Purdue Wins Spring Game!!

The players were excited to hear and see from the program alums before the game. During this past week, many tweeted how they were looking forward to this as if the event was an actual game...and lots of fans and alums were excited to see the new look team.  There's good news and bad news: The good news is, in many ways, today did not disappoint...bad news was that in others, it did.

There was a DJ playing music between plays, and the alums teamed up with members of the student body and alumni to play punt, pass and kick...and during the game there were some hard hits.  But the final score of the game was 14-0.

The pre-game clinic was fun for the kids- my son, daughter and nephew can all attest to that.  The players, who generally don't disappoint in these situations, welcomed the little and not-so-little ones onto their home bermuda grass field for drills and just running around.

When business time came around, a few things seemed obvious: Henry leads this offense well, has a good grasp of the concepts and is ready to start. He had one of the passing TDs...didn't pass the ball a ton (didn't have to) and only had two or three incompletions on around 10 attempts.  After the middle of the second quarter, Henry's day was almost much done.

Etling took the majority of remaining snaps for the black squad...and Appleby took almost all of the snaps for the gold team.  Marshall played QB for one possession in the first half (I believe), but didn't have a ton of production.

The vagueness of this post, from a stats standpoint, is because there were no stats on the scoreboard.  Let's be honest for a moment...just you and I- you don't come here for stats, now do you? You come here because you love the witty commentary and you hope you'll see J shirtless.  Today, you will get one of those from this post.

Hazell wouldn't go as far as to say that Henry was the number 1 QB as Purdue headed into the practice-free off-season...but I'll go ahead and say it- it seems like it's Henry's job to lose, and for good reason, he looks good under/behind center in this system.  I saw it in drills a few weeks ago and saw it today in a more game-like situation today.

We really like Appleby; he's big, has a canon of an arm and is a student of the game, but today wasn't a good day for him.  There might be a combination of factors that caused it- it was windy, he wasn't playing behind a full-strength OLine and he wasn't playing with a full quiver of weapons around him...but neither was anyone.

That said, the best running back on the field, by a lot, was opposite of Appleby, on the victorious black team...and I don't think that's a coincidence.  The gold defense was pretty tough for much of the day, but had no answer for Akeem Hunt.  He looked faster than about everyone on the field...his cuts were crisp and resolute, he hit holes quickly, and as always was great in space. But he was definitely one of the guys that stood out.  On one of the rare gadget plays, he almost completed a deep ball to Raheem Mostert...but it wasn't quite in stride and a DB (can't remember the number) was there to break up the play.

The two main black squad QBs were just sharp...whether it was Henry OR Etling, both of these guys looked comfortable running the show.  Etling didn't have a passing touchdown, BUT, had a ton of production, and only a few incompletions.  There is a lot more misdirection than we're used to, as Purdue fans, in this offense.  Even though the defense knows it's coming, it forced LBs and safeties to constantly shift and respect the guys running the other way.  Notably, on third and short a few times today, a slot receiver or wide out would come around end for the fake only to pull manpower away from the middle so the half back could get the short yardage needed.

On the defensive side of the ball, Bruce Gaston created some havoc for the black team QBs by sacking Byrzinskas and Henry...the sack of Henry was one in which Gaston just kinda tossed 15 around like a rag doll.  Not sure if I liked to see Henry thrown that way, but I know I liked seeing Gaston do it (if that makes any sense).

Another couple guys on the defensive side of the ball that I noticed as active were Michael Rouse and Jalani Phillips.  Rouse stuck out because of an opportune interception off of a deflection in which the big fella got to show his skills with the rock...he was tackled after a 15-20 yard return.  Phillips was impressive because he seemed to be everywhere.  His name was called a lot and his number was in the backfield...a lot.

But as noteworthy as these guys were, the guys that couldn't play due to injury might have been just as noteworthy. Four of the guys who will probably get the ball a lot in the fall weren't able to play: Macarthy (who will probably be the number one possession receiver), Cottom (who will be the thunder to Hunt's lightning), Anthrop (who will play in the i

LBD and Cottom

mportant "Z" position in this offense; RB/slot), and Bush (undoubtedly the most-experienced returning receiver...especially if Ross doesn't return).  Their absence makes a big difference...and spreading out the talent so this could be a straight-up scrimmage, not an offense v. defense scrimmage, makes a big difference.

The 14-0 final score is probably indicative of these factors more than anything else.

A few people on Twitter asked if one thing or another was a good indicator for the team.  Well, here's what I know about Spring games: I love them because I love watching football...and miss it during the off-season. The Black/Gold game is like my last drink of cold water before the sports desert is upon me...so as inconsequential as this game is in the grand scope of things, I absolutely love going to watch it each season.

BUT, I've seen some things in spring games that weren't exactly the best representations of the fall during these contests.

A guy named Drew Brees played second fiddle, on more than one occasion during the Spring game- once to his backup named Marc Burgler (I believe)...and the second to David Edgerton.  You might know Edgerton from garbage duty v. IU just before Purdue clinched the Big Ten title...not much else.  More recently, Sean Matti put on an absolute showcase for the Purdue fans in the Black Gold game as Dan Dierking was out with injury.  Sadly, we didn't get to see the walk-on's potential, as (I believe) he passed away that following summer.

The point is, Spring football is important because coaches get to see a lot that we, as fans, just don't get to see...but the B/G game is really for fans and dorks like me.

Will Phillips turn into a monster in the fall? Will Hunt tear up the B1G like he did his teammates today? Will Appleby be in the hunt to start come August? Nobody really knows right now.  But, I can't wait until the late summer when camp begins.

The BS Curse? (and other football notes)

After reading GBI and Mike Carmin, I thought I'd weigh in on what's been happening in God's country under Coach Hazell's watch.

I always struggle in analyzing stats and reports following an intersquad scrimmage...was the offense winning an indictment of the defense? Is the defense's progress a sign that the offense isn't getting better?  We really don't know until the fall...but there are a few things we can glean from the reports.

First, Bruce Gaston played on Saturday...that's good news, and Hazell noted that. Regardless if Purdue plays a 3-4 or 4-3, Gaston's presence in the middle will be noteworthy.

Next, the DBs played pretty well even without Allen in the fold due to injury. They had a few picks and a few more were dropped, but a ton of passes defended.  This update is one of those that might not be great news for the QBs.

And speaking of QBs, the guy that I wanted to see at QB1, Austin Appleby, has dropped from 1A with Henry to 3. Stink. But I'll be frank about the QB battle for a moment- I don't care who's at quarterback if the good guys are winning.  Henry has an unconventional delivery and has struggled with accuracy at times...but Billy Dicken had an unconventional delivery and didn't have the strongest arm and played one great year as Purdue transitioned to Drew Brees running the offense.

I'm still foggy on when/how a player commissions the NCAA on a sixth season of eligibility.  But it would seem that Henry would be a shoe-in for such a season due to his ACL tear following a redshirt. If he gets the extra year, Appleby starts in '14 and Etling is able to redshirt in the fall, Purdue could have a legit QB plan for the first time in a long time. But hey, there are a ton of variables along the way that could derail that.  I just like that there are three good options in the stable.

Etling passed Appleby on the depth chart, according to Hazell, on Saturday...competitions is always a good thing.  Hopefully this coaching staff is better at making decisions and assessing talent than the last group...and I'm confident that they are.

According to the practice reports, a few RS Freshman are playing with the ones on the offensive line.  This is good and bad.  The good of course is that these gigantic dudes are living up to their billing.  The bad is that they're green, so QBs are needing to roll out quite a bit in order to find time and passing lanes. It seems that Henry, Etling and Appleby are all mobile enough, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

One surprise from the reports that I've gathered is that former QB, Robert Gregory is making some noise at the position. Cottom strained his MCL on Saturday, so a few guys further down the depth chart got some carries with the ones...and everyone who saw the scrimmage noted how Gregory ran extremely hard and didn't shy away from contact.  Conversely, Akeem Hunt looked fast and great outside the tackles, but didn't shine in between the tackles. Hazell is seeking more depth at the RB position...this leads me to believe that a guy like incoming Freshman, Kenyate Green will be able to possibly see the field in the fall.  BUT, if Cottom and Hunt are healthy, that's a damned good 1-2 punch to start with.

An on-going development as Spring progresses is the lack of mentions for two-year starter Gary Bush. Bush's class schedule has kept him from practicing this Spring, so that surely doesn't help. But the question is, will he be able to move back to the 1s in the fall when his schedule is (obviously) more conducive to Purdue's camp schedule.  As of right now, RS Freshman, Knauf is in the same spot wih the 1s that Bush is playing with the 2s.  I think there could be a ton of movement come August as Anthrop gets healthy and Ross gets out of the doghouse.

I also think Mostert, Anthrop and Hunt might all be playing a similar position in the Fall...but that's just speculation at this point.  It just seems that they all have a similar skillset.

Hazell called the scrimmage one of the best that he's been a part of since he's been a head coach. That's good to hear. I guess that clearly signals that this Purdue team will have around 11 wins this coming season? Maybe not, but as J alluded to last week, Hazell seems to be making good moves thus far and his openness along with the way he's handled the media are nothing but positive.

T-minus five days until Spring ball is officially concluded with the Black/Gold Game in Ross-Ade. I'll be there with a few miniature people; looking forward to it already.

Spring Game Not a Complete Wash Out

The weather wasn't promising leading up to today, but the fanfest was wisely moved into Mollenkopf...so me and a few members of my family headed to God's country anyway.

I don't have a lot to talk about in regards to how the team looks on the field as I didn't get to see much, but I got to interact with about 10 players for a few minutes at a time; as usual the guys we spoke to represented my alma mater and the program very well.

Robert Marve fielded a tough-to-handle comment by Little Boilerdowd like a good teammate.  LBD told the Florida native that he should be the starter...and Marve said to the 6 year old fan, "Right now we're splitting snaps; that's what coach wants."  As usual, Marve was great with my son and nephew. Took time with them, and didn't act like he didn't want to be there.  Same can be said for the other #1 QB, TerBush who was great with the kids and seemed just as friendly with Marve.

Marve looked healthy and commented about how he hasn't felt this physically good in four years.

We also talked with Ricardo Allen, Patrick Bade, KK Short, Joe Gillium, Sean Collins and Trevor Foy.  Honestly each one of them made me think more-highly of Hope's program.  I'm not sure if these guys are coached up to value the kids coming through (as well as their Dads) or I was just luck to only talk to the good guys, but I don't care.  The more I'm around Purdue football and basketball players, the easier it is for me to cheer for both teams.  Granted, it's tough to be rude to a 6 year old...but they're the same towards the 36 year olds.

LBD with KK...Purdue's next AA?

Some more highlights
KK Short looks to be in tremendous shape and was having a good time talking to people.  Sean Collins and Joe Gillium handled two fighting brothers, that were near us in line, like a nice uncle would.  Really, all of the players I saw looked to be in pretty good shape- a lot more lean guys (in a good way) than in many Spring games I've been around.  Will Lucas looked like a fire hydrant, and Carlos Carvajal is tall even among large men...and his hair is massive.  He also played huge in the closed scrimmage later in the afternoon, I'm told; that's promising...perhaps he, Holmes and Wright will have a bit of a position battle in the fall?

My favorite interaction of the day was that with Trevor Foy.  I've been a fan of the guy since he signed out of highschool- his combo of athleticism, mammoth height and arm length give him tremendous potential...but the fact that he looked like a villain from a Superman movie in the 80s last season made me like him more.

LBD and one of Hope's Gentle Giants

Like many O-lineman, he was smart and very articulate...and was good to talk to. Plus, he was very engaged with my son and seemed interested in the conversation.  Sure, my interaction with Foy and the other players was no more than 5 minutes...but at this point, I'd be more surprised to talk with a player that was a jerk than I am to speak with one that represents themselves and the team well.

All that starts with the coach- Hope always has a smile on his face- we've said it before, he seems like he thinks he's living the dream...and that type of attitude is contagious.  If you want to read into something- he told LBD "He liked his style" as my boy sported the #9 jersey...seems pretty clear to me who the number one QB really is*.

The Not-So-Good
After I got home from West LaLa, I read up a bit on GBI.  Their Spring Game wrap up told me that there was thunder in the area that forced the game indoors.  Honestly, I had no idea about that.

It began pouring outside at just before noon...and the doors on the side of Mollenkopf were open so we could see the deluge.  I checked the radar and it looked like the worst stuff was on top of us at about quarter after...so I thought we might be soggy, but we'd be heading to Ross-Ade shortly.

Just then, the players flooded onto the practice field and short orange cones were put down on the field.

After our conversation with Foy we moved off the field at the request of a guy in a Purdue sweatshirt. My 5 year old nephew and 6 year old son sat down against the wall behind the cones and watched the team begin warming up.

Then, in typical Purdue Athletic Dept. fashion, we had some gruff old guy representing the event staff dress us down and boot us from the practice field...just after we were told we were fine where we were by someone else.

In hindsight, I have little problem with the game being moved inside and being made private since there are no stands in Mollenkopf; any chance of lightning made it a bad scene for the fans. And I really understand not being able to stay and watch the game...but why there are so many toolbags with poor tact around events and in security at my alma mater makes me scratch my head.

I drove an hour each way to see the Spring game (much less than many who were there) because I really like watching Purdue football...and this guy acted like I had broken into a private party...and the fact that I had a 5 and a 6 year old fan with me didn't seem to matter much to him either. Whatever.  It's par for the course. The same athletic department that brings you throngs of empty seats in the lower arena at Mackey that are never allowed to be filled...tone-deaf e-mails and mailings directed at the people who fund the Athletic Department...and an SID that treats alums who run blogs as if they're terrorists to the university; It shouldn't be surprising that they would hire and direct crowd control to treat fans and alums like crap.  I shouldn't expect more, I guess...But I do.

All that said, I'm looking forward to seeing this team in the fall- the players and coaches are doing a tremendous job acting as positive PR for the university and its Athletic Department.  I'm glad someone is.

*It isn't clear at all who the #1 QB is right now

Black/Gold Game Eve

In about 13 hours, Purdue will square off against Purdue for the final official team get-together of the Spring.  In spite of rain in the forecast, I'm still pretty stoked to take LBD to God's country along with his cousin for a day of fun and frivolity. The Spring games usually mean little, but they're always a morsel of tasty football goodness to tide me over until late-August. This year will be no different...but there are some things I'm looking forward to.

TerBush v. Marve: Round 1
Well really, this whole Spring has been the first round of the battle between these two.  TerBush didn't really offer much of a fight when Marve first got on campus a few years ago...and last year, Marve wasn't much competition due to his knee.  Of course, Coach Hope says both are practicing well...I'll be the judge of that tomorrow.  My findings will surely produce a clear starter for the fall*

Who is this year's Ralph Bolden
When Bolden was fully recovered from his first busted ACL a few years ago, he shined during the Spring game...and I told J that he'd be a difference maker that season.  Turns out, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards that season (most of them coming against Toledo).  He looked like the kid in the highlight video from HS...and not just because he was playing Purdue's crappy defense at that point (sorry, truth hurts sometimes).

So my question is who is the guy that will show me he's ready for primetime.  Perhaps it'll be Shane Mikesky, Armstead Williams...Doug Gentry or Jalani Phillips?? Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing new faces...and numbers for that matter, doing big things.

Beware of Fool's Gold
Back in the late 90s, Burgler and then Edgerton always looked like they might push a guy named Brees come the next fall.  Turned out, there's no way in hell they could do such a thing...but they were kickass Black/Gold game players.

More recently, Sean Matti had a monster Spring game at RB...So I guess there's always a chance we're just seeing a guy have one good afternoon...nothing more.  But seeing someone go off is always fun (until you remember it's against Purdue).

Motivated Seniors
There are a couple guys on the roster who have had great Springs so far...and are honestly due for some big things...Here's to seeing that continue.

I look for Tommy Thomas, Antwon Higgs, Max Charlot and Eric Mebane to make a bit of noise tomorrow...and perhaps it can continue in the fall.  There are others, but these are a few of the guys that I've always thought had it in them; just we haven't gotten to see enough of it...yet.

Everyone's a Winner...or at least a Captain
The team voted 6 captains into "office" this week- Caleb TerBush, Akeem Shavers, Crosby Wright, Kawaan Short, Ricardo Allen and Raheem Mostert. Six is a lot of captains...But wait, there's more!!!

The coaches named the following honorary captains: Rich Schmeig, Tommy Thomas, Josh Johnson, Robert Maci, Cody Webster and Chris Quinn.

No word yet if every player will receive participation trophies for the season...I will check on that though.

In all seriousness, doesn't it cheapen the role and specialness of the captains if an entire second group of captains are named without the vote?  I do understand that Tommy Thomas has been a great leader for the team for multiple years...but I doubt any of that changes with a title or lack there of.

Tomorrow
Kickoff and the subsequent nearly-full speed return will be at 1:00 pm tomorrow.


*My findings mean nothing.

Tuesday Gumbo

The biggest news of all for Boiler fans is that Boilermaker Special #7 got into a wreck near campus late this afternoon.  Rumors say it was outside of Hummel's apt.  Other rumors say the newest Special is actually a drone that is driven from the bowels of campus near the atom collider.

What we do know is that the vehicle that was overhauled last year ran into a police vehicle...and I don't know who was at fault or if there were any injuries.  But, since we know some of the Reamers, and we like them, we're hoping everyone came away unscathed.

*Pre-production addendum- everybody's safe following the minor incident...and even #7 isn't damaged too badly. Sounds like she'll be doing her duties on Saturday around the Black/Gold game.

Defense Gelling

Every report out of practice...from players on both sides of the ball says the defense is playing with more speed and swarming around the ball a lot better than last year at this time...and probably better than the were at any time during the season.

This is great news- as much as we want to see a more-efficient, more-exciting and single-QB led offense, I think this team's success will be defined by how well the defense plays.  The get to play against some pretty good running backs each day...so they're getting tested.  And once the offensive line is healthy, they'll get some tests there too (we'll have to wait for the fall for that).

Coach A-Train
Mike Alstott has taken a head coaching position in Florida.  He'll be coaching St. Petersburg's Northside Christian School- a team that barely fielded a squad in '11...and whose last coach won less than one-third of his games in three seasons at the school.

As always, the former Boiler badass will be doing things in an unconventional manner.

Sorry to bear bad news...BUT...

In spite of IU's Zeller being high on a ton of draft boards, he will return next year to Bloomington...as will the versatile shooting forward, Christian Watford.  Neither player's return is really shocking.

Now, let's be clear here.  IU is going to be extremely talented next season.  Their only real loss is that of Verdell Jones.  At BS, we've said this a lot- we'd love to see some of IU's players in gold and black; some of those guys play hard on both ends of the floor.

But the Forehead has some real problems to contend with in the coming season- how will he keep all of these guys happy? Can he actually focus long enough on the game to realize that dumping into Zeller is a nearly sure-fire way to score?  Probably not...and while having the embarrassment of riches is a dilemma that any coach would love to struggle with, we still think the Clapper is one of the worst game coaches in the conference...So there's always that.

The Forces of Good

I think we've mentioned how much we like the 5 guys (including Hale) that will be new to the roster next season.  We love that they have a chip on their collective shoulder and most seem to have a built-in lunchpail mentality...but this isn't a Purdue recruiting class from the 90s that's comprised of a bunch of role players that are short on talent.  These guys can play...and there are some pretty solid moving parts already in place on Matty's squad...And nothing I've heard from Painter makes me concerned about next year's team.

Here's my first typed prediction for '12-'13:

I think Purdue will have 21-22 wins...make the tournament again and grow up a lot during the season.  While that sounds a lot like this season, it'll look different.  Injuries shouldn't play a defining role- TJohn won't be coming off of a surgery, the starting point guard will be able to practice right away and the leading scorer will be able to go through pre-season workouts.  Let's also remember that Jacob Lawson's off-season workouts were stunted a bit by his ruptured achilles...so if his head's right, that'll go a long way in helping to improve his game as well.  

It should be TJohn or Byrd who leads the team in scoring...and I think Byrd's business-first approach to the off-season will encourage his teammates to stay on task.

There's still a chance that an additional player could be added to the roster in the coming weeks/month...and that someone could decide that they no longer want to play for Matty (no, I don't have any inside info).  But, the core is what it is.

In closing, here is a photo (credit HammerandRails) of a short, fat, white guy in a JJ jersey shooting a jumpshot:

RAINDROP!

Monday Gumbo (Mikesky, McKinzie, Indy and More)

The Spring game is coming...I love it for a ton of reasons, but I hate it for others.  The summer doldrums of sports are kind of already here- J and I forced to talk about IndyCar and MLB...no Purdue sports to be found...and generally, news that comes out of West Laffy in the Spring or Summer has something to do with ACLs and isn't the type of thing we like talking about.

Spring practice has been good for the Boilers though, at least from an injury standpoint. Sure, guys are banged up a bit, but that happens...there doesn't seem to be a major injury in the pipe.  And for the first time in forever, Purdue has two healthy QBs to square off in the Black/Gold game who have both started in and played significant games while at Purdue.  Who they will be throwing to though, is a different story.

For the second-straight season, depth at WR is a question mark.  Sure, Gary Bush, Antavian Edison and OJ Ross have caught a decent amount of passes, but depth and consistency remains a concern.  I still am not positive of what to expect from Ross.  He's got great speed and overall athleticism, but he ran lazy routes at times and gave up on plays.  I've always like Gary Bush as a solid option and Edison can do everything...and in spite of his lack of size, he's been very durable.

After these three, a BS favorite, Tommie Thomas has seen a lot of snaps with the 1s in the Spring.  In case you don't remember, Thomas has ping-ponged back and fourth from offense do defense and now back to offense, but should be on the two-deep come the fall.  I think we'll see Thomas play a role similar to what Gravesande did last season...but Thomas is a different guy in that he's an emotional leader and his teammates rally around him a bit.  Gravesande tended to do his job a bit more quietly.

Shane Mikesky (87), the budding track star and RS Frosh-to-be has shown an ability to go up and get the jump ball in practice so far...but admits he needs to work on strength before he can be an every-down WR in the B1G.  He's built a bit like Jonathan Standeford...and has a similar deceptive speed about his with his long strides.  ChuckT, Charles Torwudzu (17), should also make a bit of noise as he tries to be a possession receiver for TerBush and Marve...His size and strength might help him find the field.

Raheem Mostert, arguably the most exciting player on the on the team, will also try to work his way into becoming a consistent WR...but I see him as a perfect back-up for Edison as he's able to come out of the backfield, play flanker or wideout.  Ishmael Aristide (22), who along with Rob Henry just missed becoming leader of the free Purdue world last week, is working toward becoming a WR after switching from defense.

The WR position is one I'll be watching more-closely than any other this coming Saturday as LBD and I enjoy our final taste of Purdue football until August/September.  Hopefully, the OLine can protect Marve and TerBush enough that we get to see a somewhat-normal offense.

McRoth

Brush with Local Talent
When I say McKinzie Roth, most of you would probably say, "Lawfirm?" And you might be correct.  But, Roth is actually a local spokeswoman who I've been a fan of for a few years...If you're in Indy, you might know her as the Andy Mohr Ford girl? No matter. I shared this story with my wife, and she was about as impressed as you guys are about to be.

I was at the gym last week and almost ran into her...while she wasn't wearing a catsuit, she was still pretty impressive in person...good for her and her boyfriend/husband.

IndyStar Bias Shows Itself (again)
If you read the IndyStar regularly...what's wrong with you? If not, you might not have seen this.

We all know that the Star has a white-hot, undying love for all things IU...but what you might not know is that they'll shill for IU even when the opportunity isn't really there.  To the Star's chagrin, Yogi Ferrell didn't win Indiana's Mr. Basketball, but, MSU super-talent Garry Harris did.

So the Star wrote a piece about Mr. Harris' accomplishment...and seemed to focused on the guy that finished second.  Click here to check it out.

Also in the article, Ronnie Johnson is mentioned as a member of this year's Indiana All-Star team...along with a bunch of other names that you'll see playing D-1 basketball next season. Iowa, Butler, IU, Michigan, Purdue and others all found a gem in this year's talented class from Indiana...But I really like the guys coming to God's country next year- Have I mentioned that?

IndyCar
Because I can, I will mention IndyCar.

The new chassis heads to another road course this weekend- this time it's Long Beach...Here's to a race like what we saw at Barber with plenty of passing and action at the front of the field.

The cars will be coming to Indy, this time to prepare for the greatest spectacle, the second week of May...with practice beginning on May 13.  Hopefully they'll be up above 220 at that point at the the 2.5 mile oval...but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm one of the people that was clamoring for a new chassis...so I'm not complaining.  But, the DW12 will look a lot better going faster than it does hovering around 215 as it did at last week's practice.

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.

Handsome Madness!!!

It's conference tourney time...and the duo is stoked.  They talk about the bestest time of the sports year, and even talk a bit about Coach Hope's boys.

Also, tune in to hear them talk about what you need to know to win $1,000,000...among other things.

It's Handsome Time.

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

Friday Gumbo

If you're anything like me, it's kinda tough right now to look ahead to spring football. But, I alway love hearing reports out of spring football practice and get excited about the Black/Gold game. Sure, last season and this off-season haven't given us much to write home about- A season that ended with IU taking back the bucket, tons of major injuries that still aren't healed coming into the spring, a couple of coaches getting hired by Hope and quickly leaving West Lafayette and finally, Keith Smith being ruled ineligible by the NCAA for no good reason. These things are enough to make the sunniest of optimists feel a bit blue. But Hope said getting on the field was exactly what the team needed...and that the team just needed to be playing again...even if that's just drills, walk-throughs and formations.

I said this a lot last year- I don't like the way this coaching staff (and Tiller in his last few seasons) control information out of practice. I think opening up at least part of the practices to the media breeds positive feelings for the fans unless there are recurring discipline issues (a la those last few JT-coached teams). But it's probably not going to change, and we have to deal with the limited access and second-hand accounts of the team...and everyone's looking at the same Hope interviews, and a couple of hand-chosen player quotes for info...but a little is better than nothing, I guess.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like Danny Hope's personality and generally-positive outlook. I think I'd really like having a beer with him. But, I think he's way too silver-tongued. And seasons like the last one make the norm quickly become painful for fans. But there is info to be gleaned from Hopes happy talk. Here are a couple tidbits:

-The offensive line looks like it's in better shape than last year in every way. They're physically-fit, deeper and more-experience...so the coaches don't have to spend as much time going through basics as they did in the spring of '10.

-Marve and Bolden are only going through drills without contact and won't see full action until the fall.

-Nord has Henry as the #1 QB...and Henry is throwing the ball better than last season at the end because his finger is healed. TerBush is also throwing well. Hopefully Purdue will have a QB behind the center that allows them to pass more than they run in the fall, regardless of whom ends up starting.

-Ricardo Allen was good...wants to get better and sees Kerrigan's departure as only more reason that he must improve. When talking about his fitness level, work ethic and overall technique as a corner he said, "Last year was just last year...and I gotta get better." Sounds like a captain...even as a Soph.

Hats off

We didn't talk about this a whole bunch when it happened because it was kind of veiled in confusion, but BYU's suspension of Brandon Davies was flat-out ballsy and respectable. On Twitter, we had multiple people ask if everyone thought BYU would suspend Fredette had he broken the moral code. My answer is an unequivocal, "Yes." That institution is consistent...and its athletes know what they're getting into when they sign their LOI to play or the Cougars. Judging through the prism of BYU's game v. UNM, I'd say they'll land at around a 4 or 5 seed simply because they're not the same team without Davies. That said, with Fredette on the roster, they'll be dangerous because you never know when he'll score 60 or 70 points...he'd better actually for their sake.

On a related note, I understand much of their moral code and agree with the principles within it...but how is drinking a cola a punishable offense? I seriously don't get this even a little bit.

Zo

I had a minor medical procedure today, so I'm incapacitated moreso than usual. But the silver lining is I am watching early conference tourney games. The Valley tournament had Cuonzo Martin's #1 seeded Bears facing Matty's old team, #8 SIU. Martin's team was down for the entire game, before taking its first lead in the final minute- they won by two and advanced. I'd bet they'll play with more urgency in the next round. But, his squad handled being down by as many as 9 with just minutes left, in a very cool, calm manner.

It was a fun one to watch and a great way for me to kick off (perhaps) my favorite week of the year.

Miscellaneous Rankings

According to Rivals.com's power rankings, Moore is the #2 shooting guard, Johnson is the #2 center and Painter is now the #1 coach in all of NCAA basketball. These rankings are hard-earned and deserved. One problem I have with their lists is their consistent belief that there are at least 25 point guards in America that are better than LewJack.

Purdue's Composite Computer Ranking current holds at 5th. Keep in mind, that average is still that high in spite of the laughable RPI having both SDSU and BYU (after its 19 point loss v. UNM) both ahead of the Forces of Good.

What's Ahead?

It's Monday...and the last few weeks, it's been hard to find things to talk about following being crushed, so I'm going to look ahead a bit.

Our Boilers could get another win (or even two if the stars align) this season...but it seems the best money would have Purdue ending the season with 4 or 5 wins. Blame it on injuries, the schedule or whatever you'd like. But the state of the program is what it is.

For two straight seasons, we as Purdue fans been reduced to saying things like, "they're young" or "injuries are killing them". These are both truths, but they don't change the fact that these statements are typically those of fans who follow "rebuilding programs" or simply programs that aren't winning.

BUT, before the deluge of injuries this season, Purdue lost to UND and Toledo. Both of these are looking worse and worse as time passes. And, the difference in Hope's staff and the Purdue program taking any steps really forward really lie in those to defeats, it seems. But the past is the past and that can't be changed.

Now looking ahead...

Offensively, the situation is dicey.

In the Spring, Bolden, Marve, K. Smith (if he decides/is able to return) and possibly Ross & Pamphile will probably still be unavailable due to injuries. Add in the normal 2 or 3 players out due to surgery and what are you left with?

Well, Dierking, C. Smith, Carlos, Kerrigan, Werner, Prater, Pierce, Adams and Lindsay will all be gone due to graduation.

So, you'll have Henry v. TerBush (or Robinson) at QB...that position seems OK- at least one should be able to hit receivers in stride for drills.

At WR, there's a ton of speed, but really no one who has shown they can catch the ball consistently outside of Edison and Siller. So, it's Siller, Edison, Bush, Gravesande, Reese, Tommie Thomas and Torwodzu...like I said, talent/speed is fine here...but there are still a ton of questions in the receiving corps that need to be answered.

At tight end, Gabe Holmes is the only guy in the stable that's seen significan't playing time. Sinz and Flood should both be contributors in '11.

Then, at RB Hope will have, ATM (who hasn't played at a consistent high level) and Pegram (who has barely played at all) available. After that, a bunch of fullbacks- Freytag, Crank and Jackson...and we all know how often the FB is used in this offense.

The OL actually should be fine...lots of different guys have seen PT that will be available in the spring. But next season, for the first time in a long time, we might see an OL that averages under 300 pounds...I think you have to go back 15 years to find the last time that's happened. Reference Michigan to see if that's a good thing in the Big Ten.

Much like last spring, the offense will not be able to field two solid units due to attrition for a number of reasons...and who is to say whether or not Marve and Bolden will EVER be able to play at a high level again? As you all know, I like both of these guys and hate seeing it- hope they can both get degrees at the very least. But what we're left with is a team that needs time and needs reps as it is a program that has to develop players over seasons/off-seasons...and this coming spring looks like it might be of little value from a developmental standpoint...much like last spring.

Defensively, the personnel looks much better, surprisingly.

Purdue will have Maci at one DE...he's gonna be solid at the very least- kind of like Kevin Nesfield a few years ago. But, he doesn't seem to be cut from the same cloth as the great DEs of the past 15 years. Opposite him, Gooden will be a Senior...but his play seems to be declining with time. Can you remember a DE in recent memory who has had more opportunity and less-production? It doesn't seem to matter that he's flanked by a guy that's perpetually double-teamed and two DTs that are very good...he has yet to show significant improvement. After those two, I don't see a guy at DE that I'm really excited to see on the field...hopefully someone develops and I'm wrong. I think Mebane might still develop, but he still is built like an LB (and a lean one at that)...Hopefully Higgs is moved in the off-season to add depth to the group. Honestly, I don't know what the other options are.

At tackle, Purdue seems kinda rich, especially in comparison to other positions. Short and Gaston are guys that most teams would want on their roster- great size, great footwork, good motors. Isaac, Kitchens, Taylor & McDaniel bolster the position...DT should be solid.

At LB, there's some talent, speed and size. Carlino and Holland finish what seems to be, their 15th years on campus working hard but missing a ton of tackles in the process. I don't have any problem with these two, because their attitude and work ethic seem to be a real positive...plus, there's depth at the position. Beckford, Greaves, Lucas and Gilliam should all be in the mix in '11.

The DBs should be a solid unit- Allen, Johnson and Williams are are starters at CB. Eargle and Charlot, with everyone healthy, are solid off the bench. Evans, when healthy is a very hard-hitter who is solid in coverage. After these guys, Aristide might still pan out (but I have a feeling he might not finish at Purdue)...Harris and E.J. Johnson should both contribute significantly next season.

The kickers & punters should all be fine...but I'm still not pleased with what I see from the Special teams units as a whole. Poor spacing, poor and nonchalant handling of the ball and bad tackling are recurring problems that won't go anywhere if changes aren't made on Special teams.

Many correctly call a Purdue a developmental program- one that develops marginally-rated players out of high school into good football players by the time they leave campus. I'd agree that with the way recruiting tends to go for our Boilers, that this assessment is correct. That said, we saw last Spring come and go with little development, and few steps taken forward, due to Purdue not having enough hands on deck to scrimmage effectively or even do some drills the right way. This off-season, especially on the offensive side of the ball, things look similar.

Granted guys like Edgerton, Bergler, Noel, Durrett and more-recently, Barbarette and TerBush have helped the entire team develop by being Spring football studs...but a season of dashed potential and uncertainty looks like it's going to be followed up by an off-season of healing and more question marks at multiple positions.

Lots can change in the coming months...I understand that. In the meantime, hopefully we'll have something to talk about next Monday other than another loss in which the game is never in doubt, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Spring Game Video

For those who haven't seen it, here are a few videos from Saturday's Spring Game. I gotta say, I like what I hear from Marve.



Here are the highlights from the game, along with some analysis from Coach Hope:

Spring Practice Awards

Robert Marve and Caleb TerBush both received spring practice awards, with Marve sharing the Newcomer Award with Will Lucas and TerBush taking the Most Improved Award with Dwayne Beckford.

Also interesting for me to note was that the Hammer Award for the top hitters went to Logan Link (great name, by the way), a safety -- which makes sense -- and Jared Crank, a fullback.

Is it a good thing when one of your top hitters is on offense? I'm fine with it.

Is this a bad sign?

Thanks to GBI for today's photos.

I know Marve throws the ball hard...but it might be a bad sign that Purdue's receivers look terrified of the ball.
I kid...I kid.

Springing Into Action

With basketball season officially over, we enter a long drought for me. Sure, I like watching Indy Car, but it's nothing like college basketball and football for me...and while the Yankees and Red Sox are set to play this weekend to kick off the MLB season, the length of both the season and the baseball game itself doesn't jive with my self-diagnosed ADD.

So, my attention, at least for a few weeks shifts to Purdue football practice. Sure, you can't really tell much about the team through the screens in the fence and while watching videos of drills, but it's a solid diversion.

Hope's squad had its first scrimmage with the kooky scoring system yesterday and the defense won. And if you're not into it enough to comb GBI and Journal & Courier for info, here's the skinnny so far:

-Lots of guys are injured. Specifically, linebackers. As of now, there are only 4 guys who have played significant snaps at any of the three positions available for spring. That could be good as it might help someone get seen early...Perhaps true Frosh, Will Lucas will show? But, in the Black/Gold game it'll create problems.

Keith Smith is out for the remainder of spring as is Ken Plue. The good thing about both of these guys is that they're pretty solid at their knowledge of the offense. The offensive line is banged up and depleted due to graduation and injuries. So, guys like Foy and Melton will get more reps...which is good.

Albert Evans and Nick Mondek are both out...I hope Evans is acting as a coach for the young DBs in his time off...because that unit will need it. There's plenty of reason for concern for this amazingly-underexperienced unit come the fall.

-Defenses always seem to come along a bit quicker...so it's OK to see the defense edging out the offense, especially early. But, I'm hoping the offense passes the eyeball test, for me, on April 17.

-Gary Bush seems to be the new apple of the coach's eye at this point. Bush put on some weight in the offseason and Hope likes what he sees from him. He's also talked a few times about how the battle between McBurse and Bolden will be fun to watch.

-Marve has been held out of practice from time-to-time due to soreness of his surgically-repaired knee. Not a concern, but it's helped give TerBush some more reps with the ones. The guy pushing Marve seems to be Henry. I think much of the Purdue fanbase is excited to watch him this spring.

-In a nifty team-unity move, Robert Marve brought his O-linemen with him to talk to the media last weekend to help him answer questions. So far, Marve's saying and doing all the right things as a team guy.