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.

The Extension: Why Now?

I think we have a pretty educated reader base here at BS...and while you're generally all Boilers, you have a wide range of opinions on the athletic department.  J and I pride ourselves in being honest and fair on the site, regardless of popular opinion...and because of it, we seemingly get railroaded by you guys about once a week.

We've been called fanboys, we've been told we're too hard on our alma mater's Athletic Department and I think that shows that we've been balanced...the re-up of Hope is another post that we're catching flack about, so I'll expound a bit right now about a few points since the Christmas presents have been unwrapped and the house is cleaned up.

Since Purdue beat aOSU, we thought it would take a catastrophe to push Hope out.  Burke's history with football and basketball coaches is that he just doesn't like firing people as he seems to want to avoid a costly buyout and the messy fallout of a coach being thrown out.  So in spite of heavily-lagging ticket sales, the carrot of beating the Buckeyes seemed to be enough to buy Hope at least one more season.  Remember, at that point, we weren't in accord with the idea, we just believed things were as they were and we would be forced to live with it.

After watching the Iowa debacle in person, I felt like Burke might go either way depending on what happened in Bloomington.  Purdue had a chance to grab a solid bowl with a win over a mediocre Iowa team...instead they rolled over and pooped the bed.  That one pissed me off because of its predictability.  Hope has repeatedly not been able to motivate this team in the wake of a victory...no matter how big or small, the team seems to think it is one of the nation's best following placing a V in the left column.

After Purdue beat a flat-out crappy IU team in meh fashion, Purdue had earned a 6-6 record. This decidedly-middling record is just good enough to scrape into a lousy bowl game.  But coming into this season, I predicted a losing season.  So I'll take my lumps- I thought they'd beat Rice, SEMo, Minny, and IU...and that's it.  I thought MTSU would have a better season...I was wrong.  I thought Illinois would have a good season behind Scheelhause...I was wrong.  I thought Purdue would be home for the holidays...I was wrong.

Predicting outcomes of a season prior to seeing a team play is tough for a guy who does it for a living.  Prognosticating as a side project when you work in the real world is foolish.  Thus, I'm foolish...time and again.

As we watched the season there were some things that were obvious.  First off, this team was simply not ready for the pre-con coming out of camp.  That's on Hope.  We've said that a million times...and it's a recurring them.  But, after a few games, improvement was pretty obvious.  You could see that Purdue was a much-improved running team and had a few tools on the defensive side of the ball that, if used correctly, could wreak havoc in the B1G.

Sadly, not much havoc was created.  The top of the conference dominated Purdue...with the exception of PSU.  For the record, in a conference that suffered from inept offenses, PSU's was notably feeble.  Sure, their defense was what it usually is...but you have to score an offensive TD every now and again to be considered good.  After PSU, Purdue showed it belonged squarely in the gray blob...the big boring middle that included Illinois, Northwestern, aOSU and Iowa.

So that's where we stand now; Hope's team isn't great...and it isn't horrible.  Purdue's fanbase, myself included, feel apathetic about the program.  We all hope for more, we all want more, but it's been 7 seasons since Purdue was a solid football team.  Burke blamed the ticket sales on the economy...I'd blame them on season upon season of unimpressive, unimaginative, uninspired football.  I'm not saying it's good or right for Purdue alums in the Indy and Chicago areas to simply never go to games...but I absolutely understand why people don't want to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in the product.

But due to BTN contracts and Hope's league-smallest salary, Purdue is now standing pat.

At the season's advent, Burke said that he wouldn't talk about Hope's contract until the season's end.  He followed that by saying a bowl game was the goal.  In my opinion, that was kind of pointed talk from Burke as he usually doesn't talk about tangible goals to the public.  I have no idea what Burke promised to Hope behind closed doors...but the above seem pretty obvious.  Burke's goal was for the program to take a step forward and get to a bowl.  I'm positive that the goal wasn't to barely get into one of the worst bowls...but I guess specificity might be in order in the future.

After the regular season ended, I had my eye on Houston's Sumlin...who seemed to be a no-brainer fit for Purdue.  Outside of Sumlin, I liked Beckman at Toledo who had been given a horrible situation at Toledo, but had done pretty well in spite of it.  Other Boiler fans liked Leach (who would have never been hired by Purdue) quite a bit.

But after a crazy two weeks to kick off December, all was quiet from Purdue and Burke...but Leach, Sumlin, Beckman, and other fast-rising coaching prospects had been snatched up.  Hell, even Bob Davie and Charlie Weis found new HC positions...But Burke, Hope and Purdue stood pat.

In good conscience, could the Purdue fans demand Hope be out as HC at the end of November? Perhaps some could.  A five-win, three-win and six-win season does not, by anyone's standard spell success. But, is it good, fair or right to push a coach out after three seasons? Many argue (myself included) that Tiller had left the program in a pretty tough position at the end of his tenure.  In the closing seasons of his time at Purdue, he had clearly become weary of seeking the higher-touted talent.  Plus, he didn't seem to ready to jump in the rental car and drive further than a few hours to watch and pursue a player.  Purdue was left with some high-character kids predominantly from the Midwest...but missed out on a lot of local talent due to multiple reasons...and Texas, that had been a stronghold for Tiller was no longer the focus for his coaching staff.

I know it's en vogue to throw a coach out on his ear in the programs that have deep tradition and deeper pockets.  But Purdue, while having some history of success still only boasts of one double-digit winning season...two conference titles...and just 15 bowls...11 of those coming under Tiller.

If you think Purdue should have fired Hope after a six-win season, there's really nothing I can say to change your mind, and it's already too late to change.  But the guy who holds the cards and the contracts disagreed- and you and I both knew that.  Since it's his standard practice to act slowly on contract extensions, he did so this year.  While doing that he lost out on a ton of potential candidates. Some of you wanted Burke to make the decision following the bowl game...a good idea. But, with 20-or-so coaching changes in the month of December, where would you go for the guy to turn the program around.

With ticket sales in the can, you'd need to make a splash with the hire, right? An unknown coordinator wouldn't generate ticket sales...and that's part of the reasoning.  So without a huge chunk of cash, it'd be tough.  In this scenario, the athletic department would have been buying out Hope (which isn't a huge amount of money when compared to some other contracts), but the cash to get a name would have been large...and Purdue's history with hiring big name coaches wasn't great and was astoundingly-unlikely.

Plus, agents and coaches alike have the right to turn Burke and Co. down.  Sumlin and others turned down multiple jobs before landing in the place they wanted...and money was only part of the equation.  Coming to Purdue with poor ticket sales, an AD that's near the end of his time in the position, cold weather and a tough recruiting location is far from ideal for many coaches.

It happen this season.  But for those of you/us that aren't sold on Hope (which seems to be about 85% of the Purdue fanbase) rest assured, this most-recent contract extension is a show-me contract.  Hope simply had to be extended to avoid additional negative recruiting by opposing coaches. And the incoming recruiting class looks to be the best in about a decade.

Next year will be year number four for Hope and co. regardless of what happens tomorrow evening.  In year four, his recruits are the upper classmen...the team speed should be exactly as Hope had envisioned.  Injuries to quarterbacks, RBs and any other back cannot and should not be an argument for why the team doesn't succeed as these coaches should be prepared for about any injury situation by this point.

I thought this season was a make-or-break campaign for Hope.  Turns out, it was merely a maybe things are getting better year for the coach.  Six wins in '12 will not be good enough for Hope to keep his job this time next year, because his program simply must continue to progress.  But sadly, this season good enough was just that.

Hope Extended Through 2016

Before the season, Burke refused to talk about Hope's contract but said the program needed to take a step forward by going to a bowl.  After Hope's squad was picked to play in Detroit following the season, it seemed that the contract extension was inevitable. Yesterday, Burke and Hope got together and made it semi-official by extending Hope's contract through 2016.

The terms are not final or public yet, but we'll probably know more in the coming weeks.

Purdue also received a $2 million gift to go toward the football program's marketing in an effort to boost quickly slipping ticket sales.

Methinks having the team ready to play in the pre-conference would help ticket sales a bit too.


Addendum:

I've said this on the Handsome Hour a few times, but never typed it here- I don't believe in Karma off the field, but I do believe in sports Karma.  Meaning, if you do something bad to someone in sports, the word spreads about you and your program and it become difficult to find someone to do the job better.

IU has dealt with sports Karma on the football field for a while.  When they shoved Mallory out early back in the 90s, I think the word spread among the college football world.  Sure, they got an offensive genius in the form of Cam Cameron, but never saw a bowl game in his tenure...and that trend continued for the next two coaches.  Guys who coach football are in a pretty tight fraternity...and they talk to each other.

I don't think anyone will say they're pleased with this football season...from guys like me writing about it, all the way to Morgan Burke. BUT, most of us didn't expect much better than 6 wins back in August...and not being a losing team, even if by the slightest of margins, is a step forward for this program.  Burke pointed toward a bowl back in August, the team is in one in December, and now he's making good on a promise...and avoiding some pretty lousy football Karma.  Now for the next step.

We'll talk about this more in the coming days/weeks.

Quick Take On Recent Football Stupidity

It's now official, Beckford has been rightfully suspended for the bowl game...and in his wake, Gerald Gooden and Will Lucas thought it'd be a good time for them to introduce themselves to the police.

On Monday night after accruing a bunch of parking tickets, Lucas and Gooden removed the boot from Gooden's (I believe) and took back the property.  The problem is, once a vehicle is booted, I believe the police regard that car as theirs until the fines are paid...but if you get that far, usually the tickets and fees are a few hundred bucks.

After taking their car back, the two were arrested for theft.  Sweet.

Gooden (2) & Lucas (45)

If you're keeping count, Purdue has two starters already suspended and another with a blown ACL.  So now, Gooden, Lucas and Hope await Purdue's ruling on the matter (it was university police, not West Lafayette).  My thought is pretty simple- these guys deserve to be suspended for the bowl game.

If they are, either by Purdue or by Hope, Gooden will have played his last game at Purdue and the team will lose its second LB this week.

Perhaps the three seasons in which the team didn't go to a bowl game kept Purdue's players from getting themselves into trouble. In both Beckford's and the Gooden/Lucas cases, the players probably would have been at home had they not been forced to stay on campus. In a roundabout way, they're getting what they want, right? Many players complained about the bowl draw via Twitter...so I'd give these guys their wish and send them home.

There's a pretty good debate raging on GBI and Twitter about the most-recent arrests and how egregious they are. Some are calling the guys thugs; I don't agree with that assessment...but they're definitely two guys who made some silly decisions (not paying parking tickets) followed by a really stupid one (taking the car back without paying the fines).  Like Mom always said, you can pay now or pay later, but you're going to pay.  As is the case in most crimes, this one would/could only end with the police getting involved as the proof is extremely simple to gather.

The second part of this issue that tweaks me a bit is if a normal student were to do this, what trouble would he be in? I don't think he'd get off by merely paying the parking tickets and boot fine; so these guys should be no different.

I think most of the Purdue football players are pretty decent people...I've met enough of them to make my own opinion about it. Purdue's football program struggled all season to get the fans behind them...and incidents like what we've seen in the last week don't help an already beleaguered program's image.  Hope shouldn't wait for the university's ruling, in my opinion, to react to this one...his waiting two days on the Beckford situation was probably too much.

Western Michigan's offense feasted (at times) during the regular season on weak defenses.  I really thought they'd struggle to put up a big number versus Purdue.  Now, since three starting defenders are potentially out, we might have seen the tipping point that I joked about yesterday.


Out for Little Caesar's Bowl
Beckford (LB)- DWI
Ross (WR)- Academics

Bolden- ACL injury

Awaiting Decision
Gooden (DE)- theft
Lucas (LB)- theft

A Quick Look Ahead at the QB Log Jam of 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But...

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

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

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

Senior Week at Ross Ade

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


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

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

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

Robert Marve

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

The Predicto - Big Blue

Purdue returns to Ann Arbor with the wind at their back and dreams of making 100k+ fans want to vomit just 2 years ago.

Predicto machine is churning over this one..

Better or Worse than new Pete?

The State of Things

My, what a week can make. What a half can make. And what a difference it can make when you simply don't fire holes in your own foot repeatedly.

Our Boilers managed to do some things well on Saturday and also managed not to frustrate us repeatedly by not capitalizing on opponent mistakes, stalling in the red zone, being disastrous on special teams, etc. Saturday's game shows you what this team's talent level is capable of. Nobody walked away from that game thinking Purdue did anything that could be called "dominant" nor would you say they "got lucky." Yet they beat a 6-1 ranked opponent and did it without a whole lot of drama, save for the final minute.

So what does this mean? We have had a hard time believing Burke would fire Hope unless his hand was absolutely forced, so for now, we're of the opinion that Hope's job security issues are mostly put to bed. Certainly, many of you will not be happy to read those words and we don't have any special insider knowledge on this, but it's just our feeling. Sure, five blowout losses to end the season would swing the door back open, but we -- cautiously -- think it's safe to say that won't happen.

Purdue has now played three Big Ten games and could very easily be 3-0, but is a respectable 2-1. It's interesting to read pieces out there that minimize Purdue's wins, but you can only play the schedule in front of you. And as we move through October -- often a tough month for Purdue -- the team is 2-2 in the month, with a road game at Michigan to wrap it up.

Looking at the schedule and seeing @PSU, vs Ill, @UM, @Wisc could throw one into a cold sweat and yet the Boilers are very close to being 2-0 halfway through that. Yes, I know, "close" only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but it's a start and it's progress. It's never okay to be happy with losses, but I think we can all agree our Boilers showed something at Penn State and then showed something again vs Illinois. Dare I say  this is not the same team that we saw struggle vs MTSU and Rice? Small victories, folks, small victories. And I think more than a few of us have said, hey, we're not expecting the Rose Bowl -- but we are expecting progress. We might be seeing it.There's even mumbling online about Purdue controlling their own destiny in their division, which isn't really the case, but is fun to talk about.

These past two weeks are the first signs I've seen from the program that make me think we might -- might -- have a chance to say at the end of the season that things moved in the right direction. No, we are not quite there yet and these final five games have a lot to do with how I/we will view the Danny Hope era after year three. But you've now got a situation where two more wins put our Boilers in a bowl game. And to be fair, I think we all agreed that a bowl this season would indicate a "successful" season.

What say you?

Give Us Back Our Cannon! Boilers Win On Homecoming Over Illini 21-14

Our Boilers made us all proud on homecoming today is West Lala, beating Illinois and embattled coach Ron Zook, 21-14. And while I definitely want everyone to enjoy this one, you have to wonder how much of this was Purdue winning and how much was Illinois/Zook opening the door and inviting the Boilers in.

Let's talk positives first, because there definitely were many, especially early on. I had mentioned to B-dowd this week that I couldn't remember that last time the Boilers came out "shot out of a cannon" as he likes to say. Hope always seemed to be able to get these guys up for certain games -- even if they didn't result in wins. But lately it didn't feel like the guys were ever starting well. That all changed today as TerBush orchestrated arguably his best drive so far this season, and definitely his best if you consider the competition This was a ranked opponent who rolled into town with a 6-1 record. And Caleb takes them 91 yards in four and a half minutes on Purdue's first scoring drive.

The second drive was 88 yards in just over three minutes, ending with a 21 yard rushing TD by Raheem Mostert. Mostert's TD run was also wonderful to behold, running through a hole and sprinting nearly untouched to the end zone....and nearly into the arms of a waiting Purdue fan. How sweet.

Special teams redeemed themselves a bit today, too. While there were no returns to speak of, there weren't any catastrophic errors, either. And they were swarming early on, collapsing on a bobbled punt attempt by the Illini that wound up giving the Boilers the ball on the Illinois 14. Another impressive thing we saw out of the Boilers today was the ability to finish these drives off and not having to settle for FG attempts. A 21-0 lead is a lot more demoralizing to a team on the road than, say, a 13-0 lead would have been. That was huge.

The defense played solid today as well. Tackling seemed to get a little sloppy in the second half, but they, too, were swarming on Scheelhaase, who does not seem to have a whole lot of football awareness in general. He held on to the ball too long many times and made a ridiculously head-scratching decision at the end of the first half with his team down 21-0. The Illini were driving, such as it was, and were into Purdue territory. They got the ball to the Purdue 21 on a weird, 34-yard rush and lateral play and had :01 showing on the clock as they reset the chains. And what did Scheelhaase do? Why, he gave everyone the spike signal and lined up and, true to his signal, clocked the ball. Of course, at least a second has to run off the clock and so the half was over. Really? You're at the college level and still don't know how the clock works? Incredible. And fortunate for the Boilers. I like it when the other team makes the really stupid mistakes.

As for what didn't go as well, we need to look no further than.... everything after halftime. The Boilers played a very different game after the break, when they must have enjoyed the Joe Tiller staple of halftime meals -- pasta, turkey and warm milk. Purdue had three whole first downs in the entire second half, two of which came on one drive. Drive is a generous term, really, as the Boilers never got inside the Illinois 40 in the second half. Yeah, not good at all. It sure is a good thing they had a 21-0 lead.

Why was this? Was the team tired? Did they actually eat fettuccine? Or did the coaching staff go into its Tiller-mode of protecting the lead? Because, and I know I'm crazy this way, but I don't like sitting on a lead with more than half the game to go. Why not continue the play calling in a similar way in the second half? It was working and it's not like the Boilers were doing crazy things on offense. B-dowd texted me that he felt it was the best play-calling all year in the first half. Well, that may be, but the bar isn't exactly very high, and I wasn't thrilled with it.

Statistically, the Boilers had a decent day, especially if you consider the way they mailed in the second half offensively. Purdue was outgained overall but had 178 yards passing and 126 on the ground. However, the 126 was on 42 rushing attempts, which only works out to 3 yards per rush. Purdue's leading rusher was Shavers with 29 yards, followed by Bolden with 28. Mostert was third with his lone 21 yard TD rush.

Passing, Caleb TerBush played the entire game, throwing for a tidy 16/25 and two TDs. Robert Marve didn't see the field on homecoming. Take from that what you will.

Ricardo Allen had an INT that even Boilerdowd would have hauled in, as it looked more like a fair catch opportunity as the Zooker (or his coaching staff) made the wise decision to have a cold QB come in and air one out to RA's side of the field. Curious decision, to say the least.

So what do we take from this? As I said, I don't want to be the constant Debbie Downer, but I do worry a little bit about the Boilers after seeing that second half. If Illinois executes their on-sides kick attempt well, this could have been a very scary ending. But it is what it is and this team is what it is. They're not going to beat good teams handily and it seems the coaches know that, so when they get a lead like this, they play not to lose. A dangerous approach, to be sure. But how much can you complain about a win over a ranked team? Not much.

I said on the Handsome Hour that if they were to win this game that it indeed changes my outlook on the season, and it does. Now our Boilers are just two wins away from bowl eligibility. Can they win at least two of their final five games? Hard to say, but it's a lot better question to ponder than can they win three of their final five....right?

In the meantime, to the handful of you who showed up to cheer on your alma mater, good on ya. You got rewarded for your loyalty.

And for those who've been of the opinion that Danny Hope has to go, well, he may have just earned himself a stay. 

Nearing Rock Bottom? Boilers Crushed By Domers 38-10

Two weeks off to prepare for Notre Dame yielded nothing that we could discern on the field. In fact, that players played with less discipline than usual, which is saying a lot given how poorly Coach Hope's teams have performed in that department over the past two-plus seasons.

The only somewhat "trick" plays were a pass play from Tommie Thomas (which we knew was coming two weeks ago from one of our spies) and a nonsensical play where Justin Siller lined up at QB and handed the ball off. Whoooooo!!! Craaay-zeee!!

The Boilers were embarrassed tonight in their own building. It's as simple as that. And yes, Notre Dame was unquestionably the better team. But then, we said that from the start of the season, throughout this week, on the podcast and in our predicto for the game. So that was never really in doubt.

However, while the Boilers cannot control a talent disparity, they can control effort and discipline. They racked up 118 yards in penalties and only had 272 in total offense (versus almost 550 yards for ND). Curiously, the Boilers passed more than they ran, despite the fact that the run game has seemingly been a strength for this Purdue offense and, unlike last year, they actually have healthy, talented running backs. Bolden and Shavers got the ball 11 times for 22 yards -- combined. What? I don't know, either.

As I said, Notre Dame is much better than Purdue. However, they're not all that good and Purdue did not make them earn it by putting the Domers under pressure at all. Interceptions bouncing off DBs, Purdue unable to fall on fumbles, etc. This is not an opportunistic team at all. They don't create their own breaks, they don't get lucky, and so forth. And as we've said before, good teams make their own luck.

To beat -- or compete with -- a team like ND, Purdue needed to take advantage of easy picks and grab a fumble or two. Or return a kick for a TD. Or anything. They simply don't do those things.

Purdue did not look prepared to handle ND, either, and their adjustments -- if there were any -- did not slow the Irish down.

We would have liked to see Marve get a complete game and get to see what he could have done had he not come in down 14-0 and with the team reeling. He moved them down the field at times and, frankly, they just looked better -- though the results weren't ultimately much different -- with Robert at the helm. Marve's ball has a better zip on it and he appears far more confident. I like Caleb TerBush and don't want to disparage the young man, but he's simply not a better QB than Marve and I don't see how Coach Hope and the rest of the staff can possibly keep Marve from starting going forward. Sure, they're 2-2, not 0-4, but they're not good and the season is in serious danger of getting away from them. We think it basically already has, but if there's hope to hang on to anything, Marve is the guy to do it. Of that we are convinced.

I'm sure there are still those who will make excuses for why we shouldn't be disgusted with the direction of the program. However, yet again, there is no excuse for looking this disjointed, especially after an extra week to prepare.

As per usual, the defensive scheme was ineffective, the play-calling was uncreative and uninspired, and the players -- while amped to play tonight -- were undisciplined and sloppy. It's a systemic problem at this point and it's not going to just magically vanish one day. It's here to stay, for as long as this regime stays in place.

Attendance Figures Tell A Story

When people feel a program is in decline, they quite simply stop spending their money. Whether you call it voting with your feet or with your wallet, the point is, when something isn't worth the cash to you anymore, you stop doing it. This can happen with magazine subscriptions (like THuff's Playboy stash or B-Dowd's Playgirl collection), it can happen with television (Tim still pays for Cinemax, but only for the documentaries) and, obviously, it can happen with sports teams.

Going to any sporting event at the collegiate or pro level is expensive. Even when tickets seem "reasonable," you still have to get there, which for alums can mean long drives (with $4/gallon gasoline) or flights, hotel rooms, meals, etc. This is to say nothing of the multiple days not at home and the resulting foot-tapping from the spouse.

So we think these attendance figures are startling, despite the fact that they shouldn't be surprising. Below are attendance figures for the past eight seasons plus the athletic department's fantasyland estimate for 2011.

2003 -- 58,000
2004 -- 63,000
2005 -- 63,000
2006 -- 55,000
2007 -- 59,000
2008 -- 56,000
2009 -- 50,000
2010 -- 48,000
2011 -- 42,000

That's a precipitous drop in recent years. I would hazard a guess that 2011's average will be a lot lower than 42,000 if things continue in this scary direction, and if it gets down to 40,000 then that's a 20% drop in just two years. And a 37% drop in just six years! Even if the average ticket in Ross-Ade is $20, an assumption of 23,000 fewer seats would equal lost revenue of $460,000 per game or more than $3.2 million over the course of the season's seven home games. And, obviously, this is to say nothing of lost concession sales, team apparel, parking fees, the influx of dollars spent in the community, etc.

As has been discussed, some programs can handle a down year or two, or a "rebuilding" phase. And Purdue actually was a program like that -- look at the numbers as recently as '07-'08. Those weren't world-beaters, but the fans had seen enough success and near-success that they wanted to come out to see the team to be there when the fun happened. That is no longer the case, quite clearly.

The answer is not new unis, it's not fun taglines for the billboards and it's not even "we gotta get five star recruits!" No, the answer -- at least for now -- is to make the product on the field exciting. Until it is that -- and not infuriating -- the fans will continue to vote with their wallets.

Don't Read This Nord Quote If You Don't Want To Be Angry

GoldandBlack.com:

On your second-to-last possession, you had a fourth-and-1 from your own 25, and eventually decided to punt after a timeout. Take me through that decision.

Gary Nord:

"Well, when the scenario played out, it was third-and-8 and we were running a screen pass. Coach (Danny) Hope asked me, 'What do you want to do if we don't get it?' There was 4:05 left on the clock and I said 'Let's wait and see what we get.' I wish I wouldn't have said that because we got to fourth-and-1 and then we had to make a decision. We were down to 3:55 on the clock. I wish I would have just said 'If we don't make it, we're going to punt it.' If we make it, we don't have to worry about it. But I put ourselves in a position where we had to make a decision. The decision was well deserved that we had to make because it was fourth-and-1 and you've got less than four minutes left. Two first downs (by the opponent) and the game is over. We had to rely on the defense to stop them to one first down, so we had to make a decision. We tried to get them to jump off-sides, then they didn't jump off-sides. There was still 25 seconds left on the play clock, so we called timeout. We could have just gotten the penalty and punted it away. But we thought that 25 seconds was more valuable to us than letting it burn out.”

Boiled Sports:

Wait, what? Who is in charge here? And there was really that much consternation over a call that a pee wee coach could have made?

Support The Players; The Season Is Not Over

As the new week begins and we look towards the rest of the season, I know things are bleak right now. And I'm not here to suggest that you all buck up because things are going to get better. They could, I suppose, but the scales are probably tipping more towards the not-so-good season direction right now. My point here?

Keep supporting these guys.

I know, it probably sounds counterintuitive. I know a lot of you are seriously pissed right now. I know many of you are simply done with this current iteration of Purdue football. There were some who were done with Danny Hope last year, there were some who said he deserved another chance but the leash was short; and then there was the camp that said he deserved more time, period. As of now, I think most of those who were on the fence are now in agreement that the direction is not showing positive signs -- to say the least.

I understand that many of you may want to express your displeasure by not showing up, not making the effort to get to games and so forth. And if that is how you wish to do it, I cannot stop you and, frankly, I don't have the right to try to.

That said, I want to implore you to reconsider.

Purdue does not have many advantages in the Big Ten. Home field is not all that intimidating, we don't "look the other way" on violations and getting prime talent to Purdue can be a challenge. To add a downright poor atmosphere will certainly not help things. The commit Purdue got after the MTSU game said it felt like a family atmosphere -- that's a good thing. And it's something we can all contribute to.

However, more important (to me, at least) is supporting the current players. You may not like the coaching staff, you may not agree with the athletic department's direction, BUT...these guys chose to come to Purdue, to wear the black and old gold (or, you know, all white) and to play in front of all of us. They are our guys. And they've been working towards this season for many months -- and in the case of the upperclassmen, many years.

They lift, they train, the practice in the spring, they practice in the Indiana August heat, they study film, they learn game plans, they try to follow game plans, they put forth effort.... and they go to school. And the seniors are now in danger of not going to a bowl game in their entire time at Purdue -- something else that hasn't happened to a class since the bad ole days of the early '90s. These guys work hard, whether the record winds up reflecting it or not. Abandoning them with ten games to go seems unreasonable to me. But again, that's just one fella's opinion.

If you want to go to Ross-Ade and boo the coaches or Morgan Burke, I say have at it. Those guys are paid (handsomely, in some cases) and are big boys and deserve to be held to a higher standard. But the players? They're still giving effort as far as I can tell and the difficult parts of the season haven't even begun yet. In my humble opinion, they still deserve your support and to hear encouragement and cheers. No, they're not children, but they are your guys.

I think we should all let them know we still support them.

Boilers Upended in Houston, 24-22

In yet another ugly performance, the Boilermakers found a way to lose a very winnable game in Houston today, falling to the Rice Owls 24-22 in front of 75 or so yawning fans. Seriously, if Purdue fans weren't there, they wouldn't have needed to open anything beyond the first row. But I digress. (Because, really, who wants to talk about that crapshow?)

This is my initial reaction to the game, so it could obviously change as I rewatch things, BUT.... I didn't think the players weren't ready and that's a victory in and of itself. But as I said leading up to this game, I felt the Boilers were excited about this one and were really looking forward to it. So the effort and focus appeared to be there to me.

I felt as though Caleb TerBush, while not brilliant, was adequate. He was 12/24 at one point in the second half and then went 6/7 to close the game at 18/31 for 183 and a TD, plus he rushed for another. Caleb did not turn the ball over -- in fact, Purdue had zero turnovers, yet had one takeaway as well as a defensive score (of sorts) as Joe Holland notched a safety for the Boilers.

Purdue -- interestingly -- had exactly as much on the ground as in the air: 183 of each, and outgained the Owls by 14 yards total (366-352). The Boilers had seven penalties for fifty yards -- not horrible, plus the penalties were not of the backbreaking variety.

So do you know what I'm getting at? Yes, that's right....coaching.

Sure, we've been told by many of you that it's unfair to judge the coaching with all the injuries Purdue has had to deal with in the past couple of years. And that's fine. But we've repeatedly said we will give a lot of leeway on that subject....what we do NOT have tolerance for as fans is poor schemes, poor clock management, poor crunch time decisions, etc. And this game finished up horridly and included all of that.

We'll get to the final possession in a moment. But how about Danny Hope's decision with a little over a minute to go in the third quarter and the Boilers down 24-17? Fourth and one at the Rice two....down seven with more than a quarter remaining, what do we do class? Yes, that's right, you kick the mother-effing field goal and take your three points, knowing you will get the ball back several more times. Unless Hope was afraid the Owls were going to go on a 15 minute drive, there is no excuse for this. None. I don't care if the defense said not to worry about it and I don't care that the Boiler defense then came through with the safety. That is NOT the point. This was a terrible, terrible, inexcusable decision. Purdue kicks the field goal there and it's 24-20 and you have Wiggs kicking the ball 80 yards off the tee. I like that situation.

On to the end of the game. Purdue made what looked like a wise decision with under four minutes to go in punting the ball back to Rice. The defense was stout and held the Owls, who then punted the ball back to Purdue and the Boilers were in business, starting from almost midfield.

Ralph Bolden then got the ball three straight times...and why not? He rushed it 35 yards on those three plays and the Boilers were down to the 17 yard line. And I actually loved these calls because, as I said, why not? Rice couldn't stop Bolden from running up first downs and not passing it means not getting intercepted. But then things got weird, man.

For starters, Bolden never touched the ball again. Was he tired? Did he make Nord mad? What the hell happened? Was he succeeding too much and the team was worried about hurting Rice's feelings? We'll probably never know. But Ralph was done.

On 2nd and 3 from the Rice 17, Caleb TerBush threw a nearly-lateral pass out to the left to OJ Ross and OJ was tackled for a loss. I dislike this call for many reasons...too many to detail, really. But if you're reading this, you have at least a passing interest in football and even someone with moderate football knowledge can list at least two or three things wrong with this call.

Then things got even more weird.

Shavers rushed for four yards and got the first down. Terrific news! And then, Caleb TerBush comes to the line.....and clocks the ball. Wait, what? Why would you do that? There was no shortage of time. Wouldn't you do this when you're about ready to kick the field goal and want to stop the clock so your kick team doesn't have to rush?

On 2nd and 10 from the Rice 14, Shavers is stuffed for a one yard loss. Now it's 3rd and 11 and Purdue has no time outs and just over 30 seconds to go. Well, that's certainly not good....oh, but Rice does Purdue a favor and gives Coach Hope time to think it over by calling a time out. Weird move on Rice's part, but this isn't a Rice site so who cares?

Purdue talks it over and, with 31 seconds left and third down and 11...and on the 14...I tell Coach Hope from my recliner, "Kick it on third down, Coach. Then, if there's a...oh, I don't know...bad snap, for instance...you can fall on it and kick it on fourth down."

But you know as well as I do that logic and good game/clock management is not something this coaching staff has in suite of tools. So they elect to run a play on third down with 31 seconds to go and no time outs. And what's that play? A one-yard rush from Shavers to make it fourth down and, of course, NOT stop the clock.

And as you saw, Purdue had a bad snap, Carson's FG attempt was blocked and the Rice Owls celebrated a win over a team that should easily have won this game. No matter what you thought of the rest of the game, Purdue had this game in the bag on that last drive and weirdly decided to get conservative, scared or whatever you want to call it. I just don't get it. But I will say the following are horrible coaching decisions from this one:

1) Going for it on fourth down in the third quarter instead of taking the gimme field goal.
2) Not using Bolden after he shredded the Rice D on three straight plays on the final drive.
3) Clocking the ball on first and ten from the Rice 14.
4) Not kicking the FG on third down.
5) Once they decided NOT to kick it on third down, calling a chickensh-t run play with no time outs left.

Obviously, if I wanted to parse out all the plays in the game, I'm sure this list would be longer. But I don't have the stomach for that right now.

Purdue football, you may not have 100,000 in stadiums you play in, but you DO have some serious loyalists. Many people traveled to Houston for this game, eager to show their love for Purdue. There was tremendous excitement on Twitter, Facebook, etc. This excitement is waning for some and will begin to erode for others. Performances like this, in my opinion, are not excusable. I've said it before -- road games are difficult to win. But I'm not talking about this game as a win or loss -- the players demonstrated that they were prepared to win it. It was terrible coaching that seriously hindered that effort. A team like this Purdue one simply cannot overcome obstacles like poor coaching and bad decision making from the leaders. They need strong coaching and above-average guidance to have success. That simply isn't happening and hasn't for a while now.

And that, I am getting tired of seeing over and over.

Fan Reactions Are Funny...and Sometimes Unhinged

While I tend to not think it's worth giving a lot of pub to crazy people, sometimes I just feel the need to weigh in a little bit on some things.

Last week, on the Handsome Hour, both Boilerdowd and I predicted a 4-8 season. Some people told us we were too close to the ledge, and that's fine. Others got belligerent and nasty and implied that our "negative" attitude and mindset were to blame for Purdue football's lack of recent success. Okay, that's nonsensical enough, but we'll continue.

As we tried to articulate -- and continue to try to -- we never, under any circumstances, root for Purdue to fail. Even if we disliked Coach Hope (which we do not), we wouldn't want to see him fail. We want success for our alma mater and would like nothing more than to see Coach Hope lifting trophies and hugging his players.

However, we've felt for more than a few years now that football program has been heading in the wrong direction. Maybe it started with the apex in 2004 vs Wisconsin, maybe it was sooner than that... or maybe it was later. Nobody knows for sure, of course. But things have not been heading in a positive direction in number of years now. Losses have been of the painful variety on many occasions, either because of sheer curb-stompings at the hands of OSUs and Illinois of the world, or because of losing to lesser-league foes like Toledo and Northern Illinois.

My prediction for the MTSU game was that Purdue would lose because, quite simply, recent years and experience levels in this game suggested that to me. And as we often say, we hope we're wrong with predictions like that, but until the final minute of the fourth, I didn't think I was going to be incorrect.

Which leads us to the terrific finish and the aftermath. On Twitter, there was a LOAD of Boiler-on-Boiler hate crimes.... mainly people who purport to be Purdue fans absolutely destroying us for being happy with the win. As B-Dowd noted earlier, we don't think this was a good game. In fact, it is worrisome that Purdue had the kinds of troubles they did.... but was it all that surprising? It shouldn't have been if you've been watching for the past few years.

We were told that you have to blow out teams like MTSU. MTSU has gone to two straight bowls, folks. They're not a bad team. Yes, Purdue should beat them like a drum, we agree.... but when was the last time Purdue steamrolled teams? You might have to go all the way back to the Kyle Orton days. That's a long time, people.

In perhaps the most insane thing we've ever seen on Twitter (at least directed at us), we were also likened to the holocaust for telling one supposed Purdue fan that she should support her school -- she replied and said isn't that what the Nazis said when they were killing people -- to support the government. (This exchange seriously happened.) Yes, a very lucid, rational comparison. As you might imagine, she got the rarely-used Twitter Banhammer.

The point of all this? It's okay to enjoy an exciting win. Did you see Auburn's fans and players enjoying their comeback versus Utah State? Yes, you have to keep things in perspective and understand that there's a lot to work on...and yes, maybe some of the excitement was relief. But so what? Your team won and that's what matters. Given the two positions Purdue could be in today, 1-0 sure feels a lot better than 0-1. This is not to say there isn't a lot to work on -- there is. And it's not to say they're now going to have a good season -- they might not. But you saw Caleb TerBush grow up in that fourth quarter and you saw a comeback win with the kind of passing play that, as B-Dowd alluded to, we haven't seen from a Purdue QB in a very long time.

So yes, retain your concerns. Yes, curb your optimism with caution. But also, enjoy wins when they happen. It's okay to like your school.

Herr J says so.

Fact Fondue - Rice University

And they wanted to change Pete?

Edited to include a few more awesome facts

• Established in 1912 - the year the Titanic sank
• Official Colors are Union Blue and Confederate Grey
• Purdue is 1-0 against Conference USA ('01 defeated Cinci)
• 1-2-0 against the Black and Gold. Their only victory? In 1934.
• 5-16 against the Big 10; haven't beat a B1G team since 1997 (Northwestern)
• Have a historic study area officially named the Weenie Loft..
• Students are held to an honor code for exams - students take unproctored exams at home.
• Rice football was mentioned by JFK in his Man to the Moon speech; He used Rice playing Texas annually as an example of something challenging and hard (That's what she said?)
• Their Punter, Kyle Martins was an All American last year. We have something in common I see.
• 5 Miles away from University of Houston 
• Purdue Alumni Association is doing a breakfast club at the Coach's Pub this week
• Rice has an official drinking event - The Beer Bike Rice
• Sammy the Owl was ejected from a game in 2009 for bumping an official.
• Rice has 14 astronauts 
• Bob Greise won the 1974 Superbowl (VIII) at Rice Stadium
• Rice uses the same field technology - FieldTurf - as Nebraska, Illinois, U of M, O$U

• The Fondue of the week - Southwestern Spicy Fondue

Upon Further Review...Another look at MTSU

With this start, our Boilers are pretty lucky to be 1-0.

I got to watch the MTSU game on DVR this morning...here are my thoughts.

-Caleb TerBush missed on a ton of throws because he wasn't setting his feet...kind of rushed his motion.  But, a few of those were because his pocket collapsed very quickly.

His best drive was the last...probably because MTSU was dog-tired and Purdue's OLine rose to the occasion to protect 19. His last pass, as he looked off two receivers was something Curtis Painter didn't do his senior year. Granted, Painter was extremely accurate, but looking off covered receivers is a skill that some guys never figure out.

-On the flip side of the positives for Purdue's #1 QB, two of his incompletions were easy picks that were dropped because the MTSU players didn't watch the ball in. Also, Edison's fumble late in the game should have been easily recovered...and would have, had the MTSU DE not tried to pick it up and simply jumped on it.

On the other side, Purdue dropped a deflected interception attempt...but I couldn't recall another "break" that they didn't take advantage of.

Purdue MUST be more careful with the ball next week.  Hope's boys flat-out got lucky that those three plays weren't turnovers.

-Sinz and Crosby were rock-solid...as receiving tight ends.  If Holmes gets healthy in the next few weeks, the TE corps will look pretty mean.

-Really liked what I saw out of Gary Bush. He seemed to run better routes than Ross and I'd like to see him be in the starting rotation...No one's taking Ross' job on kickoff return though.

Siller was the best receiver all day, but had an inexplicable drop in the second half.  He's gotta eliminate those as this offense, and particularly TerBush, can't afford that.

-Normando Harris, Josh Johnson and Ricardo Allen all tackled very well...and I couldn't find a play in which 28 and 21 weren't in position to defend their man -- good...that's what the hype told us they'd do. But Harris, who's a bit green, botched coverage once or twice.

-Gaston seemed to be more involved in pursuit of plays that broke off than did Short. I didn't notice that in person. Maybe Gaston's in better shape, or just has a better motor, but the reason doesn't matter...their best effort is needed on every play as the ends are just not where they need to be to make significant noise.

-A lot of people were getting after Holland specifically on pass coverage. I think it's fair to say he's not a good enough pass defender to stick with a WR...but the scheme simply demanded he do so over...and over...and over. So who's at fault? The LB covering the WR or the coach who refuses to change the scheme?

Also, Will Lucas, who plays like his hair is on fire, couldn't effectively cover MTSU's Beyah and allowed the Blue Raiders' first TD...but I've read NO WHERE that Lucas is lousy on pass coverage.

-If you've been here a while, you've heard me get after Gibboney quite a few times because I thought his ST units looked awful in previous seasons. Well, if I'm gonna be fair, I need to give props now...You deserve it, J.B.

The kick return team looked excellent...and OJ Ross showed where he belongs as he read the blocking well and assertively went North after getting the ball...so much so that MTSU was clearly scared to kick it to him in the second half.

Allen screwed up, but Gravesande came in and was solid on PR.

Wiggs and Webster crushed the ball with only a few exceptions. In fact, Wiggs was giving MTSU very few options other than to humbly take a knee. And Webster had a couple beauts. Sadly, both of them had to punt too often, and Wiggs wasn't given enough chances to kick off.

Speaking of special teams, Hope talked about using Wiggs leg to try very long FGs as the situation allowed.  BUT, his talk led to Wiggs pooching more than attempting long FGs. That type of talk tends to make me nuts...especially year after year.

-TerBush shouldn't have to share game snaps with Robinson, at this point.

-This game was nearly as painful to watch on tape, with one exception...I knew the ending, so I could stomach it. The offense lacked rhythm, consistency and ingenuity. Routes were run poorly and plays seemed to have been chosen poorly. On the defensive side of the ball, Purdue allowed nearly 500 yards of offense to a Sun Belt opponent. They made a solid quarterback with a questionable arm look like Drew Brees.

BUT

They won.

That's a pretty big difference from what we've seen the past few seasons.

This game was so much like the NIU game two years ago that it's scary. MTSU, like NIU, had schemed perfectly for Purdue, was more motivated than Purdue and executed better than Purdue all day. But I feel like Purdue out-gutted MTSU, which they absolutely should. They are afterall a BT team...Purdue's players are bigger, stronger and faster than their Sun Belt counterparts...but a team is a combo of parts not a bunch of parts thrown together. MTSU was a better team than Purdue on Saturday, in my opinion...So our Boilers have their work cut out for them.

J and I, like some of you, had the gall to be happy that Purdue won on Saturday. Was it a great good solid game? No. It was damned ugly. But the very end left my alma mater on top. Are they playing with fire? Hell yes. There's so much work to be done, I honestly feel less-confident about this team than I did before I watched the game. But I'm extremely happy that it was a win...and honestly have no idea how a Purdue fan, student or alum could think otherwise. After all, you play to win the game.

Purdue is 1-0...next up, Rice. It'll be around 94 degrees for the kickoff...so the heat/humidity that Purdue struggled through will once again be a factor on Saturday.

Onward



Starter

It's easy to be downtrodden about things after the week we've seen. Earthquakes, hurricanes (of natural and Miami persuasion) and the loss of Rob Henry for the season.

To recap, which I had to actually do because I literally lost count, this is ACL injury number 7 to basketball and football players at Purdue since 2009.

Robert Marve tore his during his transfer year in 2009, then again in the Toledo game last year in 2010 (that's two). Rob Hummel tore his in February and October of 2010 (two more). Ralph Bolden tore his before the season in 2010 (that's five total). Keith Smith tore his early last season (that's six) and was then arbitrarily denied another year of eligibility by the always-rational NCAA. And now Rob Henry has torn his, bringing us to seven. (No offense to any Purdue croquet players I missed.) Oh, and just to make you really wonder, Joey Elliott tore his ACL last month making a tackle in a in Canada. Seriously. (And how far back do you want to go? In 2008, Jaycen Taylor missed the season with... yep...a torn ACL.)

But we move onward from here. We've talked about being a fan before and, well, this shouldn't change anything. You're either a Purdue fan or you aren't. And while it's easy to throw your hands up and be incredulous -- and yes, this is amazing bad luck -- you have to also remember the guys who are still out there.

This team lost a teammate, Sean Matti, earlier in the preseason. Now they've been told that one of their captains is injured for the season. And they're coming off a disappointing campaign.

Marve was a guy that we got the feeling they were all getting behind last year... and then he went down. Now we've heard even better stories about Henry's leadership....and he's down.

BUT....

There are still 80+ guys on this team who aren't injured, but who've seen Bolden, Marve, Smith and Henry get their seasons taken away. And, as mentioned, the far more devastating impact of a teammate actually dying. These guys are still working hard, they are still doing their best to believe... and they're eager -- you just know it -- to show us all what kind of team we have in a week.

My point is, don't give up now... don't reduce your support. Don't say you're not going to go to as many games as you might have. Don't throw in the towel. I don't think these guys have yet. I know Coach Hope hasn't yet. Show up next Saturday and make them believe... that you believe.

They might need it more than ever right now.

Who Do You Want To Beat?

And no, the answer can not be "Lou Holtz's face."

As we approach the two-month mark in the long wait/countdown to college football 2011 (with no lockouts! Yay!), we continue asking meaningless poll questions and taking the temperature of the sleeping giant that is Purdue football fandom.

Obviously, sports cliche fans, you want to win every game...and you just take 'em one game at a time (That's good advice, too; I remember one time when Jim Colletto tried to play three games at once -- disaster). But if you had to rank the team you want to beat the absolute most on this year's schedule, who would it be?

We've posted a poll at the right with who I would imagine are the likeliest suspects, but we also included "Other" as an option. Poor University of Other. Anyway, if you choose them, let us know in the comments who you've got your scope trained on.

RPI Stupid-ness (and notes)

I've been trumpeting a composite computer ranking as a relatively-fair and level-headed way of looking at rankings. BUT, has anyone checked out the RPI recently? I know that it's unbiased, which is good, but in my opinion, the formula doesn't, nor has ever really matched reality. It's a good tool at the end of the year, along with other factors, to try to figure out if a team is a top-68 team, but, it shouldn't be given the stand-alone respect it receives.

For instance:

-Duke, which to me seems to be the best team in America, currently stands at 10th. aOSU, the clear second-best team in the land at this point, is 15th.

-4-loss G'Town is third, 3-loss Kentucky is eighth, 4-loss St. John's is 11th, 4-loss WVU is 13th and 3-loss Florida is 14th. My eyes simply don't agree with with the formula...but it should come out in the wash in the next few weeks.

-The Forces of Good dropped after their 23-point drubbing of Iowa, to 12th.

Purdue's current CCR is 7th.

Eerie Parallel?

As you all know, my first and foremost passion in football is our Boilers. Of course my alma mater is my priority, plus, I just like the college game more than the pro game. But, I root for the Colts, albeit more casually, but I like to see the team I grew up on win.

But, for many seasons my Boilers and the horse have had some pretty unusual similarities. Years ago, Manning and Painter (when he was a Boiler) were torching their competition, until they reached the elite...then they would kinda wet the bed. Both teams had prolific offenses and no defense to speak of. It's not a coincidence that they both lost big games, mind you.

Recently, I've watched the Colts flounder as injuries plagued them to the point that they were almost unrecognizable. Granted, Manning was still playing and Purdue no longer has a sure-fire signal caller, even before injuries, but stick with me.

Special teams were a problem for both teams all season, specifically kickoff returns. Also, both teams had big problems with stupid penalties at bad times. Atop that, Danny Hope was prone to calling asinine timeouts this season.

All three of the problems killed the Colts on Saturday. From a dumb running into the kicker penalty, to a massive 47-yard kickoff return at the end of the game by the Jets, to an unbelievable timeout called by Caldwell in the Jets final possession. It was probably a combination of these factors and the injuries that killed the Colts. And like the Boilers, the margin for error was just too slim for the Colts for them to overcome fundamental errors.

Like Hope, I think Caldwell deserves a season of healthy players before he can be evaluated. But both have a ton of self-induced scrutiny on them after this season.

Perhaps I'm being overly-analytical and the comparison between the black and gold and the Colts isn't warranted...but I'm already looking forward to Spring ball...especially with Brees no longer in the playoffs.

Good Get

Danny Hope looks like he's done it again. Purdue has gotten a solid verbal, late in the recruiting season from a defensive player that a ton of good programs really wanted. Just as Bruce Gaston was a highly-sought after player who decided to commit to playing to hope late last year, Armstead Williams chose Purdue over a lot of very good offers.

Williams, from Pennsylvania, had offers from Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and others. He might see the field right away, especially on special teams, depending on what type of shape he's in when he arrives on campus...but at linebacker there will be competition as four former starters return and a ton of young talent is already on campus.

I like Hope's class quite a bit- a lot of solid players with good offers from other schools. With the defections of Reese and Melton after the first semester, Hope has one or two more spots available...so this class could be as big as 16 signees. I'd like to see a non-JuCo safety or a true offensive lineman, if I had a vote.

The jewels of this class (along with Williams of course), in my opinion are:

-RB Marcus Caffey (offers from Arkansas, Ole Miss, WVU, others)

-QB Russell Bellomy (offers from Boise State, Minnesota, South Florida, others)

-WR A.J. King (offers from Iowa, Ole Miss, WVU, others)

A few guys that are a bit off the beaten path that I like are:

-WR Shane Mikesky

-CB Taylor Richards

The biggest question mark is definitely DE Randy Gregory. With the off-the-field issue, academic concerns, he might not make it on campus...but, if you've seen him play football or basketball, you know he has a ton of athleticism...Hopefully he can get his head and heart into what he's doing.

We've been saying that Danny Hope deserves a season in which his team is mostly-healthy...I think he'll get that next year. And his team will be loaded with speed and depth almost everywhere.