Purdue football was looking to get over the hump in the near 90-degree Ross-Ade Stadium sun as it prepared to open the 1978 season.

The opponent was talented Michigan State which finished a tie-game away from the Big Ten title the previous year. The Boilermakers, along with second-year Head Coach Jim Young, put everything into the game realizing a victory was essential if the football program was to make a serious attempt at its first winning season in six years.

Young, a tireless, demanding worker, spent the spring and fall practice sessions working diligently to improve Purdue's mental and physical condition. Mentally, Young hired a psychologist to train the team on relaxation techniques and positive thinking. He wanted his team to visualize success and go out on the field and achieve it.

Physically, Young instructed strength and conditioning coach John Arce to push his young and talented squad to the limit hoping it would pay off with a victory in a close game.

Young came to Purdue in December 1976 after a successful stint at Arizona. He replaced Alex Agase with hopes of turning around a stagnating program.

In his first season, the team showed signs of improvement, thanks to a strong defense and freshman sensation Mark Herrmann. Yet Purdue managed a disappointing 5-6 record in 1977, despite having a chance to win as many as nine games. With a majority of starters returning, Young believed the pieces to the puzzle were on the card table. His job was to put the puzzle together.

That puzzle appeared to be in a million pieces after the first half of the Michigan State game. Purdue played sloppily, committing a couple of "cheap" first quarter turnovers which turned into easy scores for the visitors. Even reliable sophomore Herrmann was off, completing just 4 of 12 and tossing 2 interceptions in the first half. As the teams entered the locker room with MSU ahead 14-0, it appeared the Boilers' hopes of surprising the Spartans were faint.

The momentum shifted in a hurry, however, as senior defensive back Rick Moss returned the second-half kickoff 63 yards to the Michigan State 22-yard line. Eight plays later, Herrmann found sophomore tight end Dave Young on a one-yard scoring pass cutting the MSU lead to 14-7.

In a hole all day by the tremendous punting of Michigan State's Ray Stachowicz, the Boiler's took over on their next two possessions at their own 13. Two first downs later, Herrmann was calling signals in a third-and-10 situation. With everyone in the stands expecting a pass, Herrmann pitched to senior tailback Russell Pope. Michigan State wasn't fooled, as it had several opportunities to nail him in the backfield. But he was able to reverse his field and weave through the Spartan defense 62 yards to the end zone. His incredible run knotted the score at 14.

Purdue seemed to be getting stronger in the excessive heat, while the Spartans were showing signs of wilting. It was encouraging to the Boiler players to see some of their opponents throwing up on the sideline. Still, the game appeared headed for a tie as Purdue took over possession on its own 44 with 4:30 left. Facing a third-and-four at midfield, it pulled off a "sucker shift" drawing the Spartans off sides.

On first-and-10 at the MSU 33 with 3:30 left, Michigan State went to a goal line defense in fear of the consistent left foot of Purdue kicker Scott Sovereen.

Sophomore fullback John Macon found a seam in the defense and raced untouched 33 yards into the endzone. Macon's gallop literally broke the Boilers through the "respectability barrier," delivering a hard earned 21-14 win over eventual Big Ten Co-Champion Michigan State.

Purdue also showed remarkable discipline for a season opener as it was not penalized the entire game.

Herrmann, who suffered the worst game of his college career, connected on 7 of 23 passes for 85 yards but was much improved in a 24-0 win over Ohio University the following week. The lanky quarterback returned to form hitting 13 of 23 passes for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. One of the scoring passes was to high school teammate Bart Burrell, the first of 14 the tandem would enjoy during their college careers.

The Boilers were looking for their first 3-0 start since 1969 when they traveled to South Bend to face the winless defending national champions. The Joe Montana-led Irish had dropped its first two contests against Missouri and Michigan. Purdue dominated early action driving to the Notre Dame 15-yard line three times in the first half. Unfortunately, all Purdue could get was a par of Sovereen field goals and a 6-0 halftime lead.

In the second half Purdue suffered poor field position. Finally, after a 36-yard Dave Eagin punt gave the Irish the ball in the Purdue territory, running back Jerome Heavens carried the ball the final 27 yards for the game's only touchdown with 7:51 left in the third quarter. Always a gambler, Young tried to awaken the sluggish offense, trying to double-handoff flea flicker. The play backfired as Herrmann's bomb was picked of by Irish defensive back Randy Harrison and returned to the Purdue 14. The defense stiffened, however, and Notre Dame settled for a field goal.

The Boilers created their last scoring opportunity late in the fourth quarter. After four straight Herrmann completions and a pass interference penalty, Purdue had the ball at the Irish 37 with less than two minutes remaining. Unfortunately, the next pass was intercepted allowing the host Irish to escape with a 10-6 victory.

Despite the loss, the team has proven once again it was a force to be reckoned with. Montana completed just 7 of 11 passes on the day for 95 yards and two interceptions. That in itself was quite an accomplishment for the defense.

Purdue's "Junk Defense" with its coordinator and secondary coach Leon Burtnett at the controls, was wreaking havoc on opponents. In three games, not one opponent had sustained a drive of more than 50 yards for a score.

Nicknamed for its different looks, the scheme was fun for the fans to watch. It became enjoyable to gaze at All-Big Ten defensive end Keena Turner putting pressure on the quarterback on one play and knocking down a ball on pass defense next.

Turner wasn't alone. All-Big Ten and Academic All-America middle guard Ken Loushin controlled the line while tackles Marcus "Hungry Jack" Jackson and Calvin Clark were proving to be a force as well. Linebacker Kevin Motts, who remains 30 years later tops on Purdue's all-time tackles list with 520 stops, led the team in tackles and was a relentless competitor. The secondary of Moss, Bill Kay, Wayne Smith, and Rock Supan was so stingy that even one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Montana, could not surpass the century mark in passing against it.

At times, the defense was all Purdue had in 1978. In typical, post-Notre Dame week fashion, the team was flat in a 14-7 win against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons, coached by 1977 Boiler offensive coordinator and current Illinois coach John Mackovic, gained only 131 yards of total offense, yet hung with Purdue. The Old Gold and Black needed a two-yard scoring run by Pope, set up by a critical 34-yard pass from Herrmann to Burrell, with 3:50 left to pull out the victory. Loushin (15 tackles, 5 for a loss) was named UPI Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.

The Boilers may have gotten over the hump defeating Michigan state, but a victory over Ohio State was essential if they were to be a serious contender for post-season honors. The Buckeyes were the same team that had humiliated Purdue the year before in Columbus, 46-0. Young would like nothing more than to defeat the team and coach (Woody Hayes) he played for as a collegian on the 1954 national champion squad.

Ohio State had won or shared the last six consecutive Big Ten titles and had a a talented freshman quarterback named Art Schlichter. In the first half dominated by defense, Ohio State went to the locker room leading, 7-3. The Buckeyes moved the ball inside the Purdue 20 on four occasions, but the defense was able to hold its guests to a touchdown after causing a pair of fumbles and an OSU missed field goal.

The offense came out swinging in the second half. Herrmann, who was fast developing a reputation for maintaining an even keel no matter the situation, hit 7-of-10 passes on the first drive of the second half to give Purdue a 10-7 lead. OSU quickly tied the score at 10. Pope scored on an 11-yard run after a rare Herrmann option pitch to go ahead 17-10.

Turner, who was named AP Defensive Player of the Week for his eighth-tackle, three-sack performance, caused Schlichter to fumble on a bone-jarring hit at the OSU 24. Purdue settled for a 41-yard Sovereen field-goal, but it was in good position leading 20-10 with 12:45 left.

Schlichter quickly countered with an 80-yard bomb to former quarterback Rod Gerald but the two-point conversion failed with 11:37 left. Ohio State had one opportunity to take the lead. The Boilers' free safety jarred the ball loose from Gerald after a pass reception and cornerback Smith pounced on the free pigskin.

Three plays later, Herrmann hit flanker Mike Harris for the game's final score. Harris' spectacular one-handed catch proved to be a memorable ending to the last time Purdue faced a Woody Hayes-coached Ohio State team.

The 27-16 win over Ohio State showed the college football world Purdue football had returned to a level not seen in nearly a decade. For the first time since the last week of the 1967 season, Purdue sat alone atop the Big Ten race. After the game, Young called the Ohio State victory the "biggest win of my career." Thoughts of a bowl game were center stage in the minds of Purdue faithful.

The college football television scene took notice of Purdue, too. It was tabbed for consecutive television appearances (the schedules weren't set very far in advance in the late 1970s and teams were limited by the NCAA in total live appearances) against Illinois and Iowa. As was becoming the norm, the "Junk Defense" dominated in front of the cameras, as Purdue waltzed to a 13-0 win at Illinois and a 34-7 victory at Iowa.

The Boilers posted another shutout on a warm November afternoon, pasting Northwestern 31-0. It was little more than a scrimmage against the hapless Wildcats as the Boilers became the first Purdue team since 1945 to win five straight games in the same season.

Purdue left for Madison, Wis., the next week feeling it could lock up a bowl bid with a win over Wisconsin. It took them a while to thaw out in 38-degree temperatures, but things looked good when it rallied from a 6-3 halftime deficit to score on its first three possessions of the second half and lead 24-6 with 11:42 left in the game.

The "Junk Defense" appeared to hold again when Badgers quarterback Mike Kalasmiki lofted a wounded duck down field into a host of Gold and Black defenders. When the ball came down however, it was somehow deflected into the hands of Badger receiver Wayne Souza who raced untouched into the end zone. Wisconsin connected on its first field goal of the season (it was the ninth game) after a 20-yard questionable pass interference call against Purdue to cut the lead to 24-16 with 4:13 left. The Badgers put the finishing touches on their comeback when, on a bad snap from center on a punt, Eagin put his knee on the ground at the Purdue 12. Wisconsin scored five plays later with just 25 seconds left and Kalasmiki hit Souza in the end zone for a two-point conversion to knot the score at 24. The incredible comeback left Purdue with no explanation.

Still one-half game ahead of Michigan in the run for the Roses, the Boilers traveled to Ann Arbor. The throng of 105,410 made it difficult for Purdue's young offense to move the ball early. Young had decided to counter the vaunted Michigan defense by calling all plays at the line of scrimmage hoping to keep the Wolverines off balance.

The plan never had a chance to work as Herrmann was knocked out of the game on a vicious hit from Michigan defensive lineman Curtis Greer in the first quarter with the hosts leading 10-0. Young didn't feel comfortable having inexperienced quarterback Chuck Oliver calling all the plays at the line. The result was a totally dominating performance from Michigan as the Wolverines posted an easy 24-6 victory. Despite the loss, in the locker room following the contest, Purdue accepted an invitation to play at the 11th-annual Peach Bowl.

The bowl bid seemed to be little consolation for a team having to face rival Indiana. Especially after being winless for two weeks and without the services of Herrmann.

Purdue used a couple of secret weapons to whip the Hoosiers. Junior fullback Mike Augustyniak, who had carried the ball 23 times the entire season prior to the IU game, posted Purdue's best single-game rushing totals of the season-135 yards in 23 carries. Freshman halfback Wally Jones, with only three rushes prior to the Old Oaken Bucket game, ran for 103 yards on 26 carries. Herrmann played most of the game but was smarting from a sprained neck and only attempted 15 passes. Statistics aside, Purdue's defense and ball-control offense teamed to post a 20-7 victory. The Old Oaken Bucket was back in West Lafayette after a two-year hiatus.

The 1978 Boilermakers had achieved their goal; a trip to a bowl game. On the surface Georgia Tech looked to be formidable competition in Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, but an injury to star running back Eddie Lee Ivery hurt the Yellow Jackets' chances.

The Boilers were able to remain focused as the headed into Purdue's second bowl game in history. Young wanted the players to enjoy the bowl-game atmosphere, but never forgot the real objective-to use the Peach Bowl on Christmas day as another building block for the emerging Purdue football program.

Build the Boilers did, as they rolled to an easy 41-20 victory. And it wasn't even that close. The team scored on five of its first seven possessions to lead 35-7 at halftime. The second half was spent running in substitutes as the entire Purdue traveling squad saw action. Herrmann was named offensive MVP as he passed for two scored and rushed for his first collegiate touchdown.

The Boilermakers had come a long way since turning the corner in the sweltering heat of Michigan State game back in September. Young was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and Purdue was ranked in the final media and coaches polls for the first time in nine years. With only six starters to replace, the Boilers would be expected to do much more than turn the corner in 1979. They would be expected to head to Pasadena.

Thanks to one of the greatest defenses ever assembled in Boilermaker annals, the '78 team came within a bizarre tie at Wisconsin of gaining a share of the Big Ten crown. Much like the 1985 Chicago Bears, the Junk Defense was fun to watch. A win over the Badgers and this team would have been up a couple notches, but the fact it enjoyed the greatest blowout post-season win over any Purdue team ever, and a No. 13 final ranking in the media poll makes it worthy of its spot.

Overall Record: 9-2-1

Big Ten Record: 6-1-1 (3rd)

Coach: Jim Young

Captains: Tim Eubank and Willie Harris

Sept. 16 Michigan State (W 21-14)

Sept 23 Ohio (W 24-0)

Sept 30 @ Notre Dame (L 6-10)

Oct 7 Wake Forest (W 14-7)

Oct 14 #16 Ohio State (W 27-16)

Oct 28 @ Illinois (W 13-0)

Nov 4 Northwestern (W 31-0)

Nov 11 @ Wisconsin (T 24-24)

Nov 18 @ #7 Michigan (L 6-24)

Nov 25 Indiana (W 20-7)

Peach Bowl- Atlanta, GA

Dec 25 Georgia Tech (W 41-21)

Passing:Mark Herrmann (152-274 .555, 1904 yds, 12-int, 14-TDs)

Receiving: Russell Pope (35 rec., 292 yds, 1 TD) Mike Harris (34 rec.,495 yds, 4 TDs)

Rushing: John Macon (225-913-4.1-4 TDs) Russell Pope (164-673-4.1-5)

No. 15: 1952 (4-3-2; Co-Big Ten Champs)

No. 14: 1969: 8-2 (Mollenkopf's last hurrah)

No. 13: 1958: 6-1-2 (Purdue's last one-loss team)

No. 12: 1997: 9-3 (Tiller's turnaround)

No. 11: 2003: 9-4 (Overtime(s) Away)

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