Chris Fowler Calls Purdue's 2018 Upset of Ohio State Most Powerful Broadcast of His Career

Purdue's 49-20 win over Ohio State in 2018 is one that will be remembered in West Lafayette for decades. It's also a special game for ESPN's Chris Fowler.

ABC announcer Chris Fowler prior to a college football game. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The 2018 football game between Purdue and No. 2 Ohio State is one of the most memorable in the history of the Boilermakers' program. But that game isn't just popular in West Lafayette, it's one that ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Chris Fowler considers one of his all-time favorites.

Fowler has worked at ESPN for decades and has called a number of memorable games. None of them compares to that epic October night, though. Not only did Purdue thump Ohio State 49-20 inside Ross-Ade Stadium, it was also a game many remember as the "Tyler Trent Game."

Trent, a Purdue student and superfan, made it to the stadium for the game despite battling terminal cancer.

"It was a game involving a young cancer patient named Tyler Trent, who was this superfan, he was adopted by the team, battled cancer courageously. He was in very bad shape, was in Indianapolis at his house, and Purdue played Ohio State in West Lafayette that night," Fowler said when asked about the most emotional game he's called on The Ariel Helwani Show. "His dying wish was to have them win this game and to be there to see it. They were huge underdogs. Ohio State was a dominant championship team.

"Somehow, they get him out of bed, into the car and to the game. We see shots of him, and he's just hanging on. Just hanging on. And, it's just one of those magical nights."

Head coach Jeff Brohm is mobbed by the Purdue faithful after the Boilermakers upset No. 2 ranked Ohio State 49-20. | John Terhune/Journal & Courier,

Trent's arrival at Ross-Ade Stadium inspired the Boilermakers that night. Purdue never trailed, and punctuated the victory with a 28-point fourth quarter, posting a 29-point victory over Ohio State and handing the Buckeyes their only loss of the 2028 campaign.

As Fowler recalled, it was easy to tell it was going to be Purdue's night.

"Purdue could do no wrong. They blasted Ohio State and it's a party," Fowler said. "They wheel Tyler through the end zone to the locker room to wait for the team to come in after the victory — there are videos out there about what happened when he got in there."

Only a few months later, On Jan. 1, 20219, Trent passed away from cancer.

Fowler said that night was "like a movie"

The Purdue faithful show their support for Tyler Trent as the Boilermakers pull away from Ohio State. | John Terhune/Journal & Courier

There's an old, overused adage when moments like Purdue's win over Ohio State happen. Commentators often recite the phrase, "Hollywood couldn't have written a better script."

Tired phrase or not, that was certainly applicable to that October night in West Lafayette.

"I will get choked up talking about this, because it's like a movie," Fowler said. "We've all seen things in sports that feel like a movie, but it would be too corny if you scripted it."

Many moments stick out from that game: Rondale Moore's epic touchdown run, D.J. Knox scoring three times and Markus Bailey's pick-six to seal the deal. But none of that compared to the impact Trent had on that game and on Fowler.

"It was incredibly powerful emotions," Fowler said. "I'm barely keeping it together ... It's the most powerful, favorite game ever to call because it just went way beyond sports."

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