Heartless in the Heart of Dallas

I hope these uniforms don't make it back from Texas...but this is a pretty sweet shot.

Danny Hope wasn't on the sideline, but he watched the game from the stands.  Even with Higgs at the Helm, the Boilers looked eerily similar to the team we saw versus Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State and Minnesota...a team without the ability to beat good (not even great) teams.

Make no mistake, Purdue was overmatched versus the 7-5 Cowboys.  Okie State fought through adversity this season, being forced to start three quarterbacks during the year...yet they were able to beat five bowl-eligible teams. Purdue had a relatively healthy season, yet squeaked into a bowl from the weakest Big Ten in memory. Purdue squeaked into the the Little Caesars Bowl...but found themselves in Texas anyway...and it showed that our Boilers belonged in Detroit from the get-go.

The final score was 58-14...but it felt much worse.  If nothing else this game was a reminder to those who were on the fence of why Danny Hope had to leave.  Heading into the game, OJ Ross, Ricardo Allen and other veteran Boilers expressed confidence in their opinion that Purdue would win easily as the Boiler defense would handle the Cowboys' offense.  That wasn't the case...not even close.  But everyone earned this loss.

One of OK State's many TDs.

Purdue had five turnovers on offense- three fumbles and two interceptions.  On the other side, the defense allowed 5.2 yards/carry...and allowed two quarterbacks to play close to perfect. OK State could pretty much do whatever they wanted on offense and at the same time, Purdue's offense lacked pop and executed poorly, with one exception- Akeem Shavers played a great game until he went down injured late in the game.  The Texas native had 14 carries for 93 yards and four receptions for 54 yards.  I haven't yet heard how severe his injury was, but it was a knee...and it looked pretty bad.

If Purdue wasn't down two coaches and everything went their way, they probably still would have lost.  But with a makeshift coaching staff, this Boiler team had no chance.  The blood letting started early and didn't stop until the game hit 0:00.

A few things were noteworthy to me as I watched this Purdue team play its final game before Hazell starts his time in God's Country:

-Webster's fake punt from the endzone in the first quarter was a "what-the-hell" play call that looked like it might foreshadow a fun caution-to-the-wind game.  Turns out, not even a second successful fake punt would matter as the game was simply out of hand from very early on.

-Tommie Thomas scored his first TD of his career- Good for him.  We've become virtual pals with #12 via Twitter and love seeing him succeed. He's been a good ambassador for the university and the program.  It's great to see that type of guy get a moment in the sun...even if that sun came via an out-of-hand game at a cloudy, cold bowl locale.

-We don't like calling out players, but OJ Ross' fumble after the catch in the second half was easily-avoidable.  The guy typing this post played Freshman football in high school, and I know that you should cover up the ball as you prepare to get hit, especially when facing two defenders.  Instead, Ross was careless with the ball and it changed a Purdue first down to six points for OK State.  Gabe Holmes also didn't do a great job securing the ball.  Both of these guys are extremely gifted...and both deserve to be benched by the next coach if they can't get the details right.  They have all of the potential in the world- speed, size and strength...but without mental toughness, they'll perpetually be just what ifs.

-The team looked visibly out of shape...something I can't remember seeing in the last four years.  A couple guys who I had never seen with soft midsections looked to be on the Boilerdowd diet and exercise schedule.  Sure, the holidays are filled with gatherings that include delicious cookies, big meals and egg nog for many, but you hope that's not the case for our Boilers.  This didn't seem to have any bearing on the game as Purdue was simply dominated.  An extra pound or two didn't make it happen.

The Darrell Hazell Era began when Oklahoma State was the official champ of the Heart of Dallas Bowl...and not a moment too soon. I'll be rooting for him to get one more victory before he starts looking for houses near my favorite college campus.  But when he trades in his golden rod Kent State shade of gold for the metallic beige of his new employer, he'll have his work cut out for him.

Years of sunshine being blown up the backsides of Purdue's players have left him with a difficult project...This Purdue team, as it stands now, needs schematic improvement, attitude and mental adjustments and personnel shifts.  They looked slow today, but they're not a slow team.  They looked weak at times, but it's not a team of weaklings.  What they were today was what they've been the last few seasons- an ill-prepared squad with unrealized potential.

I'm not sure Hazell has a full rebuild ahead of him, but it should definitely a large-scale remodel...and I'm already excited for the Spring game to see the early changes.


*Please note, my headline isn't questioning the heart of the individuals on the team...but it is pointing to the team's collective heartbeat and cohesiveness.


Happy New Year, everybody.  I hope your 2013 is blessed and prosperous!!  Thanks for reading the site.

Heart of Dallas Bowl Predicto -- Poke the Cowboys!

Cowpokes!

Admit it -- you missed the BS Predicto. The sarcasm, the handsomeness, the information. It's all part of a delicious stew of yumminess that you only get to savor one more time before the Darrell Hazell Era is officially upon us.

What does the interim/lame-duck coaching staff have in store for tomorrow's Heart of Dallas Bowl tilt against the well-rounded, Cowboys of Okie State? Will they come out stiff? Or bouncing all over the place?

That's very hard to say. Hell, it was hard to say when there was a.....normal-duck coaching staff in place.

However, we're firm in our confidence that we have the ability to predict the fun for you. So read on...and get some skin in the game.

zlionsfan sez:

Many years ago, in the days when we took stone textbooks to class and built fires in our dorm caves to keep warm, Purdue football meant disappointment and sadness, and actually watching Purdue in a bowl game was something we had only heard about from our ancestors.

Then this new coach came to town, and he showed us that Purdue could, in fact, beat middle-of-the-pack teams on a regular basis ... and do so often enough to get to a bowl game. In that season, fifteen years ago, Purdue met another program that thought it was experiencing a similar renaissance: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys had endured six(!) miserable seasons under Pat Jones and then two more under Bob Simmons before finally cracking the .500 mark and getting into the Alamo Bowl to face the Boilers.

The 33-20 win marked a turning point for both programs, though not in the same direction. We know Tiller's story: in contrast, Oklahoma State would not break .500 again under Simmons, and they would win just one bowl game in four years under Les Miles (yes, that Les Miles).

But just as Purdue's fortunes changed as Tiller left, so too did Oklahoma State's after Miles. Under Mike Gundy (you know, "I'm 40!"), the Cowboys are making their seventh consecutive bowl appearance. Fortunately for the Boilers, this isn't the same team that was a touchdown away from a perfect season, the one that knocked off Andrew Luck's Stanford team in the Fiesta Bowl.

Unfortunately, they're still a class above Purdue. All five of Oklahoma State's losses came against bowl-bound teams, and two of those five won their bowl games (the other three have yet to play). The Cowboys feature an offense that gets a first down or a touchdown on seven of every nine drives, 11th-best in the country. (The median offense - Northwestern's - does so six times in nine. Purdue's rate is .588, 109th of 124 I-A teams.) They score almost 45 points a game, fourth best in the nation. It'll be a tough test for a team that's allowed 35 or more points in half its games this year.

To be fair, this would be a challenge for any team undergoing a coaching change ... but Hope was never able to get a consistent defensive effort from this team, so it isn't as though keeping him around would have made any difference (and it would likely have cost Purdue any chance at Hazell). Instead, it'll be Patrick Higgins taking one for the team - he'll become the first Purdue coach in 105 years to end his tenure without a win. (Those were dark days indeed: Purdue posted consecutive 0-5 records in 1906 and 1907, both times including a loss to Wabash. Yes, that Wabash.)  

Oklahoma State 44
Purdue 21

J sez:

Who was the best team the Boilers beat this year? That sloppy, thuggish Marshall squad? The reeling Hawkeyes? Could you actually make an argument that their best win was over....IU? I think you might-could.

Eastern Kentucky actually had the best record of any team that Purdue beat this season at 8-3, but they're not even FBS-level. No, folks, Purdue didn't beat a single, bowl-eligible opponent in their 6-6 season that Danny Hope termed "extremely successful" after the Bucket game. And there's yet another example of where the mindset has been within the walls of Purdue football.

We've made no secret of the fact that we're thrilled with the Darrell Hazell hire and truly excited for Purdue football for the first time in a while. (And not just in the Danny Hope "excited" sense.) But for now, there's one more game under the old regime...sort of.

Patrick Higgins has done an admirable job keeping the guys focused and, truth be told, he has been a big improvement over Gary Nord as OC, winning the final three games while using Robert Marve almost exclusively. Higgins should get a look at some head coaching positions, I think, and it appears that even the state-run Purdue athletics media agrees and is trying to pump him up to potential suitors. A UTEP blog was also clumsily trying to say earlier this month that he might/maybe/possibly will come back to the Miners as OC/WR coach, which seems like an odd move, but hey, who knows? Regardless, we appreciate that Coach Higgins has tried to keep the guys focused and is clearly trying to send off the seniors on a high note. The guy deserves a good job somewhere. 

Sadly, I don't think that tomorrow is going to go very well for the good guys. Even if Gary Nord is (hopefully) not even granted a credential to get into the building, the remnants of the Hope/Nord era remain on this team. They don't seem to focus all that well, they don't seem to grasp the tasks at hand and they tend to play up/down to their competition far too often. This will lead to near-misses against ND and OSU, but also far-too-close games against Marshall and Illinois. We've read some deeply concerned quotes from some of the players in recent days that look as though they were written as bulletin-board material by a blog looking to troll a team. As I said, a serious lack of comprehension of what's going on around them.

This was a bad, 3-6 football team that cobbled together suspect victories over truly bad Iowa and Illinois teams and then had a fun day at home against the hapless Hoosiers. When they played good teams, they were embarrassingly overmatched. Oklahoma State is a good team, make no mistake about that. Their 7-5 record belies the fact that they can score in bunches, have terrific athletes and are well-coached by a man over 40.

I think that Robert Marve will put on his superman pajamas one more time and his heart will keep the Boilers in the game. If you like scoring, this one will have scoring. The Boilermakers just won't have quite enough to keep up with the pokes.

Pokes 48
Boilermakers 35

Not a man, nor is
she 40.

Boilerdowd sez:

I've read everything that's out there about our transitional Boilers...Shorter, more-intense practices, team-building and a ton of positivity...that's all good.  No one (besides Kingsley Ike) who practiced with the Boilers for much of the season has missed bowl prep...another positive.  Sean Robinson has healed faster than many thought he would and has been upgraded to positive- the defense will need all hands on deck...so that's another positive. Even Ralph Bolden looks good to go; a super-positive for me as he's one of my favorite Boilers on the roster.

Gary Nord is still on the mend, Danny Hope has moved out of God's Country...the coaching staff is abridged but focused. Marve is as healthy as a guy with one working ACL can be.  The stable of running backs is hungry, the receivers are dialed in to play an opponent that's much better than any of the teams our Boilers beat this season.

Is this team capable of playing with or beating good teams? Hells yes! They showed that v. aOSU and UND.  Is this team capable of getting dismantled by high powered offense? No diggety, no doubt.

Okie State's 7-5 is deceptive- they beat some very good teams...and still have one of the best coaches in America, in spite of rumors that circled around Coach Gundy just a month ago.

Reading what the players have said both in Purdue outlets and other papers, it seems the players are very confident...that was never good news under Coach Hope.  And in spite of Hope's exit, the remnants of his program remain, and old habits die hard.

Here's to Robert Marve going out on top and proving me very wrong.  I think the Cowboys just have too much firepower for the defense to stop and for the offense to keep up with.

OK St. 52
Purdue 33

Where to Be Merry with Purdue Fans in Dallas [UPDATED]

As always, we defer to the locals to further inform this, but we wanted to get some info out there regarding where to gather with fellow Boilermakers while in Dallas for the Heart of Dallas Bowl and, potentially, for New Year's Eve.

Remember, folks, the Heart of Dallas Bowl kicks off at 11 AM, local time, so getting to Dallas that morning seems dicey at best. This is, of course, also an opportunity for all you generous lads to open your doors to any 20-something college ladies who are looking for a place to crash. You know, in the spirit of Hailing Purdue.

To begin with, the official Purdue alumni bar in the Dallas area is BlackFinn American Saloon, located in Addison, about 18 miles from the Cotton Bowl and a little bit north of downtown. The problem with BlackFinn, of course, is that it's also an Oklahoma State alumni bar. (Though the official bowl site is listing two other bars as Ok St. bars -- do we trust people in Big 12 country? I, for one, do not.) I mention it, though, because it's a good option for maybe the night before and potentially for during the game, as long as you don't mind being outnumbered.

More to most of your liking, though, is the bar that has agreed to host Breakfast Club on New Year's Day, Dick's Last Resort. No word on whether or not they're closing at all from the night before. Dallas being what it is, though, if you decide to party on New Year's Eve and your bar of choice does close, there is no shortage of strip clubs you can pass a few hours in before heading over to Dick's Last Resort for the first breakfast club of 2013.

The Dallas Dick's is located just five miles from the Cotton Bowl and as per Travis' post, is "conveniently located near the West End DART railway station, which connects to both the Union Station at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the Fair Park Station at the Cotton Bowl along the Green Line so that everyone can easily and safely make it to the game on time for kickoff."

Further details on Breakfast Club at Dick's are a follows:

Where: Dick's Last Resort 2211 North Lamar Street Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 747-0001

When: 7:30am - 9:30am; they will stay open for the game so those w/o tickets can stay and watch

What: $10 breakfast buffet (breakfast tacos, eggs, potatoes, sausage etc), $4 Bloody Mary's & screw drivers, $3 domestic pints. So come pig out! You're sure to come up aces!

Important: Please RSVP to the DFW Alumni Club email by Friday, December 28th, so that a head count can be passed onto to the people at Dick's Last Resort.(There is no commitment to buy -- but if you even might go, send in your RSVP.)

Breakfast club... where there's nothing to be blue about.

[UPDATE]

From regular reader ATL Boiler, the following will be happening at the team hotel:

Boilermaker Happy Hour - 12/31
4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

LOCATION: TEN Sports Grill, 1302 Main Street, Dallas, TX (OWNED BY A LOCAL BOILERMAKER)
OVERVIEW: Join other Boilermaker Alumni for a late afternoon, New Year’s Eve warm-up. Cash bar, appetizers provided.
ADMISSION: Open to all Boilermakers and friends

New Year’s Eve Celebration
7:00 p.m. to Midnight

LOCATION: Purdue Team Hotel — Hyatt Regency Hotel (300 Reunion Boulevard, Dallas, TX)
OVERVIEW: Join fellow Boilermakers and friends for Black & Gold camaraderie and New Year’s Eve cheer. Light appetizers will be available starting at 7:00 p.m. Cash bar.
ADMISSION: Open to all Boilermakers and friends

Monday Football Gumbo

Sunday afternoon and evening lit up the Purdue football Twitterverse as a lot was happening.

First, Butch Jones came to West Lafayette via the Purdue trustees' private plane along with his wife.  Whatever they did/talked about took around four hours...Then he went back to Cincy without any announcement.

Not Purdue's plane.

During his visit on campus, it was revealed that Purdue would be playing in the Heart of Dallas Bowl...but at that point, our Boilers didn't know who they'd be playing.  A bit later, it was revealed that they'd square off versus their bowl opponent from 1997, Oklahoma State.  And just as Purdue is involved in coaching opening news, so is Okie State...but on the other side of the rumor mill.

The Cowboys' coach is linked to talks for both the Arkansas and Tennessee jobs...and, of course, he won't confirm or deny any of these suspicions.  So as Purdue's team looks to follow an interim coach into battle on January first, Oklahoma State might not be following their 8th-year coach...but an interim of their own, should Tennessee or Arkansas get their way.

But, with T. Boone Pickens and his large bags of cash on the side of OK St., who knows what will happen.  What we do know is both programs are in separate states of limbo at this point. If you have any questions about the situation, don't ask Pickens, he's an old man...whereas Gundy...he's a (younger) man...he's forty (five).

Oklahoma State is 7-5, and unlike Purdue, had no glaringly-bad losses during the season.  In fact, all of their losses came to bowl teams and they were competitive in most of those.  Unlike Purdue, they had two wins versus bowl teams, but those two teams (Iowa State and Texas Tech) weren't world beaters. In a ten-team Big 12, they're fourth.  In a 12-team Big 10, Purdue is eighth-best in the conference...and the RPI has the Big 12 as a slightly-tougher conference.  But, Oklahoma State is a top-five offense in many categories...and Purdue's defense has struggled for much of the year...so that doesn't seem like it's great news for our boys.

We'll talk more about this in the coming weeks.  In fact, we've got 30 days to really think about this one and chew on it as the game will be played on January 1.

Before then, Purdue will surely have a new coach...but as of now, we don't know who it'll be.

Burke, Marve and the rest of the team talked about their upcoming bowl game at the late afternoon presser...but Burke refused to answer questions about the coaching situation.  Since Jones was brought on campus, I was hoping we'd hear an announcement this afternoon...but since then, we've all learned that he'll be going to Boulder to talk to the University of Colorado about their opening.  From everything I've heard, Colorado, like Purdue, is very serious about finding the right coach and is ready to give Jones' a sizable raise to move out West.  But, according to Colorado's Rivals site, Colorado's search isn't as far along as Purdue's seems to be.

Jones and his wife met in college in Michigan, and Jones has never worked further West than he currently does...but, he definitely will soon; hopefully it'll be a bit more to the near-West.  It seems we'll know either way early this week.

My thought is that a half million dollars is a lot of money, and it sounds like Colorado will offer Jones that much more than Purdue.  That's kinda tough to turn down, regardless of where you come from and where you've been.  My gut feeling isn't good about this right now...and really, isn't very good about the hiring process at this point.  The guy I wanted to see at Purdue took a job at NC State for about $700,000 less than Burke seems to be willing to pay the next guy, and it seems he never really got past the initial phase of this search by the Athletic Department.

NC State's hiring of Doeren over Sonny Dykes shook everything up a bit...Dykes is now rumored to be talking to Cal who is also talking to DeRuyter...who is said to be in the running for the Purdue job along with Dykes. DeRuyter is also said to be a candidate for the Colorado job if Jones doesn't take it first.

Until we see and hear a press conference formally introducing the next coach, it's going to be a pretty tense time.  Regardless of when that conference comes, here's to it being the right fit.