• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Painter, Summers' kick help Purdue win shootout

Dec 27, 2007 - 5:57 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Curtis Painter and Purdue kicked it into gear just in time to avoid a major meltdown.

Painter threw for three first-half scores and Chris Summers kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired to lead the Boilermakers to a 51-48 victory over Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl on Wednesday.

"That last drive was all on Curtis," Purdue coach Joe Tiller said. "We didn't signal in any plays. The two-minute drill goes so fast we always let our quarterback call the plays."

Painter said that the Boilermakers practice the two-minute drill twice a week during the season.

"We have a small package of plays, and it was up to me to call whatever I felt would put us in position for the field goal," Painter said. "We have packages for the situation - if we need a touchdown or a field goal - so in this situation we just needed the field goal."

The winning field goal - his third of the game - was also a major turnabout for Summers, who made only eight field goals in 2006 and wasn't allowed to try a 20-yarder to win a game against Michigan State.

"We had the ball on the three and I decided to use the other kicker," Tiller said. "Chris has come a long way since last year. It was huge for him to kick the game-winner."

Summers said he didn't know how far he'd have to kick the winner.

"I had no idea how far it was," he said. "My only thought was, 'I owe it to these guys. Curtis did a great job of getting us into position. All I was thinking of was my fundamentals. I know that if I keep my head down, the ball's going to go through. But I peeked up at it after I kicked it."

Chippewas quarterback Dan LeFevour accounted for six touchdowns - five in the second half - and hit Bryan Anderson for a 19-yard touchdown to tie the game at 48-48 with 1:09 to play. It was the third touchdown reception of the game for Anderson.

"We've been there before - 30 or 40 points down - but this team never stops fighting," LeFevour said. "We left it all on the field. They just made a few more plays than we did."

However, Painter, who completed 35-of-54 passes for 546 yards, led a seven-play, 38-yard drive that was capped by Summers' game-winner.

Painter broke the Purdue record for passing yards. The old mark of 522 yards was shared by Drew Brees and Kyle Orton.

After blowing a 21-point lead, Painter led a 12-play, 76-yard drive which was capped by a 13-yard touchdown run around the right side by Jaycen Taylor to provide a 48-41 lead with 8:19 to play.

After being gashed in the first half, the Central Michigan (8-6) defense responded by forcing three turnovers in a 28-point third quarter.

LeFevour, who finished 17-of-34 for 292 yards and four touchdowns, capped the rally by hitting Anderson for a 10-yard score that tied the game at 41-41 with 10 seconds left in the third.

Painter was 15-of-22 for 339 yards and three scores in the first half in helping the Boilermakers (8-5) build a 34-13 lead. He also threw two interceptions in the second half.

Painter earned the respect of Chippewas coach Butch Jones.

"He made some throws that not a lot of quarterbacks can make," Jones said. "They say that the thing that separates great quarterbacks is their ability to defeat tight coverage. He did that tonight."

LeFevour also ran for two scores for Central Michigan, which has lost 24 straight games to teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences.

The 99 points by the two teams broke the old mark of 77 set in 1998 in Marshall's 48-29 win against Louisville.