Little Caesars Bowl 2011, Western Michigan Vs. Purdue: Boilermakers Get Back To Bowl

The last time the Purdue Boilermakers played a bowl game four years ago, they took on a team from the MAC. Once again the Boilermakers find themselves taking on a MAC opponent in the Western Michigan Broncos. "We're a good football team, and we've won some big games this season," said Purdue head coach Danny Hope. "We're excited to (have) this opportunity to have a winning season." The Boilermakers have struggled offensively this season, scoring just 26 points per game and bouncing back and forth between quarterbacks before finally settling on Caleb TerBush.

Western Michigan Quarterback Alex Carder leads the nation's eighth ranked passing attack against the Boilermakers. "It means a lot to play another game, and it's exciting to play against an opponent from a power conference like the Big Ten," All-American wide receiver Jordan White said. "Hopefully, we can do well." White leads the Broncos with 1,646 receiving yards on the season and is just 110 yards away from being the MAC all-time leader in receiving yards. The Boilermakers hope to get a break on offense against the MAC's second worst defense.