Weekend Wrap-Up: Drifting to Sleep...and a Wake Up Call

Here at BS, we love Purdue players to wear their hearts on their sleeves, sell out when on the field of play and play with heart. Our Boilers did just that in East Lansing on Saturday...and the reason is probably their coach. Danny Hope sold the idea of his players making something happen, being aggressive and playing like there was no tomorrow...And his players did just that. In the process, the Boilers almost pulled off a gigantic upset similar to aOSU in '09. But, unlike in Ross-Ade last season, they simply couldn't finish.

The games are pretty similar in the way they were played. Purdue played with the lead for much of the game in both and the more-talented squad scratched and clawed its way back into the game. But, Purdue stepped up and made plays last year, and simply collapsed this season.

Unlike many games this season, there are plenty of positives to take away from this one...but, like most games this year, there were a ton of negatives. But, the main problem really was the timing of these mistakes was critical.

I joked in my prognostication for the game that it would take multiple defensive TDs for Purdue to win. And Ricardo Allen got the message as he had his second interception for a TD in two weeks. All day long, Allen played blanket defense and made play after play. At one point, I asked myself why MSU dared throw his way. The only times he wasn't there to break up the pass was when Purdue's scheme called for zone or asked for the corners to back off of the line of scrimmage.

Kerrigan also played large in spite of being clothes-lined and held for most of the game...but as MSU decided to simply double and triple team him, the rest of the line just didn't take advantage of the situation.

Rob Henry played very well at times and made some awful decisions others. I think much of that can be chalked up to his age and maybe his injured finger still...In my opinion, Henry played well-enough to lead Purdue to a win. I like that he is willing to check out of plays when he sees the defense in the wrong set for potential success. I hate the way he doesn't seem to see it until it's too late. I like the fact that he's willing to take shots down the field. I hate the way he seems to make those throws blindly at times...and seemingly to no one.

The special teams, like Henry, was way up and down. Wiggs got involved with an important 52 yard field goal...but both he and Webster, while punting, had some horrible kicks. Barbarette had an important long kickoff return...but the punt protection let an obvious block formation in nearly unabated. In fact, multiple players could have made the block of the punt that sealed Purdue's fate.

Coach Nord had some brilliant play calls...but also seemed to struggle making effective calls on first down. Landholm & Emanuel had Purdue's bend, but don't break defense dialed in early, but played it too safe in the fourth quarter time and time again...plus, they gave Cousins too much time and allowed him to pick Purdue apart (he played brilliantly, by the way...and gritty too).

No Purdue fan that I know was surprised that Purdue lost. But, most were surprised in the manner in which it happened. The offense showed that it had a pulse, the defense played hard and made plays for three quarters. But the team combined to rip the hearts out of the Purdue faithful. Granted, MSU made plays, but our Boilers all but presented the opportunity for Sparty on a shiny silver platter...and (as you all know) MSU won, 35-31.

After the game, I was so deflated and "meh" that I simply enjoyed having my family over for dinner and forgot to do a post-game wrap up...that's why this is so late. This is kind of what this season has done to me as a fan, honestly. I've been to every home game, watched every away game on TV, but I'm sapped of enthusiasm...and hate admitting it, because I'm not usually that way, especially about Purdue football. I still love the players and feel like they're giving everything they have...and much of that is because of Hope's ability to motivate them.

BUT, I also feel the lack of football IQ by this staff has simply killed this team over and over. From stupid time-outs (again and again), to inconsistent play-calling, I'm frustrated with this coaching staff. We had a commenter yesterday get angry at people for having the audacity to complain about these coaches, but I'll always support the players first. Afterall, they're the ones who are really bleeding for the University and the coaches as they follow their marching orders.

For the second year in a row, the Bucket is what it was in the mid-90s. An in-state rivalry that means nothing outside of the borders of Indiana. And it's funny, 30 minutes really changed that. At one point late in the second half of both games, IU was tied with Penn State and Purdue was up by 15. One half our later, Purdue had given the game to MSU and IU had done what they do- rolled over...on their home field, FedEx Field.

I don't have the hatred for IU (especially in football) that I do for UND...and I while I want Purdue to beat IU, I have a really hard time getting "up" for this one. I hope our Boilers don't feel the same way I do.

Mackey Madness (Kinda)

Oakland came to Mackey tonight and was clearly more-ready to play than Purdue. The Golden Grizzlies held the lead for much of the first half and didn't go away until late in the second. Like many contests versus mid-con teams, their drop-off in talent after their starting five was sizable. Purdue's depth was something they couldn't keep up with, so the Boilers improve to 3-0 after winning 82-67.

The box score tells you that Purdue's Big 2 both played well and carried Matty's crew. But, a few things might get missed just by looking at the numbers.

First, Smooge started the game ice cold and didn't score until around 9:00 left in the half. It's not coincidental that after he started heating up, Purdue began to assert itself. But, he had an uncharacteristic amount of turnovers (4)...but was lock down on defense at times. He finished with 26 points, was 4/5 from three, 4 assists and 3 steals.

JJ seemed to do everything right...except shooting behind the arc. All of a sudden he thinks he's a three point shooter. Sure, he hit two tonight (doubling his previous high from last game)...but he missed three. In JJ's case, I'm just trying to look for something to pick on- he played huge in a game that was hyped to be a showcase for him and Benson (from Oakland). JJ finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks...and played 40 minutes. He was great, and made his teammates better.

John Hart's the third guy who comes to mind for me. He had 11 points off the bench in just 13 minutes. He shot poorly from three (1/5), but was a huge spark and played with a ton of energy.

On the other end of the spectrum, I'm not sure how Ryne Smith can stay in the starting line-up much longer. I like the guy, but, as Painter said, you've gotta produce to play...and I don't see it. He might be automatic in practice, but he's not in the game. Plus, he's not as strong as many of the guards on the team on defense and simply isn't able to assert himself at either end.

Terone Johnson (10 points in 17 minutes) or DJ Byrd (6 pts, an assist, steal and block) might both be able to take his place, in my opinion. I really like DJ Byrd without the ball and on defense too.

LewJack, like Smith, struggled offensively, but unlike Smith, continues to be very good defensively. But, he was rocked a few times by picks up top and was visibly shaken up as he was taken out of the game. But, tonight might have been the first night this season where Barlow looked like he should be starting at the point. Kelsey only scored 4 points, but he had 5 assists and 0 turnovers. I like LewJack as a starter and Barlow off the bench though because their styles are so different...but it could work either way, I believe, and might be best to judge depending on the opponent.

Outside of JJ, none of Purdue's bigs did much to write home about- Bade had no points...but more disparaging, 0 rebounds. Carroll the same, and Marcius didn't play. This is the first game this season where Purdue played significant talent under the basket, and the rebounding battle showed it- Purdue lost that 26-31. If nothing else, Bade & company need to make rebounding their sole focus- especially when JJ is scoring like he did tonight (which should happen often).

Not sure if it was the fact that they were coming off of such an easy win, or because Oakland is a pretty good team (they were 17-1 last season in conference and went to the tourney), but Purdue was flat for much of the first half and couldn't separate themselves until Oakland was just beat-tired. But, Purdue allowed way too many points in the first half and seemed to let Oakland dictate the pace...noteworthy, but not bothersome unless these problems become a trend.

And I know there's no transitive property in sports, but Oakland lost by 24 to West Virginia to open their season...and WVU lost to Minny earlier tonight (after beating UNC). At this point, I don't think any of this means much.

Next up, Austin Peay on the 23rd.

Always Bet On Black

The forces of good wore black this evening in East Lansing while MSU's crowd matched the blanket of snow that seems to be covering a third of the nation right now. But 10,000 plus white T-shirts couldn't help defeat the motivated and well-prepared Boilers, as Purdue earned its first game in the left column at MSU since the late 90s.

We all knew this game was for a significant amount of smooth, shiny glass balls...but man is the conference race different now than it was this afternoon, thanks to the road dog Boilers (not to mention the Illini).

Van Pelt, who's one of the few EsPN employees who still has his own thoughts, has started calling Purdue's Junior class the Big Three. I like it. Back in '88, Lewis, Stephens and Mitchell were the Three Amigos...and that's no longer timely, so for now, the moniker will stick.

In the first half JJ flexed his muscle time and time again. On the shoulders of tremendous passing, Johnson was given some amazingly-easy looks at the basket. Whether it was Barlow, Jackson, Moore or Hummel, JJ was fed enough to keep him very full in the first twenty minutes. The second half started out much different as he had the ball knocked loose by smaller players quite a few times. After the blood sugar regulated, Johnson finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds and three blocks.

The second of the Big Three, did what he does- hit shots when he had to, made a ton of plays with and without the ball and finished with 15 points, 5 reb. & 5 ast. When he was out of the game with foul trouble midway through the second half, it was felt as the lead shrank to 3...after re-entering, the match-ups became much more difficult for Izzo's squad and Purdue's lead quickly got back to double-digits.

Smooge was huge...the hugest of the Large Trio...He finished with 25 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. He started off quickly and ended the game the same way as he hit a massive three pointer and then a signature teardrop to put the game out of reach for the green.

LewJack might have literally broken Austin Thornton's ankles on this play at the end of the first half

Atop of the Junior class, the rest of the team seemed to understand its role. Patrick Bade played a quiet few minutes to end the first half that helped keep any Boiler from fouling out. John Hart's energy was once-again tremendous and he was 1-1 behind 20.9. Lewis Jackson played valuable minutes and had a couple crossovers that made MSU defenders look perplexed, disjointed and tottering...but was once again quiet on the stat sheet. Keaton Grant played a solid 19 minutes as he hit a pair of big free throws down the stretch and was steady defensively. Kelsey Barlow showed some flashes of brilliance and nearly posterized a few MSU defenders...but settled for a few free throws instead. Kramer was hampered by foul trouble nearly the entire game, but had a key drive and finish in the second half that silenced the Spartan, yet capacity, Breslin Center crowd...and in the 17 minutes he played, seemed to be matched up with a 6'8" player for much of that time. I don't know of too many other wings that have to defend guys that are 6 inches taller than them on a regular basis, but Kramer does it well.

As predicted, Lucas played well on his bum ankle...but not well enough. I'm sure he'll be healthy in 18 days when MSU heads to God's Country.

Purdue did a lot very well this evening. For starters, they out-rebounded Izzo's squad played with purpose for most of the game and withstood a great run by Sparty in the second half as Erin Andrews and the Izzone watched from near by. They also had to endure what seemed to be an NBA officiating crew as these schmoes called at least three continuation fouls on Purdue that allowed, what should have been fouls on the floor, turn into 3-point plays. But no matter, crappy officiating is part of the deal, not just in the BT, but nationwide...Purdue's got to continue to keep the officials out of the equation by taking care of leads and closing teams out. The finished extremely-strong tonight, and won by 12, 76-64. Part of the reason Purdue looked so sound in the closing three minutes, in my opinion, is the rotation that had been up-in-the-air for most of the season, but is now clearly taking shape.

Next up, the Paint Crew gets to welcome home their road-hardened brethren and give them a pick-me-up before they head on to Columbus. Every game's important as we watch Matty attempt to do what Keady did so well- own February.

Old Demons Haunt Again

Purdue's offense hummed, at times today...but lapses by the defense, a very-early key turnover scoop & score and, get this, Special Teams problems doomed our Boilers bowl chances in RA today, with a 40-37 loss to MSU.

The Old Oaken Bucket becomes the Old Oaken Bowl for both IU and Purdue as, for the second season straight, this rivalry will end both teams' seasons.

Elliott managed the game very well all day, and followed his BT offensive POW with another great game- 39/55 373yds, 2TDs, 0Ints. Smith had 152yds receiving, and C. Smith caught everything thrown his way...Bolden, Taylor and Elliott combined for a solid 150yds rushing...but, the dreaded two-minute offense, or lack there of struck again as an obvious Achilles heel left Purdue looking like it had no idea how to handle a small clock and a small deficit.

Wiggs (uncharacteristically) pulled and missed a field goal and had a long one blocked...and the kick coverage was as bad as we've seen all season. Purdue's lanes were non-existent and the speedy Spartan returners shredded Purdue time and time and time again. Is anyone else sick of this crap? I hope Coach Hope is. This poor coverage is really the difference in the game- note that MSU's offensive output (362 yards) doesn't typically merit 40 points...but when you combine it with 229 return yards, it seems about right.

Purdue's defense, that came up with plays to stop MSU early in the game, couldn't seem to counter the adjustments made by Dantonio and company in the second half. In spite of big plays by Brandon King and David Pender in pass defense, Purdue's lack of aptitude covering the TE & RB was glaring.

So here we are- The Bucket-Bowl is horribly reminiscent of my time on campus...The lousy mid-late 90s when two 4 win teams would battle for state supremacy and no one cared outside of Indiana. Maybe that's not-exactly correct as a few recruits down in Florida might be watching...but, for the most part, you get the gist. I'm positive a 5-win season wasn't what Hope had in mind as he spoke about the 'special season' this year. But let's be honest- This was a pretty fitting end to the quest of a bowl game for '09.

Upon Further Review...

The new white uniforms were kind of insipid, to me in person. I think the black unis are more of a departure from what we're used to and might be more impactful. That said, they're not stupid looking (like some teams unis), so that's a good thing...and wins like this will go a long way in making me a fan of the new look.

Quick thought- is it possible that Purdue's best basketball is still ahead in the '08/'09 season even with Hummel's nagging injury? Perhaps...

Here are a couple more lousy camera phone shots (special thanks to my brother) from last night along with some of my favorite AP shots...I won't tell you which ones are which.

I think she actually just spray painted her legs

Bowl Hopes Finally Sacked

Let's be honest...not many of us thought Purdue had a chance of going to a bowl. But any chance was crushed today in East Lansing by the Spartans. Purdue's offense followed a 500-plus yard, 48-point game with a 191 yard, 7-point game. Justin Siller didn't look human, he looked bad. Am I angry at the kid? No, not really. Do I think he should start the rest of the season? Yes.

My thesis the entire season has been, "It's the coaching, stupid." (to steal a political phrase and mix it up a bit). This offense looked crappy with Painter, Elliott and now Siller under, or a few yards behind center. Tiller blamed the offensive line today, which definitely deserves some of the blame...as does Siller. But, this offense is simply not prepared game-in, game-out. And when they face moderate-to-good defenses, they look bad...and have all season. The play-calling is lousy, the execution is too (by the way, that comes back to coaching, once again). No matter, the season is coming to a close...and Tiller's time as Purdue's coach will end with a whimper in the month of November.

There are guys who deserve better on this team. Greg Orton, who had two yards receiving is a good receiver and is getting very few opportunities to showcase his skeelz. Desmond Tardy who spent three years behind Mr. Softee now simply doesn't get a ton of chances to touch the ball. Kory Sheets had nearly 100 yards again today, but you don't get to run the ball much when you're perpetually down by 14 or more points. Anthony Heygood had 14 tackles and looked like he killed an MSU player on a particular hard hit in the first half. Magee, Baker and Neal have all played well as the season has progressed...and along with Williams and Heygood, these Seniors have held some good offenses to not many points. It's sad to see guys who literally bleed for a program have their careers end without much recognition...but it happens a lot in college football. Hopefully a few of them make some money playing football...more importantly, I hope they're all prepared for life after college.

Regardless of the effort given by the players, we're getting what we've paid for. Years of playing just-well-enough-to-get-by has caught up with a coach who refused to rebuild a program that has been deteriorating for a while now...and passion-less coaching has led to lackluster preparation and unimaginative gameplans. While the season is not quite over, it's time to look to the future.

Other Notes
-Minnesota and NU fans- I told you long ago your teams were pretenders...You refused to listen. The proof is in front of you.

-Nice job Illini! You've helped IU and UM players feel not-so-bad about their losses to MAC schools this season.

-Texas Tech is really fun to watch. The remind me of what it was like to have an offense.

-Notre Dame is getting beaten right now by an OK BC team...and while the game is a 17-point deficit, it's really not that close. Another intersting note about the game, this will be UND's sixth-straight win agains the VooDoo Catholics. UND is not good...nor is Clausen. 5 losses, with this type of schedule is eerily-similar to a Joe Tiller-coached team in the mid '00s.

This is how lousy Notre Dame's football program is- they're going to lose at least 5 this season and their fanbase is going to be completely fine with Weis returning next season. Great job Irish fans and administration! Keep up the mediocrity!

-Lastly, and surely least, great job, PSU! You've helped yourselves avoid assured embarassment in the first month of next year at the BCS Championship. Perhaps your fans shouldn't have been bitching last week about the polls.

Even Uncle Pat's Pissed (Purdue v. MSU...and other college football notes)

Bryant dejected after Senior Day loss to MSU

Uncle Pat is one of my favorite people. He graduated from Purdue in Engineering in 1970. I respect him because I'm very different from him in a lot of ways. He's level-headed, mild-mannered and not angered easily. He and I are alike in that we both love Purdue and find Purdue football to be one of our favorite past times. I got to see Uncle Pat after the debacle at Ross Ade this afternoon and he called it one of the worst performances he's seen in a long time. He also said the team looked "pretty sad." That may not sound like much, but from this guy, it is a whole lot. He also said what he saw on the field was getting kind of old...That's important, because those within the Purdue family that are complacent with things as they are seem to be coming few and far-between.

It's kind of funny, the numbers look good, in parts...Good amount of points, Painter put up a lot of yards, had two rush TDs and a pass TD...But my Boilers stunk it up. MSU showed more will, more grit, more guts and executed much better than Purdue. On third down, when they needed yards, they'd get them, usually through the air. Spack's defense seemed to have no idea that the tight end was eligible for most of the afternoon. While the Boilers focused on stopping the run, MSU decided to chew up the field through the air...and it worked well. Hoyer looked very sharp; and I've watched him this year and he's not that great of a QB; but he looked pretty great this afternoon. Purdue's defense allowed the Spartan offense to move with ease for the majority of the game...in fact, I don't think I saw the MSU punter all game except twice. They dominated the time of possession, (get this) executed an effective game plan & even had the onions to attempt & succeed in executing a fake punt to salt the game away.

It was Senior Day...usually a very big day, especially when such a large class says goodbye to their home stadium. But those same Seniors didn't step up and even made mistakes during key situations as the game slipped into the loss column.

Selwyn Lymon had a great grab and run after the catch, and Kory Sheets looked like a legitimate weapon on more than one occasion...But Painter threw an int that was returned to the three...and another that was turned into three points moments later. And Bryant had a disgusting fumble that was returned for a TD. There's your game- 17 points gift-wrapped and handed to Sparty...how very hospitable of our Boilers.

The 10-win season that some thought was a possibility is now off of the table...and so is a quality bowl. Best case scenario is another 8-win regular season filled with moral victories and actual victories over patsies followed by an invite to a lousy bowl...and the worst case (and maybe likely) scenario is a 7-win regular season capped with a loss to a mediocre-at-best IU team (to make it three losses in-a-row) and a who-cares bowl invite.

Thank goodness that while some within the Purdue family accept 7.5 wins/season as good-enough, there are other programs that push for something greater. That outlook is what makes college football great.

So Sad for you, Brutus
Alright, not really...in fact, I don't know if it could have happened to a better group of people. As I watched Illinois put the game away in Columbus, no less, I was happy. I couldn't help but remember the blogsters and message board visitors from tOSU all but planning their trips to the BCS game...the only question to them was, who would their opponent be?? Sorry guys and gals wearing nuts around your neck, but you probably shouldn't have believed it was a done deal until it was over. I don't really care about the Big Ten's strength at this point and am now into survival mode. Its every team for themselves.

Seeing the sweater vest lose was good fun.

A New Record!
UND set an all-time program record by posting its ninth loss of the season! Congrats Manatee and all of the Irish fans...and congrats on your moral victory, Jimmy!

BCS Clarity
I dislike judges deciding who wins a boxing match...and refuse to call figure skating or gymnastics "sports" because judges decide who has danced the prettiest or had the best form...I've got the same beef with college football. Votes, polls and beauty contests are simply too important in the existing system. Furthermore, having just one game to decide who is king of the college football universe is ridiculous, even in an "ideal" year when there are only two undefeated teams. But, what's shaping up for this post season is exciting for all anti-BCS football fans out there. There could be between 5 & 7 one-loss teams at the end of the 2007 season...Regardless, the pointy-heads, academians and sports whores will tell us that it worked out perfectly in the end.