Bodog Beat

Curtis Painter passed for a record 546 yards for Purdue. (AP Images)

The Motor City Bowl was more like a high-octane speed race than a football game.

Purdue marched out to a 27-6 lead then watched Central Michigan step on the gas. The Chippewas eventually caught the Boilermakers, tying the game at 48-48 with 1:09 to play. That turned out to be too much time for Curtis Painter.

Back at the wheel, the Purdue quarterback steered his team down to the Central Michigan 23-yard line in less than one minute. Following a timeout, Chris Summers kicked a 40-yard field goal with two seconds to play, lifting the Boilermakers to a thrilling 51-48 win at Ford Field in Detroit.

Central Michigan did beat the point spread, which favored Purdue by eight. The betting total, a jaw-dropping 72 points, wasn’t high enough as the teams combined for 99 points to please over bettors.

Painter finished with a whopping 546 yards passing, which set a school record. The junior signalcaller had three touchdowns and two interceptions and was 35-for-54 passing. His counterpart, Dan LeFevour, would have been the star of the game in just about any other contest. The Chippewas’ quarterback threw four touchdowns and ran in two more. He was 17-for-34 passing for 293 yards and didn’t have an interception, and racked up 114 yards on the ground.

For college bowl odds throughout the bowl season, huddle up with the Bodog Sportsbook.