Indiana 27, Purdue 24

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana refused to let another bowl chance slip away Saturday, and certainly not against its archrival Purdue for the second straight year.

Kellen Lewis ran for 2 touchdowns, and Indiana held off a frantic rally when Austin Starr made a 49-yard field goal with 30 seconds left to give the Hoosiers a 27-24 victory.

The win sends Indiana (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten) to its first bowl game in 14 years, fulfilling the promise late coach Terry Hoeppner made to fans when he was hired three years ago.

Indiana delivered this one almost the way Hoeppner drew it up, too. Playing in front of the first home sellout of the season, Marcus Thigpen ran for a career-high 140 yards, Lewis kept Purdue off balance with a nifty mix of run and pass and Starr made a career-long field goal for the winner.

It set off a wild celebration that kept players and fans on the field long after the game ended. In fact, Hoeppner's wife, Jane, hugged Starr on the field, and Starr led students who had poured out of the stands in cheers.

For the Boilermakers (7-5, 3-5), it marked their third straight loss and their second in the last 11 games of this series.

Purdue's usually proficient offense looked bewildered most of the game. Curtis Painter was 28 of 45 for 279 yards and 1 TD, while the Hoosiers allowed only 69 yards rushing and held Purdue to minus-12 yards rushing in the first half.