Bench Celebrates another big playIn a race for the hotly-contested basement of the Big Ten, Purdue took a commanding lead. Placing space between themselves and IU, Michigan and Wisconsin, the Boilers were able to not score an offensive touchdown for the third time this season. Kory Sheets backed up last weeks talk by rushing for 73 yards and a fumble (inside the Gophers' 20). The passing game did its part as two Purdue QBs combined for an eye-popping 109 yards passing and an interception each. One of those was noteworthy as Senior Joe Whitest placed the ball on his shoulder and presented it to a Minnesota DB. Whitest commented, "Not everybody can fumble the ball...I got an opportunity to help, and I did my part. We have one goal this year, and we're all focused on that."
"The entire offense really wants this..." Curtis Painter said. He continued, "We're trying to do something that hasn't been done by a Purdue team since many of us were in pre-school..." The offensive line, now a patchwork bunch of players that have been moved around all season, all seem to know their role. Each time Painter or Siller received the snap, it seemed there was a Golden Gopher there to greet him. Purdue Senior Cory Benton said, "Coach Z had the perfect gameplan today...we're right in the position we want to be...We loved what we saw on both sides of the ball last week. Hopefully, the defense can get on the same page versus Michigan next week."
Much of the early season, the defense was razor-sharp earning an overall ranking in the 100s...Now, it seems, it's just not the case. Brock Spack said, "I have no idea what our linebackers and DBs are doing. I sent in the prevent nearly every down...and on other downs utilized the vaunted 5-2 that we used v. UND in the third quarter...But nobody was listening. From Ryan Baker stunting to Joe Holland persuing Minnesota's running backs, they just weren't executing. I feel like I've lost control of this unit." He continued, "I have no idea why Kerrigan intercepted that ball in the fourth. Thank God the offense and its play-calling was so crisp when it got back on the field."
Coach Tiller was his typical hilarious self during the press conference afterwords. "Justin Siller scrambled a lot today gaining big chunks of yards as the protection broke down. We'll work on keeping him stationary in the coming week. Let's just say he's got a long way to go."
"We're looking forward to seeing a healthy Curtis Painter versus Michigan...he doesn't do sh*t like that."
Purdue shot past both Michigan and IU to 11th place in the Big Ten Network's power rankings on the shoulders of its "Basketball on Acid" offense...and now holds a one-game lead on Wisconsin, IU and Michigan in the battle for the cellar of the conference (0-4, 2-6).
The Ross Ade Homecoming crowd of a MAC-esque 45,000 quiet fans ooohed and ahhhed at the preparedness of this Boiler squad. Senior in the school of Engineering, Ryan Van Lashen said this as he left the stadium (with 6:00 left in the fourth), "Not everybody was here during the '05 season...I was lucky enough to be in this student section that season too. So what we're watching is the culmination of four and a half seasons of thinking and playing right on the edge of poorly..."
He continued, "My older brother was here back when Brees played here- He never got to see this type of football. It's great because now I can talk to my Uncles about those great teams in the late-80s and early and mid-90s...I keep telling them, 'there's no way this team could beat the Purdue team from 1996'...I think everyone can see now that I was right."
Next up, Tiller's team faces a Michigan team that is playing the same type of football.
Tiller ended the presser saying, with a cigar in his mouth, "It's going to be my type of game- two poorly-prepared, finesse teams battling for 5-7 minutes and calling it quits after the first quarter...That's how we used to do it in the Mountain West."
12 comments:
Yeah, I was thinking yesterday after the game "It's 1996 all over again" but comparing the two teams is like having a "Whose shit stinks worse?" contest!
I do think the Colletto era was worse than the Akers era as we went 1-10 one season under Jim Colletto, but that's another Fecal/Olfactory Fest. Yet, in my opinion Fred Akers would still coach circles around Jim Colletto, and he's been out of coaching for almost 17 years!
Upon further thinking back, Fred Akers has been out of coaching almost 18 years... ah, time's fun when your having flies.
I am a Purdue student with the VIP pass, and I didnt even want to go to the game today. I went to the Pep Rally last night and couldnt have been more disappointed. Isn't a pep rally supposed to inspire the fans? while no players and no coaches show up to start things off? It homecoming for christ's sake. I guess we unluckily had a ranked Minnesota who went 1-10 last year and should have easily been a win but I was inspired by Siller's performance and angered by Tiller's comments towards Sheets. Either way, if we win the bucket I'll be happy this year. Theres no else to lose, Boiler Up.
A pep rally without fans/coaches makes little sense...it shows how different Tiller is to what he once was. He really worked hard to get the fanbase excited when he first came on board as he saw it as important to have support. He doesn't see it as at all important anymore...Let's be honest, he doesn't see a lot as important anymore.
The Akers v. Coletto debate is a bad one to have. One thing I don't think any Akers fan can say is that they appreciated any of the off-field problems that those teams had...Coletto teams never had off-field problems...And both regimes stunk. I give the nod to Coletto. Plus, the 1-win season Coletto had, he was still trying to play a smashmouth style with a bunch of smaller, faster players...It's a battle that Hope might need to have at a few positions next season.
However,
Akers was the mastermind who changed the helmet color to black to make the squad more intimidating.
One other thing -
Back when he was recruited, many analysts labeled Siller as a significant, impact player because of his dual threat abilities.
They also said the same about Bolden and Dierking as runningbacks.
So why is it, when Taylor went down, that Tiller converted a promising QB to RB, when he had TWO RB options with just as much, if not more proven experience at the position than Siller did.
I know Tiller thought that Siller would never see the field THIS YEAR at QB, but even if he had taken reps in practice as the third QB, he would probably know more of the offense than he currently does.
It's the same with the defense. Why are we shallow at LB, but up to our necks in fast, agile DE's?
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I am starting to ask myself this:
What if a bitter Joe Tiller, fed up with all of his critics, says "I'll show them what it was like BEFORE I came." Could he be trying to turn back the clock - to leave Purdue Football just like he found it?
I asked your last question in a different way, tongue-in-cheek as well...Is Joe trying to show how great his offensive mind really was by not doing anything this season to show the contrast?
I don't think so...I think he's just stopped preparing with the same intensity and has made some awful personnel moves this season...Magee, Siller and Panfil, just to name a few. Plus, they seem to burn a redshirt each week...almost as if there's no thought at all for the future at this point. Weird.
Burning red shirts and not caring about the future?... sounds eerily similar to a story of this one coach and his basketball basketball team from a few years back.
Nice satire... I enjoyed the write up Boilerdowd.
k-dz,
That's my hope too. MATT Painter (not to be confused with Curtis "At least it was my bad arm" Painter) inherited an under-achieving program with a skeletal roster.
Can history repeat itself?
Does Hope have a brilliant 4-star recruiting class full of hard-nosed gamers in his future?
I hope so.
And one more thing:
Look at the shot of the bench reaction and check out the coaches.
One coach has his headphones on, is obviously into the game, and passionate about the results.
Right next to him, one coach has his headphones off, hands in his pockets, and is thinking about his new satellite plate.
If you look real close, there are a pair of hands on the right, held out as if to say "What the eff?!"
I was doing the exact same thing at home, before I flipped off the TV (both ways), and went to do some yardwork.
Finally,
At the top of the photo is evidence of some team spirit: notice the
"11" sign being hoisted in celebration.
Okay, enough poking the dead bird with a stick. Back to work.
K-deezntz, thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Dozer, keep poking by all means; I studied this one pretty hard too...
The one good thing I can take from the photo is that if intensity starts from the top down, Coach Hope is exactly what this team needs.
The contrast between present and future is shocking. Tiller's body language personifies Purdue Football over the last several seasons.
I hope that Coach Hope's intensity is infectious.
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