-down incompletion. The drive stalled at the Boilermakers' 45-yard line.

"Purdue is a good team. We made lots of little mistakes," Southeast freshman wide receiver/return man Spencer Davis said.

Southeast's offense showed a bit more life to begin the second half. Scheible's 16-yard run on the first play of the third quarter sparked a drive that reached Purdue's 44 before fizzling.

The Redhawks reached Purdue's 43 on their next possession before that march also stalled. Southeast never got close to avoiding the shutout.

"It's huge for the defense. No matter who you play, getting a shutout is a big deal," Purdue senior linebacker Chris Carlino said.

Purdue drove 68 yards and 83 yards for touchdowns on its opening two possessions of the second half to build a 52-0 lead.

The Boilermakers kept the ball on the ground the rest of the day to bleed the clock but still managed to score a touchdown with less than three minutes left. That drive covered 80 yards.

"I just feel like we were outmatched," Southeast senior safety Bryan Blanfort said. "Purdue did a good job of taking advantage of that."

The Boilermakers finished with 393 yards rushing and 234 yards passing. Junior tailbacks Akeem Shavers and Ralph Bolden both rushed for two touchdowns.

"Our offensive line was able to overpower them," Bolden said. "Our running backs had great vision to see the holes that were available."

TerBush and senior Robert Marve, seeing his first action of the season because he was slow to recover from a torn ACL, combined to compete 21 of 25 passes.

"They have a good offense and they did a good job," said Samuel, whose club begins defense of its Ohio Valley Conference title this Saturday at Tennessee Tech. "We just have to keep plugging along. I think we'll bounce back from this."