It's not easy beating Greene: Back runs wild in Hawkeyes' workmanlike win over Purdue

Here lies Frank Duong.

He was a good kid. Lived a good life. All he wanted to do for the Purdue Boilermakers was play a little football.

He leaves a jersey, a helmet and some snot bubbles.

Who was Frank Duong? He was the Purdue safety Shonn Greene turned into an NFL audition tape.

(Originally published 11/16/2008)

Greene picked up the Hawkeyes and carried them into the end zone twice, and that was just enough in Iowa's gritty, gutty, grubby 22-17 victory over Purdue before 67,676 fans Saturday at Kinnick Stadium, which officially ended Iowa's streak of 37 straight sellouts. The Hawkeyes gutted it out in front of scouts from five bowls -- Capital One, Outback, Alamo, Champs Sports and Insight.

To be fair to Frank Duong, he's one of the many players Greene has posterized this year. Duong goes in line with the entire Wisconsin defense and a whole bunch more.

On his 75-yard touchdown, Greene put a spin move on Duong and left him grasping the chilly north wind that again whipped through Kinnick. But give Duong credit, he didn't go away. On Greene's 14-yarder that sealed the Hawkeyes' victory, Duong, all 5-foot-8, 178 pounds of him, met Greene in the hole. Greene, the 235-pound runaway appliance, bounced off and scored. Duong stayed on the turf and took inventory.

"He was flying down all game, so I had to give him something, try to slow him down a little bit," said Greene, who finished with 211 yards on 30 carries.

Frank Duong, he gave his all for Purdue (3-8, 1-6 Big Ten). Let's remember fondly the walk-on who's more of a track guy.

"I wouldn't go up and hit Shonn like that, I get out of his way," Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer said. "I think it's tough, especially having to walk back in the huddle and look your teammates in the eyes. Probably sucks pretty bad."

As much damage as Greene did for Iowa (7-4, 4-3), the Boilers still had a shot. It wasn't over until quarterback Curtis Painter's last-gasp bomb from Iowa's 27-yard line sailed through the end zone and onto the turf and in front of Iowa's marching band.

Remember, this was gritty, gutty, grubby. It was another bad-weather game, limiting Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi to eight completions and just 72 yards. It was after last week's monumental upset of No. 3 Penn State. It was even the same end zone that Daniel Murray popped his 31-yard field goal through to beat the Nittany Lions last week.

This was suck-it-up city.

"You just hold your breath on plays like that," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Only good thing was they only got one shot. Until it's over, you can't relax, but when it hit the ground, I felt very good about things."

Greene was one of the last Hawkeyes off the field. He exited to chants of "one more year."

Officially, Greene is a junior. Chronologically, he is a fifth-year senior. He has a year of eligibility left, but he will turn 24 before next season starts. And he has a resume with 11 straight 100-yard games, 1,585 yards on 256 carries and 15 rushing touchdowns.

"Obviously, the program would like to have him back," said senior receiver Andy Brodell, who caught four passes for 42 yards. "But the way he's playing, he's probably got options."

The "will he stay, will he go" discussion is a little premature. Greene wouldn't tip his hand.

"I don't ... I'm not thinking about that right now," Greene said. "I'm trying to get to a better bowl game."

Greene said he hasn't heard from agents, but he has heard from students.

"Yeah, they're like you guys (reporters)," he said. "I tell them the same thing. I just want to finish out this year."

Frank Duong was nowhere to be found, but Purdue cornerback Brandon King votes NFL. Luckily for you Iowa fans, this isn't entirely up to the opponents. But if Greene needs help packing, Frank Duong and the Wisconsin defense would volunteer.

"(Greene) doesn't say anything," King said. "He's the first running back I've been around on the field who keeps his mouthpiece in. He doesn't say anything. He just ran really, really hard and just prides himself in running guys over, like he does."

The only thing Greene didn't do Saturday was close out the Boilers. With fourth-and-1 at Purdue's 20 with 1:09 left in the game, Torri Williams and Chris Carlino combined to stop Greene for no gain and give the Boilers one last chance. Painter made the most of it.

In just four series Saturday, Painter completed 24 of 30 for 190 yards, two TDs and a tip-drill interception that defensive end Broderick Binns bumped and set for Angerer at Iowa's 4 with 7:11 left and Iowa hanging onto a 22-10 lead.

Painter completed three straight before defensive tackle Mitch King made a fifth-year senior, four-year starter play, sacking Painter and forcing Purdue to call its last timeout with 32 seconds left.

"I knew if we got a pressure or a sack, it was going to take two or three plays off their drive," said King, who shed his "Mighty Thor" blond locks for a brush cut this week. "It was going to wind down the clock. I'm just glad I'm the one who did it."

King helped end it. Fittingly, Iowa's emotional senior leader came up big right on cue.

It was the only poetry to be found on a gritty, grubby, gutty day.