Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs Purdue Boilermakers Match Player Stats On Sep 01, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 1, 2012

Purdue 48, Eastern Kentucky 6: Last-minute starter Robert Marve completed 31 of 38 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns as host Purdue opened its 125th season with an easy win over Eastern Kentucky, the preseason favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Prior to the kickoff, Purdue announced that starting quarterback Caleb TerBush had been suspended one game for a violation of team rules.

A sixth-year senior, Marve tossed TD passes of 4 yards to Gary Bush and 13 yards to Antavian Edison to help the Boilermakers (1-0) build a 34-6 halftime lead.

Purdue also scored in the first half on Landon Feichter's 34-yard interception return, Kurt Freytag's 7-yard run and Akeem Shavers' 8-yard burst. Shavers paced the Boilermakers on the ground with 74 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Matt Denham's 30-yard TD run pulled Eastern Kentucky (0-1) within 20-6 with 11 minutes left in the half, but Purdue responded with 28 unanswered points to pull away. Marve fired an 8-yard TD strike to Gabe Holmes late in the third period.

Purdue coach Danny Hope defeated his alma mater in the first meeting between the schools.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Purdue also played without linebacker Dwayne Beckford, the Boilermakers' second-leading tackler last season. He was dismissed from the team after being charged with two counts of possession of paraphernalia and one count of possession of a synthetic drug earlier in the week. It was his fourth arrest in 14 months. ... The Boilermakers improved to 74-45-6 in openers following their eighth straight win. ... Denham, who was named to the preseason Walter Payton watch list, was held to 47 yards on 12 carries.