WEST LAFAYETTE - It would take Sigmund Freud years to figure out why Michigan's Rose Bowl dream became a nightmare Saturday.
The short version of the explanation, however, would probably go like this: the ninth-ranked Wolverines turned the ball over five times and lost to Purdue, 9-3, in front of 40,624 at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The loss was Michigan's first to the Boilermakers since 1984, and it effectively removed the Wolverines from contention for the Big Ten championship and the Rose Bowl.
"We had our destiny in our hands, and we gave it up," a solemn Charles Woodson said after the game. "We gave it up."
With last week's victory over Michigan State, and Northwestern's loss to Penn State, Michigan could have earned a trip to Pasadena with victories over Purdue, Penn State and Ohio State.
In terms of the Rose Bowl, none of that matters anymore.
Aside from the five turnovers, Michigan gained just 56 yards on the ground and was completely ineffective on offense all afternoon.
Purdue's defense entered the game ranked 10th in the conference in total defense, but for most of the day, it had Michigan quarterback Scott Dreisbach on the run and on the turf.
Dreisbach was sacked only twice but was rushed on nearly every passing play, and fumbled twice.
Dreisbach's second fumble, in the fourth-quarter, may have been Michigan's biggest mistake all game.
With 9:46 left in the game, Michigan took control of the ball on its own 37-yard line. Dreisbach looked to pass on first down, but was stripped of the ball from behind by Purdue linebacker Chris Koeppen. Koeppen recovered the fumble at the 33, his second recovery of the game.
On first down, after the fumble, Purdue fullback Edwin Watson took the ball 14 yards up the middle to the Michigan 19.
Tailback Kendall Matthews took the handoff on the next play, and carried it to the five yard line.
Two plays later, Watson made maybe his biggest play of the day.
On second-and-goal from the five, Michigan blitzed linebacker Jarrett Irons up the middle, but Watson got a shoulder into Irons, allowing quarterback Rick Trefzger to scramble.
With the extra time, Trefzger hit receiver Brian Alford in the end zone for the game's only touchdown.
Shane Ryan's extra-point attempt was blocked by Woodson, but the damage was done.
"After scoring the touchdown, it gave us a lot of confidence," Alford said. "You could tell from the looks on the faces of the Michigan players that they were stunned."
At 9-3, however, the game was still within the Wolverines' reach.
Michigan drove to the Purdue 35 on its next possesion, but on second-and-eight Dreisbach was picked off by safety Derrick Brown.
The Wolverines then held the Boilermakers on three straight plays, and got the ball back with 2:31 left in the game.
Michigan again drove into Purdue territory, but on third-and-10 from the Purdue 44, Dreisbach was intercepted by cornerback Jamel Coleman.
After the interception, the Boilermakers simply ran the clock out.
Dreisbach, who was slow getting up on numerous occasions, said the hits didn't daze or confuse him.
"I got hit, but I get hit every game," Dreisbach said. "It was nothing I couldn't deal with. It was nothing I couldn't shake off."
The Michigan offense couldn't shake off Purdue's defense, however.
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said Purdue blitzed when Michigan didn't expect them to blitz, and kept the Wolverines guessing all day.
"The thing we tried to do was stay in our game plan," Carr said. "But they did a good job keeping us off balance on offense."
Purdue held the ball nearly 11 minutes more than Michigan did in the first half, and took a 3-0 lead on a 28-yard Ryan field goal with 7:22 left in the second quarter.
As bad as things were for the Wolverines, however, they still could have held the lead at halftime.
With the help of two Purdue penalties, one for pass interference and another a personal foul for roughing the kicker, Michigan drove the ball from its own 13 to the Purdue two-yard line late in the half.
On first-and-goal, Dreisbach handed the ball to nose tackle William Carr, who fumbled, and Purdue linebacker Chike Okeafor recovered.
The play allowed the Boilermakers to run the clock out and take a three-point lead into halftime.
Despite the fumble, Lloyd Carr said he would have no problem giving William Carr the ball again.
"We have run that play, at least in practice," Lloyd Carr said. "I don't second-guess that call because I know the kind of athlete Will Carr is."
The Wolverines would have one other opportunity to put the ball in the end zone, but again fell short.
Michigan's only score came with 10:07 left in the third quarter, when Remy Hamilton hit a 21-yard field goal, after the Wolverines had the ball first-and-10 at the Purdue 11.
For Purdue coach Jim Colletto, who resigned last Monday, the victory was extra sweet, and, he felt, deserved.
"It was not a fluke," he said. "The game is measured by your heart. This kind of erases a lot of pain."
Michigan players said they expected a little more emotion out of Purdue because of Colletto's situation, but that it was no excuse.
None of the players would say they came out flat after last week's emotional victory over Michigan State, and none of the Wolverines would say they were looking past Purdue to this week's game against Penn State.
Michigan just didn't get the job done.
"Their guys were fired up," Woodson said, "but if we had executed and done what we were supposed to we still would have won."
JOE WESTRATE/Daily
Senior Derrick Winston celebrates the one and only victory over Michigan of his career.