GoldandBlack.com: IU, Purdue's Bowl

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (GoldandBlack.com) - Albert Evans knew all about Purdue's rivalry with Indiana before he even put on a Boilermaker practice jersey.

So, does his mother.

"Growing up, you see it's a real big deal," said Evans, a Portage High School graduate. "Some people take it to another level, but to us, it's just a game about pride."

The sophomore safety recalled the pressure his mother endured during his recruitment process, as he had a scholarship offer from Indiana, as well as several other schools. His mother works as a paralegal at the Lake County Jail.

"When I was going to make my decision, there were people leaving notes on her desk saying, 'Tell your son to go to Indiana,'" Evans said, adding notes of disappointment were left on his mother's desk when he chose Purdue. "Just adults who put it all on the line and think the game means more about football, but character or who is the better person. Those type of people take it to a whole another level."

Indiana and Purdue both enter with 4-7 records, meaning neither will go to a bowl game this season. All that's left to play for is the Old Oaken Bucket.

"We're looking at this as our bowl game," wide receiver Keith Smith said, "and we're going to play our hardest. It's about state-wide bragging rights.

"So, we're going to come out ready to play and play our best."

Evans, at the time a senior at Portage, attended Purdue's loss at Indiana during the 2007 season. He remembers the Indiana players storming to Purdue's sideline to retrieve the Bucket.

"It just shows how big the game is," Evans said. "The aura of the game is just better than normal games."

Linebacker Chris Carlino, also a senior in high school at the time, remembers listening to the 2007 game on the radio. The Hamilton Southeastern High School graduate has since seen the clip of Austin Starr's game-winning field goal "numerous times."

"The guys who were there let us know how it felt and how bad of a feeling it was," Carlino said.

Purdue left the field disappointed after last week's 40-37 loss to Michigan State, which eliminated the Boilermakers from bowl contention.

However, a win over rival Indiana can ease that disappointment.

"That's how we're sort of taking our approach this week," Carlino said. "We have one game left and we're approaching it as a bowl game. Obviously, we wish we had made it to a bowl game, but now we have to accept this challenge and treat this as a bowl game."

Purdue's practice wasn't the norm, also drawing comparisons to a bowl game.

"The young guys are having practice right now," said Smith, immediately after being let out of practice a few minutes earlier than scheduled with fellow veterans and starters. "It's like bowl prep."

Purdue won 10 of 12 games against Indiana under former coach Joe Tiller, including the 62-10 romp that brought the Old Oaken Bucket back to West Lafayette last year.

"As a player, you have to go in as if it's another game," Smith said. "But you know on the outlines there is more things to it - the Bucket is huge and we want to do everything we can to keep it here."