Purdue-centric NFL Draft Notes

To close the loop on the NFL Draft and assorted Boilermakers (because we know some of you only come to BS for all your news), here's a quick recap on Boilermaker movement over the past few days.

Kawaan Short, to no one's surprise, was drafted. He went to the Carolina Panthers in the second round with the 44th overall pick. Short will have a chance to further shore up a Carolina defense that was actually in the top half of the league in total, pass and rush defense. Along with having Cam Newton there, not a bad place to be for KK.

Josh Johnson signed a free agent deal with the San Diego Chargers and will now begin the uphill climb to make the team as an undrafted rookie.

Akeem Shavers and BS favorite Robert "Marve-lous" Marve both signed on with the Tampa Bay Bucs. The Bucs QB situation featured Josh Freeman as the starter, the legendary Dan Orlovsky as his backup, as well as Mike Glennon (NC State) and Adam Weber (formerly of Minnesota) on the roster. Beating out entrenched guys is never easy, but Marve's drive and leadership abilities might make it possible for him to crack the practice squad or third string position.

Danny Hope could not be reached for comment. 

Good luck to all. Now let's not talk about the draft until next April.

Marvelous Ending at Ross-Ade

A few years ago, IU beat Purdue with a field goal...we all remember that for multiple reasons.  First, of course, IU doesn't beat Purdue very often, so it's easy to remember these rare events.  But maybe more than that, IU's sports marketing department (smartly) wouldn't let the memory go away quietly as they made that win their calling card, for not one, but two seasons, in an effort to sell more tickets.

Thankfully, on Saturday, Purdue's Seniors made sure that the 2012 Old Oaken Bucket game wouldn't be decided by a field goal (or even six field goals) as they simply ground Kevin Wilson's improving Hoosiers to a fine powder.

As J talked about in his post-game wrap-up, The Seniors deserved to go out like this.  This class was rightfully hyped by media, fans and Coach Hope alike.  They're talented, they're big, they're fast and they're solid...and they should have led our Boilers to have better than a 6-6 record this season.  But for a myriad of reasons, many outside of their control, potential never became reality this season.  Purdue ranks in the 60s in many important statistical categories because, as a team, our Boilers are who they are.  Poor play calling, lousy game planning, defensive schematic shortcomings, odd substitution patterns, injuries, mental lapses and poor development in some positions have made Purdue a .500 team. In spite of all of this, losing to IU would have been an unacceptable ending for this season, regardless of the compounding disappointment that came before yesterday's game. And the class of 2012, and specifically one of their leaders, made sure that their last walk off of the Prescription Athletic Turf was a happy one.

Leading.

As Purdue ran out of the tunnel before the game, Marve was the first to fire onto the field, and he seemed to nearly skip on before sprinting toward the end zone to pray with his fellow QBs.  Marve's child-like joy to play in today's game was very obvious in person.  Whether simply breaking the huddle, celebrating after one of his four TD passes or greeting the defense after big stops, he acted like a guy who was just pleased to be soaking up every last minute of his last game on the home turf.

A ton of people didn't buy into Marve as Purdue's next QB when he decided to transfer from Miami four years ago...and honestly, they had reason to believe he wouldn't be a great fit. His previous coach benched him to end his RS Frosh season as a Hurricane and his overall swagger was something that most Purdue fans didn't think would quite fit in West Lafayette.

But in this final chapter, Marve has fit quite well. In fact, even those who didn't have a ton of faith in the cocky kid from Tampa, grew to like, and even believe in the Florida transplant. That kid became a Boilermaker through one of the most-adversity-filled careers I can remember in the last 30 years of Purdue football.

He worked through the distraction of an NCAA investigation, fought through three ACL tears and stayed positive as he was benched time and time again for not staying within the parameters of an uninventive offensive scheme...and maybe most-amazingly, stayed tight-lipped when given ample opportunities to even hint at negativity toward his coaches and teammates.

"Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it."

Who knows what would have happened had Marve not torn his ACL the second or third times...no one can tell what would have happened had he been given the chance to start the second half v. UND...and we're only second-guessing when we say the season could have been different had the two-QB system been scrapped in favor of #9 just running the show.

What we do know is Marve handled crappy situations as well as anyone could have expected him to.  And on top of staying positive and being astoundingly-gutsy and gritty, when given the chance and the tools to do so, he proved that he's a pretty damned good quarterback...on one or two legs.

It's weird- in some ways, his nearly-four years within the Purdue family have seemed like an eternity as we waited for him to reach his potential. In other ways, it seems like it went way too quickly as his career at Purdue was so atypical, for so many of reasons.  But he went out with a bang yesterday as he played one of the statistically-best games a Purdue QB has played in the Oaken Bucket. Here's to him having one more showcase game in the gold and black.

Regardless of what happens in December, he's earned the respect of most within the Purdue family and fortified it for those who were already on board.

Minnesota Aftermath

So...Robert Marve is now the starter.
For more, Check out GBI article and video.

My hope is that Marve can help the defensive scheme...because that seemed to be the biggest issue to me.

Hmmm.  I guess the theory that's been floating around that he wasn't physically able to play was inaccurate.

Listen to our thoughts following the massacre in Minneapolis below.


Hope your week starts well!!



Off topic: It looks like South Carolina's Lattimore's injury was not as bad as it looked initially...and it's not a career-ender; great news.

Should Robert Marve Risk It?

If you don't like the tenacity and determination of Robert Marve, then I don't know what it would take to get you to like a football player. The sixth-year QB is continuing to work his way back from a third ACL injury -- this time being described as a "partial tear." Last week, Marve was cleared for "individual drills," and Danny Hope says he looks good.

“I anticipate him being cleared and starting to get team reps,” Hope said Tuesday. “The little bit I watched him he looked good. I can’t tell any difference. He doesn’t run full speed in practice, but he looks good on his drops and looks confident with his feet underneath him and he’s throwing the ball well. Looks like he’s going to make a comeback.”

In addition, Mike Lopresti has an article about Marve's hard luck that b-dowd tweeted out earlier today. It reminds you of just what a long, difficult road Marve has had and, at least for me, reinforces what I really like about this guy -- his aforementioned perseverance. Just like we said about Rob Hummel a couple of years ago, if I was a college D1 athlete and tore my knee up multiple times, I would probably just want to stay in bed and cry. These guys are almost immediately positive and thinking about getting back out there with their teammates.

"From the outside looking in, three ACLs, it's not looking the best. and I'm OK with whatever happens," Marve said. "My main focus right now is to get back on the field and show the coaches and my teammates I can still sling it around. I really wanted the Purdue fans to see me playing normal."

We want to see that, too, Robert. But at the same time, as much as we loved watching him play and think the offense is far better with Marve under center, there's a big part of us here at BS that wants to see him hang it up.

That's very hard for us to say, as you probably know from reading us. But my fear is that Marve's knee is in the exact same condition it was in prior to the Toledo game in 2010. We knew at the time that something wasn't right. Marve had fallen awkwardly against Ball State and was said to have a "sprained" knee. He was hobbling on the sidelines and wasn't able to get back into the game. Then he started against Toledo and early on, on nothing more than a dropback, his knee folded, Marve crumpled to the ground and that was that. I truly fear that this is what we'll see the next time he's on the field. I sincerely hope that I am wrong.

So we say this to Robert -- thank you for wanting so badly to be back in front of the devoted Purdue fans. This is a guy who is truly giving everything he has for the team.

Hail to our old gold and black, indeed.

Marve Suffers Another ACL Injury

Robert Marve simply cannot catch a break. The sixth-year senior suffered additional damage to his surgically-repaired left knee in the loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.

Danny Hope confirmed on this radio show that Marve had additional damage to the knee but that the full extent of the damage is unknown. Hope also said the MRI showed a "potential tear," according to ESPN's Big Ten blog.

I'm not sure what a potential tear is, but it's hard to imagine Marve playing college football again. It would seem more likely to me that the coach is, no pun intended, just hoping against hope.

This would be the third significant knee injury for Marve and, as I said, would likely signal the end of his time as a football player. Much of the attention will likely focus on what this means to the Purdue football team in 2012 but we find ourselves simply feeling terrible for the guy, much the way we felt worse for Rob Hummel than the Purdue basketball program after he tore his knee for the second time in October 2010. It's a horrible thing to have to go through once, frankly, and Marve may be facing it for the third time.

I'm sure a million jokes will spring forth from other sites and wiseguy commenters in the coming days and weeks about Purdue's seemingly cursed history with ACLs, but right now we can't find very much to joke about in this.

We wish Robert "Marve-lous" Marve nothing but the best and will have more for you as it develops.

Analyzing Purdue's Multi-QB Approach: The Sample Size is Growing

A reader pointed out in a comment that the multiple QBs limit the guys from becoming a strong #1 because they're never really in their a whole game and thus it takes longer to get into a rhythm as a starter -- if it ever happens.

This got me to thinking, especially given everyone's seemingly near-unanimous dislike of this approach... what's the evidence to support it? Either, to support the system working, or to support the dislike from those who hate it to vociferously?

Let's hit the wayback machine.

At the start of the 2011 season, it was clear that TerBush was the starter. Rob Henry was injured and Robert Marve was still recovering from his second ACL injury. However, there was a growing faction of us who were very eager to see Marve get on the field. Danny Hope told us that he would play and that both QBs would see action. I think it's fair to say that we felt this was reasonable, given that Marve was still recovering and TerBush hadn't yet had a lot of time to demonstrate what he was capable of.

Then we began to accept that Caleb was who he was. As the season progressed, the group wanting to see Marve get a few complete games grew, the coaching staff dug in their heels, and the multi-headed QB monster continued to grow, leading us to where we are now.

So how has it worked? Well, would you believe there is now a solid, full season's worth of games from which to choose? That's right, between 2011 and 2012, the Boilers have played 12 games with the QB merry-go-round operating. And, wouldn't you know it! In those dozen games, Purdue is....6-6. 

The wins were over: SEMO, Minnesota, OSU, IU and Western Michigan in 2011, and EKU in 2012.

The losses were to Notre Dame (both years), PSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Could stability have made a difference in any of the six losses? It's obviously impossible to know, but I might argue that, last year, in the PSU loss (23-18) and the Iowa loss (31-21), I would have liked seeing what Marve could have done with a full game's worth of responsibility. I also think it might have been interesting to see him play the whole ND last year as well as this year. Last year, he was still recovering and it was only his second game back, so let's scratch that one. But this year, I think almost anyone who watched the game will agree that the Purdue offense simply looked more potent with Robert under center.

Let's say that even two of those three losses mentioned were wins as a result of a better and more consistent QB approach (remember Marve desperately trying to score against Iowa and fumbling off the pylon? Maybe that doesn't happen if he knows he's not about to get yanked if they don't score). Suddenly, Purdue is 8-4 in their last twelve instead of 6-6. It's a subtle difference and, as I said, one can never know about the path not taken (unless you're watching Sliding Doors, one of Boilerdowd's favorite flicks), but I do feel fairly comfortable saying that Purdue hasn't won any games as a result of Caleb TerBush's steady hand that Robert Marve could not have won.  

What does all this tell us? Perhaps it tells us that even with a lack of stability at the QB position, Purdue is talented enough to beat marginal to bad teams. One might argue, though, that the mediocrity could just be what Purdue is under Danny Hope, and that could be true... but does 6-6 with losses to petty much any decent team they face (and Iowa) suggest that they've got some kind of advantage by playing two (or three) QBs? It sure doesn't suggest that to me.

In my opinion, this goes into the growing evidence that says that this team is talented enough in several areas to compete with nearly anybody on the schedule, but that the musical chairs under center is going to continue to be an obstacle, not a weapon.

No Update on Marve's Knee

According to Danny Hope, Purdue, the Lafayette Journal & Courier and Gold and Black Illustrated, there's no news to report on Robert Marve's knee.

I have no idea if we should read this as no news being good news or if it's one of those things where the prognosis is bleak and they just want to be certain before they crush Boilermaker fans' worlds again.

An MRI can be conducted quickly and the results can be read shortly thereafter, so frankly, I would think we should know by now. I imagine the swelling is something that can delay the MRI, but if the swelling is so bad that it's delaying it into tomorrow, I will say that doesn't sound good, either.

While other outlets will probably broadcast it first, we'll be sure to let you know if we hear anything. If you're on Twitter, stay tuned to Mike Carmin and GBI for updates.

Great Performance Marred by Poor Coaching Decisions

The Purdue Boilermaker football players laid it all out on the field today in a close 20 to 17 effort.  The Boilers never stopped fighting but like so many times before, came up just short in South Bend.

Robert Marve didn’t get the start but was the difference in the game that kept the Boilers in it.  Marve was 11-18 for 119 yards and a touchdown pass.  Marve was the one moving the offense until going down with an injury at the end of the game, details still not known on his status.

Terbush went 8-19 for 79 yards, one touchdown and threw two interceptions, one of which was during a late Hail Mary attempt.

Unfortunately the story of this loss isn’t going to be how great Notre Dame is, but how horrible some of the coaching decisions were for the Boilermakers. 

After finishing the half with a 13 play 58 yard touchdown drive to tie the game, Robert Marve was benched in favor for Caleb Terbush whose best first half drive was a 13 play 58 yard drive that ended in a punt.

The fact of the matter is, Marve was leading the team and had the momentum, why bench him now?  It was a questionable decision that very well could have changed the entire landscape of the game. Sometimes I feel like Purdue has a coach that doesn’t think about anything but his game plan.  Sure, the game plan is something to follow, but if something new is working, why change it?

It’s like banging your head against a sharp point multiple times and saying, “Next time this isn’t going to bleed, I’m going with my game plan.”

Danny Hope has no idea what is going on out on the field and I'm beginning to think it might be time for him to go. Does he deserve another chance? Probably, but after countless numbers of dumb decisions, what’s the point of even “Hoping” anymore?

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Complete coverage of Purdue-Notre Dame coming this evening.

Danny Hope: Chessmaster?

I'll give Danny Hope this: he's got the Purdue fanbase talking.

And it really wouldn't be Purdue football if there wasn't uncertainty in the air, would it? Sure, there's a QB available who just had a better statistical game -- by far -- than Caleb TerBush has ever had on the college level. But then there's the caveat that, hey, it was against EKU.

Okay, fine, but do you think Caleb would have carved them up the same way? If so, you're certainly entitled to that opinion and hey, you might very well be right. Let's remember a few things here...

For one, Danny Hope has been unwavering on the fact that Caleb TerBush is the number 1 guy and has looked like the number 1 guy since the spring. A lot of us have a hard time believing that -- including media members who are there to see it with their own eyes all the time -- but there are times when you have to say, hey, the coach knows best.

Caleb TerBush started 13 games last year, plus he had a mop-up role in a drubbing up in Madison two years earlier. Saturday was Marve's 26th game where he saw action on the college level. That's nearly twice as much game experience, which can go one of two ways -- either it strengthens the argument that he should be the guy, or it could give you pause about criticizing the selection of TerBush.

Maybe -- maybe -- Caleb TerBush used that experience gained last year and actually has developed as you might expect an upperclassman QB to develop. If he is the guy and Coach Hope and Coach Nord say he's the guy, do we as fans owe it to give him a chance? I think so.

Understand something here: Just because we've publicly supported giving Marve the chance to show what he can do as the healthy starter doesn't mean we don't like or support Caleb TerBush. We do have a problem with him making poor decisions, be it nearly flunking out of school and losing a year due to academics or getting himself suspended just prior to the season opener this year.

However, we also respect him for stepping up and taking the reins as he was asked to do last year with practically zero college experience and a full year of inactivity between his last time in uniform and taking the field against Middle Tennessee. TerBush answered the bell and did exactly what the coaches asked of him. Let's not forget that. And let's also not forget that he wears the same black and gold as Robert Marve, Rob Henry and everyone else out there. If you read here regularly, you know we don't advocate blanket support of the players -- sometimes they do deserve your unwavering support, but other times they do things that we can not and do not support.

All that said, if a guy has "paid his dues" or done his punishment and the team and coaches have deemed him deserving of being back on the field, I think the fanbase owes it to that guy to back him. Caleb is a student at your University. He represents you. Yes, we would rather see Robert Marve starting, but that doesn't mean we don't support TerBush.

Hope's announcement that Caleb was going to be the starter vs Notre Dame set the Boilermaker faithful abuzz. I think there is still some support for Terbush out there, but Marve's game on Saturday has certainly gotten people scratching their heads about this decision. However, before you run off calling for Coach Hope's head, you have to keep it in perspective -- this was just an announcement. What does that really mean? Caleb was the starter last week, too, until about an hour before gametime, and then he wasn't. I'm not saying that will happen again, but I saw a reader make an astute point that got me thinking. He asked why you would announce any starter at all -- let Notre Dame plan for two QBs, or even three. That byproduct of an unsettled QB situation is one we can all live with... if it even gains the Boilers a tiny advantage, I'm fine with it.

And what if this "starter" talk actually is all subterfuge? What if Caleb starts and plays two conservative series and then Marve takes over and suddenly Purdue attacks like an angry dog? What then, Boilermakers? If Purdue does something like that and actually wins in South Bend, does Danny Hope become crazy like a fox? Or just a lucky dog?

The point is, none of us know what is happening or what the plan is for Saturday. I hope the coaches and players do. If so, that's good enough for me.

Danny Makes The Call

Starting v. UND

Throughout camp, Hope called TerBush the starter for the first game because neither he, nor Marve, had changed position in camp due to the lack of full contact in practice. The inference seemed to be that last year's starter would be the starter because game situations were different...Fair point- they are.

That said, he and his assistants listed the depth chart as an "or" decision...meaning either could start depending on what happened in practice.

So, when TerBush, one of the team captains, was suspended for reasons that most still don't know, Marve was given the keys to the offense last Saturday.  If you're on this site, you've probably already seen the stats that Marve produced...if you don't know, look them up- they were pretty damned good. During his opportunity to prove himself, he played 70% of the snaps v. EKU (with Henry taking the other 30%).

Atop of the extremely-tight depth chart situation, Hope and Nord have both said Marve has a potential to be an NFL quarterback...and they've never uttered those words about TerBush. And while we both know that a great college QB is not necessarily great in the NFL...the games are different.  BUT, saying someone is an NFL talent is typically a compliment.

With all that said, Hope has named TerBush the starter for Saturday.

“It may be that it’s best for us to go into South Bend and make sure we manage the offense really well and that we don’t create any negative plays. If that means Caleb TerBush starts and Marve finishes, so be it. If that means Marve starts and TerBush finishes, so be it“ 

Based on that quote, one would think Marve creates too many negative plays.  Also, Hope and company seem to believe that the defense can win the game in South Bend with an offense that isn't aggressive, but merely just manages the clock and field position, I guess.

On Saturday, Purdue will play an ND squad that just beat the tar out of Navy...based on what I saw Saturday from them, management of the game might not be quite enough.

Versus UND, both TerBush and Marve are 0-1; Marve started the game in SB, TerBush in God's country. So, I guess, since TerBush has never lost in South Bend, Hope thinks he gives Purdue a better chance of winning there (or maybe not losing)...I guess we could say he's undefeated there.  Pretty fuzzy logic, it seems.

There are a couple of things that really confuse me about this whole situation.

Obviously, Hope and Nord's compliments to Marve, yet refusal to start him are odd.  But not that big of a deal.  We're fans of Marve and his style of play...we think his ability to escape the pass rush, move the pocket and still keep his eyes downfield give the offense a chance to do things a TerBush-led offense cannot. Plus, he has a bigger arm than TerBush.  Granted, Marve makes poor decisions from time-to-time...but so did TerBush last season- He gave up costly sacks time and again due to his cautious demeanor, but that doesn't seem to bother Nord and Hope because he doesn't freewheel as much.

The question of the reason for the one-game suspension is also lingering with us.  Hope has allowed players to get arrested and not miss action...so when a guy is suspended for the home opener, my antennae are up as I try to figure out what egregious error he made.

Could TerBush have worn an IU sweatshirt to a film session? Maybe #19 poked fun at Hope's mustache? Perhaps Purdue's starting QB talked badly about Carson Wiggs?  Whatever he did, Hope didn't take it too lightly.  But now, it's been forgotten as TerBush apologized to the team and the coaches for whatever-the-hell-it-was.

Here are facts we do know- TerBush lost a year with the team due to academic ineligibility. That was the year that Marve went down to an ACL and Henry was forced into the starting role...and when Henry's finger was crushed, Robinson played and then started (burning a redshirt). Does Hope think that was important?

He made a mistake, and strived to make it right- got his grades up, got back on the team and all was well.  He started last year after Marve's knee held him back in camp and Henry tore an ACL of his own. He was made a captain by the coaches and the team this season...and officially became a leader of the team.  Then, prior to the first game he did something to get suspended all while engaged in an intense battle to keep his starting QB role. To me, that doesn't sound like a leader...but I only know the parts of the story that Hope and co. allow me to know.

But, I'm not the only one who's making a call based on the info that's in front of me.  And in the wake of what I saw from Marve last week, I have an extremely-difficult time in backing up Hope in this decision.  If nothing else, my expectations for TerBush are now higher...and at the same time, the scrutiny upon the coach from an already-skeptical fanbase will become more pointed if TerBush doesn't deliver mistake-free football.

Marve, TerBush and Henry have all publicly said the right things during the last few seasons- good for them; that has to be hard.  Hope continues to say all three will play, not only Saturday, but throughout the season...because the quarterbacks are 300% better than just one! But, I'd think decisions like this will make it even harder to continuously hold the team line for the three-headed monster of #19, #9 and #15.  I honestly hope they can continue to do so. On top of that, I also hope that TerBush leads Purdue to victory in South Bend...for his coach's sake, he'd better.

BS Readers Weigh In On Purdue QB Situation

A week or two back, B-dowd put up a poll asking you to give your pick for QB this fall in the black and old gold. The results are in and in our unscientific poll, it's clear -- we've swayed you all with our Marve-lous propaganda.

Robert Marve -- 60%
Rob Henry -- 27%
Caleb Terbush -- 12%

This might seem particularly unfair to Mr. TerBush, who -- let's be fair -- was the primary signal-caller in a season that saw the Boilermakers return to middling bowl game prominence.

Previous to that Rob Henry had captured the hearts and minds of the Boilermaker faithful as he gutted his way to victories despite being beat up along the way and having somewhat limited potential as a downfield passer.

And so here we are, a few months from entering the 2012 season and the public opinion has swayed to a guy who has repeatedly shown he wants nothing more than to play football for Purdue. It looks like he will finally, truly be healthy and let's hope he stays that way, regardless of how he plays. Or, knowing this coaching staff, if he plays.

Monday Gumbo

Purdue's football team continued Spring football practice last week by having the annual Steak 'n Beans Scrimmage.  This format pits the offense versus the defense and the winning squad gets a steak dinner while the loser feasts on beans.  We've spoken about this a few times- I can't cheer for either the defense nor offense to be doing well during practices and scrimmages because if domination is happening with regularity, it means one unit just isn't ready for primetime.

This contest came down to the last play that had the #1 offense in the redzone in a position to win with one more score.  Marve (who's been splitting snaps with the 1s with TerBush) tried to find Bush for the score, but the pass was broken up by Ricardo Allen.

After the game, Allen said he felt disrespected that Marve would have the gall come his way with the game on the line.  The problems with this thinking is multifold, I believe.  First, and most obviously, Allen is insinuating that his counterparts, Johnson and Harris should be the ones that should be tested in the situation...and he's simply better than them.  I like Allen...I like corners with swagger that make big plays. But, after last season, I'm not too sure if Allen's cockiness has legs here.  He was tested a lot last season...and failed a lot; by his own admission.  Why wouldn't Marve go at him?

Second, Josh Johnson is a physical corner with a few inches of height on Allen.  In short yardage, bigger corners have an advantage, generally.  And if Harris was defending a receiver on that down, he's four inches taller than Allen.  Logic says go at the smallest DB and make him make the play- Good for Allen that he made it.  Good for Marve for testing him.

Sure, I'm over-analyzing this...but what the hell else is there to do during this time of year???

According to Hope, Marve and TerBush both continue to look sharp- Marve is making better decisions, TerBush making quicker decisions.  I'm still rooting for Marve to get the nod as I think a healthy #9 can do more than TerBush behind the center.

Blooming Coaching Tree
Former Painter assistant, Rick Ray was hired as Mississippi State's Head Coach over the weekend.  If you don't follow the coaching staff moves too closely, you might know Ray as the coach who looked like Cuonzo Martin from 50 feet away.  Ray left Purdue to be the Assistant HC for Clemson a few years ago. When it happened, many Purdue fans didn't understand the move.  Right about now, the move looks pretty damned smart- he made more money at Clemson...and got a head coaching gig within two years.

Not too shabby.

For those of you keeping score at home, here are the former Painter assistants who now have head coaching positions: Paul Lusk at Missouri State, Cuonzo Martin at Tennessee and Rick Ray at Mississippi State.  Sure, you could argue that Martin belongs in the direct tree of Keady...but all of these guys are really in Keady's tree when it comes down to it.

And speaking of former Keady assistants getting richer, Bruce Weber landed in Manhattan...no, not to coach with Keady and Lavin at St. John's, but Kansas State.  Former KSU player and beard aficionado, Jacob Pullen tweeted his displeasure about the hire from Europe (where he currently plays).  Pullen wasn't offered by then Illinois HC, Weber...and Pullen is still sore about that.  But, Weber's connection to Chicago and ability to attract high-level talent to his programs will probably soothe the wounds that any KSU fans might have.  Plus, shouldn't they be angry at Frank Martin more than anyone for making the odd move to South Carolina?

IndyCar
I haven't done this in a while, but here are my thoughts on the IndyCar circuit (for the five of you who care).  The new chassis and engines seem to be doing pretty well in spite of many thinking they were rushed into service.  Granted, the Lotus engine seems to be having more growing pains than the Chevy or Honda packages...but no one is surprised at this since Lotus simply wasn't ready for testing as early as the other two manufacturers.

Bringing sexy back?

The looks of the new chassis grow on me every time I see it...and if nothing else, it doesn't look old or like any other series' chassis.  I think next year as the new aero packages are implemented, the cars will get back to being sexier...which we really haven't seen in the series in a decade or more.

The race in Alabama was much better to watch than the previous week in St. Pete.  Perhaps the drivers and teams are getting more comfortable...and the race course has a lot to do with the amount of passing. But changes in the blocking rule have helped the racing immensely...and removing Brian Barnhart from the raceday operations helped out a lot as well.

All-in-all, the first two races of the season are a good start...the cars won't be racing again until April 15.  Next up, they'll be testing the oval Aero package in Indy on Wednesday...I'm hoping to head to the track with LBD to watch a few laps.

Log Jam Ahead: Marve to Return

A few of our readers didn't want to read about this, but back in November, we looked ahead to the quarterback situation for 2012.  It was confusing then, it's probably more confusing now.

Marve stretches out for a sixth year of eligibility

Review:

Robert Marve transferred from Miami to Purdue.  While at Miami, he redshirted due to an injury to his non-throwing hand from a car wreck.  He started nearly a complete season as a RS Freshman.  After conflict with Shannon, Miami's coach, he moved on to West La La.  Due to NCAA transfer rules, he lost his Soph. year of eligibility. Shortly after announcing his transfer, he tore his ACL.  No sweat- he'd have the year that he was sitting out to recover.

In his fourth start of '10 versus Toledo, Marve faked a pitch and tore the same ACL again in a non-contact play.  He used the remainder of 2010 and spring/summer of '11 to recover from the second knee injury.  Rob Henry was thrust into the starting role as a RS Freshman due to Caleb TerBush being academically ineligible in that same season.  When Henry's finger was crushed v. aOSU, True Freshman Sean Robinson was forced out of a redshirt season and into the starting line-up for a game.  Henry returned to the starting role wearing a glove on his throwing hand...and his accuracy suffered because of the injury...but most of his work was with his feet at that point.

In the summer coming into last fall, Robert Marve and Rob Henry had put themselves as 1 and 1A for the starting job. Caleb TerBush was behind them. But, Marve's knee recovered slowly, so he couldn't take contact in August of '11...and Henry was made the starter.  As Marve was fighting to return to form, he was named in the scandal at the University of Miami as one of the guys that received improper benefits while being recruited to the school. Marve never lost eligibility at Purdue and many believe it's because of his cooperation with the NCAA during their investigation.

As the clear starter heading toward September, Henry blew out his ACL...and TerBush was named the starter.  He started most of last season, but after game three, Robert Marve was worked into action and the dreaded two-QB system became a reality.

With TerBush and Marve splitting snaps, not many Purdue fans were happy, and the results were mediocre. TerBush was criticized for his slow decision making and taking costly sacks.  He managed the game well, and didn't seem to overreach.  Marve was criticized for making poor decisions and trying to force the ball into double and triple coverage. He plays with fire and is a gunslinger and the coaching staff didn't like that he regularly abandoned the script for the game. During the handful of starts in the previous season, he played much more conservatively and his completion percentage showed it.  Justin Siller was also used from time-to-time in the Wildcat; which was effective.  All of the guys who played QB last season were very supportive of one another and positive; I've heard nothing from people on the team or close to the program to counter this.

With Marve and TerBush splitting snaps, Robinson was able to take the redshirt that he couldn't take in '10.  Robinson will be a RS Sophomore in the fall of '12.

Marve petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility.  Many thought that since Marve was named in the investigation (above) that the NCAA wouldn't grant him another year to play.  I always thought that his willingness to talk actually helped him and it showed that he was trying to turn over a new leaf.   Last night, it was announced by the NCAA that Marve will have one final year of eligibility to play college football.

When we posted our thoughts back in late-November, we knew that Elite 11 Finalist, Austin Appleby would be coming to Purdue.  Appleby (of course) tore his ACL at the end of his Junior season, but started his entire Senior season in HS. The season wasn't a great one for him or his team...and that's probably why his star rating didn't get higher than 3 in spite of his impressive showing on ESPN U's Elite 11 camp last summer.  Appleby is a drop back passer with decent mobility and good size...his game is like a poor man's Andrew Luck out of HS.

Hope has also received two additional verbals for the QB position: Aloyis Gray and Bilal Marshall- both are top-25 dual threat QBs.  Gray (from the Indy area), ranks 23rd, has offers from Cincy, Illinois, IU and Purdue's vanquished Pizza Pizza Bowl opponent (and others). Marshall (from Hialeah, FL) ranks 17th.  He has an impressive list of offers including Baylor, Northwestern and GTech.

Just last week, Hope got the news that Erich Berzinskas would join the crowded stable as a preferred walk-on. Berzinskas threw passes to future Boiler, Carlos Carvajal at Milford Academy last season.  He's a drop-back passer with good size, 6'5", 215lbs and has a lively arm.  Berzinskas decided to go to Milford to try to garner more schollie offers.

We made no bones about our feelings about the two QB system- we don't like it.  We understand that it's good to have guys prepared in case injuries put you in a bind, but coming into '12, Purdue will have four quarterbacks that have started at least one game in college...and three that have started at least six. So, there shouldn't be any need to split QBs just to be ready.  Hope now has the difficult task of evaluating and making the call.  The candidates have workouts, Spring football and Fall camp to make their case that they should be the starter.

During Hope's first season at HC, Joey Elliott* ran an offense that resembled Tiller's offenses at times- "The Duke" wasn't called on to run the ball with regularity, but passed quite a bit...and was solid while doing it.  Last year, we saw Henry run an offense that ran the ball about 70% of the time.  And finally in '11, the offense was extremely balanced...but to me, it looked like it should have been an offense that ran the ball even more since the running backs were having tremendous success.  With a lot of talent back at RB, I would think the balanced paradigm will return in '12.

Let's pretend for a moment that every single candidate for the quarterback position in '12 goes the entire off-season without getting injured...and all of the verbals get to campus without a hiccup.  Here's the what Hope/Nord have at the QB position (as of now):

Robert Marve (6th year Sr, fmr starter)
Caleb TerBush (5th year Sr, fmr starter)
Rob Henry (RS Jr, fmr starter)
Sean Robinson (RS So, fmr starter)

Austin Appleby (Fr)
Bilal Marshall (Fr)
Aloyis Gray (Fr)

Austin Parker (So Walk-On)
Dalapo Macarthy (So Walk-On)
Erich Berzinskas (Fr Walk-On)

Now is the part where I speculate based on what I've heard and read.

Aloyis Gray had a similar high school career as Rob Henry- he played a lot of WR before playing QB his Senior year.  Plus, he was recruited as an athlete by many schools because of his ability at WR.  I think he'd be very likely to see the field, after a redshirt season, at WR. Edison is a Senior and Bush and Ross are both Juniors.

The next candidate to petition for a sixth year of eligibility might be Rob Henry. That would effectively make the coming season his Sophomore year...but I believe they do not tell a player if he's received the additional year until prior to that sixth season..which would be in 2014.

Dalapo Macarthy would seem to be a pretty good candidate to take the Keith Smith, Justin Siller role and shift to the slot receiver position.  He's similarly-sized and is a good athlete...and I see no scenario in which he'll play QB...but we've seen an odd thing or two happen in the past few years for Purdue QBs, haven't we?

There's a lot that can and will happen during this Spring and fall for Purdue QBs...we'll keep an eye on what goes down.


*I saw "The Duke" at the Purdue v. Wisconsin game- he looked much leaner than the last time I saw him...for those of you who don't know, Elliott plays in the CFL...and blew out his knee shortly after graduation. 

A Quick Look Ahead at the QB Log Jam of 2012

Danny Hope seems to be loyal and legitimately loves the guys he coaches.  But, he also struggles mightily with making difficult personnel decisions-

"Should Carson or Cody punt here?"
"Who will play QB today...and for how long?"
"Who is going to return kicks & punts?"
"Who will be the featured RB?"
"How can I find a way to play 30 receivers in today's game?"

When it gets right down to it, making tough decisions might be one of the most-important roles of a head coach in college football...and these tough decisions are clearly Hope's achilles heel- from timeouts, play-calling after time-outs, adjustments at halftime and who to play, Purdue's third-year head coach struggles when making large decisions.

Next year, Hope might have his hardest personnel decisions while at Purdue in front of him, depending on a few variables.

At quarterback, many believe Robert Marve will be granted a sixth year by the NCAA (I'm not in agreement with that assessment). If that's the case, the stable will be absolutely busting at the seams with horses.

A completely healthy Robert Marve, Caleb TerBush and Sean Robinson would all be available for the Spring game in this scenario...and in the fall, it gets more confusing.

Former starters and fellow Seniors, Marve and TerBush will both be available and chomping at the bit to play. RS Sophomores and former starters, Sean Robinson and Rob Henry will both be available...and let's not forget, Henry was called the future at QB and was a team captain, prior to going down to a busted ACL.  On top of four good, experienced options, Austin Appleby will be coming in.  Appleby seems to be the best true drop-back option of all of them.  Sure, Appleby should be a no-brainer redshirt candidate.

But...

If Marve isn't granted the extra year of eligibility and Henry's knee has minor setbacks, I can definitely see a scenario in which Appleby burns his redshirt early in the season as Hope gets nervous about being in the situation he was in back in 2010.

One would think this is the best problem to have.  But if the adage of having two quarterbacks really meaning you have zero.  What does it mean to have three...or four that play???

I think every coach in the nation wants this type of problem. But, my fear is that without choosing one starter, the quality of play will be watered down. As a result, Hope's Boilers might once again be left with an offense, that while balanced, is not great nor overpowering in any one aspect of the game.  And if the past few defenses are any indicator, Purdue's offense will need to put up points to be anything more than a soundly-mediocre program.

The Scale: aOSU

I nearly let this series die, unintentionally, but just because the games this season have either been overwhelmingly-good or bad...but after a reminder from J I thought I'd give it another run...we'll see if it returns next week.

"The Scale" is an easily-digested, overly-simplified, post-game synopsis from Boiled Sports.

Senior Week at Ross Ade

Here's a look at some of Purdue's Class of 2012


Joe Holland
Holland was a safety in high school and was cut from a similar cloth as one of my Purdue favorites, Jason Werner. Like Werner, the Purdue coaches thought he'd be a good LB in college.  Unlike Werner, he had to start his Freshman season at the position.  He was underweight and like most Freshman, didn't quite know what was going on all the time.  The result was he'd get picked on by opposing coaches.  But, he kept at it doing everything he could to stop opponents.

Four seasons later, he's started nearly 40 games and is an anchor on defense who regularly leads the team in tackles.  There are people who say the kid can't play the game...I'd say those people don't know football.  He's been surrounded by players that are out of position more than they're not...and been a part of a scheme that has put him and his teammates on a collision course with failure time and again...but injuries and hurt pride never slowed him down.  In fact, many games during his career he didn't come out for a down...and he played some special teams. He's been durable, hard-working and solid...Plus, along with Lichtenberg, he's hilarious off the field.

An added note about him- he grew up an ND fan as his parents are both grads, but early in his career he had completely divorced himself from that evil habit.  I for one am glad Joe Holland is a Boilermaker.

Robert Marve

It's tough to look past what this guy was in high school and why he was so highly-touted.  He broke a bunch of the records that Tebow set in the state of Florida.  And when he had it down to Purdue or Miami for where he'd spend the next four years, he stayed close to home.  After a medical redshirt year due to breaking his non-throwing hand in a car wreck, Marve played in 11 games as a Freshman, starting in most of them.  He and the former UM coach didn't get along, so Marve transferred to Purdue.

Just months after his decision to come to God's country, he tore his ACL.  But the forced year off of football due to transfer rules gave him time to get healthy.  After starting three games and an OK start to his Purdue career, he tore the same ACL again on a non-contact play.

Coming into this season, he wasn't 100%...not even close, actually.  He was sore, apprehensive and mentally not completely healed.  So TerBush got the starting job from day1 after Henry also went down due to an ACL injury.

Much of the season, Marve has been the second option in a two-QB system...some (like me) see that he has a ton of tools in the shed and have been disappointed not to see him play more often.  Others still aren't overly-impressed with the Tampa Plant HS product.  But last week he changed the way he'll be viewed by many Purdue fans by willing Purdue to an overtime victory (with the help of his teammates).  

Only the inconsistent NCAA knows if it'll grant him a 5th year of eligibility.  Most think not because of his involvement in the scandal while at Miami...but this is the same NCAA that granted the troubled, but talented Torri Williams one more year, so anything can happen.

Hopefully I'll have the chance to write another one of these next year when he and TerBush graduate together.

Justin Siller
Siller has had probably the second most interesting career at Purdue.  He started at QB, was moved to RB, then back to QB then to WR then to QB (before being injured) then back to WR.  He also played safety (at least in practice) at one time or another.

He was thrust into action when Curtis Painter went down to injury and started at quarterback for a couple games.  He could have greatly-benefited from a bit more time to learn, BUT his athleticism, vision and attitude made him a pretty good quarterback in spite of an odd throwing motion and inexperience.  He helped Purdue beat Michigan on the back of the hook and lateral play.  His future as Purdue's QB looked pretty bright.

But, after losing a season due to breaking academic rules, Siller got back in the good graces of Hope's staff and was back on the team.

Most-recently, he's been a solid contributor at WR...one of his best games came last Saturday.  He didn't have the biggest stats, but blocked great, caught some tough balls that kept drives going and played some wildcat (as he has been for chunks of this season). I'll bet we'll see Siller throw a pass (or two) more before his career is over.

Carson Wiggs
Wiggs was an immediate starter when he got on campus contributing in both kicking and punting (situational).  Wiggy struggled with accuracy at times early in his career, but has been able to crush the ball from day one.  His first successful field goal as a Boilers was a 53 yarder v. aOSU which tied a Purdue record...that he later broke.  First, he broke his own mark by hitting a 55 yard field goal, again versus Ohio State a season later, then crushed one the following season of 59 yards v. Toledo. He's hit over 71% of his field goals while in the gold and black, ranking him first all-time for the program.

He's an internet sensation because of his succession of FGs during the spring game last year...they began in the 50s and finally ended with a 67 yarder.  Hope wanted to give him the opportunity to kick a 70 yarder this season to set the all-time NCAA mark, which we haven't yet seen an attempt close to that.

Off the field, Wiggs is another of the big personalities on the team and his interviews typically show his fun-loving nature.  His handle on Twitter is WiggyBank...I assume referencing that he is money when he kicks.

Chris Carlino
Was thrust into action early in his career and started a lot of games as a Freshman and Sophomore. As Hope made speed more of a focus at LB, Carlino's time on defense dwindled...but that didn't stop him from contributing.  Carlino is a mainstay on kick and punt coverage and is the embodiment of the phrase, "Playing like his hair is on fire."

He's a wildman...looks the part...plays the part...revels in acting like a crazy person on the field.  He's not the greatest athlete on the team, but playing with reckless abandon makes him a favorite of mine.

Kurt Lichtenberg
A big special teams guy and former walkon who has made a difference both on the field and off of it.  He's a huge clown and his camp videos are some of my favorite things to watch in the late summer.

When not acting the fool, Lichtenberg is a good student and an all-around good guy.  He does a lot of work for local charities and has taken mission trips to Haiti and elsewhere.

Jared Crank
A true fullback who saw the field from the very beginning of his career.  This season, he's carried the ball quite a bit more than previous seasons as a change up to Bolden and Shavers.  While a wrecking ball when blocking, he also has nifty moves...he plays with a chip on his shoulder which I like to see.

Albert Evans
He played quite a bit as an underclassman...and has continued that throughout his career with the exception only coming from injury.  Evans is a hard-hitting guy who's made some of the most-memorable plays for the Purdue defense in the last four seasons.  Most recently, his interception and 50+ yard return from the end zone v. Penn State helped keep Purdue in that contest.

Gerald Gooden
Gooden has been a starter for much of his career. He's been hampered by multiple injuries that probably kept him from reaching his full potential.  But, his biggest enemy might have been high expectations.  Many thought he was the heir to the DE throne in the wake of Kerrigan's departure, but that hasn't been the case.  He's been a solid player during his career.

Waynelle Gravesande
Like Gooden, Gravesande isn't the best athlete on the team.  But, his ability to play smart and play hard has helped him end his career very well.  Coming into Purdue, I thought Gravesande might be able to make an impact a bit earlier, but it wasn't to be.  Instead, he's been a sure-handed punt returner when no one else on the team seemed to be able or brave enough to stand back there in front of the firing squad.  He runs crisp routes and is sure-handed...I think he should be a starter at WR, or at least be seeing more time on the field because of his consistency.

Nick Mondek
Started very early in his career at DT...and was a pretty good tackle.  But, Hope wanted him on the other side of the ball due to need on the offensive line.  It took him about a half season before he got comfortable on that side, but now is a solid lineman.  He plays with a chip on his shoulder and has just enough nastiness to make him fearsome.

Sean Matti
Loved watching this kid play in the spring games...had a great one last Spring reminding me a lot of Dan Dierking during the contest.

Matti died prior to the season of drowning and has been honored all season by the team with 22 decals on the back of their helmets.

Logan Link
A walk-on turned starter, Link has become an important part of the Boiler defense.  He's not the fastest guy, but he hits hard and gives everything he's got every down.  The defensive scheme hasn't helped him much, nor has the lack of development of some of the younger safeties...but he's the type of player that just comes to the game and does what he's asked to do.

He's got great size, but his ability to change directions always hampered him a bit...in my opinion he might have been a pretty solid free safety.

Kevin Ballinger
He's a fellow blogger whose videos and posts provide some insight into being a walkon at Purdue, but more than that are flat-out funny.  His videos also show the important role he plays on this team.  Plus, he's a pretty good snapper and his importance on the field shouldn't be discounted.


Dennis Kelly
Kelly is a giant who looks to be on a collision course with the NFL.  When he arrived at Purdue he was tall, but very lean for a lineman.  But (and I think we've heard this before), he was forced into action a bit earlier than planned.  His Freshman year was a learning experience for him as he went against guys who could flat out manhandle him.  That's not the case anymore as Kelly has become the most-consistent and reliable offensive lineman.

He's tall has long arms that can create space in pass blocking and hasn't lost his good footwork in spite of gaining a few pounds since he arrived on campus.

Also being honored on Saturday:
Austin Moret
Brad Neimeier
Spencer Dawson
Adam Brockman
DeVarro Greaves
Dan Berry
James Shepherd
Charlton Williams

The Tampa Kid Finishes Strong: Another Look at Yesterday's Win

I promised J that I'd post last night, but after heading straight out of West LaFiesta after the most-recent shocker of aOSU, I had plans back in the Indy area.  At the end of the night, I was exhausted. So if you got a few minutes and are still jonesin' for some flavor from yesterday's game, this piece is for you.

This morning, my throat hurts and my voice is still gone as a physical reminder of yesterday's OT victory. Ohio State fans called the '09 game "Purdue Harbor" as the Buckeyes were physically superior, highly-ranked and fully expecting an easy win in Ross Ade...but there's the rub, right? Purdue has taken Bucknut teams to the brink before- easy wins are the exception, not the norm in this series over the past few decades...and I have no idea why.  Both Joe Tiller and Danny Hope had and have no fear of the scarlet and gray.  (Kinda wish we could say the same for some other color combos.)

My older brother and I got to go to the game...and BS's good pal Ed down in Texas provided the club level seats.

I had never sat in that section...I had toured the facility, but and marveled how this didn't look like Purdue football years ago, but yesterday I got to watch from it.  It's a bit cloistered, but not as much as the super-high-end Buchannan Club.  You've heard me complain about Purdue fans not being enthusiastic enough...and I'll still do that because as a group, we're not vociferous-enough on gameday, in my opinion.  But the people around me in Section C-2 were pretty great...with one exception.

There was a young kid down to my right who kind of was the section leader- probably 12 years old, this kid was more situationally-aware than any Purdue coach on the sideline or QB on the roster...and along with the young guy, there were old wealthy alums and families around our seats.  And the best part- not one of them told me to sit down all day (that's all but guaranteed to happen usually, sadly).

A Jerk Guest on the Purdue Tailgate Show

I had the chance to stop by the Purdue Tailgate Show prior to the game...and neither of the hosts, nor myself felt good about this one. If you came by this site on Friday, you heard the same thing at that time...and not just from me.  But as I said following the Illinois game, I love being wrong in the way I was this week.

Let's be honest for a moment though- this year's Purdue team is enigmatic.  As aOSU comes off of three straight victories (two v. ranked opponents) and Buckeye fans were predicting a run at the B1G championship, Purdue was coming off of two of the ugliest losses in recent memory. Purdue had no offensive rhythm the past two weeks...couldn't run the ball...couldn't stop the run...and looked like a gradeschool team in really nice uniforms at times versus a bunch of grown-arsed men.

Sexy Beast
KK Short played large v. Bucknuts

But from the kickoff under a beautiful sky in God's country, yesterday's game was different. Purdue's front played resolute on defense getting into the backfield and hitting Boom Herron immediately after he got the ball. And on the other side, the offensive line was giving TerBush time and Bolden space to do what they needed to do.  And at the end of the first quarter, the good guys were up 10-0 and the RA faithful let the team know how much they appreciated the effort.

But as it's been in many games this season, the second quarter was different...at least it felt that way.  aOSU now had the stiff wind at their backs and Purdue was heading directly into it...and the Bucks could at least move the ball. They put points on the board as the TerBush-led offense struggled to get into rhythm.  Then late in the quarter, Marve came in and led Purdue on a drive that was mostly on the ground, but earned our Boilers 7...and the score was 17-7 at the half.

While the score didn't look like it, it kind of felt like aOSU had figured some things out...and the third quarter showed that.  Even with Herron unavailable after being dinged up by the stingy (at times) Purdue defense, the Buckeyes began to move the ball...and everyone was getting involved in it.  Miller looked tough creating time as Purdue would collapse his pocket, their wildcat offense was extremely-effective and they chewed up yards in the way I expected the Bucks to do coming into the contest.  In fact the only thing that wasn't working was vertical routes, but that didn't stop the coaches on the evil sideline from calling the plays nor did it deter Miller from overthrowing his receivers by 7-10 yards with regularity.  Watching Miller in person showed me a few things though. If he had a better system to play within, I think he'd be a pretty damned good QB.  He's no Pryor in the fact that he makes good fakes, actually reads the defenses, has a better throwing motion, keeps his eyes downfield and doesn't seem at all lazy. This makes him a potentially-great quarterback, in my opinion (eventually).

So while the Buckeyes weren't lighting up the scoreboard, they were definitely winning the field position battle...and at the end of three, they had drawn the game to just a three-point margin.  I think the whole stadium felt rightfully-antsy as the fourth quarter started and aOSU climbed back into the game.  And even with the wind at their back, Purdue couldn't get back into the rhythm we had seen in the first quarter.  Other than Ralph Bolden's shiftily chewing up the Buckeye defense, Crank being efficient when given limited opportunities and Siller playing a very solid game, there wasn't a whole bunch of production out of the good guys.

So after a decent drive stalled in aOSU territory, Wiggs put the final Purdue points on the board in regulation in the fourth quarter and the good guys were up by six points.

Herron came back in the game and made a difference earning tough yards.  aOSU's wildcat was effective again and each time Purdue's defense needed a stop on 3rd and long, Purdue's defense couldn't come up with it.  Ohio State got down deep into Purdue territory as the clock ticked down to inside 2:00 and aOSU decided to try to put the game in Miller's hands.  Purdue's front collapsed the pocket and Miller narrowly escaped a costly sack as he rolled right and threw off of his back foot across his body.  The pass fluttered over Johnson and into the hands of a Buckeye receiver tying the game and seemingly-sealing Purdue's fate.  All it would take was a simple point after to put the nail in Purdue's coffin.

I actually had given up, as a fan.  I saw this movie a few years ago in the Holy Buckeye game.  Sure, that Tressel-coached team had firepower for days, and the Tiller-coached squad had a ton of pros on defense, but this one felt pretty heartbreaking too...even though the game wasn't yet over.

It's easy to avoid the view on the field when you're 5'4" and everyone's standing around you.  So I didn't watch, but I heard the kick get blocked and felt my brother grab and yank me to the side as Purdue still had a pulse.  One of Purdue's never-say-die DTs, this time it was Gaston, squirted through the OSU line to get his big paw on the kick...and with the unexpected block, the good guys were alive!

After a decent Mostert return (he didn't get many chances to get his hands on the ball due to deep, wind-aided kick offs...and bad offense) Purdue started the drive with Marve at the controls.  And they drove into OSU territory.  It looked like Purdue's mega-legged kicker would get a chance to set a record and win a game in the process.  Purdue had to avoid the sack or turnover though.  But Marve made yet another awful throw when he merely needed to manage the game.

At BS, we like Marve a lot.  But as his pass drifted into the hands of the Buckeye safety, I couldn't help but think of a pal of mine's words that said, "Nothing good happens when Marve's in the game".  It looked like that might be true yesterday.

But as the Fightin' Fickells decided to run out the regulation clock, we knew that Purdue would at least have a shot at winning in front of the small, but passionate home crowd.

aOSU got the ball first and chose to have the wind at their backs and the Purdue students in their ears.  The Boiler defense got tough yet again and forced the 'Nuts into a fieldgoal.  So Purdue would take over.

And here's where it gets weird- Robert Marve would get the call, again.  I think many Danny Hope detractors were pissed at this point (I could hear a few of them).  Purdue struggled against the statistically-stingy Buckeye defense for a few plays.  And on third and short, needed to grind out a few yards.  And in his first success of the abbreviated drive, Robert Marve finished a run like a halfback a while grinding out a first down...and Purdue again had a pulse.

Again, Purdue was shut down up front and faced a third and long, this time from around OSU's 13.  Marve rolled right and found a streaking Gary Bush coming from the left side of the field and put the ball in the right place.  Bush controlled the ball and went out of bounds on the one...but the officials wanted to review it.

As Purdue fans, we thought the worst- Bush had bobbled it and there would be no completion...but as they showed the replay on the board, we saw Bush not only control the ball, but extend it toward the pylon and perhaps break the goal line? Hell, we didn't know, the RA video people didn't give us too much to look at...but we all raised both hands to inform the officials that the game should be over.  It wasn't...and my favorite football team would have the ball inside the 1 with 4 cracks at earning an improbable victory.

Marve broke huddle in the gun, with Bolden to his side.  After some hand signal theatrics, Bolden split wide, the bunch goal line formation flexed out to a spread and Marve got under center.

Number one!!
(At least it felt like it...for a few minutes)

I began yelling, "Run this damned thing in, Robert...Put 'em away!!" I could see what was coming...but it seemed the Buckeyes didn't know...and they didn't.  Gary Nord's not-so-sneaky attack playcall was about to seal the victory.

Marve kept the snap, pushed to the left and broke the imaginary plain with the Nike pigskin...and something very good had happened with Marve under center- The good guys had beaten the unlikable Buckeyes in overtime...and if for just one afternoon, Robert Marve's transfer to Purdue had paid off.

The place erupted, my usually- not-too-emotional brother ran up and down the aisle high fiving...as was everybody...except one guy who had disappeared.  The one unpleasant person in our section- a foul-mouthed Buckeye had evaporated.  His game-long antagonism had earned Purdue fans the right to put him in his place...but he wasn't there (predictably)...so we enjoyed the victory ourselves.

Walk of Shame
(I'm sure the Buckeye near me wasn't the only one in the stadium who was running his mouth during the contest)

Up Next
J will be attending a BS summit in God's country next Saturday.  So we'll have the chance to meet a couple of you guys (as promised).  And once again, we'll be sitting in the higher-brow section of RA thanks to our friend Ed.  So you'll get an eye-witness account of Purdue either getting into a bowl game for the first time in four years or forcing a one-game self-imposed playoff v. the lowly Hoosiers in Bloomington.

Marve-lous Ending

But, I can assure you one thing- I'll be wearing my Marve-lous T-shirt and lobbying for the Tampa Kid to be starting the game at QB.  If nothing else, he's earned the chance to potentially end his career as the starter on Senior Day. (While we hope Marve will get the one-year of additional eligibility, we're not taking anything for granted)

Nice job Boilers......and congrats to the beleaguered Robert Marve and Danny Hope...But don't savor this victory too long- you guys now have a couple of important football games in front of you...The type of games that could change the trajectory of your Purdue careers.

The Scale: Minny

And so the pendulum swings back the other way...Here's to the wild swinging stopping this week at PSU.

"The Scale" is an easily-digested, overly-simplified post-game synopsis from Boiled Sports

Marve Implicated in Yahoo's Miami Takedown

UPDATE: Mere hours after this post went up, the Purdue University athletic department released a statement that there were no eligibility issues with regard to Robert Marve. Danny Hope echoed this. We doubt that's the end of this and further doubt it's as simple as the athletic department wants to make it.

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Yahoo Sports has released the results of their seemingly exhaustive investigation into "da U" and among the many players implicated in the improper benefits scandal is our own Robert Marve, who played for the Canes for one season. (Also, memo to Ohio State fans -- you can stop bitching that the media is only interested in demonizing your program.)

If you want to read the details directly from Yahoo, click here. As for our feelings on the subject, well, here goes.

In many cases of illegal-benefit situations, I have to come down on the coaches and schools themselves harder than the kids. Sure, sometimes they know they're getting something that they shouldn't, but in a lot of cases, you have athletes who may not fully understand what constitutes an illegal benefit or perk. And sure, I'm of the opinion that ignorance is not usually an excuse. However, that said, I also think when you're 18-21 and a guy offers to give you a ride to a nightclub or buy you a drink, it's hard to stop and think, "wait, is this illegal?" Accepting a ride in a car? On its face, it sounds innocuous.

I even feel this way with regard to the OSU scandal. Players exchanging memorabilia for tattoos is definitely not allowed, but is it a stretch to think players could have figured, "Hey, I'm not accepting money or a car or whatever"? No, it's not a stretch, and that's why I think it's on the coaches and guys like Saint Tressel. The minute he found out, if he had brought it to light and "punished" the players in some way, it would go away, much like UND's Floyd and his drunk driving issues. Coach Kelly meted out a light punishment and now it goes away. Sure, I know they're not the same thing, but you surely can see my point. No matter how light or superficial the punishment, as long as coaches and people in positions of authority are not covering things up or lying for players, most people -- including jerks like me and the NCAA -- will ultimately let it go.

Getting back to Marve, here's what I think on the benefits the Yahoo article alleges he received:

Drinks and VIP access during strip club visits to Solid Gold, The Cheetah and Tootsie’s Cabaret. Shapiro said one such visit occurred in late August 2008. Shapiro said he took Marve and wideout Kayne Farquharson to Solid Gold after Marve told him he had been having problems with his girlfriend.

So Marve is having lady troubles and a couple guys take him out to a strip club. If I had a nickel for every time I did this with Boilerdowd, I'd have... almost a nickel. Is this against the rules and improper? It sure is. But can a player be expected to know who they can and cannot go to a club with? That's up for debate. Hard-liners don't care. People like me think there is indeed some gray area and that it's on the school and the coaches to make sure these guys understand the rules. If Jay Bilas and his ilk think it's too hard for coaches to keep track of such things, well, maybe those coaches should get a job working in a cubicle. Life's a bitch.

Food, drinks and entertainment at Shapiro’s $6 million Miami Beach mansion on multiple occasions.

Again, this essentially equates to attending a party. If you're invited to a party in college, you go. If you're a high-profile athlete, you get invited to cool parties. Unfortunately, again, it's on the school to keep guys like this dirty booster away from your players and whose party-throwing constitutes a violation. And once again, I know it might be easy to say you can't keep track of the players, but I'll bet you anything that Matt Painter has spoken to his players on more than one occasion and advised them of who to stay away from, perhaps with specific examples. Which brings me to the question some people are indeed asking -- where the hell was Larry Coker during all of this? Oh, right. Blissfully "unaware." Or playing ball, just like guys like Tressel.

At least one cash gift.

I stop making excuses here. If you're accepting cash, you're being dirty. I know the arguments about players being "hungry," but anyone who has been close to the "training table" where players eat knows that they, quite simply, do not go hungry. And if a player ever went to a coach and said, "Hey, coach, I'm hungry and I'm not getting enough to eat," a couple of things would happen. 1) The training table would be opened up and they'd be fed, and 2) heads would roll because the coach would let the school and/or dining staff know that their players weren't having their needs met. So let's drop this nonsense that players only accept money because they're "hungry." It naive and, frankly, ignorant of the facts.

Accepting cash is not okay, in any way, shape or form, in my opinion. And this is one of those things where I do not think it's ambiguous and that a player might not understand that it's not okay. It's not like accepting a ride somewhere or having a beer bought for you. This is a clear violation.

At least two dinners at Prime 112 steakhouse.

Again, not okay, and a violation, but you have to remember that these guys are used to having meals provided to them. Still, kind of hard to defend.

Transportation by Shapiro’s bodyguards and Miami staffer Sean Allen.

We're back to ambiguity here, in my opinion. Catching a ride with someone else is a time-honored college tradition. Many college students don't have cars and saying you'll take a ride with someone definitely seems harmless enough. It's against the rules, sure, but this isn't one I can come down on players too hard about.

Drinks and VIP access at nightclubs on multiple occasions.

Like the parties and dinners, I can see how a player might not look at this as receiving a benefit so much as just going to a party and consuming the things in front of them. That said, the mere hypothetical posit I keep putting forward assumes childlike innoncence on the part of the players and, let's face it, if you go to the University of Miami, you know nefarious things are happening there. It's part of the cool factor of being a Hurricane and it's part of the reason you went there. You like being one of the boys and getting special treatment... beyond the special treatment that all athletes get.

Summation

I don't think Robert Marve is a bad guy. And hey, a convicted felon agrees and says the Miami program and Randy Shannon never gave him a fair shake, so he's got that going for him, which is nice.

The problem here, of course, is that Marve's eligibilty is now potentially going to be called into question and if he's deemed ineligible or "guilty" in any of this, games he played for Purdue could then be tainted. And, really, Purdue just picked up a win versus Ohio State last year due to their vacating and so they're just one win from 2010 bowl eligibility -- losing the Ball State and Western Illinois victories could be crushing.

I kid, but the sad truth is that this could spell the end for Robert Marve for at least 2011. He has already said that he's planning to petition the NCAA for another year of eligibility, so it's possible now that the next time we could see Robert Marve on the field would be 2012. And really, after missing what would amount to nearly three full years of football, what would he have in the tank at that point?

Another thing that bothers me is that the Yahoo story suggests there was contact with the booster, Nevin Shapiro, "until the booster's incarceration in 2010," which means they were still in contact once Marve was at Purdue. I don't know if that is true -- or if any of this is -- but regardless of how it pans out, this is just one more sad chapter in the growing list of unfortunate stories that have plagued Robert Marve throughout his college career and his time with Purdue.