SB Nation - Aaron Valentin

The Bucket Stays: A Bloomington Road Trip

BoilerTMill — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:27:40 -0000

As regular readers know, I love going to see Purdue on the road. Unfortunately, my road record is not the best. In fact, coming into today I had not seen Purdue win a game away from Ross-Ade Stadium since going to Illinois in 2006. Since then I have seen us lose at Hawaii, Michigan, Indiana, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. Like many other streaks this season, my five game road losing streak is now done. As always, we have the road trip diary, even though it was just an hour in the opposite direction.

A belated thank you to Purdue football broadcaster Joe McConnell. Joe called his final Purdue game today, retiring because of failing eyesight after being the voice of the Boilers for the better part of the last two decades. McConnell is a class act who helped grow this young Boilermaker's fandom while in high school. Thank you, Joe. You will be missed.

I am a pilgrim in an unholy land

12:09pm - Indianapolis - Instead of enjoying at least half of the Miami-Duke game before leaving, we're forced to leave now because of the notoriously bad Bloomington game day traffic. I hope we make kickoff. I text Chris Summers' dad (a former co-worker). He responds; "Traffic is already bad." Crap.

12:25pm - We decide to hit the Pita Pit in downtown Indy. Unfortunately, no quick off the street parking can be found. Not the best start to the journey, as I was craving a pita with teriyaki sauce.

12:45pm - Chick-fil-a will do.

1:39pm - Eschewing the clusterf*** that State road 37 becomes on game day, we decided to go towards Nashville, IN and make the turn to Bloomington in Beanblossom. Beanblossom is the home of Bluegrass legend Bill Monroe's Museum. There isn't much else there, but this town goes apeshit over him.

2:11pm - Though state road 45 is the curviest road in the state of Indiana, we avoid all the traffic and we are tucked behind the centerfield wall of IU's baseball stadium. I rule. For good measure, we're parked next to a fellow Boiler, meaning the giant Purdue tire cover on my Jeep has company.

2:14pm - Walking out onto 17^th street we see the insanity confirmed. Once again, I rule. Time to look for tickets

2:24pm - Walking up to the stadium we have the completion of a joke made six years ago. When I took Mrs. T-Mill to Bloomington for the first time in 2003 I pointed to the stadium at the top of the hill. Her response: "Where's the rest of it?" As we see IU's new addition (very nice, by the way) we finally see the rest of it.

Nice of IU to finally finish their stadium.

2:57pm - This is becoming an odyssey. Each scalper is trying to charge $60 per ticket. We can walk over and buy them for $50 from the ticket office. one guy asked for all the cash we had. As Mrs. T-Mill said, "That's called a stick-up." Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have each of us wearing Purdue jerseys.

3:21pm - We resign ourselves to waiting until after kickoff for a better deal. This is especially true after some jackanapes, when we turned down $75 per ticket, said, "This is IU, we pay to get into games. I thought you were a good program." We have bathroom break at Assembly Hall. It is my first time entering the building. I feel dirty.

3:40pm - Success! Just as we're about to give up and walk back to the car we hear Jaycen Taylor's first TD. We also find a guy with two seats not together for $35 each. We grab his last two and hightail it to the stadium to sit in an empty corner. Patience is a virtue.

7:47 1^st quarter - We're finally settled into the open seats in the Northwest corner of the stadium, just in time to see David Pender block a field goal attempt. He is one of many seniors that played very well today.

6:04 1st - Jaycen Taylor is officially playing like a man possessed.

5:04 1^st - Dan Dierking finishes the drive with a nice catch, his first TD of the year. Boilers up 14-0 (first time I have seen a lead on the road since Hawaii). Is a blowout in order?

4:56 1^st - Nope. Our piss poor kickoff coverage returns as my grandmother could have had the same length of return that Tandon Doss just had. 1. She died last September. 2. She got around in a motorized scooter the last five years of her life.

3:02 1^st - It means nothing as the D forces a 3 and out. What follows is the ugliest punt sequence you will ever see. IU has a bad snap. Chris Hagerup bops it around against no rush before finally getting it off. It is partially blocked by a very late rush, Purdue touches downfield, but recovers. This is why both teams are 4-7.

14:23 2^nd - Darius Willis just gashed us on a play that looked exactly like Marcus Thigpen in 2007. ugh.

12:30 2^nd - The D holds, forces a field goal, which IU misses. Meanwhile, the four drunk IU students behind us have been obnoxious, stepped on Mrs. T-Mill's coat, derided their players by name, called West Lafayette a cesspool, and stated, "We need to come to games more often." This is all in the last 15 minutes. We were told Wisconsin had awful fans but they were great. Indiana actually stopped tailgating to show up and they were obnoxious.

Spelling is a graduate level course at IU.

6:46 2^nd - Easy pick by Torri Williams. It is awesome that he ended his career on a very high note.

2:03 2^nd - Taylor keeps running hard. He sets up a nice TD pass to Jared Crank (his first). It should be noted that with this TD, Elliott threw his 22 touchdowns to eight different receivers this year. We're getting outgained in yardage, but we're up 21-0. Meanwhile, the IU jackasses behind us keep talking trash as we ignore them. I plan to just point to the scoreboard if they call me out.

1:58 2^nd - The word GIBBONEY is written down as we give up a big return again. Most teams get better at coverage as the year goes on. We got worse. This is after being one of the best in the nation before he came.

0:40 2^nd - They feature this sign on the scoreboard. Okay, we'll take it. Thanks!

Thanks! We will. It's ours anyway...

0:35 2^nd - A coverage scramble leads to a near TD (called back on review) it sets up IU's first score. Stuff like this can't happen next year. At least we're up 21-7 despite getting outgained.

15:00 3^rd - Dierking is deep on returns? This is new.

14:49 3^rd - ATM! ATM! ATM! ATM! MONEY! MONEY! (Translation: I am very happy that Al-Terek McBurse just returned the 2^nd half kickoff for a touchdown. These are my shouts as he runs.) After this, I say that if we're truly Purdue we give it right back to Doss.

13:23 3^rd - A good three and out here. I continue to cross myself every time Aaron Valentin is back to return punts. As previously stated, I am not Catholic.

9:25 3^rd - More drunk fans behind us keep saying, "IU Fuck Purdue." This is in addition to the dozens of Puck Furdue shirts we saw walking around. Again, this is a classy place.

7:11 3^rd - More poor tackling. Even though we're up 28-7 I am still worried.

6:39 3^rd - Shades of Wisconsin as we bite on the reverse.

4:28 3^rd - Indiana shows that it has a hairy scrotum by going for it on 4^th and five down three scores. It pays off with a TD to Mitchell Evans. The jackanapes behind me celebrate like IU just won the Big Ten. I feel like reminding them that 14 is a smaller number than 28.

Counting: Another graduate level course at IU.

2:41 3^rd - Keith Smith plays pinball wizard with a big catch over the middle. We're already in scoring position again.

1:51 3^rd - "IU Fuck Purdue! IU Fuck Purdue! IU Fuck Purdue! IU Fuck Purdue!..."

1:30 3^rd - Carson Wiggs bangs home a Figgie. Up 31-14. We should have this.

0:11 3^rd - It looks even more in hand as we force a three and out again. Pete heads to the Bloomington Mall to have the new P engraved at Things Remembered.

Between 3^rd and 4^th quarter - Wisconsin has Jump Around, which is awesome. Purdue has Shout, which is okay. IU has John Mellancamp as the students sing Jack & Diane. No wonder they can't hold fourth quarter leads. This lulls them to sleep. Maybe they can recruit Jack because he was gonna be a football star. It might help.

13:34 4^th - Savvy move here. We put in Frank the Tank Halliburton to punish them for a few plays. He has some nice runs, but it only leads to a missed field goal. At least we took 5 minutes off the clock.

9:47 4^th - In the timeout after the missed field goal we have trivia FAIL. They ask, "What was the year the Bucket was first awarded?" The correct answer, 1925, isn't even a choice. They say 1930. For the record, that is the first year IU won it.

9:15 4^th - We give up a big pass (shit)

8:47 4^th - Chappell gets a big run (more expletives)

8:04 4^th - Demarlo Belcher touchdown. My butthole officially tightened. An IU basketball commercial follows. I loudly comment that it is nice they are deciding to field a team this year.

7:53 4^th - Why are we throwing the ball?

6:59 4^th - Three and out. We didn't even take a minute off the clock. The stadium is alive again.

6:09 4^th - Kawann Short finds the plug with a huge interception. When is the last time we had a defensive tackle with two interceptions on the year?

4:07 4^th - Elliott is sacked. It is a good sack, as we take 2:05 off the clock, move field position, and force them to use a timeout. Summers' final punt is a good one downed inside the ten. Thank you, Chris!

3:46 4^th - Belcher makes a circus catch, but is ruled out of bounds on the review. That is why these officials are great! The girlies behind us, who have no concept of football, shout advice like "Throw the Hail Mary!" and "get an interception" (even when we run the ball). They are swearing like sailors against Purdue with little to no knowledge of the game. The students from India in front of us know more.

2:41 4^th - The defense gets a big stop. It's our Bucket now.

2:14 4^th - After IU uses its last two timeouts to set up 3^rd and long and have one final chance Keith Smith breaks a big TD. He basically says, "Oh you want this ball back? Well, I am done with it now. You can have it."

Keith Smith does his best Mariano Rivera impression.

0:00 4^th - The Bucket stays where it belongs. The one day it is seen in Bloomington every two years is over.

I know I will have a more complete entry to wrap up the season, but this was a great dominating effort today. The senior class was outstanding. Boilerdowd texted me during the game and said Mike Neal was playing like it was his last game. He might have broken a hand, but he came back. He and Kawann Short had a dominating day in the middle. Pender had a blocked field goal. Elliott went over 3,000 yards. Chris Summers averaged over 46 yards per punt. Jaycen Taylor went out with maybe the best game of his career. Torri Williams had a pick. This game was for the seniors, and they came ready to play.

I don't think I have loved a group of seniors more than this one. They went out with a 5-7 record. They didn't go to a bowl game their last two years, but they have instilled an attitude of never quitting. They could have rolled over and died at 1-5 with Ohio State coming to town, but they didn't. If there is a group that ever deserved the Bucket, it is them. I will miss them.

On the other side of the coin, we got key contributions from some guys that will be here awhile. Kawann Short (redshirt freshman) had a fumble recovery and an interception. ATM (true freshman) had his huge kick return that looked easy. Keith Smith will be back. Jeff Lindsay and Kyle Adams will be back. Jared Crank threw some nice blocks and got his first career touchdown. All three linebackers had a good game and will be back.

The future is bright for Purdue. Next year will not be a bowl-less season as we have a lot to look forward to.

Our trip to Notre Dame is on September 4^th. I am so excited I am considering a lift of my vow to never go there.

The Bucket makes a rare appearance in Bloomington.

I am stripped of all but pride

BoilerTMill — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:14:04 -0000

by Tom Strattman - AP

about 1 month ago: Michigan State running back Edwin Baker (4) picks up yardage as he tries to get away from Purdue safety Torri Williams (2) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

View full size photo »

The above lyric from Metallica is appropriate. After today's 40-37 loss we have only pride and the Bucket to play for this season. While it is disappointing, it is far from a horrible thing considering where we were going into the Ohio State game. We went from questioning if a 1-11 season was probable to playing for a bowl in the penultimate game of the season. Now we can build for next year with a statement win over Indiana.

That is why I think this season is a success regardless of the outcome of so many games. Yes, games against Oregon, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, and Michigan State would absolutely be wins if not for our own mistakes. Still, this season was not the 1-11 disaster many were picking even before it started. This team has shown more heart than recent Purdue teams. This team has never quit. This team has performed above expectations and has a win over the Big Ten's Rose Bowl representative and a close loss against the likely Pac-10 representative. This is growth from last year.

As for the mistakes that cost us today's game, they were unfortunate, but they can be corrected. That is also a sign of growth. We were 3-8 at this point last season, yet we seemed to have no heart or direction. The eight losses were by 6 (in overtime), 17, 14, 13, 22, 11, 14, and 5. This year, our seven losses were by 2, 7, 4, 3, 6, 15, 37, and 3. To me, that is a huge step forward from where we were. We are now to the point where other teams are not beating us except for our own mistakes. The next step is to correct those mistakes. If we do so, we will become a very good football team.

Positives from the Michigan State game:

Joey Elliott - Can you imagine if he had been a starter earlier in his career? If anyone deserved to lead this team to a bowl it was Elliott. After his TD pass to Cortez Smith you could see the passion as he ran off the field. He has grown by leaps and bounds this year, and I will miss his attitude.

Cortez Smith - Cortez has had a phenomenal two weeks and is putting himself in position to fill Aaron Valentin's role next season. The guy knows how to get open and get first downs. We can always use a guy who can use the chains.

Keith Smith - Keith will be a top target for Robert Marve next season. We have plenty of other options too. This is why I am already excited for next year. We return a bunch of experience at the skill positions and Keith will lead the way.

Jeff Lindsay and Kyle Adams - This was another fine week from our tight ends. They kept the chains moving with several critical catches. It is nice to add these weapons and we need to keep them involved in the offense next year.

Dan Dierking - I've always thought Dierking was undersized as a running back, but he made two huge catches today. That running back continues to be wide open on the wheel route, as Bolden was uncovered several times if we had looked for him.

Michigan State - It is rare that I credit the other team, but dammit if I wasn't impressed by the Spartans today. We truly outplayed them, but they made us pay for every mistake and made some huge plays when they needed to. I thought the game was over after Bolden's second TD. We had an 11 point lead on senior day with under 12 minutes left. The defense was rested, so I thought they would come out fired up. What ensued was a frenzy not seen since The Fumble game. Sparty earned this one today. They won a hard fought game.

Negatives from the Michigan State game:

Special Teams - I want J.B. Gibboney gone. Things were better without him. The past two seasons we were among the top 10 in kickoff coverage without a special teams coach. Today we acted like it was illegal to tackle the returner. The breakdown on the block field goal was huge. I don't mind Carson Wiggs missing the 49 yarder before halftime. You can't hit them all, but the other stuff is getting ridiculous. Chris Summers at least had a good game.

The defense - They had a great effort ruined by just a handful of plays, but they were big plays. They held for field goals after two long returns, but all three offensive touchdowns were the result of big MSU plays. They had a chance to really make a statement when up 11 and it last one damn play. To be fair, MSU provided excellent protection all day, but still. We had breakdowns two plays after we would look great. Just frustrating.

Covering Keshawn Martin - I hope this young man has a comfortable trip home because I don't want to see him again.

Up next:

As I said above, I am still incredibly proud of this team. The season will finish better than people thought, but not as good as it could have been. It is still progress. While I as at the Black & Gold Mine after the game I was listening to the call-in show after the game. Those that are attacking Danny Hope and saying he won't learn or it won't get better than this need to calm down.

Danny Hope did not miss tackles on kickoff coverage. Danny Hope did not miss the block that caused the blocked field goal. Danny Hope did not fail to execute on the field. What we are seeing are things that can be corrected. As long as the coaching staff recognizes this and works to do it for next season we will be fine.

Is it really that bad that we have lost seven games, five by less than a touchdown. We have been much more competitive than anyone expected. It is a base to build on for what can be a breakout year next season. The talent will only get better, while the departing seniors have never once quit on this team. That attitude will hang around. I will only be worried if the same mistakes continue unabated next year.

Keeping the Bucket next week is paramount. Both teams are 4-7, but both teams were 3-8 last year and 62-10 happened. We must exert our will and show that we are still much better than Indiana to gain confidence going into next year.

As for next year, I am expecting a big leap forward. First of all, playing Toledo, Western Illinois, and Ball State should be three easy non-conference wins. As middling as the Big Ten has been this season we should count on at least three conference wins, and if we improve I think we can win five. Are you really going to count us out of any game except maybe Ohio State? We can even make a big statement by ending Notre Dame's national title hopes in week one.

We're playing for next season now. It is this team's choice as to which way it wants to go. If we choose to focus on the positives of what we accomplished while striving to fix small mistakes we will do very well. If we choose to be negative and blame others for our failures we can expect another bowl-less season in 2010.

Show up for the Seniors: Beat State!

BoilerTMill — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:07:14 -0000

(Hat tip/fist bump to to NJ Boiler83 for the slogan)

I have been working with Bleacher Report blogger Tim Cary and the guys over at Boiled Sports on some kind of slogan for Saturday. We all want to push for a sellout this week against Michigan State. This team has fought hard, especially the seniors, and they deserve a proper send off. As I stated late Saturday night, we need to pack the house and support this team in order to make a push for a bowl game. We can start by creating a rowdy atmosphere this weekend for Michigan State. We can keep it going next week when we venture to Ross-Ade South for the Bucket game.

This game against Michigan State has the potential to be a program changer. Win it, and we can go to a bowl when absolutely no one expected it after the 1-5 start. That will set the tone for future classes just like the NCAA berth in 2007 did for basketball. If you're within 3 hours of West Lafayette, come to the game. Bring three friends and get in for just $25 each. If you come, stand up and be loud. Don't sit on your hands alumni. Get back to your student roots and get loud and crazy. Let's send the following seniors off right.

#2 Torri Williams - S -It seems like Torri has been here forever. He played as a true freshman on special teams in 2004, making him the last player left from The Fumble. It is therefore fitting that he is around for what could be the rebirth. A broken leg cost him 2005. A shredded knee cost him 2006. A torn achilles tendon cost him half of 2007. Legal issues nearly pushed him off the team. After a pair of redshirt years (one due to medical reasons) he is finally at the end of his Purdue career. If not for the injuries, he could have been one of Purdue's best DB's. Instead, he has provided leadership and versatility moving between safety and corner these past two seasons. Thank you, Torri.

#4 Dwight McLean - S - McLean came to us as a late JuCo transfer before last season. He is known as a hard hitter, but he had some critical interceptions in his career. A few weeks ago he had a big pick to stop a key Illinois drive in the first half. He also sealed last year's Central Michigan game with a late pick. He seems to be involved in every play, and we will miss his hustle.

#7 Brandon King - CB - If we make a bowl game this year it will be because of Brandon King. He had two critical interceptions against Ohio State and his forced fumble against Michigan turned that game around. I love Brandon because he never gave up both on and off the field. Academics cost him a year, but he did not become a Brandon Irwin. Instead, he got eligible, got back on the field and made a difference. We need more guys with his heart.

#9 David Pender - CB - Pender has really grown as a player. His tackling is still frustrating, but no one has more pass break ups in the last four years than Pender. Forced to start as a freshman in 2006, you won't find a more experienced corner int eh conference. He will have the distinction of batting away Ohio State's final pass to seal this year's huge upset. This is the first of three seniors graduating in which I won his jersey, and one of my favorites because every number I wear when competing in sports is #9.

#10 Royce Adams - WR - Adams' senior year has not turned out the way he expected. He has been hurt most of the year, hasn't contributed as much as we hoped on offense, and has had to move back to defense for some action. Still, he has never voiced his frustration. He has been the consummate team player throughout his career, playing where he was asked to play and quietly doing his job. He has been a cornerback, punt returner, and wideout.

#12 Chris Bennett - QB - It is likely that his career stats will read just one rush for 6 yards. That came at Michigan State last season when Bennett was forced to play because Justin Siller was shaken up for a few plays. The former walk-on 4^th string scout team quarterback saw the only action of his career for three plays, then headed back to the bench after his short keeper. We'll only likely see him on the field again if an absolute disaster happens to Elliott and TerBush or if we have a big lead against Indiana or MSU and Hope rewards him with some garbage time minutes. Still, his contributions in practice will not go unnoticed. Thank you, Chris.

#13 Chris Summers - P - Has anyone had a more up and down career than Chris. As a freshman walk-on he struggled to hit 8 of 20 field goals. Coming back as sophomore he wont he job with few other options, yet had a great season. He hit on 18 of 22 attempts (one miss was blocked) and will always have the game winner in the Motor City bowl on his resume. He struggled again last year with both placekicking and punting, and has struggled this year with just punting duties. When he is good, he can be very good. This past week he had several nice kicks and got a good one off inside his own end zone facing a heavy rush. The final rugby-style punt maybe have been one of his best this season. Over the course of his career Chris has done everything asked of him and has performed above some pretty low expectations at times. You can't ask for more than that.

#14 Joey Elliott - QB - I know I am probably not alone in wondering how different things would have turned out if Elliott had become a starter earlier in his career. We came into this season asking for his best Billy Dicken impression and he has been fairly close. While he certainly would like some throws back, I have been most impressed by the element of mobility he has given us. We haven't had that at the quarterback position since Brandon kirsch, and Elliott seems to be almost as heady as Brees as far as knowing the right moment to tuck and run. If anyone deserves to lead this team to a bowl game, it is Elliott.

#17 Aaron Valentin - WR - Valentin is another brief JuCo transfer that has emerged as our most dangerous player after the catch. He has even gotten over the fumbling issues that plagued him earlier this season. Coming into the season we needed our few experienced receiver to step up and give us an actual passing game. Valentin did just that. He leads the team in TD receptions and still has an outside shot at a 1,000 yard season with a bowl game. We can't ask for more than that.

#24 Jason Werner - LB - This could be a short stay for Werner on this list. The back injuries that cost him 2006 and 2008 could allow him to receive a 6^th year of eligibility next season like Torri Williams. Now that he has finally had a chance to play he has been exactly what we expected of him. He has become our best linebacker at a position that has had severe issues for several seasons. If he does come back next year linebacker will become a major position of strength for the first time since 2003.

#26 Adam Wolf - WR - Wolf is another former walk-on that has become a special teams ace. Like Frank Duong before him, he is a kamikaze special teams guy that looks to make a play on every kick. His work paid off as he was awarded a scholarship prior to this season.

#33 Jaycen Taylor - RB - If you're looking for the team leader in heart, there is no question it is Jaycen Taylor. Last season he was gone with a torn ACL and it seemed like something was missing all year. Injuries have limited him somewhat this year much like in 2007, but he has still played an integral role in our success. He has always been there to spell Ralph Bolden, and I respect him for accepting a backup role when many expected him to be the starter in the offseason. I met him once at Tippecanoe Mall after he broke his arm against Central Michigan in 2007. He's a nice kid and I will miss his leadership.

#44 Frank Halliburton - FB - I know this guy is one of Boilerdowd's favorites. It seems like he always should have played more than he actually has. I know injuries have slowed him this year when he was expected to play more, but he is another player that is known simply as a great guy and a great teammate. He has always been one of the more positive personalities on the team and has been a fan favorite for his dancing to Shout. I hope we get to see that one more time on Saturday. If you read this, Frank, don't disappoint me.

#47 Jarrod Shaw - FB - I admit I don't know much about Shaw. He was awarded a scholarship as a former walk-on before the season like Wolf, but I don't remember ever seeing him on the field. I could be confused on special teams, as I know he does share #47 with starting linebacker Chris Carlino. His efforts have certainly paid off in practice though. You don't get awarded a scholarship as a walk-on without contributing there.

#50 Eric Hedstrom - OG - Hedstrom has yet to play this season after offseason shoulder surgery, thus making him another candidate for a medical redshirt. He has been a critical starting offensive linesman in the past, however. If he is able to return next season he will provide much needed depth on a line that must replace three starters. He is also versatile in that he can play almost any position on the line.

#54 Jared Zwilling - C - A former defensive lineman, Zwilling switched over to offense and has had few problems in his first year as a starting center. His one bad snap was unfortunately returned for a TD at Oregon, but otherwise he has been rock solid in the middle of the line. He is yet another case of a guy performing in a variety of positions and doing everything we have asked of him.

#61 Zach Jones - OT - Another versatile lineman that has had to play everywhere in his career, Jones was one of the guys I saw enjoying the Ohio State upset the most on the field. It has been nice to put him at tackle this season and not have to worry about the right side of the line. Just a nice guy who is enjoying a fine senior season.

#62 Andy Huffman - LS - Can you name the last time long snapping has been an issue? The 1998 Alamo Bowl, probably. Purdue has turned long-snapping into an art, and Huffman was a solid snapper for three seasons before this year. It won him a scholarship for this season, but injuries have given the position to John finch. Still, Huffman was more than able in the three seasons before this one.

#75 Zach Reckman - OG - Reckman has been the center of controversy this week thanks to the completely stupid pissing contest between Danny hope and Rich Rodriguez. It's unfortunate too. If you take away his NIU incident he has been exactly what we have needed: a solid offensive guard doing his job. Not bad for a two-star guy expected to do very little in his career.

#92 Mike Neal - DT - Possibly the strongest guy on the team, Neal has drawn the attention of every team we have faced. Part of the reason Ryan Kerrigan is performing like a beast is because Mike Neal is drawing so much attention at defensive tackle. He is a damn good defensive tackle that will soon be drafted. He makes everyone around him better because he is so good and draws so much attention.

#95 Keyon Brown - DE - The hero of the 2007 Motor City Bowl with three sacks of Dan LeFevour, Brown hasn't had as dominating of a game since. He has still provided key depth at defensive end for Kerrigan and Gerald Gooden. It is always good to have a solid third defensive end. One has to think Brown has one great game left in him as well.

These 21 seniors have given us everything they have for the last four years. We owe them everything we have as a crowd on Saturday. Let's send them off right. Show up for the Seniors. Sell Out Ross-Ade. Beat State.

Accomplishing Nothing in Madison.

BoilerTMill — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:36:42 -0000

Well, that 700 mile round trip was fun. At least I got a great deal on a hotel room, a cheap rental car for the weekend, and I got to experience one of the best venues in all of college football. I have decided that I have a new number one on my favorite venues list. The fans at Wisconsin were the most pleasant fans I have ever been around. Madison is a fantastic college town and Camp Randall Stadium was one of the most accommodating places I have ever watched a football game. We never heard a single harsh word uttered to us before or after the game. Most everyone even welcomed us with open arms.

It would have been nice if the Purdue football team had joined us.

What follows is the travel log from the weekend. All times are Indianapolis time:

This is as close as anyone in a Purdue jersey got to the end zone. Yes, I was rocking my Kory Sheets jersey.

5:43pm Friday - Indianapolis, IN - We're rollin' this weekend in a Chevy Cobalt from Hertz. Why? 1. It was only $27 for the weekend. 2. My Jeep has 112,000 miles on it, it's paid for, and I need it to stay that way. 3. I'll save more than $27 in gas mileage anyway. 4. Because you know everyone is Big Pimpin' in a Chevy Cobalt.

6:05pm - Interstate 65 - The first major snag of the weekend. Just past 465 on the northwest side of Indy we hit a traffic backup. There appears to be no reason for this other than being frightened by rain.

6:48pm - Lebanon, IN - It took us over an hour to go what normally takes 15 minutes. Fortunately, the folk at Subway will get us on our way.

7:23 - Lafayette, IN - We pass God's country as we nearly met Him. Between tons of cars, tracks weaving across the highway in the wind, and a steady rain I swear I have now lost five years off my life. As Denis Leary would say, at least it is the adult diaper wearing years at the end.

8:32pm - Hobart, IN - Better weather prevails north of Lafayette, but nothing humorous along the way. Maybe I have done this drive to Chicago too many times. Time for a stop at Jamba Juice and their Pumpkin Smash. For the uninitiated, Jamba Juice is fantastic, but the one in the Merrillville area is the nearest one to Indianapolis. Just another reason living in Indy sucks.

9:17pm - southside of Chicago, IL - I can't remember where along I-94, but I remember seeing a billboard for a strip club that promised all-bare models. How many girls from the Hoosier state flock across the border to flee the oppression of pasties and G-strings? Is it really that much of an issue in strip clubs?

10:40pm - Outside Rockford, IL - One of the most dull drives I have ever done just keeps going on. There is NOTHING along I-90 west of Chicago. I question if this travel journal is worth it. At least Mrs. T-Mill is getting caught up on The Lost Symbol. It is coffee and pretzel time from the toll oasis.

11:51pm - Madison, WI - Finally, we are there. The hotel of choice the fabulous Crowne Plaza East on Madison's east-side. God bless the good folks at Hotwire.com for letting us essentially thieve the room for $57.

12:01am - We park after checking in. A strange guy ina Wisconsin Badger hat comes running up spinning a story about needing gas money. Among the highlights (all said in 30 seconds):

Are you Purdue fans staying the night (seeing my hat)?
I have all kinds of collateral in my truck
I'm calling my ex-wife and she is selling her wedding ring
I'll wire you the money, I just need to go about 140 miles.
Believe in Western Union

This, people, is why I rarely carry cash. We back away slowly and flee into the hotel.

12:49am - Time for bed. Just before signing off I see that Charles Torwudzo had a big 6-yard touchdown in Brownsburg's 20-14 win over Zionsville. Sweet!

8:09am Saturday - Going 1 for 1 with the Jamba stop in terms of having food from good places not in Indy, I hope to keep things rolling by finding a Buregger's Bagels for breakfast...

8:11am - and fail. Neither of the two in Madison are near the hotel. BLAST!

9:17am - Panera Bread will have to do

10:16am - I run into a few more Purdue fans leaving the hotel, leading to this exchange:

Fan: Are we gonna kick some butt oday?

Me: I sure hope so. It has to be better than when I went to Michigan two years ago.

This, my friends, is what we call a bad omen.

10:44am - We pass the infamous State Street on the way into campus. Just a fantastic bar scene. Even without a breakfast club going on I can tell it is great.

10:53am - As we park, we get warned we must leave by 3pm or they will tow all cars left because of the hockey game. I ask if they have leniency in case the game goes long. They say they think so. I am not encouraged, but what can you do. (Little did we know, time would certainly not be an issue)

11:39am - After another Subway stop on the walk to the stadium I figure out how to save lunch for halftime. I manage to stuff an entire footlong sub down the sleeve of my jacket and walk into Camp Randall Stadium undetected. I tell Mrs. T-Mill I should have done it in the pants and, if they asked questions, replied with, "Don't act like you're not impressed."

Following directions at Subway FAIL

11:43am - No wonder everyone likes Camp Randall after seeing this sign inside:

I approve! We showed up, and we certainly blew.

11:51am - I am seated with fans that don't lament being there. They actually cheer and want to watch football. I will like these people over the next three hours.

11:56am - Mental note: It's On Wisconsin = bad, not Onward Kokomo = good today. Don't enjoy the fight song. The U2 Streets Have No Name entrance is very nice. Camp Randall also has the best sound guy in the Big Ten, though their band is conspicuously quiet when not wandering through the stands. (All times will now be in game time)

15:00 1^st Quarter - Carson Wiggs bombs the kickoff deep for a touchback. Little did we know, this would be the highlight of the game, and the only play involving Wiggs. Does this make him team MVP?

All of our highlights in one photo!

11:40 1^st Quarter - We are refusing to adjust to the run. All they are doing is handing off to Clay and we can't tackle him.

9:27 1^st Quarter - Touchdown. 11 plays, 80 yards. All of it on the ground. They shouldn't attempt a pass until we prove we can stop them. Which way is State Street again?

7:26 1^st Quarter - Welcome back, turnovers. We've missed you

7:13 1^st Quarter - It's overturned and ruled an incompletion as Keith Smith never had possession (the first of many drops). A great Summers punt pins them inside the five.

6:23 1^st Quarter - The Wisconsin students begin chanting "Eat Shit, Fuck You." Classy! I don't want to hear a single Purdue alum ever gripe about 1,2,3,4, FIRST DOWN, BITCH again.

5:22 1^st Quarter - The defense holds, we get great field position, and do nothing with it.

3:02 1^st Quarter - The PA seems to be stuck on repeat. All I am hearing is, "John Clay on the carry."

Trying to figure out yet another way to write, "Clay with the carry"

14:23 2^nd Quarter - Random observation here: has Ralph Bolden become too patient? He seems to want to make an extra move now he doesn't need to make instead of just attacking.

10:37 2^nd Quarter - We go for it on 4^th down around the 30 on our best drive of the day. We fail, plus Aaron Valentin gets a 15 yard penalty for spiking the ball. Good job!

10:08 2^nd Quarter - Defend the sweep!

6:58 2^nd Quarter - That pick was just like the one Walter Thurmond took to the house at Oregon. Ugh.

5:02 2^nd Quarter - And Clay makes us pay. That's -7 points the offense has generated.

4:39 2^nd Quarter - The good: we try to get the ball in McBurse's hands. The bad: he doesn't want it with three drops (though the first two passes were bad)

4:30 2^nd Quarter - Game over with the blocked punt for TD. This was the worst four play sequence of the day. Even if McBurse had caught the first down pass he gets lit up for a four yard loss. The block is not on Chris Summers. Why do we run that 3-man protection when it invites a more persistent rush? Our own guy vaulted the defender up to block it!

0:02 2^nd Quarter - Give us the ball around the 25 with seconds to go in the first half and we are great. We misuse a timeout, eschewing it for a hurry up which costs us a few seconds (and at least one play). Elliott gets a WTF for not even throwing the Hail Mary.

Halftime - Props to the random guy in a white suit tossing peanuts at passersby on the concourse, encouraging them to catch with their mouths. Is this the Show N' Blow guy? Our best offense is officially ATM on kick returns.

14:38 3^rd Quarter - Catch the ball!

14:14 3^rd Quarter - "Another friggin' sweep!" The woman behinds me bursts out in laughter.

13:19 3^rd Quarter - All they are running is sweeps and draws. It's nothing fancy, and we look stupid. They overpowered us on the first drive and we never rose to the challenge.

12:04 3^rd Quarter - Another poor throw on third down. Another 3 and out. Joey Elliott regressed today, but he did have a ton of dropped passes that were on the mark.

10:39 3^rd Quarter - I am now officially staying just for Jump Around. It has gotten that bad.

8:26 3^rd Quarter - Is it now time for TerBush after another three and out? We can't even keep the clock running to mercifully end this.

6:01 3^rd Quarter - Still Elliott? Really? I mean I like the guy, but he can do no more today. I don't think it is his fault, either.

5:21 3^rd Quarter - This is how bad it was all day. They were manhandling us with the defensive front four. Those guys were getting pressure and stopping us any time we tried to run. That let the other guys step back in coverage, so no one was ever open. It's easy to play defense when your defensive line has a fantastic game like Wisconsin's did.

2:53 3^rd Quarter - You know you are sucking when the other team puts in their backup QB in the third quarter.

1:15 3^rd Quarter - ATM fumbles on another busted run. It is now a total disaster.

End 3^rd Quarter - Finally, Jump Around. For those of you who have never seen it in person, it is very impressive. Just a great tradition and I was very glad to see it. I even did some jumping myself in section DD. This just added to the atmosphere, as this is the most lively crowd I have ever experienced at a football game. These guys come to support their team and have fun doing it. Some Purdue fans could learn a lesson from them.

14:33 4^th Quarter - Wisconsin shows no mercy by going for it on 4^th and short up 34-0. I'm done. I bid farewell to the section and thank them for being great hosts. On the way out of the stadium I simply text Boilerdowd, "No mas" as the last field goal sails through the uprights. His response: "I left the house."

That's about right.

4:35pm - One final note after experiencing Madison a little more and getting some excellent coffee from Coffeebytes. We pick up a local microbrew, Ouisconsing Red Ale from Central Water's Brewing Company. "At least we'll get something good out of this trip," says Mrs. T-Mill.

I also got a call on the way home from Drew of the Big Ten Football Tour. He is wondering what the hell happened, as today was their Wisconsin day. He picked Purdue to win and had become a big fan after their visit two weeks ago. He does thank me and all Purdue fans for a wonderful experience last week. The discussion of beers in Indy after the Pacer game next Friday is raised. This must happen.

To sum things up, this was our worst effort on the season. We need to forget about it, never watch the tape again, and get ready for Michigan. The Wolverines got pantsed by Illinois today, so if we're ever going to win in Ann Arbor now is the time.

Fun With Statistics: TFL v. Iowa, Cupcakes in Happy Valley, B10 WR's Explode

grahamfiller10 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:32:39 -0000

A huge win over Wisconsin, coupled with the initial BCS poll, led to an avalanche of Iowa stories and publicity. But hopefully you all won't forget this statistic from Saturday's game: 8 runs for negative yardage, 3 sacks on Stanzi for 22 yards. Great line play by Wisky, plus some shaky blocking from Kyle Calloway and company showed that the Hawkeyes have a long way to go.

Adam Robinson rush over left end for a loss of 3 yards to the Wisc 45.

Brandon Wegher rush left for a loss of 4 yards to the Wisc 30.

Adam Robinson rush over left end for a loss of 1 yard to the Iowa 26.

Brandon Wegher rush over left tackle for a loss of 2 yards to the Iowa 17.

Brandon Wegher rush up the middle for a loss of 1 yard to the Iowa 34.

Adam Robinson rush up the middle for a loss of 2 yards to the Iowa 27.

Brandon Wegher rush over left guard for a loss of 1 yard to the Iowa 39.

Brandon Wegher rush right for a loss of 7 yards to the Wisc 37.

...

The combined record of Penn State's opponents: 24-21, surprisingly solid for a cupcake laden schedule. Of course this is skewed by 7-0 Iowa, 4-2 Temple, and FCS Eastern Illinois, which stands at 5-2.

...

Keith Smith of Purdue, who runs to space better than any wide receiver in the Big Ten, had another huge game against Ohio State Saturday. Here are the stats of arguably the most effective seven wide receivers in the Big Ten. And a quick nod to Ohio State's DeVier Posey, who is the next Chris Carter/Ted Ginn in Columbus.

Receiver	Size	REC	YDS	TD	Saturday's Statistics
Eric Decker	6'2'' 215 lbs	47	731	5	1 rec, 42 yds
Keith Smith	6'2'' 230 lbs	54	710	4	12 rec, 125 yds
Tandon Doss	6' 3'' 197 lbs	48	676	2	7 rec, 130 yds, TD
Blair White	6'2'' 200 lbs	45	635	6	12 rec, 186 yds, 2 TD
Derek Moye	6'5'' 195 lbs	27	472	4	6 rec, 120 yds, TD
Z. Markshausen	5'11'' 180 lbs	50	459	1	16 rec, 111 yds, TD
Aaron Valentin	6'1'' 205 lbs	39	453	7	10 rec, 97 yds, 2 TD

As I was watching Saturday's action, it became increasingly clear that a couple receivers were having huge huge days. Valentin made a circus catch for a TD and then ran in a bubble screen late against the Buckeyes, proving that he might be the most explosive player in the Big Ten. Markhausen, who looks like a walk on, pulled in 16 receptions against MSU - he is Kafka's #1 option now. And Blair White, who didn't have a scholarship until this year, torched the very torchable NW defense and gave support to my opinion that White has the best hands in the Big Ten.

Nirvana achieved: Purdue upsets a ranked team!!!!

BoilerTMill — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:52:03 -0000

Today started very poorly for me. The job I told everyone about fell through and I was laid off after just three days. Carrying this up to West Lafayette, I needed a pick me up. Four hours later I was in Harry's with a drink in hand, shaking my head in disbelief. Guns ‘N Roses was playing, I could smell the popcorn, and I just smiled. That has to be what heaven feels like.

Purdue 26, #7 Ohio State 18

This is why I write here. This is why I devote so much time to following my alma mater. I know I am one of those people that lets my team affect my day, good or bad, too much when they are playing. Today I was glad, because it made it a very good day. As Purdue fans, we rarely have these great moments. We are not blessed as one of the great teams of college football that takes a nine win season for granted. It had been almost six years since we had experienced a win even close to this one.

Get those 30 year old alumni off the field!

I am an emotional guy. I get fired up easily and put my heart into everything. Today, as we kept building on an inexplicable lead, I was so elated I was almost crying. As Ohio State began its comeback I kept saying, "If they want to kill me, blowing a 16-point fourth quarter lead against Ohio State after five straight losses is the way to do it." Even when they announced the final face mask penalty, which gave us the clinching first down, I was more stunned with disbelief than overjoyed. After several primal screams following each big sack, I just stood there once we had the last first down. Was it really over?

Seeing the students run on the field, Mrs. T-Mill and I couldn't resist. After a few moments we went down and joined everyone on the field. It was quite a sight. Alumni were out there taking pictures. The players were shaking hands with the students. I personally shook hands with Jaycen Taylor and David Pender, thanking them for the game. Mrs. T-Mill even got a hug from Pender. No one wanted to leave.

Make no mistake, Ohio State was TERRIBLE in this game, and that is a huge reason we won. They had five turnovers. They had an ineffective offense. Their passing game consisted of Terrelle Pryor throwing the ball up for grabs and hoping his receivers came down with it. We did what we needed to defensively in shutting down their running game and making Pryor beat us with his arm. He was unable to do so. Meanwhile, we had some mistakes, but unlike past weeks, we did not have to pay for them. We gave up zero points after three turnovers and another poor punt. There were also several fantastic performances on both sides of the ball:

Ryan Kerrigan - Whenever this young man plays Ohio State he is a beast. Nine tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. If he does not when Defensive Player of the Week this week in the Big Ten it is a crime. For the record, he now has six sacks in two games against Pryor. Ohio State might double team him next year.

Carson Wiggs - He was four for five on field goals, and the miss was by about a foot from 52 yards. He also hit high pressure kicks from 55 and 49, then had to unexpectedly punt the rest of the game as Chris Summers continues to unfortunately struggle. Ladies and gentlemen, you Special Teams Player of the Week in the Big Ten.

Brandon King - Two HUGE interceptions.

David Pender - He laid out and had a gigantic pass block on a 3^rd down attempt that ended a drive late in the third quarter. That was a huge play right there.

Aaron Valentin - 10 catches for 97 yards and two scores. Why don't we go for the sweep and give him the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week?

Keith Smith - 12 catches and 125 yards. His catch over the middle just before halftime set up Wiggs' 55 yard field goal. That was a big kick, as it really turned the momentum of the whole game in our favor. I think it is safe to say that we do not win if Smith doesn't make that catch. The field goal changed everything because we hadn't played well, yet we led at halftime. It jump started the entire offense for the second half.

Joey Elliott - He missed some throws, but still had a solid game by making more throws than he missed.

Waynelle Gravesande - He did very well in the return game and had a good reception on a touchdown drive. Said to Mrs. T-Mill when he was catching punts: "I think if I smoked it would take less off my life than watching us return punts." With Gravesande, that factor is lowered somewhat.

I am going to enjoy this win for awhile. I knew I had a good feeling for a reason this week, and I was right in saying that the long losing streak against ranked teams would end. I was thinking last year in a cheap win over Minnesota when they were ranked 25^th. I never thought it would come against Ohio State. The Buckeyes NEVER lose games like this. The last time they lost a game to a team that did not play in the BCS was to Purdue in 2004. Unless we win the rest of our games to finish 6-2 in Big Ten play and Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Iowa all finish with at least three conference losses that is not going to happen this year. Did you know they would have tied the Big Ten record for consecutive conference road wins with 17 had they won today? The last time they lost in conference play away from Columbus was at Penn State in 2005.

And this may be the delusion speaking, but the dream of a bowl game for Purdue in 2009 is not totally dead. If we beat a moribund Illinois next week we are 3-5. Suddenly, a split with Michigan and Wisconsin puts us 4-6 facing Michigan State at home. Beat the Spartans, and we're playing IU for a bowl.

Let's not get carried away though. It is still likely not going to happen, but this program got a gigantic shot of confidence today that it sorely needed. Those that were saying this was a loss in Sharpie *cough* JMoney, Boilerdowd *cough* can suck it (I kid, guys). I actually saw Boilerdowd at the game and he was a virtual wild man in section 128.

I leave you today with what we all want to see, Boilers on the field celebrating. We don't have to wait for basketball season anymore.

Albert Evans celebrates with the P

Ralph Bolden with a young fan on the field

Mrs. T-Mill gets revenge for the 2002 Fiesta Bowl

With my 11-year old nephew after his first Purdue game

A Friday Preview of Homecoming on Campus - Purdue v. Minnesota, October 10, 2009

JG2112 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:49:58 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Danny Hope: "No, this train cannot be stopped, ref." Ref: "Let's go to Valleyfair."

Browse more photos »

It's Homecoming weekend at the University of Minnesota, and I frankly have no idea what to think. This morning I spent much of my BodyPump session at the Y, along with the usual assortment of cougars and retirees, pondering the right way to approach tomorrow's Purdue-Minnesota tilt. Purdue, per football cliche, is one of the best 1-4 teams in recent memory. It fell in the last minute on the road to what we now know is a darn good Oregon team, it lost in the last minute to a decent Notre Dame team due to a Bielema-esque time out call by coach Danny Hope, and, after taking a 21-3 lead on Northwestern, it proceeded to turn the ball over six times to lose 27-21.

On the other hand, the Gophers. While they haven't been blown out of any game, the wins haven't been overly impressive either (Syracuse, Air Force and Northwestern are proving themselves mediocre). Also, after five games, the loss to Cal is looking less than a "moral victory" the further we move away from it.

I toyed with the statistics. Purdue has lost its 4 games by a total of 18 points. Purdue QB Joey Elliott leads the Big Ten in passing average (255.2 ypg), total passing yards (1,276), and total offense (270.8 ypg). Somewhat impressive. He also completes 62 percent of his passes and has thrown for 10 TDs. RB Ralph Bolden is tenth nationally in rushing, averaging 108 ypg, and has 4 TDs. Interestingly, coming into last week, his stats were equivalent to those of Wisconsin RB John Clay. However, he only had 53 yards on 18 carries against Northwestern.

Purdue also has 5 WRs with more than 10 catches, led by Keith Smith, who has tallied 35 receptions for 459 yards and 3 TDs. Aaron Valentin has contributed 21 receptions for 276 yards and 4 TDs, of which one was for 67 yards. Smith and Valentin, at 6'2" and 6'1" respectively, could create a small height issue for our undersized corners. Our defensive backfield members with size, Rallis and Dandridge, are either injured or suspended due to stupidity.

Purdue's defense? Meh. They give up over 29 points per game, despite having experience on defense. Purdue has two senior DBs (David Pender and Dwight McLean), one fifth year senior (Brandon King), and a SIXTH year senior (Torri Williams). Linebacker Jason Werner leads the team with 32 tackles, 8 TFL and 3 sacks. The other recognizable name is DE Ryan Kerrigan, who has 16 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2 sacks.

The Boilermakers are giving up 159.4 ypg on the ground and 240 ypg in the air. Despite last week, their turnover ratio is about even, they lose the time of possession battle by about 6 minutes a game, and they aren't heavily penalized.

As for the Gophers. We know what we're getting. Basic, pro-set offense with a heavy dose of Bennett and Decker. On defense, solid (hopefully) run stopping and adequate-to-cover your eyes pass defense.

What are the keys tomorrow? I think I figured it out as I drove south on Lexington Avenue from the YMCA, and passed (I only wished I was kidding) Tiller Lane. I read an amazing article yesterday about the mindset of Tampa Bay's rookie coach Raheem Morris as he considered what to do on fourth and goal at Washington's 4 yard line last week. Should he pass, or should he run? Here's the devastating breakdown of his decision and the mindset of pro football coaches.

Why is this important? Isn't it clear that this is how Jedd Fisch plays football? Conservative as heck, don't push the envelope, completely by the numbers, standard NFL stuff? I think against Purdue it can work. I don't think Danny Hope is settled in as coach (he has the whiff of 2007 Brewster to him - not vintage yet and should be put back in the cellar for ripening). Fisch just needs to play the statistics, the angles, the mix of rushing and Decker, and get to 27 points. Ultimately, Purdue will screw up in some facet of the game - to not do so would belie their performances the last month. The Gophers have comparable talent to Purdue - they should be able to wait out Purdue's mistakes and plod to an unconvincing win, which fortunately counts just as much as a curb-stomping.

Other keys:

(1) Get Decker 10 catches and 150 yards, and try and remind Hayo Carpenter that his Rivals page says he runs a 4.37 40. Getting caught from behind by a D-lineman can never happen, again, okay?

(2) Is Triplett healthy? If not, will Keanon Cooper or someone else play effectively in his place? Will Elliott recognize this and pick on the replacement in the short passing game with Bolden and Jaycen Taylor?

(3) Can McKinley and Tow-Arnett be adequately replaced? McKinley's absence led to The John Clay Experience last week, and as another team in the Big Ten who I can no longer mention on this blog can attest, losing your starting center can throw a serious wrench in your rushing game. Hopefully Trey Davis can be an adequate replacement.

(4) When Weber gets pressure, will he either take the sack and protect the ball or throw it away?

(5) At what point does the question get asked to Ronnie Lee (besides me, of course) - you're a defensive backfield specialist. Why the heck can't this team defend in pass coverage with any consistency?

Alright, we're at this point again. Homecoming outside in the cold (first cold home game for our team in decades - will they be ready?)

Bang your head positively if .............. Decker gets his, Weber doesn't spike himself, and the defense is passable.

Bang your head negatively if ............. Purdue eliminates turnovers, Danny Hope doesn't "interject" in the game, and Joey Elliott continues his conference-leading performance at QB.

Prediction: This is a game that Minnesota should win. If Minnesota executes and plays within itself, that should happen. This game is a critical get - in addition to Brewster's 0-7 record in rivalry games, he's 0-2 on Homecoming. Further, if the Gophers cannot win tomorrow, it would not be inconceivable that the Gophers' only remaining chance at victory is on November 14th against South Dakota State (yes, I do think Illinois > Purdue, but only just). For that reason, a victory tomorrow is way more critical than we may think to this team's season and ultimately, Tim Brewster's future. This is a game he simply has to win if he wants to take this team to play USC in 2011.

Minnesota 27 - Purdue 23.

3-2: The Recap

Rodger Sherman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:40:45 -0000

I've had about 24 hours to let NU's win yesterday marinate and whatnot, and now it's recap time.

Basically, it's impossible to feel anything but good after that win, just because it was so improbable. I mean, 24 unanswered points? I mean, look in the comments section of yesterday's post, and you can smell the despair in the comments in the early part of the game. The team that went down 21-3 was the same team we'd seen in the first four games, the one with major defensive issues.

There was a two-play sequence in the first quarter that featured arguably the worst defense I'd ever seen: on the first play, Ralph Bolden ran up the middle, and when he was tackled, seven yards later and about seven seconds later, he had done two spin moves, actually been touched by four defenders and passed within a one-yard radius of eight defenders. And none of those eight were the one that tackled him.

Then, the Aaron Valentin touchdown screen that saw Brad Phillips do his best impression of the guy that got sculpted out of the Heisman trophy and letting Valentin completely manhandle him, then he ran for 70 yards right after that.

But something clicked.

The defense we saw in the second quarter on wasn't just improved on this year's performances, it was legitimately as good as the unit we saw last year. They were hitting Ralph Bolden - hard, mind you - at the line of scrimmage and a little further. They were getting pressure on Joey Elliott and flushing him out of the pocket. And they were hitting the ballcarrier like mad, and of course, stripping him a lot of the time. They put the "forced" into "forced fumbles". This team, outside of maybe Demos' game-winner vs. EMU, hadn't really shown any sort of excitement in terms of sideline celebrating, but you could see, after every big hit, our defense was getting hype out there. It's kind of fun to watch, actually, especially when the mics picked up our guys celebrating on field because the Ross-Ade was so quiet at some points. The defense just got themselves together, and they won this ballgame - I mean, six turnovers, great field position, and of course, a game-winning goal-line stand which featured truly awesome pass coverage. This could actually be the unit we thought they might be, but then again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's hit some bulletpoints:

Not to nitpick after a huge win like that one yesterday, but our offense looked the worst they had all year. The defense was giving us the ball in opponent territory time after time, and we were turning it into field goals. First things first, I think we need to rethink our goal line playcalling. When we get close to the end zone, we need to make a choice: do we want to run a goal line set, or do we want to keep playing the spread the way we have for the previous 80 yards? Because what we're actually doing is keeping ourselves in a four-wide spread, and running the ball up the middle. Which doesn't work. I say we stick with what got us to the goal line and keep our wideouts spread and let Kafka do the work with his arm, with an occasional sprint up the gut, but keeping that offensive unit on the field and calling plays that are completely incompatible with those personnel is silly.
Also, when you're down two, and anywhere near field goal range: kick the field goal. Seriously.
Two people deserve an a-men today: Stefan Demos, who managed not to mess up once, which is really all you ask of a kicker, and even aided a turnover with the whole rugby punt thing, and also he was probably applying heavy amounts of grease to the ball considering we recovered two, almost three, fumbles off of his kicks. Also, Sherrick McManis, because that pick is one that can't get talked about enough. Watching the replay, it was truly an amazing play: down 21-3 and messing up a fourth-down conversion, we looked dead-to-rights, then, McManis stepped in. He made Smith look wiiiiiiiiiide open, baited Elliott into the throw, and just swooped in, and, hey, now we have ourselves a game.
It was good to see Mike Kafka use his feet a little on both designed plays and scrambles - I'd like to see more options and less shotgun delay runs up the middle that get stuffed for two yards. Passing downs are passing downs for a reason, sometimes. Anyway, the running game - both Kafka's, off options and whatnot, and just the running game in general - will vastly improve when we have our #1 running back back. Not that our guys in there now are playing bad, but we do need Simmons.
Thing that works: running back screens with great o-line blocking when the other team is blitzing. Thing that doesn't: screen to Zeke Markshausen, followed by no blocking from Andrew Brewer, (who was strangely absent yesterday.) I think we tried this play multiple times. (update: i take back my criticism of this play - it did yield a 15-yard third down conversion. in case you haven't noticed yet, i'm an idiot.) Other than that, and one inexcusable drop by Sidney Stewart, our wide receiver corps played well - Markshausen especially.
Mike Kafka has looked shaky at best on passes that have to travel more than 20 yards in the air. He missed Brewer and Dunsmore with steps on their receivers in the end zone, both were tough passes, but passes Kafka should be able to hit. He's been deadly accurate in the short game, but it's disconcerting to see him missing long balls week after week - he's had at least one misthrown shot down the field in every game except the Syracuse one.
Purdue didn't use Bizarro Andrew Brewer in the game, so we dodged a bullet with that one.
I was going to use a photo for this post, but it looks like the AP didn't even send a photographer to this game. Damn, AP, I expected better from you guys.
Trends: The Wildcats are 3-0 when I say they'll lose their mascot fight, 0-2 when I say they'll win, 3-0 when my name of the week choice is the name of the week, 0-2 when it isn't, and 1-0 when I get more than 100 comments in my game thread, 0-2 when I get less than 10. Just sayin'. I'm very important.
Oh, and you have to feel for Purdue people. Or at least get your schadenfreude on.
Anyway, I'm going to shut up. It was a phenomenal win, even if it was only Purdue, and, we might need to just sit back and enjoy it. So let's go ahead and do that.

Northwestern Preview

BoilerTMill — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:20 -0000

I am trying to decide which I should use cliché to begin this preview. Do I call it a must-win? A turning point game? Regardless, Purdue can still salvage this season and make a bowl game, but that task will become more difficult with a loss to the Wildcats. I don't think I am alone in thinking wins over Northwestern, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan State, and Indiana would not be major upsets. That five game stretch, like any five game stretch, looks quite daunting at the moment. If we take things one game at a time, however, I think we can pull it off and maybe even spring an upset of Ohio State, Michigan, or Wisconsin.

I get the feeling that this Purdue team needs just one positive thing to get one a bit of a roll. That positive can come with a win this week. Those that are comparing Danny Hope to Jim Colletto are jumping the gun. Danny hope understands that an offense is supposed to move the ball. Danny Hope understands that a tie is not as good as a win (not that we can have ties anymore). After four games I am willing to be patient because I have seen some very good signs. The most prominent sign is that this team has had fight in it when past teams would have folded each of the last three weeks. It has come down to execution and mental mistakes, which can be corrected. We will need to correct them against a team that is suffering from many of the same issues.

2008 Record: 9-4

2009 Record: 2-2 (0-1)

Bowl result: Lost to Missouri 30-23 OT in Alamo Bowl

Blog Representation: Lake the Posts, Sippin' on Purple

Series with Purdue: Purdue leads 49-26-1

Last Purdue win: 10/27/07 at Purdue 35-17

Last Northwestern win: 10/18/08 at Northwestern 48-26

Notable preview links so far: Sippin on Purple Name of the Week, Lake the Posts: Purdue Week Linkfest

Northwestern making a rare tackle against Minnesota.

This year so far for the Wildcats:

Except for a week 1 blowout over Towson, things have not been comfortable for Northwestern. There were signs of panic when it took a last second field goal to beat Eastern Michigan. They fought back from an early 17-0 deficit to lose on a last second field goal at Syracuse. Finally, they did what Big Ten bowl teams hope not to do, and that is lose a league game at home 35-24 to Minnesota.

Clearly, this is a team that is reeling a bit like us. LTP said the Eastern Michigan game felt like a loss even though it was a win. Everyone else in the conference is now looking at Northwestern and thinking W again. This is a perception the Wildcats have fought for decades. It appeared to be gone coming into this year, but other than next week's game against an awful Miami (OH) team, everyone in the league sees Northwestern as a win toward bowl hopes.

Northwestern offense:

The Wildcats' offensive numbers are skewed a bit after putting up 47 points and 485 yards against Towson in the opener. Those numbers, especially the rushing numbers are not indicative of what Northwestern has done in the three games hence. Northwestern gained 221 of its season rushing total of 522 yards. The passing game has been much more effective, churning out a little more than 250 yards per game.

I think a major reason that Northwestern has struggled somewhat is that they have gone away from quarterback Mike Kafka's strengths as a runner. Kafka is 96 of 133 as a passer for a very good 72% completion percentage. He has 1,049 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions on the year. The timing on those picks has been a bigger issue. A late interception set up Syracuse's winning field goal. Three of those five TD's came against Towson. As a running threat, Kafka has gained 102 yards, but has lost 95 on 10 sacks.

The 10 sacks is an issue we must take advantage of. The Wildcat offensive line has struggled mightily this year. Unfortunately, I question our ability to exploit this if we didn't attack a wounded quarterback last week. The line has to be considered a major disappointment based on what I wrote during my summer preview:

The main thing that will help Northwestern's offense with so few returning playmakers is its offensive line. Four starters come back from a line that gave up 18 sacks and paved the way for 1,800 yards rushing. It is a young line too, with just one senior. Desmond Taylor, Doug Bartels, Al Netter, and Ben Burkett all return to a line that has every projected starter under 300 pounds. That is very rare in the Big Ten, but it is helpful to Northwestern's hurry-up style of offense. They are a group more inclined to be athletic and quick rather than giant road-grinders. They really only need to give Kafka enough time to throw and holes to run through.

The Northwestern running game does not have one featured back we need to key on. Instead, we will see Stephen Simmons (150 yards, 2 TD's), Jacob Schmidt (128-1), and Arby Fields (120-3). Northwestern's longest run from scrimmage is a mere 25 yards, so there has not been a huge big play threat. ED Note: Simmons is now out according to Sippin' on Purple and has been out the last two weeks.

Much like last year, Northwestern will look to spread the ball around to multiple receivers. Zeke Markshausen (19 catches, 224 yards, 0 TD's) leads in receptions while Andrew Brewer (15-280-3) leads in yards and scores. Brewer has also thrown a 24 yard TD pass against Syracuse, so he is the Keith Smith of their offense. He is a big play threat with a 72 yard scoring reception against Towson. Drake Dunsmore (17-190-1) and Demetrius Fields (16-137-1) are solid possession receivers. We shouldn't have to guard as much against the big play as much as in past weeks. Brewer's 72 yard play against Towson in the offense's only play that has gone for more than 30 yards all year.

Northwestern defense:

If you are looking for a unit that was supposed to be a strength but has so far disappointed, especially in the fourth quarter, you don't need to look at our own defense anymore. The Wildcat D has given up 24 points in each of the first three quarters so far, but has surrendered 38 points when the game is on the line in the final period. The numbers are even worse when you consider they shut out Towson in the final quarter. Against Minnesota, the Wildcats led 24-21 going into the 4^th quarter, but gave up two touchdowns in the last nine minutes.

Northwestern has had a decent pass rush, collecting 8 sacks even though pass-rushing specialist Corey Wootton has been limited to 6 tackles and no sacks. The eight sacks have also come from eight different players, so they do like to mix it up on the pass rush.

Linebacker Ben Johnson has been the most versatile player on the defense so far. At 6'4" and 220 pounds he has good size for a linebacker. He also has 14 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery, and 70 yard interception return for a touchdown. Fellow linebacker Quentin Davie leads the team with 30 tackles.

Joey Elliott will have to continue to watch his interceptions, as the Wildcats have six team interceptions from six different players. Safety Brad Phillips (24 tackles) has a pick and a sack to go with his tackling expertise. Fellow safety Brendan Smith (29 tackles) is also decent in pass coverage. Still, it is not a good sign when your two safeties are among the top three in tackles.

Northwestern's run defense has given up 132 yards per game. Minnesota's Duane Bennett had 89 yards and three scores last week, so Ralph Bolden should find some holes to run through. Northwestern is also giving up two rushing touchdowns per game. Thanks to Maize N' Brew's excellent work, we know that No one in the Big Ten has given up more touchdowns than Purdue and Northwestern.

Northwestern Special Teams:

Stefan Demos may be one of the worst punters in the nation statistically with an average of 36.9 per kick. While he doesn't have a huge leg, this can present problems for us. That means the coverage can get down field faster and recover any punts we might drop. Aaron Valentin might have an area to exploit here if he can hold on to the ball since teams are averaging 7.3 yards per return against Northwestern. The kickoff coverage is not much better, giving up 21.6 yards per return.

Northwestern's return game has not been much of a threat. Simmons is averaging 23.8 yards per return, while Brendan Smith averages 4.6 yards per punt return. The kicking game has been hard to judge as Demos has been pulling double duty. He is 4 for 4 on field goals with a long of 49 yards, but he has missed an extra point.

Intangibles:

This is a team that is almost a mirror image of our own. They have an experienced but underachieving defense. They have an offense led by a senior at quarterback that has waited for his turn behind a more experienced player before finally getting his full shot. They have talented running backs and receivers, but they are also young players. Both teams are also lacking confidence because of an inability to finish games. As a result, both teams could be 4-0 right now, but have only themselves to blame.

This game will come down to which team gets over its issues first. Both teams need it. If Purdue wins, it will revive bowl hopes and make fans feel like a reset button has been pushed. Yes we're 1-3, but a 1-0 conference record is just as good as anyone else's 1-0 conference record. A Northwestern win revives their own bowl hopes and allows them to build a bit of a run before a brutal conference schedule.

Keys for Purdue:

Run until they prove they can stop the run
Limit turnovers and mistakes in the passing game
Take advantage of their shaky offensive line
Improve time of possession
Imrpove group coverage on multiple receiving targets.

Oregon 38, Purdue 36

BoilerTMill — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:44:33 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Moments like this one will be in our future more often.

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I went with that for the title because I am unsure what to think after last night's contest. There are really two ways to think about it. As the cynical Purdue fan, you can view it as another missed opportunity. We outplayed another team in nearly every phase of the game, yet we still lost because of our own mistakes. It was "Same Old Purdue" as we beat ourselves.

On the other hand though, we recovered from each of those mistakes and did not roll over and die. I get the feeling that some of our more recent teams, after both defensive touchdowns, would have rolled up and gotten blown out as expected. Instead, we recovered and got ourselves right back in the game. It is frustrating to hand a good team like Oregon 17 points in their house, but we did not let that 17 points snowball into 45, as we easily could have. Every time Oregon looked like they might start putting us away, we answered.

Ultimately, my feelings on this game will be decided with how the rest of the season goes. We have to recover and beat Northern Illinois convincingly now. Yes, they are a good team, but they were still a 6-6 MAC team last year. If Indiana can be 2-0 right now we have to win games like that. Then the Irish come to town. We cannot get rolled in that game whatsoever. Old Purdue goes out and gets steamrolled by them like we did in 2005 after the stomach punch loss in Minnesota. If we're truly turning a corner, we beat the Irish at home and shock everyone.

Positives from the Oregon game:

Ralph Bolden - With Ralph's play so far, we haven't needed the depth we have at running back yet. Halliburton and Dierking have been used mostly in blocking roles. Taylor is performing well in spelling him. ATM hasn't seen the field yet and may now redshirt, but this is Bolden's show now. He erased any doubt that his performance was a MAC-induced fluke against Toledo. Much of his success needs to go to our O-line and to Jared Crank for freeing him to run. Bolden, however, is an absolute talent at running back.

Jared Crank - As mentioned above, Crank does a lot of the dirty work out in front, but he does it well. He had a huge block that freed Bolden for his one yard TD run in the second half. Crank had a very nice 14 yard carry too, showing unexpected quickness. I like giving him the ball a few times per game just to keep defenses honest. They have to think he is an offensive weapon as well.

Keith Smith - Right now, Keith Smith is an All-Big Ten level wide receiver. His tendency to get yards after contact remind me of Dustin Keller, giving us the physical presence we need in a pass catcher. Since Valentin, Cortez Smith, and Keith Carlos each stepped up last night too we can use Keith Smith in a variety of ways. His TD pass may have had more zip than any of Elliott's passes as well.

Aaron Valentin - Valentin had a very underrated game. He made some very tough catches for us, especially on the final drive that nearly tied it. My only knock on him is the way he carries the football. I have seen him with the ball too far from his body in these first two games and that is eventually going to lead to a fumble if he is not careful.

Offensive line - Once again, they opened holes in the running game and gave Elliott time to throw. I think Oregon got to Elliott for just one sack. Pressure did cause a few bad through, but Elliott had some nifty footwork to get out of it. I would to continue seeing us use our line to control the pace of some games by grinding out yards on the ground.

Joey Elliott - I'm going to overlook the two awful picks and the bad snap for a moment. To me, Joey evened his play out with some very good throws and some nifty footwork. So far, he has shown the ability to step out of some plays where Painter would have been sacked. He showed a ton of poise in a tough road environment too. Those that are calling for him to be benched in favored of TerBush or Henry are a little hasty. I think this is a year where we are going to have to take the good with the bad from Elliott. He gives us a lot of good with his poise and calm under fire, but we are going to have a few moments like those picks. Last night, those moments were the difference in the ball game. In other games, they won't be as magnified. He could have easily folded after every mistake last night. Instead, he saved his best play for the tying drive. I only wish he would have thrown underneath or pump faked and ran on the two-point conversion. Ultimately, he is our best chance at having a successful season this year, and we are going to have to hope he can get past the mistakes. The two fourth quarter TD drives shows that he can do that. They are simple things too. A Brees-esque pump fake (with plenty of time to throw) on the pick-six means that Thurmond bites and Smith is running open up the sideline for a fade.

The defense - First off, only 21 of the 38 points given up were really on them. In fact, they gave us four back by holding them to a field goal after the first pick. The other fumble just after halftime gave us seven back as well, so that helped even out the 17 the offense gave up some. We got our first sack of the year and really only looked bad when Oregon finally started running its offense well. That will make any team look bad. The pass defense was much improved. The run defense didn't get totally annihilated like some expected. All told, the defense kept this game very close for us. Event he tackling was better. It wasn't great, but it was better. This is also coming against an Oregon team that is very shifty and has enough moves to make most people miss.

Unfortunately, the worst time to falter came on Oregon's final touchdown. They had 3^rd and long and we needed to just get a stop and force a field goal. Instead, we give up a long TD run and that was the difference. We cannot give up runs like that, even though Oregon executed the play very well. Holding them to a field goal there results in a win even with all our mistakes.

Negatives from the Oregon game:

17 points given up on turnovers - As I said, we got seven back, but this cannot happen against the other good teams we play. The fumble six was just an unfortunate bad snap that took a horrible bounce for us. The other two were plainly on Elliott, however. I am sick this morning because we win this game easily without giving up 17 points on offense.

Special Teams - I am not Catholic, but I have started crossing myself every time we kick off. The low extra point that was blocked will also haunt us now.

Up Next:

Really, the 17 points given up is the only glaring negative. I mean come on. That doesn't happen and we have a convincing road win. This is in an environment where everyone expected us to get blown out even after last week's performance. Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Minnesota all played unnecessarily close game against opponents they probably should have throttled. They all were at home too. We went on the road against one of the better teams in the country and should have won. That tells me if we can fix those fixable mistakes we can be a very good football team.

It is truly up to us now. We cannot afford a slip up at home against a pretty good Northern Illinois team. After that, we get a shot at redemption when we play Notre Dame. Again, no one will give us a chance in that game. If we play like I know we can play though, we just might have a surprise in store for our visitors from South Bend.

The challenge is clearly on us, however. We will have a lot more to say about the ultimate outcome of this season than everyone else thought because we will be in nearly every game. It is time for us to respond.