FORT WAYNE – Kawann Short has a little extra incentive for trying to get to the opponent’s backfield.

“As a defensive line, we hate to run,” the Purdue junior nose guard/defensive tackle joked during a phone interview last week. “We feel that if we get back there and stop the ball, we don’t have to run as far.”

Whatever the motivation, it has worked. Short has been a disruptive force all year, helping Purdue reach the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. The Boilermakers (6-6) face Western Michigan (7-5) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ford Field in Detroit.

Short leads Purdue with 6 1/2 sacks. He also has a team-high 17 tackles for loss and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors at defensive tackle by the media.

“It means a lot, but right now, I can’t take it in,” Short said. “We’re still on a mission. Having that individual (honor), that’s what I set at the beginning of the year. Meeting that goal, it makes me feel a little positive about how the year went. I was pretty excited to be acknowledged in the Big Ten.”

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Short was a second-team All-Big Ten pick by the league’s coaches. Short finished the regular season tied for 13th nationally and tied for third in the Big Ten in tackles for loss and tied for sixth in the conference in sacks. He has 53 tackles.

“He’s been huge,” Purdue senior linebacker Joe Holland said. “We knew that losing (defensive end) Ryan Kerrigan was going to hurt us a lot. He could really dictate what offenses could and couldn’t do. We knew he was going to leave a void by going to the NFL.

“Offenses (now) have to gameplan for Kawann. He’s incredibly hard to block. You’ve got to double-team him, or he’ll be able to make tackles for losses all day. He has taken it to the next level in the Big Ten. He’s that presence inside that makes our defense run.”

Stepping up in Kerrigan’s absence fueled Short.

“I took a step in each category as far as getting stronger, more conditioned and having a feel for the game,” Short said. “Knowing that Ryan Kerrigan was gone and there was going to be a focus on me, it made me work even harder to get back to the backfield, fight through double teams and make it easier for the other guys at defensive end. It was a challenge, but I just had to step up.”

Short had his best game when the team needed it most. Reeling from back-to-back losses at Michigan and Wisconsin, the Boilermakers returned home to face Ohio State. Short collected three sacks in Purdue’s 26-23 overtime win.

“It’s all a mind thing,” Short said of getting to the backfield. “And then the physical aspect comes second. You have to have the mindset that I’m going to get back there no matter how good this person is, no matter who he is. Having that at the beginning of every play and think, ‘I know I can beat this person,’ everything else will fall into place. No matter how tired you are.”

The work has landed Purdue in its first bowl since 2007.

“I’m excited about it and we’re excited about it as a team,” he said. “We just have to cherish the moment.”

lpope@jg.net