COURTESY The Exponent (Purdue University) Senior Purdue safety Stuart Schweigert (right) returns an interception during last Saturday's Boilermaker victory over then-No. 20 Wake Forest.

The Purdue football team knows as well as anyone what a difference two weeks makes.

Going into this season, expectations surrounding the team were as high as ever, including the 2000 Rose Bowl season.

But after getting upset by Bowling Green at home, the No. 25 Boilers (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) heard talk of how another loss would ruin a promising season before it really got started.

Now after an upset of their own, defeating then-No. 20 Wake Forest in North Carolina, the Boilers are eager to show what kind of team they really have.

To reach the goal of a Big Ten title, the Boilers, who return 19 starters from last season, will rely on a large core of seniors led by safety Stuart Schweigert, last week's Big Ten defensive player of the week. Schweigert bookended the Wake Forest game with big plays, coming down with an interception on the first play from scrimmage and stuffing Demon Deacon running back Chris Barclay on fourth-and-one with a minute remaining in the game.

Head coach Joe Tiller said Schweigert, who has collected many accolades over his career, including Big Ten freshman of the year and first team All-Big Ten his sophomore year, is finally recovered from an injury-riddled junior year and is playing better now than he ever has ÷ including his 98-tackle, six-interception sophomore season.

"He's the biggest and the strongest he's been since he's been at Purdue," Tiller said. "He's an extremely smart player. He's really at the top of his game right now."

Senior defensive end Shaun Phillips, another player from a veteran Purdue defense that has allowed just 106 rushing yards combined in two games this season, is also said to be playing his best football. Tiller and Schweigert both said the energy Phillips is expending on the field is not only allowing him to make big plays, but is providing leadership to the entire team.

"He has stepped up as the emotional leader of our defense," Schweigert said. "When some of us have been struggling during practice, he's always talking and getting us going and keeping that energy flowing."

Statistically, Phillips has eight tackles (three and a half for a loss), two sacks and an interception.

"(Phillips is) playing as well as any defensive end has played here at Purdue ÷ certainly mentionable in the same breath as (NFL players) Akin Ayodele, Chike Okeafor and Rosevelt Colvin," Tiller said. "He has played exceptionally and I hope he keeps it up."

Offensively, the Boilermakers seem to still be struggling from the loss of 1,000-yard rusher Joey Harris to academics, as they have put up uncharacteristically low numbers. After averaging more than 450 yards per game last year, the Boilers have only averaged 346.5 this year ÷ although they have significantly cut down on turnovers that plagued them last season.

In 2002, despite leading the Big Ten in offense and defense, Purdue lost six games by a combined 26 points ÷ largely due to its 34 turnovers. This year, Purdue has just two turnovers, with none coming from junior quarterback Kyle Orton.

Orton, who has completed 52-of-78 passes for 482 yards and four touchdowns this season, said he can't even remember his last interception, which was more than 140 passes ago.

"He had the best understanding of the offense since he has been here," Tiller said. "He is maturing as a quarterback and he understands the significance of taking an unreasonable chance."

Orton's decisions are made easier by having two of last year's top Big Ten receivers on his side, John Standeford and Taylor Stubblefield. Standeford, who had 1,307 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2002, and Stubblefield, who had 16 receptions, 136 yards and a touchdown in this season's opener, comprise a duo that could easily rewrite all of Purdue receiving records.