SB Nation - Chris Summers

Wrapping up the 2009 Season

BoilerTMill — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:04:41 -0000

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope everyone out there has a safe and happy holiday. The posting will likely be scaled back slightly over the next few weeks before Christmas. The recent temp job I accepted is going to need me for some extra hours so that will cut into some of my writing time. I do have press access for the Wake Forest game next week, however, so that should be fun. If anyone finds any worthwhile news during the day feel free to post it via fanshot and I'll get it to the front page as soon as I can. Also, if you feel like doing a post of your own you can do it via Fanpost on the right. I haven't pushed these features too much in the past, but they are great ways to expand the community here. Now on with the football wrap up.

I am not quite sure what to think about this. When seeing some preseason predictions of 2-10, 1-11, 3-9 with maybe a pair of Big Ten wins, the 2009 Purdue football season looks pretty good. When you actually sat down and watched all 12 games, as I did (minus Northwestern) it is hard not to think that 10-2 was possible. That leaves me with mixed feelings. We were much better than advertised, but not as good as we could have been. Ultimately, 5-7 is probably about right based on the amount of inexperience we had on offense. Even then, those players overachieved.

That is what makes this season wrap up so hard. How do I put it in proper perspective? I guess we can look at each game individually.

Toledo W 52-31

This was the only game that one of the guys over at the Rivalry, Esq. Gave us coming into the season. It was with good reason too, as the Boilers were never seriously threatened and Ralph Bolden had a field day. The only major concern was poor tackling and poor coverage over the middle against Toledo's short drop passing attack. The tackling would be hit or miss all year long. Joey Elliott threw three interceptions, but two were tipped balls as we had the foreshadowing of turnovers. All told it was a good opener. We were in control throughout and never let Toledo get within two scores.

At Oregon L 36-38

And you thought the Ducks visit to Ross-Ade was letting one get away. Essentially, we handed Oregon 19 points in their home stadium. I called this as an upset Purdue win while everyone else predicted blowout and I was damn near right. We had a Duck team that would go on to steamroll USC beaten in their own house. An early interception deep in our own territory led to a field goal. Oregon later returned an interception and a bad snap for a score. We also had an extra point blocked, forcing us into a failed two point conversion attempt in the final minute. Still, this team didn't die when giving them those 19 points. We earned the respect of Oregon fans everyone, as they knew they were lucky to escape this one with a win. I know the guys over at Addicted to Quack have been big fans of Purdue all season because of this game. Unfortunately, "We had it," would become a theme for the season.

Northern Illinois L 21-28

Just an ugly game. If we played them 12 more times I would absolutely pick us 12 times. We had zero business losing this game and we know it, especially when Toledo would later beat Northern Illinois. Purdue got outclassed and outplayed in every phase, yet NIU still needed a late fake punt to hold us off. I am fully confident that we would have scored to tie if they had actually punted there. We should have never been in that position in the first place. Two fumbled punts and a penalty for roughing the kicker only allowed seven points, but they allowed NIU to dominate the time of possession. The offense never got on track until late in the third quarter. I said before the season that if we lost this game we had no business going to a bowl and I was right. It is the difference between a bowl and nothing right now. If we played this game today we win by three touchdowns, easy.

Notre Dame L 21-24

Another missed opportunity. After Jaycen Taylor gave us a late 21-17 lead we let Notre Dame drive down the field, converting a 3^rd and long and a 4^th and goal. The timeout called by Danny Hope before a late 3^rd and goal is unforgiveable. Even if they don't spike it they are running plays in the hurry-up. That means they are less likely to convert. I'll give Jimmy Montana credit though. His winning TD pass to Kyle Rudolph was a good one.

Northwestern L 21-27

This is the second worst game next to the Northern Illinois debacle. If we simply take a knee deep in our own territory late in the first half we save 13 points and three turnovers. Even with the mistakes we had a chance t win late but a pair of incompletions inside the 10 cost us the game. I am glad I was in Miami for this one. I thought ESPN's gametracker was stuck on repeat with all the fumbles. At least Northwestern had quite a season after this one.

At Minnesota L 20-35

This game was almost as bad as the Oregon game. Minnesota's offense was horrible all year, agaisnt us they barely tried to pass. One big pass completed to Eric Decker set up a game changing touchdown. From there the floodgates opened with more turnovers. This was capped by a backbreaking blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. It was almost identical to the figgie Chris Summers had blocked in 2007, only Minnesota actually held on to the ball for a score. This is yet another game I wih we could have back. If we could replay every loss I would predict wins in this order, from most likely to least likely:

Northern Illinois
Minnesota
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Michigan State
Oregon
Wisconsin

And of those, the only one I am sure we would lose is Wisconsin. I might pick Oregon, given how hot they can be. In the other five I would pick us right now.

Ohio State W 26-18

Quite simply, this is the biggest win the program has had in nine years since beating the Buckeyes in 2000. This was a better Ohio State team, but that win essentially sent us to the Rose Bowl, so it is bigger. Considering that three of our four Big Ten losses easily could have been wins, This could have sent us to the Rose Bowl as well, giving us a rematch with Oregon. With the way Ohio State has finished the season I am still shocked by this win. Without it, they would still be on a record Big Ten road winning streak. They would also be hoping for a miracle in the last two weeks for an outside shot at the national title. It was one of the most memorable games in Ross-Ade Stadium because it was completely unexpected. It also proved another preseason prediction of mine true: that we would end the losing streak against ranked teams. Ohio State was the only team that was ranked at the time we played them. Compare that to last year, where Oregon, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan State, and Iowa were all ranked at game time. If we win a conference championship in the next three years it will be because of this game.

Again, one of the happiest moments ever at Ross-Ade

Illinois W 24-14

This was kind of a boring game in retrospect. Everyone was still buzzing about the OSU upset. Illinois was awful before looking like a real football team the following two weeks. I would call this game the most dull of the season. We built a big lead and sat on it. That's what good teams do. It was nice not to have to hang on until the final seconds in a Big Ten win too.

Wisconsin L 0-37

Wisconsin Jumped Around all over us...

Did we show up in Madison? This was the worst game only surpassed by the NIU debacle. Yes, we were physically dominated in both games. At least you can expect it with Wisconsin. The Badgers played essentially a perfect game and we did not. There were absolutely no positives from this game, which made the next one that much more surprising.

Michigan W 38-36

Boiled Sports called the Ohio State game a sharpie loss. They were wrong. I called this a sharpie loss. I was wrong. The game will mostly be remembered for the simmering Danny Hope-Rich Rodriguez fued at the end, but I will remember it as HOLY CRAP WE JUST WON IN ANN ARBOR!!!! I don't care that it was over the first Michigan team to finish last in the Big Ten in over 45 years. Knowing our history since 1966 I thought we had no chance. It was stunning because we kept making big play after big play. We overcame yet another 14 point deficit to the Wolverines, and now we have a two game winning streak in a series where we have just 14 wins total. An alert reader is sending me a DVD copy of this game. They are awesome for that.

Michigan State L 37-40

This is the game where our bowl hopes officially died. It is probably about four games later than most people expected them to die. The play they died on was Michigan State's long TD pass after we had gone up 11. If the defense can force even a long scoring drive there the game is pretty secure. Instead, we gave up a long TD, had a figgie blocked, gave up another TD, got a figgie to tie, then promptly gave it back with a long kickoff return. This doesn't even account for the fact that we gave them seven points on the game's first play. It's a tough loss, but we had plenty of chances to make sure this one didn't matter in terms of getting to a bowl.

Indiana W 38-21

An important win because we shared the same record with IU coming in for the second straight year, but dominated the game. We showed that despite similar records, there is still a gap between Indiana and Purdue. It is now up to us to make sure it gets larger and not smaller.

There are tons of positives coming out of this year. We finished at .500 in the league after two straight seasons below. We were 4-2 in the last six games after being 1-5 in the previous six. We won a road game for the first time since 2007, and now have a two game road winning streak. We beat a ranked team for the first time since 2003. the next step is combining the two and beating a ranked team on the road. That is something we haven't done since winning at Wisconsin in 2003, and something we didn't do much under Tiller.

Offensively, we lose our quarterback, but we gain an experienced one in Robert Marve. If you go strictly by recruiting rankings, we can line up four star talent next year at guard (Ken Plue), running back (Al-Terek McBurse), receiver (O.J. Ross), Tight End (Jeff Lindsay, though he was a 4-star linebacker), and quarterback (Marve). Defensively we have to replace the entire secondary, but Josh Johnson, Chris Quinn, and Charlton Williams all have some playing experience. I think there is a certain guard on the basketball team that might be interested in a one year gridiron curtain call. At the very least, Kramer could provide much needed depth. It is safe to say he would be a fan favorite as well.

Just to show I am completely delusional, I think a 6-0 start next year is entirely possible. It is possible, maybe even likely, that Charlie Weis will be gone and Jimmy Montana and Golden Tate will both go pro. That evens the playing field in the season opener quite a bit. We have no excuse whatsoever for losing to Ball State, Western Illinois, and Toledo in the non-conference season. In conference play I believe we can beat Minnesota, Northwestern (our first two Big Ten games), Michigan (ignore this if they field a defense next year), and Indiana. Three of those games are at home, so they need to be wins (a sidebar, it absolutely sucks we beat the league champ, but still went 3-4 at Ross-Ade. WTF?). That leaves Ohio State (tough at home), Wisconsin (They tend to dominate us physically), Michigan State (toss-up road game), and Illinois (a wild card with their sheer talent) as tricky games. Notice three of those four are on the road. Michigan State should be better, while no one know what to expect from Illinois anymore. The Illini could just as easily win the entire Big Ten as they could finish dead last.

So what should we expect? In a down Big Ten everyone is looking to improve. I think we showed the most improvement over anyone as the season went along. If we keep it going into next year, I expect at least an 8 win season. We will return to a bowl unless we crap the bed in one of those three easy non-conference games. With a few breaks we might even challenge for the Big Ten title.

Yes, I have lost my mind.

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.

Purdue beats Michigan in Ann Arbor. Oceans Rise. Cities fall. Hell freezes over.

BoilerTMill — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:17:47 -0000

More photos » by Bill Fundaro - AP

about 1 month ago: Purdue wide receiver Aaron Valentin, left, celebrates with head coach Danny Hope, center, after an NCAA college football game against Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Purdue won 38-36, the first time at Michigan since 1966. (AP Photo/Bill Fundaro)

Browse more photos »

A frosty Sam Adams Octoberfest Ale is sitting on my desk as I write this. It is tasting pretty sweet after one of the best days of the college football season. Consider the following:

Indiana continued its fall from an almost certain bowl, losing 31-28 to Wisconsin to drop to 4-6.
My wife's Hurricanes rolled at home against Virginia 52-17.
Navy gets its second win in two years, both at Notre Dame Stadium, beating the Irish 23-21. That makes Jimmy Montana 1-2 against the vaunted Midshipmen after his predecessors were 43-0. So how is that Heisman campaign, Jimmy? The six BCS conferences (and maybe TCU and Boise State) now have $14 million reasons to thank Navy.
Finally, you have the crown jewel of the day. Purdue goes and wins at Michigan Stadium for the first time in 43 years. They also beat Ohio State and Michigan in the same season for just the third time ever.

So many streaks ended today. An 11 game road losing streak, tied for the longest active streak in the nation with Utah State, is done. The 17 game losing streak in Ann arbor is done. Ralph Bolden's streak of being held down is done. While I am not happy with Hope's actions after the game, there are so many positives to take from this game.

Finally, we responded to adversity in Ann Arbor.

Finally, the defense held in a critical road game.

Finally, we beat Michigan at Michigan.

Positives from today's game:

Cortez Smith - I wanted to begin by talking Cortez' play from the start. Here is a guy that hadn't been given much of an opportunity all year. He had just 30 yards receiving before today. He earned his reps in practice though by being able to catch the football after so many drops last week. His four catches then were absolutely huge. He had a big first down on the opening drive that set up a score. He had another first down catch on the touchdown drive before the onside kick. He then caught probably the first deep ball of the season to give us the lead for good. Here is a guy that hadn't done much all season, but when called upon today he responded.

Brandon King - He made the play of the day. When he batted down the option pitch and recovered that big fumble just after halftime it turned the game entirely in our favor. He almost picked it up and scored himself. Just a huge play.

Gary Nord and Danny Hope - In a word, Stones. Twice they went for the jugular after a turnover (Bolden's run after the fumble and the Cortez Smith TD). The onside kick was a thing of genius. It was a high risk, but we caught the Wolverines with their pants down, then made them pay.

Joey Elliott - Elliott joins the list of Drew Brees and Jim Everett on the list of Purdue quarterbacks that have beaten Ohio State and Michigan in the same season. Elliott also added to the degree of difficulty by grabbing one of the two on the road. Everett beat both at Ross-Ade in 1984, while Brees did the same in 2000. He did it today by throwing for a career high in yardage and having really just one bad throw (the first INT). Imagine how much better things would have been without the drops. This will be the only season we have Joey as a starter and it is a shame. He is definitely worthy of being in the Cradle of Quarterbacks. It is even better because he picked himself up after such a bad outing last week. This is not even talking about his running ability. Elliott has that presence of knowing when to tuck and run the ball. That is what we need in a QB.

Ralph Bolden - The countdown toward a thousand yard season is back on. I felt that Ralph was thinking too much last week. It seems like he has been trying to make an extra move of late instead of attacking. Today he attacked and kept our offense two dimensional. Both touchdown rushes were runs in which he attacked, but was patient behind his blockers. The TD catch was on a similar play to Jaycen Taylor's TD against Notre Dame, so that is a deadly play.

Ryan Kerrigan - He made maybe the play of the year on the 2-point conversion sack. If we make a bowl game it is because Ryan Kerrigan owned Ohio State and Michigan. Please pass on what you have learned so you can keep the Den of Defensive Ends going.

Jeff Lindsay and Kyle Adams - The tight ends need a hearty butt touch today. Adams' had a drop that turned into an INT, but for the most part both of these guys had their best games of the season. They kept drives going and Lindsay's big catch and run set up the final score.

The officials - Thank you for getting the call on the forward lateral right. That is why you are good officials. You screwed the pooch by calling a penalty on the 45 yard line for tripping that cost us a fumble recovery on a punt, but you made the right call at the end of the game. It let us kill more clock and stopped me from breaking my TV.

Chris Summers - The kid has been maligned all year, but he had several good punts today (even if the coverage was bad on the second to last one). His rugby style punt was huge in the end game. Chris needs some credit. I know he hasn't been the best all the time, but he has had his moments. We have to learn to take the good with the bad. Today Chris was very good. He even handled kicking out of the end zone well.

The defense - in terms of hidden plays, their effort before Michigan's final TD was huge. Michigan began on the 11 yard line, yet the defense made the Wolverines take five plays (and precious time) off the clock to score. They weren't the best all day, but that was a hidden play that ended up being very big.

Jason Olesnavage - Thank you for missing that extra point, making Michigan go for 2 late. It was almost an exact reverse of the Oregon game.

Negatives from today's game:

Danny Hope - There are already camps forming in terms of opinion on his behavior after the game. Please put me in the negative camp. Michigan is always going to out-recruit us. They are MICHIGAN. They have been the class of the Big Ten for a century or so. Please don't do anything to piss them off. This is one of the most petty arguments in the history of coaching. Reckman was rightfully suspended for his incident, so what does it matter that another coach pointed it out. Just do the handshake and get off the field. Don't say something petty that will only piss off the other team.

The first half defense - This game was a lot like the 2000 game against Michigan in that we showed no interest in stopping them in the first half, but played a virtually lights out second half. We also made Michigan pay for a big turnover. Unfortunately, poor tackling made this game a lot more heart-wrenching than it should have been.

Roy Roundtree - Well, we're this guy's bitch for three more years.

Up next:

The Michigan State game has meaning. A win there means we are playing IU to keep the bucket and go to an unexpected bowl. If the Hoosiers upset Penn State in Happy Valley it becomes a bowl play-in game. Winner goes, loser stays home.

Fans, if you live within 3 hours of West Lafayette and have nothing to do next Saturday, please come to Ross-Ade Stadium. Give these seniors and this team a great home crowd for the final game of the season. Come and be loud. Come and act like fools for three and a half hours. Come and just stand there wearing gold and black. Just come and support this team in what could be one of the biggest home games in years.

This team is not going to win the national championship. In fact, any bowl game we qualify for will get a standard highlight package on ESPN, then be forgotten. If it does make a bowl, especially after such a poor start, it lays the foundation for a huge step forward for the entire program. This is like the 2007 basketball team breaking through and getting an NCAA berth behind David Teague and Carl Landry. They didn't win the title, but they set the stage for the future.

I have come to love this team. They haven't had the most talent. They haven't performed the best at times, but they have played their hearts out all season long. Think about it. They could have folded at 1-5 with #7 Ohio State coming to town. Instead, we still have something to play for with two games left. This team has the biggest heart of any Purdue team in recent years, and that is why I love them. I will miss the seniors, as they are instilling a never quit attitude in the underclassmen that will pay huge dividends.

This team deserves your support next week. You can sit in the South End Zone for $22. You can get four regular seats for $100. That is a $21 discount off of the regular price if you're in the main seating bowl. Find three friends and come to the game. Come send them off right at home. They have fought all season long, so now let's fight for them by turning Ross-Ade into a true home field advantage.

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.

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

Welcome to the Fold: Cody Webster

BoilerTMill — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:39:20 -0000

Punters do not generate a lot of excitement. Most are only known for two reasons: 1. They do their job exceptionally well (like Travis Dorsch) or 2. They screw up royally and draw the ire of the fan base. Our current punter, Chris Summers, is unfortunately closer to the second category, but he has still done an admirable job. For a former walk-on (majoring in engineering, no less, so he does have a hefty class load) he has done everything we have asked of him. He has a bowl-winning kick on his resume, and his 41.4 yards per kick average is still an improvement over last year.

I mention this because Chris will be gone next year, and it appears we inked his replacement today in Cody Webster. Webster is a 6'2", 180 pound punter from Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg, PA. This may sound familiar to those that have read my regular scouting reports on the incoming recruits. Wide receiver Jeremy Cornelius and his Bishop McDevitt team played Central Dauphin East on September 18^th. It can also be confusing, as there is a Central Dauphin and Lower Dauphin on Bishop McDevitt's schedule as well as Central Dauphin East.

As is expected with most kicking recruits, he is currently unrated by both Scout and Rivals. His Rivals profile does have video. Central Dauphin East is currently 0-5 on the season, so he has had plenty of practice at punting. The Panthers are giving up more than 55 points per game and are scoring less than 20.

Cody also has some highlights on YouTube. This clip is particularly impressive, as the snap goes over his head, yet he recovers in time to get a hell of a punt off from over 30 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

What a play, by a punter!

I like this because it shows he is both athletic and has a cool head under pressure. He reminds me a little bit like Miami's studly punter Matt Bosher. Bosher handles both punts and placekicks and has set records for weightlifting at his position. He is not afraid to hit guys if he has to make a tackle.

Webster plays a little bit of wide receiver on his team, and I have also found that he plays some basketball. This follows the trend, even at punter, of Danny Hope going out and getting athletes. He does not limit himself to one specialty, which is good. You never know when that athleticism will be needed on a fake punt, a botched snap, or a botched hold on a place kick. Sure, we don't call on it all the time, but it is nice to know it is there.

I leave you tonight with a more complete highlight reel. He can handle placekicking as well. Wiggs appears to have that job locked up for the next two seasons, but it is nice to have a plan B in reserve just in case.

A look at the depth chart

BoilerTMill — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:39:18 -0000

With a little more than a week to go we have a good idea of how the depth chart will be when we kick off against Toledo in nine days. Honestly, there haven't been many surprises. We know some of the freshmen have been doing well, but we will truly have no idea until we take the field against Toledo. In the meantime, this is what the current depth chart looks like:

I have Delusions of grandeur for this team, but those are the best delusions to have. This handy poster also works for Notre Dame's National title hopes.

Quarterbacks:

1. Joey Elliott, Sr. (5)

2. Caleb TerBush, Fr. (RS)

There is no real surprise here, although the rhetoric from coach Hope is that Elliott will now be the primary guy and TerBush will only play mop up duty. This is a change from before camp, when it was thought there might be a platoon system. I like this. I would much rather settle on one guy and go with him rather than constantly rotate guys. I am sure Robert Marve would have something to say about that too. Rob Henry also seems to have emerged as the third string guy if needed. I think he will play only if necessary early in the year, but we may eventually reach a point where he will redshirt if he hasn't played at all. that would leave us with 5th year senior Chris Bennett as the #3 guy. If that is the case, expect a major battle for the starting job next year.

Running backs:

1. Ralph Bolden, So.

2. Jaycen Taylor, Sr. (5)

This position is very interesting, as Bolden seems to be hanging on to the number 1 spot. It may be semantics, as we know that Taylor will play plenty. The big mover seems to have been Frank Halliburton. Halliburton gives us a bigger option back there, and I would not be averse to some two running back sets. Dan Dierking will also see some time. The most interesting question will be Al-Terek McBurse. In Tuesday's practice report McBurse was not mentioned as one of the true freshmen likely to play this year. This may be our deepest position on the field right now. McBurse may be getting squeezed by the number of experienced backs in front of him. I doubt he will redshirt, but you never know.

Wide receivers:

1. Royce Adams, Sr.; Keith Smith, Jr.; Aaron Valentin, Sr.

2. Keith Carlos, Jr.; Gary Bush, Fr.; Antavian Edison, Fr.

This is an interesting dichotomy of experience vs. youth. Smith and Valentin are by far the most experienced players, so it is no surprise they are starters. Adams is a transfer from the defense, but has been here for three years. At least with Adams we have the option of switching him back to defense if depth becomes an issue. Edison has drawn rave reviews since camp opened, so I expect him to see the field a lot. Bush and Carlos were slightly late bloomers, but they have separated themselves from the other freshmen and from others like Waynelle Gravesande that have been here awhile. Everything I hear about Carlos is that he is electric with the ball in his hands, but he has a tendency have the drops at times. I would still prefer to have Smith as an outside receiver since he gives us the most size by far.

Tight ends:

1. Kyle Adams, Jr.

2. Jeff Lindsay, Jr.

I think Adams was missed greatly last year. We did not have a consistent safety valve at tight end like we did with Dustin Keller and our offense suffered for it. Adams and Lindsay should pick up that slack. If they can produce on the level of Tim Stratton, Charles Davis, and Keller I will be very happy. Colton McKey is also expected to contribute once his knee is better. Lindsay may be used as a bit of an H-back and is a great blocker.

Offensive Line:

1. Tackles: Dennis Kelly, So.; Zach Jones, Sr.; Guards: Ken Plue, So.; Zach Reckman, Sr.; Center: Jared Zwilling, Sr.

2. Tackles: Ryan Prater, Jr; Peters Drey, Fr. (RS); Guards: Rick Schmeig, Fr. (RS); Justin Pierce, Jr.; Center: Andrew Brewer, Fr.

I think this is where we will see the most improvement this year. If you think about it, we never had any consistency last season along the offensive line. We didn't even have it in spring practice. Injuries prevented that from happening all year. That will pay dividends this year as we have had consistency and plenty of guys have experience. All five starters were starters at some point last season. Prater and Pierce also got some experience, so there is a little bit of depth as well. I like that Drey, Schmeig, and Brewer are freshmen that could be anchors of the line in 2010 or 2011. This is how you improve the team in a hurry. Plue gives us a true road grader to generate tough yards on the ground. By necessity, we will likely run the ball more this year. As long as the line lets us run more I really don't care. I think it will be a benefit in the long run.

I pray our current offensive line does not replicate this picture.

Defensive Ends:

1. Ryan Kerrigan, Jr.; Gerald Gooden, So.

2. Robert Maci, Fr. (RS); Nickaro Golding, So.

I think it is more important for Gooden to have a good year than Kerrigan. Kerrigan is the known commodity. If Gooden can generate a pass rush on his own it will prevent teams from double teaming Kerrigan. Improved play from our defensive tackles is also critical. Among the backups, I am most disappointed in Keyon Brown. He had a fantastic bowl game against Central Michigan, but has done nothing since. As a senior, he got beat out by the redshirt freshman Maci on the two deeps. Golding should be an interesting addition. Kevin Pamphile has shown a ton of promise so far, but since this is just his second year playing football he will probably still redshirt unless he goes completely nuts in practice.

Defensive Tackles:

1. Mike Neal, Sr (5); Kawann Short, Fr. (RS)

2. Adam Brockman, So.; Nick Mondek, So.

Mondek and Short are in a battle for the other tackle spot opposite Neal, but in the end the whole team will win. Both players are going to play this year in a rotation, which will also keep Neal fresh. Neal is supposed to be one of the best tackles in the league, while Short was named to CFN's all-redshirt freshman team this summer. This is not a bad thing, considering how bad our run defense up the middle has been. Right now, we have a total of six guys that we can rotate in and out along the line. I fail to see how this is a bad thing.

Linebackers

1. Jason Werner Sr. (5); Joe Holland, So.; Chris Carlino, So.

2. Antwon Higgs, Fr.; DeVarro Greaves, So.; Dwayne Beckford, Fr.

Depth Depth Depth! We actually have depth at the linebacker position. Beckford and Higgs would have been starting in years past as true freshmen. Instead, they are promising guys that will play, but won't be counted on to be fantastic early with no one behind them. Werner, Holland, and Carlino could all be back next year if Werner applies for a 6^th year of eligibility due to his past injuries. Let's just wrap Werner in bubble wrap now before the opener please. We actually have enough depth to consider some 4-4 sets when facing good running games. This group has to stop the run, especially against teams that can't run like Notre Dame and Indiana. Too often we have been gashed not only by good running teams, but awful ones like Notre Dame's. If this group along with the experienced defensive line cannot stop the run we will not win many games this year. If they do stop the run, our defense alone is good enough to win five or six games.

Defensive Backs

1. Corners: Brandon King, Sr; David Pender, Sr.; Safeties: Torri Williams, Sr. (6); Dwight McLean, Sr.

2. Corners: Josh Johnson, Fr.; Charlton Williams, So.; Safties: Albert Evans, So.; Josh McKinley, Jr.

At first I was very concerned about depth here. All through the summer we heard about how we had our entire secondary back that was the number one pass defense in the conference last year. Then, in camp, we hear about them being gassed all the time and hurt. With no real depth behind them alarms began ringing in my head. Fortunately, some depth has come along. McKinley and Williams have seen the field, just not much last year. Johnson seems to be one of the biggest surprises among the true freshmen. Evans is an interesting commodity that was still recovering from a knee injury much of last year. E.J. Johnson could make an impact next year as a true freshman with McKinley and Evans.

Among the starters, It is fantastic we have so many starts returning with Pender and King. We need those two to produce more interceptions. McLean has the look of a guy that likes to hit people, hard. He is expected to make a big leap after being a littler overmatched last year. He could be the stereotypical guy that makes a big jump from year one to year two out of JuCo. Torri Williams needs to just stay out of trouble off the field. In what I hope is some karmic payback due, he is the last remaining player that played in The Fumble game, so he is due some good news in his career.

Specialists:

1. Kicker: Carson Wiggs, So.; Holder: Joey Elliott, Sr; Punter: Chris Summers, Sr.; Long Snapper: John Finch, Jr.

2. Kicker: Chris Summers, Sr; Holder: Kris Staats, Jr.; Punter: Carson Wiggs, So.; Long Snapper: Andy Huffman, Sr.

I think we were all impressed with Wiggs last year. He set a school record with a 53-yard field goal at Ohio State, so distance is not a problem. If he struggles, we do have an experience (if somewhat streaky) kicker in Summers to back him up. I think Summers will also benefit greatly this year from concentrating solely on punting. It may have been a bit much to ask him to do everything last season. Summers may continue to kick off as well. I am kind of surprised that Elliott is the holder, as Staats did a good job last season when Painter was hurt. I think Painter may have been part of the kicking issues as well, since many of the problems we had on placements went away once Staats took over. Finch may be the starter by default for now. He finished the season there last year, but Huffman was hurt and continues to be bothered by an elbow injury. Huffman just went on scholarship and had started over 30 straight games at long snapper before his injury

Returners:

1. Kickoffs: Aaron Valentin, Sr; Royce Adams, Sr. Punts: Aaron Valentin, Sr.

2. Kickoffs: Punts: Royce Adams, Sr.

Kickoff returns have been a major strength in each of the last two seasons. In 2007 we had three returns for scores. Punt returns have been an afterthought since Anthony Chambers graduated. We have to get more from this area. The same is true when it comes to coverage. We are good on kickoff coverage, but punt return coverage was terrible last year. We gave up returns for scores to Oregon and Michigan, so we have to improve there. Don't forget the blocked punt we had at Ohio State that became a touchdown as well.

We have plenty of speedy freshmen that could emerge here later on. McBurse, Ishmael Aristide, and other have been mentioned as potential returners. Eric Williams, a freshman wide receiver with speed, may find a niche here too.

Some Friday Boilermakings

BoilerTMill — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:20:36 -0000

Apparently there has been some very good news from practice over the past few days. Although there are rumors that the secondary is a bit banged up, the offense is what dominated the first scrimmage. That comes as a shock to me. As always, I don't know if I should be concerned that out "stronger unit" couldn't stop the weaker unit or what. I guess it is good that the offense is getting a little more crisp and some receivers are emerging. From GBI yesterday:

Receivers progressing - This is exactly what we need to hear. Antavian Edison was the early one doing this, but we need multiple guys coming along. Yesterday was the first day of that. JuCo receiver Cortez Smith got his first positive mention yesterday. The same is true for Gary Bush. Keith Carlos had the same report of "he will be good, but he needs to be more consistent"

At least he is consistently a badass in posing for pictures.

Offensive playcalling - This will be a key element this year, and if the report is true, fans will be happy to see something new. One way to move the ball with subpar talent is to keep the defense off balance with your play calls. We can all agree our offense has gotten way too predictable, so it is good to see Gary Nord mixing things up.

The defense wearing thin - To me, this is a gigantic red flag. We absolutely cannot afford the defense to struggle this year. The secondary has experience, but not much depth. Dwayne Beckford and Antwon Higgs are supposed to give us depth at linebacker, especially if Jason Werner has issues again. The defensive line has depth all over the place. Still, they are wearing down less than a week into practice?

Other Boilermaking thoughts:

Basketball ticket sales are going well - I don't know what the official count from the university is, but my own drive to sell tickets is going very well. A big thank you to those that have inquired about buying tickets off of me. I will get on a spreadsheet sometime today and work out what games are claimed and get you what is available still. It looks like I will be getting tickets again and sharing the wealth with other Purdue fans, which is always good. I can say that is someone is definitely interested in some of the smaller non-conference games like Ball State, Valpo, Central Michigan, and SIU Edwardsville they are definitely available. Drop me an e-mail and they can be yours.

PurdueSports.com is redesigned - I just saw this for the first time this morning. The site has undergone a complete redesign and looks sharp!

Carson Wiggs on Groza Award watch list - Quite an honor for a guy that wasn't even the starter until halfway through last season. I think Wiggs can be a very special kicker for us. He banged home a school record 53-yarder at Ohio State last year as a true freshman. I felt really bad for Chris Summers last year and his struggles, but at least Chris still gets to handle punting duties.

Big Ten will likely have a new bowl lineup - Much has been made about five of the seven bowl contracts expiring after this season. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg posted some info yesterday about what the new bowl lineup will look like. Gone are the Alamo and Champs Sports bowls. In return, we will likely get the Gator (vs. the ACC) and Texas (vs. the Big 12). Aside from the Gator always giving the danger to my marriage of a Miami-Purdue game, this is a great lineup. Counting the Rose Bowl, that gives us four chances to play on New Year's Day. It would just be nice if the Insight Bowl was on a channel other than the NFL Network.

ESPN's Preseason All-Big Ten team is out - Defensive tackle Mike Neal is the only Purdue player to make the cut. I am thinking Ken Plue and Ryan Kerrigan could challenge to be on the post-season list

New dorm opens on campus - Holy crap this is a nice dorm. For my two years in the dorms at Purdue I saw the best and worst we had to offer. As a freshman, I lived in Cary Quad East: two years before they began the massive renovation that has it as one of the nicest places on campus now. My room was 8'x12'. The heat had two settings: off and hell. There was no high speed internet, as we had to rely on dial-up while every other dorm had T1 lines. I shared it with a Korean guy who wasn't exactly shy about his personal practices if you catch my drift.

That solves the mystery as to why I was home most every weekend my freshman year.

As a sophomore, I lived in the relatively new Hillenbrand Hall, which was in just its 5^th year that year and was the nicest dorm on campus until now.

Incoming freshman wins National championship - I think it is very impressive that the new Boilermaker Aquatics Facility is starting to attract some of the best swimming and diving talent in the country. Our divers have had a successful busy summer, but Incoming freshman Vinny Donnelly recently showed that he will be a force in long distance events at Purdue. He recently won the U.S. Open Water championships in the 5,000 meters. He is expected to head to the 2012 Olympics in three years with sophomore diver David Boudia.

Speaking of diving - All seven Purdue divers have qualified for this weekend's AT&T National Diving Championships.