WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The regular season was over for Purdue but the losses kept coming -- only they weren't showing up on the scoreboard, just in the locker room.

When the Boilermakers (6-5) play in the Sun Bowl against No. 13 Washington State (9-2) on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas, they will be without quarterback Brandon Hance and defensive lineman Matt Mitrione. Both left the Boilermakers in the past two weeks.

Purdue coach Joe Tiller said Thursday the timing of the departures was "horrible", but they would not be a distraction.

"I think we'll be well prepared by the time the game gets here," he said at a Sun Bowl news conference.

Hance, a redshirt freshman, left after final exams and told Tiller he wanted to transfer to a school closer to his Woodland Hills, Calif., home. Hance had started the first nine games before he was benched in favor of Kyle Orton.

His transfer leaves only Kyle Smith, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound freshman who hasn't taken a snap, as a backup for Orton. Orton, a true freshman making his third career start, lost his first two games to Indiana and Notre Dame.

While Hance's decision to leave didn't surprise Tiller, he found the timing disappointing.

Tiller said Orton has matured since named the starter nearly a month ago.

"He carries himself better. He understands more about the offense today than he did three weeks ago," Tiller said. "He's just a different guy in my opinion."

Orton, who went 69-for-142 for 686 yards, three interceptions and two touchdowns, has played better in practice and shown signs of developing into the team's quarterback of the future. One practice earlier this week had Tiller very impressed.

"He was in a zone," Tiller said. "In our team situation, he was perfect. He made all the right checks, all the right throws, he put the ball on the body. That was his best practice since he's been to Purdue."

If Orton gets injured early against Washington State, Smith will play. The longer the game goes, the less likely Tiller said he wouldn't want to waste Smith's redshirt season.

"Kyle Smith is a talented player, but it would be a shame for us to burn his redshirt year because we had to play him in a game," Tiller said.

Orton said he felt more comfortable with the offense.

"I see the progress and feel it a lot," he said. "Leadership-wise I'm doing a lot better. Each practice I get in, I have a better handle on what to do."

Mitrione, a senior, was having his best season, despite being bothered by a broken foot that caused him to miss training camp and the season-opener against Cincinnati. He had 40 tackles and four sacks and was an All-Big Ten selection.

Mitrione told Tiller he was too hurt to play, still bothered by the foot. Tiller sent him home.

Mitrione was one of the most outspoken Boilermakers. His public criticism of Indiana last month forced to Tiller to make him off-limits to the media the week after the two teams played.

"Any of us that know the personality involved, we're not shocked. So our team isn't in a state of shock," Tiller said. "The timing's horrible, but that's life. There's a time and place for everything. Some individuals make decisions and it's usually made from a selfish point of view. The team is then obviously lost in the equation."

Brandon Johnson, a junior who transferred a year ago from Butler, will start in place of Mitrione. Johnson had three tackles in seven games, with one start.

Safety Stuart Schweigert said a change in the starting lineup wouldn't have much of an impact.

"Brandon does a good job," Schweigert said. "He's big, fast and very strong. He's gotten in practice with the one's (first team) a lot because Matt's been hurt. He's been with us enough that it shouldn't be a factor."