Boilers Follow Up Mackey Re-Dedication With Re-Dedication To Kicking Ass, 96-34

For anyone who has been a little downtrodden lately thanks to the whippings that the football team has been subjected to recently can't have nothing but a smile on their face tonight after a feel-good re-opening of the always-pleasing Mackey Arena. Our Boilers ran Northern Illinois out of the gym tonight, 96-34. That's what you get for beating the Purdue football team, Northern Illinois. Matty Painter doesn't forget.

I missed the first ten minutes or so of the game and when I texted B-Dowd (who was on the scene) to ask if I missed anything, he said "You missed nothing other than NIU looking like they'd never played before." He'll be along eventually with some perspective on the new Mackey and the re-dedication hoopla. For now, though, the game itself.

The Boilers held the Huskies to just 20 points in the first half in racing out to a 26 point lead at the break. Sometimes in the second half of games, the team with the big lead sort of tapers off as they lose focus on their defensive intensity and allow the weaker team to save some face in the second half. That wasn't the casde tonight, as the worn down Huskies committed turnover after delicious turnover and the Boilers kept rolling up points, to the tune of a 50-14 second half chasm. The 62-point margin is being reported as Purdue's largest margin in 100 years, though on the broadcast on ESPN3, the yahoos were saying it was the largest in 60 years. Maybe those guys just think 1911 is sixty years ago. It's possible. Anyway, we'll move on.

Boilers Plan To Exact Revenge on Northern Illinois

The Purdue athletic department, cunning and skillful as we know them to be, has scored another coup with the scheduling of Northern Illinois as the black and gold's first victim at the new and improved Mackey Arena.

On 11/11/11 (why we're all so hell bent on it being that date is still lost on me), the Boilermakers will open the new arena (well, technically the volleyball team will christen it a few days earlier -- makes perfect sense to Morgan Burke) against the Huskies.

Remember, this is the university that humbled Danny Hope's Boilers two years ago and led to truly professional cheering in the pressbox by those "covering" the Huskies. Well, after lecturing Boilerdowd on his tawdry pressbox behavior (we're still trying to figure out why he was talked down to by the athletic department but those stooges were apparently not), the school has done their best to find a way to get back at Northern Illinois by rubbing a win in their faces.

Hey, it was this or diving.

Thursday Gumbo Featuring UND Slapping, Penis Pulling, And Other Fun

It's Thursday. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but let's do a bit of a link dump of what we're reading lately...

No, Manatee, You're Just Wrong

You know how sometimes we like to tear apart stupid Notre Dame crap? And how we really don't like Fat Charlie?

Well, MGoBlog has a simply wonderful, wonderful, wonderful-like-Christmas-morning-featuring-a-Red-Ryder-BB-gun, evisceration of the Notre Dame whining from the UND-UM game. Please read it. You won't be disappointed.

How Closely Do You Watch The Big Ten Commercials?

I'll admit it, Paterno is the best part of the "recruiting" ad. And yes, this headline from Black Shoe Diaries is awesome for those paying attention. Nicely done.

And You Thought Jay Leno Interviewing Kanye Was Stilted

Our friend T-Mill from Hammer and Rails is going to great efforts to make his podcast good (unlike us, who basically subject you to a phone call we probably have a few times a week). He even went out and found a Northern Illinois blogger to have on his podcast. The guy turned out to sound a bit like me... if I had eaten a bucket of quaaludes and then smoked a joint like the one in Revenge of the Nerds Part II. Listen as poor T-Mill asks a question and gets, "Yeah" in response. It's kind of awesome.

Yet Bob Knight Is Healthy As An Ox

Whether you liked Miles Brand or not, as T-Mill pointed out on his site, the guy should get a moment of your thoughts/prayers as he shuffles off this mortal coil at age 67. He did finally drop the ax on Bob Knight at IU. Also, cancer sucks.

J Money Not Only Awesome Boilermaker in Houston

When you think of my awesomeness, you of course realize only a state the size of Texas can contain it. Which is why it's amazing that both me and Kevin Sumlin fit here. Sumlin was a linebacker at Purdue in the '80s and then coached under Tiller for a while, and now he's quickly resurrecting a dormant Houston football program, who knocked off Okie State last weekend. (When can we start talking about the Big 12 the way others talk about the Big 10?)

Northern Illnois Bloggers Very Creative

Yes, they trotted out the old "Purdon't" joke in their preview of the game this weekend. Hey, fellas, why don't they make the whole plane out of the black box material? Amirite?? I just flew in from Northern Illinois, and boy are my arms tired! (Okay, okay, just kidding... we all know airplanes don't go anywhere near UNI.)

They also mentioned Danny Hope getting away from "strict basketball on grass" (again, a term not really used by anyone who knows anything about Purdue football since about 1999).

Another point which I suppose might have merit, but none of us think so:

Even though their coaches and everybody is denying this fully, you have to think that this team will either be hungover from their trip to Eugene, OR or be looking ahead. Or both.

You have to think? Or you hope?

And then the grand finale, their prediction. I'll let you enjoy:

I haven't had much time to look at what Purdue has been able to do, but I've been fairly impressed both offensively and defensively. I just feel like NIU has proved a little bit more on the defensive side of the ball, while still maintaining their strong offensive gameplan. Northern Illinois will try to rush the ball all game long against the 'makers, hopefully resulting in rest for our defense and making sure that the dangerous offense for Purdue is on the sidelines more often than not. We have to control the clock and not make mistakes such as turnovers or giving up the big pay on defense. And put somebody, anybody on Ralph Bolden at all times. That being said...

Huskies 35, Boilermakers 26

It all sounds so simple. And don't forget, they almost beat Big Ten teams all the time.

MAC Teams Are So Cute

Our buddy T-Mill over at Slammer and Snails is doing outstanding work in nailing down preview Q&As with Purdue opponents for the upcoming season. One of his recent ones was for the Northern Illinois game, where he spoke with Red and Black Attack.

I don't think I'm the only Boilermaker fan who, while cautiously optimistic about the Hope Era, feels that home games against MAC schools should be wins. Red and Black Attacks thinks we should be afraid.

As for Northern Illinois being "just another MAC team", I beg to differ. Northern Illinois is on the upswing with head coach Jerry Kill in his second year coaching this team. He managed to lead this Huskie team to a bowl game in his first year with a focus on something the Chips don't have: a defense.

Oh, the Central Michigan Chips, who we beat three times in 12 months? You mean, your conference champs? Those Chips? Oh, gotcha. (I do love a name like "Coach Kill.")

This way to awesometown!

Need more evidence that NIU is for real?

Big 10 athletes are something that you have a hard time preparing for because their increased depth over MAC teams. Purdue, just like Wisconsin is going to have more players that are bigger, faster and stronger than the Huskies on an overall level. In 2005, we stood toe to toe with Michigan in the Big House and the next week we were a 2-point conversion away from beating Northwestern.

So Big Ten athletes are bigger, stronger, faster... and NIU almost beat a couple Big Ten teams four years ago. Still not convinced this means they have a great chance to knock off the Boilermakers?

Last year we lost to Minnesota in the final minute by 4 points. We almost beat the Vols in Knoxville last year without our starting quarterback, but also lost by 4 points.

I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

The Huskies are at Wisconsin to start their season, then have a home game, and then come to West Lafayette. I just cannot imagine the Boilermakers not being ready for this game. You must beat MAC teams (something Purdue has done with regularity, even in lousy years) in order to have a respectable season as a Big Ten program.

Sure, I'm busting balls a bit, but to imply that your team has a chance is fine. However, using supporting evidence that it's because they have been close a bunch of times over the past 4-5 years is not very convincing.

Am I opening us up to criticism if NIU comes into West Lafayette and pulls the upset? Sure, I suppose. But who cares? If we need to start being cautious of MAC teams, we might as well pull the plug on the season.

Of course, if you're an NIU fan, feel free to come back here and gloat should your boys pull it off. We'll be here.