# 1983 Purdue Boilermakers football team

The 1983 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Leon Burtnett, the Boilermakers compiled an overall record of 3–7–1 with a mark of 3–5–1 in conference play, placing sixth in the Big Ten. Purdue played home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 10 | No. 5 Notre Dame* | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN (rivalry) | L 6–52 | 69,782 |
| September 17 | at Miami (FL)* | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL | L 0–35 | 34,557 |
| September 24 | at Minnesota | Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeMinneapolis, MN | W 32–20 | 41,839 |
| October 1 | Michigan State | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | T 29–29 | 69,203 |
| October 8 | at No. 6 Ohio State | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | L 22–33 | 89,384 |
| October 15 | at No. 14 Iowa | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | L 14–31 | 66,105 |
| October 22 | No. 11 Illinois | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN (rivalry) | L 21–35 | 69,328 |
| October 29 | Northwestern | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | W 48–17 | 60,134 |
| November 5 | at No. 13 Michigan | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | L 10–42 | 104,946 |
| November 12 | Wisconsin | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | L 38–42 | 58,342 |
| November 19 | at Indiana | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN (Old Oaken Bucket) | W 31–30 | 52,038 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game ||||||

## Game summariesf
### Notre Dame
### Michigan State

* Scott Campbell 30/50, 300 yards

### At Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Purdue | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
| Ohio St | 6 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 33 |
at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
* Date: October 8, 1983
* Game time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 89,384
* Referee: Tom Quinn
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
OSU – Paul Allen 21-yard field goal, 9:41. Ohio St 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:11.
OSU – Paul Allen 41-yard field goal, 4:30. Ohio St 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 3:34.
PUR – Eric Jordan 40-yard run (Tim Clark kick), 2:27. Purdue 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:00.
Second quarter
OSU – Keith Byars 4-yard run (pass failed), 5:23. Ohio St 12–7. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 0:59.
Third quarter
OSU – Garcia Lane 63-yard punt return (Rich Spangler kick), 13:43. Ohio St 19–7.
OSU – Garcia Lane 71-yard punt return (Rich Spangler kick), 2:51. Ohio St 26–7.
Fourth quarter
PUR – Tim Clark 39-yard field goal, 14:20. Ohio St 26–10. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 3:31.
OSU – Keith Byars 2-yard run (Rich Spangler kick), 10:56. Ohio St 33–10. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:19.
PUR – Cliff Benson 5-yard pass from Scott Campbell (pass failed), 3:50. Ohio St 33–16. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 3:59.
PUR – Mel Gray 20-yard run (pass failed), 2:58. Ohio St 33–22. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 0:46.
Top passers
PUR – Scott Campbell – 23/36, 228 yards, TD
OSU – Mike Tomczak – 8/17, 145 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
PUR – Eric Jordan – 9 rushes, 89 yards, TD
OSU – Keith Byars – 23 rushes, 135 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
PUR – Steve Griffin – 5 receptions, 62 yards
OSU – Keith Byars – 4 receptions, 120 yards :

### Illinois

* Scott Campbell 30/43, 388 yards

### Wisconsin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
| Purdue | 3 | 20 | 0 | 15 | 38 |
at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
* Date: November 12, 1983
* Game attendance: 58,342
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Gary Ellerson 2-yard run (Kevin Rodhe kick). Wisconsin 7–0.
PUR – Tim Clark 20-yard field goal. Wisconsin 7–3.
Second quarter
WIS – Randy Wright 1-yard run (Kevin Rohde kick). Wisconsin 14–3.
PUR – Cliff Benson 18-yard pass from Scott Campbell (Tim Clark kick). Wisconsin 14–10.
PUR – Cliff Benson 1-yard pass from Scott Campbell (Tim Clark kick). Purdue 17–14.
WIS – Al Toon 73-yard pass from Randy Wright (Kevin Rohde kick). Wisconsin 21–17.
PUR – Lloyd Hawthorne 1-yard run (kick failed). Purdue 23–21.
Third quarter
WIS – Randy Wright 2-yard run (Kevin Rohde kick). Wisconsin 28–23.
Fourth quarter
PUR – Bruce King 17-yard run (pass good). Purdue 31–28.
WIS – Randy Wright 8-yard run (Kevin Rohde kick). Wisconsin 35–31.
PUR – Lloyd Hawthorne 3-yard run (Tim Clark kick), 2:35. Purdue 38–35.
WIS – Brett Pearson 13-yard pass from Randy Wright (Kevin Rohde kick), 0:32. Wisconsin 42–35.
Top passers
WIS – Randy Wright – 16/33, 317 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
PUR – Scott Campbell – 17/30, 181 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Gary Ellerson – 21 rushes, 93 yards, TD
PUR – Mel Gray – 24 rushes, 106 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Al Toon – 8 receptions, 252 yards, TD
PUR – Jeff Price – 3 receptions, 66 yards :

### At Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Purdue | 0 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| Indiana | 0 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 30 |
at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
* Date: November 19, 1983
* Game attendance: 52,038
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
PUR – Mel Gray 1-yard run (Tim Clark kick). Purdue 7–0.
IU – Orlando Brown 8-yard run (Doug Smith kick). Tie 7–7.
PUR – Jeff Price 13-yard pass from Scott Campbell (Tim Clark kick). Purdue 14–7.
PUR – Scott Campbell 1-yard run (Tim Clark kick). Purdue 21–7.
IU – Len Kenebrew 22-yard pass from Steve Bradley (Doug Smith kick). Purdue 21–14.
Third quarter
PUR – Tim Clark 34-yard field goal. Purdue 24–14.
Fourth quarter
IU – Doug Smith 43-yard field goal. Purdue 24–17.
PUR – Mel Gray 2-yard run (Tim Clark kick). Purdue 31–17.
IU – Bobby Howard 7-yard run (Doug Smith kick). Purdue 31–24.
IU – Duane Gunn 45-yard pass from Steve Bradley (pass failed). Purdue 31–30.
Top passers
PUR – Scott Campbell – 9/16, 102 yards, TD
IU – Steve Bradley – 16/30, 295 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
PUR – Mel Gray – 36 rushes, 176 yards, 2 TD
IU – Orlando Brown – 16 rushes, 53 yards, TD
Top receivers
PUR – Cliff Benson – 2 receptions, 40 yards
IU – Duane Gunn – 5 receptions, 140 yards, TD :