Herd Overcome By Boilers' Bush

If you read our predicto post yesterday, you saw that we had somewhat divergent opinions on how things would go down in Ross-Ade today. Well, if it was possible for us both to be right, this was the game, as the Boilers won a shootout with Marshall, 51-41.

It was, once again for the Boilers, a tale of wildly different halves. This has been something that has been an issue during the Danny Hope era and it continued today. The Boilers really could not have looked better in the first half, putting together sustained, creatively called drives and, in the second quarter, some stellar defensive play.

Marshall's hotshot soph QB Rakeem Cato looked decidedly like an underclassman, as he threw three picks, including back-to-back pick-6s to Ricardo Allen and Josh Johnson. Allen's made him the Purdue record-holder with four pick-6s. Johnson's looked as though he'd been in the Marshall huddle, as he appeared to break on the ball before Cato even released it, catching it in stride and sprinting 76 yards the other way. As halftime arrived, it was 42-14 Boilermakers. My co-editor looked wise.

And then the Boilermakers had their customary, celebratory raviolis in the locker room, followed by turkey legs and mashed potatoes. Or at least that's what I assume they did, as they came out for the third quarter flatter than my 8th-grade girlfriend. The Herd had a TD drive and then blocked a punt and returned it for a TD. Suddenly, it was 42-28 and was a ballgame. The Boilers managed a FG at the end of the quarter and then, thankfully, some old friends came to the rescue.

After Coaches Keady and Tiller led the crowd in B-dowd's favorite tradition, Shout, the Boilers began to show signs of life again. Despite being outscored 27-9 in the second half, the Boilers did salt the game away late. Which brings me to this... let's look at the positives:

The Boilers built a huge lead by playing solid, creative offense, executing extremely well...as well as opportunistic, hard-nosed defense. TWO interception returns for TDs coupled with a blocked FG by Kawaan Short and an additional INT and fumble recovery says that this defense actually did come to play. Don't be overly concerned with the yardage Marshall put up -- for starters, they're one of the most prolific offenses in the country. For another, they were down four touchdowns in the second quarter, so they needed to be on the open attack for the majority of the game.

Also on the positive side was that the Boilers put a game away in a manner and at a time when good teams do just that. They'd allowed their opponent to chip away and get back into the game, as the score was 45-35 with 12 minutes to go in the fourth. Still a two-score game, but everyone was clearly getting nervous among Boilermaker supporters. Caleb TerBush came out and calmly led the Boilers on a six-minute, 13 play, 78 yard touchdown drive. That made it 51-35 with just 6:38 to go. And as B-dowd texted to me, they just did what good teams do .That is, close the door.

Another positive for me today was the play of Caleb TerBush. Robert Marve warmed up but wound up not dressing for the game. Maybe that played into it -- hard to know -- as Caleb played with a confidence and, dare I say, swagger that I've never seen from him. He looked sure of himself, he looked like a leader and he hit his targets. After a sizzling first half, he cooled off a bit, but still wound up going 27/37 for 294 yards and four TD passes, three of them to Gary Bush. For the record, those are career bests for Caleb in completions, attempts, yards (he'd only ever been over 200 yards once before, with 220 in the opener last year vs. Middle Tennessee St.) and touchdown passes (doubling his previous best of two, done three times). Understand, folks, this was a career game for Caleb TerBush and might well have been his coming out party, as they say.

Yes, we should temper excitement about the offensive output by reminding ourselves that Marshall's defense is positively atrocious. However, that said, you still have to make the plays, you still have to make the throws, and you still have to hold onto the football. The Boilers did that today and did it well.

I know a lot of people want to get Gibboney's head on the pike whenever something happens on special teams that's bad, but I don't put the punt block no the coaching. It looked to me like Marshall just sold out to bring the house and block it. I think that could happen more often than it does, but teams don't always do it because it leaves their returner unprotected if the punt is made. If you want to argue that Gibboney and company should have anticipated Marshall coming after it like that since they were losing, well, that's a legitimate point. I just think it's worth pointing out that Cody Webster has been a marksman on punts this year, dropping punt after punt deep in opposing territory, and nobody has given Gibboney credit for that.

Other guys had terrific games besides TerBush, too. Obviously, Gary Bush was a touchdown machine, hauling in three of them among his seven receptions for 83 yards. OJ Ross had a career-high nine catches, for 69 yards and Antavian Edison continued his strong play with six receptions for 99 yards and another TD. Edison now has a catch in 25 straight games and TDs in every game this season.

So what do we take from this game? The Boilers cleared 50 points for the second straight week, something they only did once last year and zero times against FBS level foes. Heck, they only put up over 40 twice all last year -- they've done it three times already this year. The Boilers also already have more 40+ yard plays this season than they had all of 2011. These are good signs and suggest that the offense is truly rounding into form.

I could sit here and try to tell you that you shouldn't get too excited since those offensive outbursts have come against inferior, non-conference foes. But hey, that's what the non-conference is for, right? And previous Danny Hope teams didn't pound non-conference opponents they way we wanted them to. So given what's been put in front of them, the Boilers have done exactly what we've all asked of them. That's a very good thing, not to mention refreshing.

The Boilers have done what we've all asked of them so far and have taken care of the team's they're supposed to take care of. Now they move into conference play against a suddenly vulnerable-looking Michigan team, followed by Wisconsin, both at Ross-Ade. Could this be the most critical start of a Big Ten football season for Purdue in more than a decade? I think so. A lot rides on these next couple of games. If the Boilers can get through their first three conference games 2-1, you are hereby allowed to begin expecting to win the division. If they fall on their faces, you're entitled to refer to them as the "same old Purdue."

First things first, though. Next up are the Wolverines at home next Saturday, with a gametime of 4 PM. So you've got plenty of time to tailgate, enjoy yourself, soak up the college football atmosphere, and then move inside Ross-Ade for a game that matters a whole lot. There will be lights, there will be a buzz and let's hope there will be a lot of Purdue fans.

The train is a-comin'. Choo-choo, muthas.

Purdue-Marshall Predicto -- Take Care of Non-Con Bidness Edition

It's time to thin the Herd, boys and girls.

This weekend our Boilers are back in action, again at home, against the Thundering Herd of Marshall. Marshall is 2-2 and has been involved in a lot of points being scored, both for and against.

What do your handsome hosts think will transpire over the weekend? Let's get right to it, shall we?

(Oh, and this pic came up during my Google search for images for this post. Google is so wise.)


J says:

Maybe I've just had too much time to talk myself into worrying, but I've been concerned about this specific game since I first took a look at the schedule. Sure, there's no Chad Pennington or Randy Moss walking through the tunnel (well, it's Ross-Ade, so I guess walking through that...opening), but Marshall can still put some points on the board, as they say.

I know many have talked themselves into the exciting potential of this team in 2012. And that's great. However, as we've recounted before, Danny Hope teams absolutely always, without exception, find at least one non-conference game to lose that shouldn't even be close. Being at home is no exception. For those who have forgotten, in 2011 it was at Rice (and almost at home vs Middle Tennessee). In 2010, it was home to Toledo (and it wasn't even close). In 2009 it was home to Northern Illinois. All foes who should have been overmatched and were certainly less talented. But Purdue has shown in recent years a tendency to come out for second halves sleepy or unfocused... or sometimes come out for entire games in that state. Doesn't a game following a bye week right before potentially huge Big Ten matchups seem like an opportunity for such sluggishness?

Marshall absolutely fits the mold to continue that trend. There's no way the Herd should be -- or are -- as talented as Purdue. However, Marshall can throw the ball as well as run the ball. Sure, the D-line will likely bottle up the run and will (or should) win the battles in the trenches. But if Sophomore QB Rakeem Cato continues what he's done so far, I have concerns. Cato has thrown for almost 1500 yards in four games, including two games over 400 yards. Sure, sure, I know they were losing big to West Virginia and their Rice game went OT. So what? He's also completed over 70% of his passes, so the guy is accurate. And you know what else? Aside from Josh Johnson, I haven't been particularly impressed by Purdue's secondary this year. The secondary was supposed to be another strength, something that along with the line would help counter the weakness over the middle at linebacker. But if a team like Marshall is able to pick apart Purdue both over the middle and longer down the field... I become more jumpy.

Another gut instinct might be to look at Marshall's last game and note that they needed overtime to defeat Rice. I know I had that knee-jerk reaction, but then I remembered that Purdue couldn't accomplish that feat in 2011. We know the transitive property isn't foolproof -- or even worthwhile, most of the time -- but it's just one more thing tossed into my cauldron of doubt.

Other things that nibble away at my good feelings about Purdue's strong start are that they are still among the worst in the nation at turning the ball over (with eight giveaways so far three games for a cool 2.67 TOs per game). I don't know about you, but when I read that statistic, I was surprised. We heard a lot about that in previous years, but not as much this year... mainly because Purdue has been winning and has a good feeling of momentum. But if you turn the ball over five times against EKU (which they did), you can get away with it. If they turn it over even close to that number vs Marshall, they will lose.

Okay, so despite all that hand-wringing, let me say that I believe in these guys. I like the makeup of this team and these players a lot. I think their focus, drive and determination is better than we've seen from Purdue in a while. I actually do think that despite not being a good game coach, Coach Hope is making some good progress on the "culture" and getting guys to buy in completely. He deserves praise for that. And I have faith in these guys carrying out their assignments and playing the game well. They haven't been prone to terrible penalties and the special teams play has not hampered Purdue. These are all steps -- big steps -- in the right direction.

I agree with the majority of Purdue fans that Purdue should win this game. Maybe not with as little trouble as some are thinking, but I agree that Marshall should not be able to come into Ross-Ade and take a game away from the 2012 Boilermakers.

However, I lack faith in the coaching staff. And, as noted above, I've read this script before. Until Danny Hope and company prove to me that they won't lose one of these games, I'm going to have a hard time having blanket confidence. So while I don't think they have any excuse to lose, they also didn't have excuses against Rice, Northern Illinois and Toledo. This one goes in the "please prove me wrong, boys" category.

Marshall 35
Purdue 31

Boilerdowd says:

Before I got to see this team play, before I knew about Marshall's fast-paced offense, I didn't feel too bad about this game.

But now that I have as much info as possible, I still feel good about this one.

Danny Hope has always been a player's coach...but has never been an Xs and Os guru. He seems to motivate players, and point them in the right direction. The problem the last few years has been that his teams have really needed direction during games...and have been physically unable to simply overpower other teams. It's different this year. Purdue's front four is as good, if not better, than we thought they'd be. Russell's injury two weeks ago changes things if there's a carry-over into this game, but it sounds like he's ready to go...so the defense will be defined by the front's ability to put pressure on the QB and stop Marshall's running game. As they cause Marshall's pocket to collapse, everyone behind them will look better. Plus, Allen should be healthier, so I think both he and Johnson will be more than just a speed bump for Marshall's O.

On the other side of the ball, Marshall struggles mightily to stop the run... and has given up long runs... that's a giant "uh-oh" for the Herd. Shavers will pound 'em and Mostert might provide the first big play out of the backfield with the home run. If TerBush can at least play like he did last year at the end of the season, Purdue wins going away...if he continues to struggle making easy throws, I'd love to see Henry behind center; at the very minimum, he can run the hurry-up with skill.

A nearly perfect weather day will help produce smiley-happy faces for the Boilermaker faithful tomorrow as Hope strives to make Purdue fans forget about previous pre-con woes...Purdue improves to 3-1; but a sluggish start could make this one closer than it should be.

Purdue 35
Marshall 24

Purdue vs Marshall: Stomping the Herd

A thundering herd!

Purdue is starting to get votes in the AP poll. Yes, you may or may not have noticed Purdue at the bottom of the AP Top 25 getting a solid five votes. It was obviously spurred by the great performance against "God's Team" but regardless it's exciting. The Boilers have a chance of being ranked under Danny Hope but the Thundering Herd are going to try to nix that.

Coming off of a double overtime thriller, Marshall is going to have some momentum. In that game their high flying offense passed for 259 yards and rushed for 334. They boast the nation's best passing offense and look to dismantle the praised defensive line of the Boilermakers.

I'm concerned about this game. Their rushing attack is good and Purdue's run defense looked subpar in the game against EMU, allowing 169 rush yards. If the Boilers can put together a rush defense similar to that at Notre Dame, it should be no problem.

One has to believe that the Herd is going to key on the running game and try to exploit Purdue's weakness in the linebacker core.

It's going to be key that the Boilermakers can stop the run, which will eliminate the play action which could prove vital for the secondary.

I think it's going to be next to impossible to completely stop Marshall's offense, but containing them is something that is feasible.

Offensively this is going to be a game where the Boilermakers can flex their muscles. Marshall's defense has been lackluster this season, on average allowing 509 yards of total offense per game.

Their goal is to outscore their opponent rather than stop them defensively. If Purdue can limit turnovers, they are looking at a great day offensively. With Marshall giving up around 43 points per game this is an opportunity to showcase the firepower of the offense. Look for TerBush to have a big game this week.

Marshall has a few players to look out for come Saturday. Keep an eye on Rakeem Cato who has thrown for almost 1500 yards this season, averaging 370 per game while passing for 10 touchdowns on the year.

Another star of the Herd is Steward Butler. The freshman is a speedy back that is very comparable to Danny Anthrop. The Herd will run numerous backs in this game most of which have a big play ability. It's going to be important to contain them at the line of scrimmage. Combined, they have 10 touchdowns allowing Marshall to have a balanced attack that is fresh, causing lots of issues for opposing defenders. Their ability to substitute allows each back to compliment one another creating one of the best backfields in football.

The key to this game is going to be the defense containing the Herd offense, as well as the offense putting up some great numbers. I have trouble believing that fewer than four offensive touchdowns is going to win this game.

I look for it to be a great shoot-out but Purdue's defense is going to set them apart and give the Boilers the edge in this one.

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.

EMU Win: Unprecedented Game

This might not matter to many of you...but once upon a time, we wrote this site just to get stuff off of our chest about Purdue to our pals.  We didn't have rules because we didn't have many readers...outside of about 5-10 friends.  We'd write about Purdue football, and follow it up with politics...then talk about our favorite stadiums or women on TV. Every now and again, you'll see some of that nonsense creep in here...and on cue, we'll get quickly reminded of how we are here to entertain some of you specifically in only pre-approved ways.

But, even before we had readers...or the site, I religiously watched Purdue football on Saturdays. Back when I got out of school, I was told by co-workers that my passion for my alma mater's football and basketball teams would eventually cool to the point in which my Saturdays wouldn't revolve around the black and gold.  Well, 15 years later, my misguided co-workers' predictions haven't come true...but for the first time in about 20 years, I missed a Purdue football game last weekend...so in a way, my old co-workers were Nostrodamus-esque as they foresaw this trip in their collective crystal ball a mere two decades later.

Hell, a 9 years ago, when Purdue squared off against Wake Forest on the day of my brother's wedding, my brothers, Dad and I all found our way to a TV screen between pre-ceremony photos in order to make sure we'd still see the game...but two Saturdays ago, it was out of my control, and my streak was broken.

Along with a couple of my friends, I've started a company...and my corresponding travel schedule this month has been a bit of a meat grinder. I avoided missing the UND game; and Purdue nearly delivered an unexpected victory.  But this week, the story changed- I couldn't get to a TV or radio...and Purdue comforted me by delivering a comfortable victory...as expected.

"Watching" a game via numbers and stats on an application on your phone is only good when your favorite team gives you something to ease your concerns...and continues to predictably pour it on and leave no doubt of victory. But, if Purdue shellacks a crappy team and there are no highlights, did the game count?

Well, of course it does, but reading about the game and seeing still photos of big runs doesn't tell me all I need to know about scampers from Cottom, Shavers, Hunt and Anthrop.  BTN didn't have full-game highlights, nor did EsPN.com...which leaves the runs to my imagination...but the most-important stat doesn't lie- Purdue won another game handily, and their ability to make big plays doesn't seem to be affected by whom is playing quarterback...that's something we can all take heart in.

I DVR'd the game, and look forward to watching it next week, but first, our Boilers have to take care of business vers the Thundering Herd- a game that my co-founding pal of BS, J, has worried about since he saw the schedule a while back.  And speaking of J, let me publicly say thanks to him- he's run the site admirably without any help from me.  While many sites have a staff of 5-50 writers providing content, here at old school BS, it's really just J and I.  Sure, we tried to get some help last Spring, but they haven't been too interested in contributing this season. I don't begrudge them for it...instead, I'm just appreciative that the site keeps chugging along with one arm tied behind its figurative back.

I can't wait 'til Saturday though- this is a chance for Purdue to slay some demons that Danny Hope helped create.  And while I don't really know what happened v. EMU in Ross Ade, my eyes along with other results across the football landscape seem to be reinforcing the idea that my Boilers are a pretty damned good football team.  They can stop the run, they can run the ball, they're sure tackling and veteran-led.

Last year, when things were good, Hope and the staff seemed to let their collective guard down and poop the bed each time a sniff of success reared its head.  I feel like this year is different...and Saturday Hope, KK, Shavers and co. have a chance to prove it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to find a TV with BTN in  the heart of SEC country to see it with my own eyes...missing two in a row might be too much for me to bear.

There For The Taking?

Purdue fans are beginning to get excited about the possibilities for the Boilermakers this football season. Is the division there for the taking? Will you have the opportunity to high five and belly-bump with T-Mill of Hammer & Rails at the Big Ten Championship game and celebrate the appearance by tailgating to Whitesnake and Taylor Dayne? Let's think about it.

Wisconsin had yet another unimpressive victory over the weekend over the UTEP Miners and one might argue that Coach B is doing some panicking. He fired his O-line coach after the loss in Oregon and has now yanked transfer Danny O'Brien in favor of a former walk-on who only recently became a scholarship player. Stave played pretty well on Saturday and seemed to give the Badgers some life, but he's definitely untested and the Boilers, as we all know, get to take on the Badgers at home, so Stave's road mettle will be tested...though Wisky does play at Nebraska next weekend so if Stave shows no rattle in that one, it's doubtful that a 2/3 filled Ross-Ade will spook him. (Yes, that was my shot at everyone -- go to the games!)

Michigan, while not in the Leaders division, is still a conference foe and is also coming to West Laffy. Michigan was ranked until their six-turnover, stinker of a performance against apparently indestructible Notre Dame. Can the Boiler D follow the lead set by Alabama and ND (and to a lesser extent, Air Force, who only lost 31-25 to the Wolverines)? I do have confidence in this defense, particularly the line, so if they can bottle up the Denard at all, that bodes well for Purdue. Dare to dream?

Illinois got positively dump-trucked at home vs. La Tech over the weekend, 52-24. I understand that Louisiana Tech is a decent team this year, and I understand Illinois is working their way back. But they have to be better than this, don't they? They were at home, and as I tweeted Saturday night, I cannot remember a worse home loss to a non-conference team by a Big Ten program. Can you?

My point re: the Illini is that they're a divisional foe who is prone to getting hammered, both on the road (Lost at Az St, 45-14) and at home (see Tech, Louisiana).

Ohio State, while ineligible for the title game, still is a game that will count in the conference and divisional standings. And no matter what kind of fairy tale season this could turn into, it's very difficult to imagine the Boilers walking into the 'shoe and beating a ranked and potentially undefeated Ohio State team coached by Urban Meyer. 

Penn State seems to have begun to right the ship after two losses to start the season, but you never know where they'll be mentally by early November. And again, the Boilers get the Lions in Ross-Ade. While that's not a gigantic home field advantage, it does help to not have to travel to a place where the Boilers rarely win. As mentioned, the only place on the schedule like that is Columbus.

Iowa, our most hated rivals (OMHR), has now lost to both Iowa State and Central Michigan at home. I'm not saying I think any game is a lock -- esp not a road game against OMHR -- but if those teams can win in Iowa and Purdue wants to have a special season, this is the kind of game you need to win. Plain and simple.

Minnesota is tricky to figure out, because while they're 4-0 and clearly playing a lot better football under Jerry Kill, I think we need to wait to see if this is a truly improved team or more like one of those IU teams that wins non-conference games and then gets manhandled by the conference. Regardless, it's a road conference game.

Indiana is... ah, never mind. It's Indiana.

My biggest concern at this moment is the Marshall game, and not just because of the "take them one at a time" cliche. As you've heard us lament before, Purdue -- especially under Danny Hope -- always has one stinker against lesser, non-conference competition, usually at home. There's only of those left and so I find myself in fear of it. Yes, I like the makeup of this team and I like their focus. That doesn't make me any less concerned, though.

So what do you think? Is your optimism skyrocketing as you see what's going on in the conference? I'm getting closer, and beating Marshall will be a big help in making me giddy going into Michigan semi-under-the-lights in two weeks.

Weary Boilers?

This article in the J&C gives me great concern. It reminds me of the feeling I get whenever the coaching staff admits they didn't have a plan for something or didn't know what they were going to do if a given situation happened... it just makes my eyebrows go up involuntarily. 

Danny Hope says he's happy for the bye week, as his players are showing "signs of fatigue." Hey, it's hard work kicking Eastern Michigan's ass.  A quote from Hopey:

“Focus in practice, energy in meetings,” the fourth-year coach said Sunday. “I tell one of my good jokes and some of them didn’t get it.”

I, for one, would love to hear some of Danny Hope's good jokes.

But seriously, being focused for a few weeks tires guys out? I mean, yes, I know staying focused over a course of a season is indeed tiring and requires tremendous discipline. But it's just worrisome and odd to make such a statement now. It's almost like Hope feels the need to talk up everything that's ever related to the program. A bye week? It's a good thing for us! We'll rise to the challenge! By lying down and taking a nap!

It only gets better, too.

“They should be tired,” he said. “I think our staff is tired. Everybody works long days and seven days a week. Fatigue set in some but the end result was we scored 50-something points and had 600 yards of offense and shut them down with our first-team defense. They did a good job of sucking it up and pushing themselves but I know they’re all looking forward to the off week.”

I might beg to differ on whether or not they "should" be tired.

Coach was then asked if he has concerns over playing the next nine straight weeks, which is a fair question given what he's just said about fatigue. The answer....seems unclear.

“Traditionally, most football teams struggle recovering from camp. I think we did a better job of managing our football team during camp,” Hope said. “We gave them a little more time off during camp and tried to shorten the practices."

I don't see how this answers the question of if he's concerned about this team being tired over the next 2+ months. 

"I think the way this football team pushes themselves from an effort standpoint, a focus standpoint and we practice hard and when I say we practice hard, they practice hard. We have shortened the agenda but they extend themselves more.”

Oh, please stop talking, Coach.

Fun With Hypothetical Purdue Uniforms

We know that Nike makes all the calls when it comes to Purdue's uniforms and that Purdue ranks slightly below a local Oregon pee wee football team to The Swoosh, but sometimes it's fun to dream. Ryan Rittenhouse, who goes by @DARKHORSEsays on Twitter, shared the following cool concept renditions of what an all-black Purdue uniform could look like, including the matte black helmet:

Sure, he clearly started with the Oregon uni -- which you can tell by the numbers, even if you didn't notice the feathered wings on the shoulder -- but so what? It looks badass, plus the helmet is what makes it truly Purdue.

We shared it on Twitter, too, and at least a half dozen players on the team either retweeted it or said they liked the idea.

"I like the helmet a lot. A black alternative helmet would be nice." -- Rob Henry

"Those are sick. I'll be fighting to get us in those this season!! How about the hammers in gold?" -- Tommie Thomas (this is significant, as Tommie led the charge for the Neil Armstrong tribute stickers)

Regardless, it's pretty unanimous in the small sampling of responses we got that the idea of an all-black -- truly all-black -- alternate look would be great on a very limited basis. My philosophy on this is that it should be something that Purdue does once per year, for a night game at home. And if there are no home night games, either pick a big time road game to wear them, or just wear them for the Bucket game. 

Our suggestion for this -- as mentioned, I think, on previous Handsome Hours -- would be the matte black helmet with a gloss black P on it. Imagine that look.

Speaking of that, if you're a talented (or semi-talented) designer or photo-tweaker, feel free to send us additional nifty alternate uni concept for the Boilermakers. 

Once a year? Please, Morgan?

Boilers Start Slow, Then Roll: 54-16

The Boilers -- for the first time in a while -- were predictable in a good way on Saturday. We all expected them to control Eastern Michigan pretty thoroughly and they did it. The 54 points is a high for the Danny Hope era against FBS schools, and perhaps the only flaw to point out today is that the team took a while to get rolling, then scored in bunches.

In the first quarter -- and into the second -- I felt like this had some of those dreaded markings of the annual Danny Hope home snoozer against an inferior opponent. I've been saying for a while that I fully expect the Marshall game to be that game this season, but this one did show signs early. The Boilers had something like six yards on their first seven plays. Also, it was 0-0 three-quarters through the first quarter and only a 13-9 game halfway through the second.

EMU's ability to stop the run was, shall we say, less than strong. So after a 50 yard TD on a pass play to Akeem Hunt, Brandon Cottom got serious and broke off an 87 yard rumble for a score. The Boilers had three rushing TDs of 40 yards or more -- Shavers had a 40 yard scamper to start the scoring, and Hunt had a 56 yard dash in the third quarter (which the Boilers won, 7-0; baby steps, I guess).

As mentioned, this one essentially went as expected, though I will admit I didn't foresee the Boilers rolling up 54 points. It would have been 56, but McCartney had some trouble on a couple of PATs. Something to be concerned about? I think it's worth keeping an eye on, as the kicking game is a lot more likely to be the difference if Purdue hopes to pull out wins over the cream of the Big Ten next month.

Caleb TerBush got the bulk of the work and wound up 16/24 for 158 and two TDs (plus one rushing) and an INT. While those are not exactly eye-popping numbers, Caleb continues to throw for a reasonable completion percentage, and we'll take three TDs out of our quarterback against the one pick. Not sexy, but we'll take unsexy 38-point wins anytime.

Motoring

Rob Henry was unspectacular -- likely due in no small part to continued rust -- in going 2/6 for 26 yards and Hope and Nord continued their strange insistence on using three QBs, getting Austin Parker in there for a single pass as well.

The Boilers looked solid after the slow start and what they're doing to you, dear reader, is upping the expectations around Boilerland....and also beyond. Boilerdowd got a text today from an IU fan friend of his who stated flatly, "Purdue is winning their division this year." We're also hearing those murmurs elsewhere, as Wisconsin has not looked good at all to this point.

While we're not quite ready to go that far, as you know, winning the games you're supposed to win was something we've railed about many times. In addition to that, we've also discussed that good teams -- or teams that aspire to be good -- have to crush bad teams, not just sneak by them. Purdue did that today, taking care of business against a MAC team.

The Boilers get a bye next weekend and then welcome the Thundering Herd to town in a game I'm very concerned about but B-dowd feels the Purdue lines will have a significant positive impact in. Time will tell, as always, but if Purdue pummels Marshall as well and heads to Big Ten play 3-1 with only the three-point loss at ND on the ledger, the excitement will only be that much more pronounced.

Is the train coming? I just might be. Choo choo, muthas.

Purdue-EMU Predictorama

After a week that saw the Boilers lose a very winnable game at ND and then QB Robert Marve for at least some amount of time (though he's evidently actually talking about coming back by the Marshall game), I know that I'm not the only one ready to get back to football. And what better medicine for this program in its current state than the Eastern Michigan Eagles?

EMU is 0-2 and now faces Purdue and Michigan State in consecutive weeks. So maybe they'll be looking ahead to their in-state, same-color rival?

Eastern Michigan used to have a native American mascot but decided in 1991 to stop offending Native Americans and switched to "Swoop," pictured here, who interestingly is also the Philadelphia Eagles mascot. So apparently Swoop really likes green. And lousy football.

And away we go.

Boilerdowd sez:

EMU hasn't played any world beaters thus far, but still has dropped two games (Ball State and Illinois State). The Eagle team that went 6-6 last season and beat common Purdue opponent, WMU in a close, low-scoring game, returns a lot of last year's squad, especially on offense. 

Vegas likes the Boilers a lot, in the wake of whipping the spread in South Bend...and so do I.

The TerBush/Henry led offense should score early and often...and Shavers, Holmes and emerging inside target, Macarthy should get fat off of the respect given to Purdue's speed.

Hope's team beats a MAC team it's supposed to...going away as the defense remains rock solid and Shavers goes for over 100.

Purdue 42

Directional Michigan MAC squad 10

J sez:

Not much to say here -- Purdue will roll and has zero excuse not to. EMU actually lost at home against Illinois State last weekend, and it wasn't even close. Illinois St. is in the MVC and I don't know this for certain, but I imagine people in the MAC look down on the MVC to some degree, so this probably hurt a bit and probably suggests that EMU really is as bad as we think. 

I want to pick a score like 52-7 Boilers, but without Marve chucking it around, I don't think they'll roll it up quite so high. I do think it's going to be nice for Caleb TerBush to get to run the offense at home and against a far less talented team than ND -- we'll then be able to assess how he's progressing, as he'll have one start against a good team and one against a bad one. 

Regardless, Danny Hope will have his goofy smile on all day, as Eastern Michigan puts up not nearly the same fight as Western Michigan last December.

Boilers 35

EMU 7

 

Is The Shillelagh Game In Trouble?

It was announced yesterday that Notre Dame will move from the Big East to the ACC in all sports except for football and hockey. As per usual, ND has kept their football entity separate because, you know, it's such a national brand.

But there was something more significant in the announcement -- the Domers have committed to play five ACC schools per year in football. That's a big deal, actually. This year, for example, the Irish play no more than three schools from any one conference, with the three being the Big Ten (Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State). Playing five "conference games" (which is effectively what they are, even if they won't be reflected in the ACC standings) eats up a lot of real estate in ND's schedule.

Why am I bringing this up? Because Purdue and Notre Dame have played every year since the '40s (even though it's not a rivalry, remember) and I think that could be in danger.

Morgan Burke was quoted yesterday as saying it "only make sense" that Purdue and ND will continue their regular meetings, but I'm not sure it's something that Morgan can just hang back and assume will happen. It might take some effort/lobbying on his part.

Consider that Notre Dame AD Swarbrick said the Domers are committed to playing USC, Stanford and Navy every season. They also currently face Michigan and Michigan State on a regular basis, and it's fair to say that at least the game vs. Michigan is a marquee matchup on a more national level. If you assume those five games remain and then you add in five ACC games, Notre Dame is down to two slots left. They already have some agreements in place, such as Miami this year in Chicago and a home and home with Oklahoma starting this season, and while I'm too lazy to research their ongoing committments in this regard, it's safe to say Army and others might be already on the schedule in upcoming seasons.

The point is, the 12 game slots are more quickly and easily filled now. You might be thinking you remember reading that Purdue and ND are committed to play through early next decade, and you'd be partially right. But the ever-thorough Mike Carmin of the J&C reported the following:

The schools have an agreement to play annually through 2021, but only the 2013 and 2014 games have signed contracts.

According to information provided to the Journal & Courier through a public records request, the contract for the 2015 game hasn’t been signed and a “letter agreement” exists for the 2016 and 2017 matchups.

I find this interesting and telling. There are also reports that ND is already floating the fact that some of their regular opponents are going to need to get used to the idea of, for example, a two years on, two years off arrangement.

While Purdue and ND have a longstanding history of playing each other regularly, I think this may be the beginning of the end of having ND automatically on the schedule every year. From what Carmin reported, it looks like it would be tough for ND to get out of the games through 2014, but not difficult at all after that. I also think it would be possible for ND to negotiate with Burke and offer future guaranteed matchups (though not annually) in exchange for letting them out of those contracted 2013 and 2014 games. The point? This "rivalry" could dissipate faster than you think.

It also does bring me to a question: do you care? Vote in the poll to the right and let us know your thoughts on this in the comments.

Handsomeness on Display

The Handsome Hour had its second-ever video 'cast last night, which was met with cheers and applause that has only recently subsided. The guys talk Purdue football, whether their outlook has changed, if Danny Hope is holding this group back and much, much more.



There's nothing better than audio and video of your favorite Purdue boyz.

(Go here if you'd rather watch via the Ustream site.)

Handsome Hour Returns to Video Format TONIGHT

You're in for a real treat tonight, as the boys will be in the same ZIP code for a change and thus will be putting on an exciting video Handsome Hour for the second time evahhhh!

You'll recall how awesome the last one started, with echo chamber effects, giggling, poor lighting, etc. Basically, it was like a slumber party in one of the many sororities that listen to the Handsome Hour on a regular basis.

We know many of you love to listen to the show, but since I would imagine the majority of you do so via your computermachine, you can do the same thing here.

We'll be streaming the show live at 9:30 PM, Eastern Time, at the Boiled Sports Ustream channel, and we'll also be recording it and posting it here on the site, as per usual, for your listening pleasure at your convenience.

However, we invite you to join the live stream as we'll have the chat stream going to the side and will be glad to take questions and interaction that way. It'll be a lot like Boilerdowd's Friday nights on Chatroulette.

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.

Hopespeak

I've been sharing a lot of quotes on Twitter from the Boilers following the loss at ND, but there are two from quotemaster Danny Hope that I wanted to address because they seem somewhat nonsensical and just beg to be picked apart.

First, following the game, Coach Hope said this about the multi-QB system:

"We're always going to play more than one quarterback," Hope said. "We don't want the No. 1 quarterback to go down and have to wave a white flag right in the middle of the game or right in the middle of the season. ... I thought the classic example today was when Robert Marve went down and TerBush came back in the game and put us in position to potentially go into overtime."

So, wait... am I to believe that Hope thinks that if you don't play at least two, if not three, QBs on a constant basis in every game that it means you would have to fold up the tent and forfeit the rest of your season in the event that a #1 QB got hurt? Because that's kind of what he's saying. He's implying that both guys play in case on gets hurt, like what happened with Marve Saturday. Otherwise, you'll have to "wave a white flag" right there in the middle of the game because they'll be like, "Backup quarterback? Wha-ha-ha-ha-happened? We only have one guy who even knows how to spell quarterback!"

Weren't we told all spring, summer and into the season about how great it is to have three experienced quarterbacks? And how all three looked great? And how all three are veterans? Et cetera?

Well, if all that is true, then wouldn't a logical (sane) person conclude that whoever isn't starting is already seasoned and experienced enough to be the #2 QB and be ready to come in if necessary, such as in a case of injury? Am I simplifying this too much? I don't think I am.

If that's really Coach Hope's reasoning, it's close to insanity.

------------------------------------------------------------
The next quote came from Coach Hope today, and had to do with the possession at the end of the third quarter when Purdue trailed 17-7 but got the ball to the Irish 1-yard-line and had third and goal. The Boilers were flagged for delay of game, then called a time out and then Marve got sacked after the time out. I believe this was where I tweeted that Purdue looked more confused coming out of a time out than most teams do when they're discombobulated enough to call a time out. 

But here's what Hope said about it:

"We've gone back and looked at the scoreboard and the play clock and we're trying to figure out where the time went, but we're missing about 12 or 13 seconds somewhere," Hope said of the sequence after Macarthy's catch.

I honestly don't even care if this is true. It's fine if it is, but don't say it out loud, Danny. Don't say things like you lost 12 or 13 seconds somewhere, because it makes you sound clueless. This does, however, explain why the Boilers looked so befuddled after the time out.

There were a few commenters (not many, but a few) who seemed to feel that we shouldn't have been complaining about the coaching. Well, we weren't the only ones for one thing. For another, we call 'em like we see 'em -- that's why you love us so dearly. And third, these kinds of remarks do not instill confidence in a fanbase that, frankly, just wants to love their team from top to bottom.

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.

Boilers Show Well But Fall In South Bend, 20-17

TD maker

Sometimes Purdue games are very predictable. Joe Tiller teams were usually spooked in places like South Bend, Ann Arbor, Columbus, etc., for example. In recent years, Danny Hope teams have seemed to buck the predictable trend in the "micro" analysis, in that you never knew what might happen in a given game. From the "macro" perspective, though, you knew the season result would probably be 5-7 wins. So that has remained, sadly, predictable.

To avoid another typical season record, we said Purdue needed to change some of this unpredictability during the season. And what better way to stabilize a team that can beat OSU one week and lose to Northern Illinois in another? Why, to manufacture a quarterback controversy, of course! Welcome to the Danny Hope school of thought.

The Boilermakers went to Notre Dame with Caleb TerBush penciled in as the starter, a week after he was suspended for a game and Robert Marve had his best game at Purdue. TerBush actually began the game pretty well, making sound decisions and relatively crisp passes. The Boilers moved the ball well -- always good to avoid those early three-and-outs -- but the drive stalled after roughly 60 yards and the Boilers had to punt.

This wasn't unusual, as the teams combined for a dozen punts in the game. TerBush remained in the game for the bulk of the first half, but Robert Marve found himself on the field late in the second quarter and engineered the Boilers' first scoring drive of the game, ultimately finding Antavian Edison on a 3rd and 10 after Purdue called a time out and then came out of the TO looking more disheveled than most teams do right before they're forced to call a time out.

Backup

Everyone felt Marve had clearly shown more than Caleb -- even Doug Flutie said that they would stick with Marve -- but Coach Hope again bucked conventional (and even elementary) wisdom and brought the cold TerBush back off the bench for the bulk of the third quarter. TerBush committed the first Purdue turnover of the day with a pick -- what he's supposedly not going to do, as per Hope -- and the Domers got a FG out of it. Fortunately, Purdue's D -- specifically Josh Johnson -- forced and recovered a fumble later on deep in Notre Dame territory, and thus the turnover battle was essentially even (TerBush threw a Hail Mary INT at the end of the game, but that obviously doesn't matter in terms of the turnover battle).

We saw Marve get crunched on a sack late in the game, bringing TerBush back into the game yet again, and Caleb actually had one of the biggest plays of the game for the Boilers, drilling a pass to Edison on 4th and 10 with about two minutes to go for the tying score. For the first time in a while, the Boilers had hung even with the Irish in their building. Of course, with a couple minutes to go and Coach Hope with his goofy, happy-to-be-here grin on, the Boiler defense bent more than they had most of the day and allowed Tommy Rees to come off the bench for ND and -- the way the NBC announcing crew of Mike Mayock and Tom Hammond told it -- overcame having no legs or something. As a BS twitter follower noted to us, "the guy punched a cop, he's not coming back from serious adversity."

Well, let's be positive for a few moments -- what did I like?

I liked the defensive line living up to their press. They were in the ND backfield quite often and got to Everett Golson a number of times. I also liked the defense in general. They allowed 376 total yards and only 52 on the ground. It wasn't a shutdown performance but it was very much a bend-but-don't-break effort for most of the day. The Irish would move the ball between the 20s, but they were forced to punt five times themselves. Only allowed 20 total against a ranked team in their house is a quality performance. While I still worry a bit about everyone behind the D-line, today's effort against a team that rolled up 50 points last week goes a long way towards making me a believer.

I also liked what I saw out of the QBs, honestly. Let's always keep in mind that these guys are doing what the coaches tell them to do. As I said last week, Caleb TerBush is just following orders so let's not make this about him personally. And he actually did start the game well, moving the Boiler offense and as I said, making smart decisions. However, then Marve came in and showed that last weekend's performance was not a fluke, as he clearly was the better QB. Their first half numbers were similar, but the offense just clicks with Marve in there. He also makes plays that TerBush simply cannot and is actually making smarter and smarter plays. Marve took a sack that led to Purdue's field goal in the fourth quarter and when he took the sack, I immediately thought, "That would have been a pick last year," because Marve would have tried to force it in somewhere to avoid the sack and to make something magical happen. This year, he at least didn't make the bad throw. A sack isn't good, either, but it's better than turning the ball over.

As mentioned, Marve looked like he might have hurt his knee late in this one on a sack. He had to be tended to on the field, but then he got up and jogged off. I believe he's having an MRI tonight so we'll find out soon if there's anything seriously wrong. I sincerely hope not and not only because I want to see him play.

What did this game show us? It demonstrated that Purdue is not going to be afraid of teams. They did not look spooked in Notre Dame Stadium and they also didn't look overmatched in any way against these guys. Usually this game shows some gap in the depth of talent at a place like Notre Dame and a place like Purdue, but this game was as even as the score indicates. The Boilers pushed the Irish around a fair amount and that's what we like to see.

This game also showed us why people are concerned with college-level referees officiating NFL games. There were a number of missed calls that seemed fairly obvious, with perhaps the most egregious coming on Notre Dame's final drive when Tommy Rees let the play clock hit zero and yet was able to snap the ball after the :00 was showing and complete a critical third down pass for a first down. That's kind of a game-changer right there. Word is he was also trying to signal timeout right before the play but then realized ND didn't have any. Guess it's a good thing the refs helped him out and didn't allow him to call it, eh?

And speaking of trying to call time outs, Danny Hope was evidently frantically attempting to call a TO late in the first half when the Boilers took a delay of game and made their TD drive that much more difficult. Hope was ignored for whatever reason and then the Boilers scored, so it doesn't seem like it matters, but I hope that is matters to Danny and he speaks up about it. These were just two sloppy situations by the officials.

On the subject of coaches, I once again find myself thinking that this team has potential... but how much of that potential will be realized with this staff? We've said it before and we'll say it again, we like Danny Hope and think he's a very good man. However, the decision-making -- particularly around the QB situation -- does nothing but make us scratch our heads. I understand all the crap about how we're not in the locker room so we don't know what's really going on. But we do know enough about football to know that if a guy has the offense humming, that it makes sense to leave him in there. It's not that complicated. Marve not starting the second half after his very strong finish to the second quarter made absolutely no sense, as Panda alluded to in a post earlier this evening. I can't think of a reason. I assume, also as the Panda said, that this was just the Purdue coaching staff's game plan and they were going to run with it no matter what. Adjustments have clearly never been this group's strong suit and that's being put on full display right now.

Obviously, we'll need to see how Robert Marve's knee is before being able to fully assess what's to come, but assuming he is okay, there is a lot of feel good about. The Boilermakers now absolutely must focus on their game next weekend and ensure a convincing win. Then on to the Marshall game, which they must also force themselves to take as seriously as a Notre Dame game and not look ahead to the challenging start to the Big Ten season.

However, I can look ahead because I don't have to play, and I will say that even though it's just two games in and the Boilers lost one of them, I find myself feeling some optimism. Sure, I do think anything Purdue accomplishes will be in spite of the coaching, but when you see how mortal Wisconsin and Michigan look, and you see how confident and talented the Purdue D-line is...and how poised these Boilers look so far....it's easy to begin to get excited.

In the end, there were things that frustrated me today, but not nearly as much as usual, and very little on the players' part. There were no special teams breakdowns, there were no completely boneheaded mental mistakes, and there was only one bad turnover (which Coach Hope, interestingly, called a "stupid interception" by TerBush). That, folks, is a big, important step in the right direction for this program. I hope it's a portent of things to come.