The team celebrates with the fans after the game

Normally I like to come up with some sort of a witty title for my game posts. After the way this season has gone so far I thought that the score would do. This team has looked good some days, and then had days like last Saturday that make them hard to watch. I love the effort they put forth in Happy Valley, but they just couldn’t get over the hump. You want them to do it so bad that you feel awful when they don’t get it done. From almost the start today though they got it done. This game went a long way to help put away the awful memory that was my road trip to Illinois last year. In that game the Illini had their way with us. We had them over the barrel for a half, and if we had not gone into a shell in the second half I am sure that we could have made it look worse.

Kawann Short takes down Nate Scheelhaase again on Saturday

The biggest reason why I am now celebrating the victory is the fact that the defense really came to play today. They did give up two touchdowns late, but they were on the field way too much in the second half. Early in the game I was kidding around that we should have been playing Gerald Gooden all season the way his was playing. Of course he has played all year, but not as inspired as I saw today. That is a great sign with Robert Maci out for the season. KK Short was a man on fire today. He had two sacks, but was in the backfield all day it seemed. His face will probably be in Nathan Scheelhaase’s dreams for quite some time. Gooden registered his first sack of the season today in by far his best effort. The pressure on the quarterback helped, but the Purdue secondary was good today as well. Josh Johnson seemed to draw coverage on A.J. Jenkins today. He jammed him at the line and really made life tough for him. You have done a good job when the nation’s leading receiver is held to under 90 yards for the day.

Caleb TerBush to Gary Bush

On offense Caleb TerBush came into his own today. He performed well enough to keep his team in the game. In fact he made some big passes to keep drives alive. He made some mistakes like the grounding play, but he is still young. He looks better every week, and that is all that you can ask of him at this point. Purdue has talked up the two quarterback rotation all season, but today it went down a little differently than you would think. Robert Marve did not play a down. Justin Siller ran some plays at quarterback in a wildcat look. I don’t know how much of a wildcat it is when you use a player that came in as a quarterback. The look didn’t gain any huge yards, but it does leave some things open in the future. When will we see TerBush catch his first pass? When they were still on the gas pedal the offense looked good today. They kept it a little vanilla in the second half, but still moved the ball a little. Right now the star I think has to be Raheem Mostert. He doesn’t get too many touches, and that is the only problem I had today. The kid looks like a star, and I would love to see a ‘Raheem package’ put in. We have seen him look good on limited touches so far this season. It would be nice to see him get even more. Justin Siller had a good game. He caught a big third down ball that set up his touchdown. Antavian Edison did not get many touches, but did fumble very early in the game. The fumble did not cost the Boilers, and you really can’t blame the kid because he took a shot. He did stay up too long, but I love seeing the team fight a little.

I don’t want to end on a bad note, but for the second home game in a row I heard some guy bashing Hope and his game decisions. Just after going off on a rant he looked out on the field at “#86″. When he saw him come onto the field he commented, “That guy is big. He must be a fullback or a lineman.” For some reason I don’t give any credibility to people who don’t even know Purdue’s starting tight end. I think that if you read enough of the message boards you start to form someone else’s opinion. I won’t say that Danny Hope is perfect, but I really like the guy. You can’t watch him and think that he is not trying. The players that he has brought in are starting to show what they can do, and in a few years the people who wanted him out will wonder why they ever did. Of course I might be wrong, but I hope not.

Since this is my blog I don’t have to end it negatively. Purdue is now 4-3. Many people wrote this season off after the Rice game. That would have been nice to have, but Purdue can still get to a bowl. They have five games left on the schedule to get to the six wins required to go bowling. I think that we can easily beat Indiana so it just comes down to winning a game @Michigan, @Wisconsin, or Ohio State or Iowa at home. Heck at this point we could still go to a good bowl game. Make no mistake about it the fans did not rush the field, but this was still a huge win. Purdue needed a shot in the arm, and they got it today. The only game left where I would say that we have no shot is at Wisconsin. Maybe I still remember the beating the team took there two years ago when I went up to Camp Randall on a road trip. I think that if they can play like today they have a shot against anyone not named the Badgers on the schedule. Wisconsin is just too good right now.

I took a few pictures again in manual mode trying some things out today. I will post a photo gallery when I get a little time tonight.

The day started out awesome though. The night before I found out that I had tickets in the Shively Stadium Club at Ross Ade. I was excited to spend my first game in this section of the stadium previously closed to me. I was like a little kid waiting for the elevator that takes you up to your section. Once up there the game was getting ready to start so I did not have a chance to look around. I went right to my seat which was a comfortable stadium style seat with a cup holder. I loved having some room to myself instead of fighting for room on a bench. I was able to tour the inside later on, and it was very nice. I liked the expanded food menu which included prime rib. I also enjoyed the opportunity to imbibe some alcohol after hearing the news about Hummel. I will probably never have the extra $2,500 a ticket to sit there, but I will always wait for another chance to watch a game from those awesome seats.

Dan Dierking with a Carry on Saturday

The first 5 series of the game was what most people would expect from these two teams. I was even sitting there wondering about my higher scoring prediction for the game. Then Danny Dierking took off running for a 42 yard scamper to put Purdue inside the ten yard line. His run was all guts. He should have been stopped multiple times, but just kept chugging along. The crowd let him know how they appreciated the run as well. The very next play he took another run that was going nowhere and made something out of it. His runs set up Rob Henry’s run for the first score of the day. Purdue was up 7-0, and the crowd really seemed to be into the game.

It was shortly after the Purdue score that I found out about Hummel. Some of the people I sat around seemed to really take the news hard. I did as well, and that instigated the visit to the inside of the club during a Minnesota possession to find some liquids. It is funny that while re-watching the game on DVR the announcers found out as well about the same time. Bad news travels fast I guess.

Joey Elliot Looking For Room

A botched snap on a Minnesota punt set up Purdue’s second score. The freshman punter for Minnesota appeared to have time to still punt the ball after it went over his head, but he tried to run for it. He did not get far, and Purdue had great field position to start the drive. Minnesota turned a 3rd and 5 1/2 into a 3rd and 1/2 yard when they jumped offsides on the same possession. Dierking ran for the first down then setting up a first and goal. Henry took a play action bootleg into the end zone for his second score of the day to put Purdue up 14-0 on the day.

Just before the half Henry hooked up with O.J. Ross on a big pass that gave Purdue great field position inside the ten. They failed to score leaving the ball on the one yard line on fourth down. Danny Hope had a tough decision to make on that fourth down, but I think he did the right thing by electing to kick the field goal. He made the right choice, but the result was not what you would expect. Carson Wiggs missed a chip shot that would have put the Boilers up 17-0 at the half. A three position lead at the half is big. I don’t know if the angle is what caused him to miss the kick or what was going on. He just seemed to miss the ball.

Gary Tinsley losing the football

To start the half the Boilers took the ball right down the field. Dierking had a nice run to get the Boilers across the fifty. On the very next play Henry was picked off in the flat by Gary Tinsley. Tinsley ran down the field for an apparent touchdown. Inside the five though Rob Henry on a hustle play made things interesting. Knowing a hit was coming Tinsley went to hold the ball out to try and score. In that transfer he lost the ball which hit the pylon. What a momentum boost that would have been for the Gophers. The score would have been 14-7 with almost the entire second half left to play. Instead Purdue had the ball at the twenty with what for all intensive purposes was the start of another drive.

Henry and Edison celebrating the touchdown

They took that drive right down the field to score again. During that drive Henry found Edison a couple times including the touchdown pass. This series had to just demoralize the Gophers. After what should have been a game changing play they let Purdue go right down the field for the score. The final play was a pass from Henry to Edison. Antavian made a great move after the catch to get into the end zone. The Boilers looked to be on their way to a big win.

On the next drive Minnesota appeared to have a big touchdown with five minutes to go in the quarter, but had it called back due to an illegal motion. They had to settle for a field goal to give them their first points of the day. They really do not have anything going for them at this point. It has got to be a bad feeling in that locker room.

Rick Schmeig congratulates Rob Henry in the end zone

Purdue scored their final touchdown of the day thanks to Gary Tinsley again. His personal foul on a hit to Rob Henry extended the Purdue drive. Purdue had a nice conversion on a fourth down later in the drive as well. What made it so nice is that both Henry and Dierking got the first down together with the ball. Dierking eventually let Henry have the ball. After another nifty run by Dierking the Boilers had the ball on the goal line again. Once again Henry faked to Dierking and scored his third rushing touchdown of the season.

Top five plays of the game:

1. Rob Henry hustle to force fumble on Tinsley interception. This play took a potential momentum swing, and kept the mo in Purdue’s favor.
2. Dan Dierkings 42 yard run. This was a great run that showed his never say die attitude.
3. The botched punt that led to the Boilers second touchdown.
4. Antavian Edison’s nice move and score on the possession after the touchback.
5. Kewann Short’s two plays in the fourth quarter. First he has a nice sack of Weber, and then he gives up his body to knock down a pass.

Kawann Short sacking Adam Weber

The defense looked good once again. Maybe it was who they were playing. There are always bad moments in the game, but the guys on the line had another good game. Ryan Kerrigan once again was a disrupter. He did not have the usual stat line, but he was in Weber’s face for much of the day. Almost any picture I have of Weber letting the ball go has Kerrigan in frame. Kawann Short had yet another good game. In one series he sacked Weber (that picture is shown above). He followed that up the next play by giving up his body to jump over a defender and swat down a pass from Weber. He just took over the game, and had the crowd right back in it. This line which is young with the exception of Kerrigan is really doing a good job of learning on the job. Logan Link has been playing well all season. He just seems to have a nose for the ball. He nearly had a pick in the end zone, just missed a diving catch in the fourth quarter,  and got his first career pick later in the game. He is the kind of guy that you want in the game. This defense is starting to come together just when we need them to the most.

This had to be a penalty...right?

Once the game was for all purposes over the weird section of the game started. On a third and five play Rob Henry rolled out and took a knee. He was smacked by the Minnesota defensive tackle after he was down. The ball came out, but no flag was thrown. A few boos circulated through the stadium. On the second play from scrimmage after that for Minnesota Ryan Kerrigan hit Weber just after he released the ball. He was flagged for using his helmet on Weber. Even the announcers on television were questioning the call. In the stadium though the fans would not let up booing the refs. They kept it up for so long that even some of the people in the stadium club joined in on the fun. The boos were great in person, and I loved hearing them again on tv today. That added a little excitement to the last two minutes of the game.

For the fifth straight game the Boilers ran for over 200 yards. The running game really is clicking right now. A true test will occur next week though in Columbus. Dan Dierking accounted for 126 of those yards. I know that he is not the typical Big Ten running back, but he has been fun to watch. Rob Henry also was a big part of the running game when we were near the end zone. He scored three times on the ground to go along with his touchdown pass. Besides Dierking and Henry both Keith Carlos and Al Terek McBurse got carries out of the backfield. Antavian Edision also got some touches from the slot position. You really don’t know where the ball is going to be run from right now. What started out of necessity might just be the formula for success. True freshman Sean Robinson finally saw the field for the Boilers. He came in to run the offense. His redshirt was now officially off. He was trying to make something out of nothing on a third down run when he was hit and the ball came out. It was not a great start for the frosh, but I have a feeling he will have much better days ahead of him.

Minnesota on the day looked like a 1-6 team. Adam Weber who as I talked about in the preview is a sixth year senior with a lot of records, but nothing to really show for it had a sub par day. He was 20-45 on the day passing. A lot of his balls hit an open receiver in the feet, or landed in front of them. He kept some plays alive with his legs, but could not seem to find an open receiver. If a couple of those passes to open men were completed this game would have turned out much differently. Da’Jon McKnight did catch six passes from Weber for 123 yards on the day. Minnesota showed some heart when they attempted a late comeback, but it wasn’t enough on the day. All of the rumors of the demise of coach Tim Brewster turned out to be true as he was fired today. Five straight losses in the Big Ten will not win you much support.

The game was not without injuries. Albert Evans had to be carted off the field after suffering a knee injury. From what I have heard through Purdue it is not serious, but he will miss at least next week because of it. From what I have heard through other sources it is another ACL. Really? When will it end? Gerald Gooden was also helped off the field although I have heard nothing on him as of now. Dan Dierking spent a few series of the game on the sidelines as well with trainers looking at what I would guess was his shoulders.

I will have some more pictures from the day later this week. I loved seeing the old uniforms back so I let loose with the camera. We may even have to have a couple posts to get all the pictures out.

Purdue won the game 28-17. They are now 4-2 on the season, and more importantly 2-0 in the Big Ten. They are tied for first in the loss column right now. After the injuries the team has had I should have been thrilled leaving the stadium after a homecoming win. Why then did I have a knot in my stomach?

Minnesota at Purdue in 2000

I have changed the name from the game preview to game notes. I realized that I rarely preview anything, but instead ramble on about noteworthy aspects of the game. This is a special week because it is homecoming at Purdue. Even Minnesota has a stake in homecoming this week. Tim Brewster was a graduate assistant at Purdue as well as coaching Lafayette Central Catholic. This may be his last trip to Purdue as the Minnesota head coach so it is probably bittersweet. Jim (Chris) Everett will be in town as well as part of the 25th anniversary of his 1985 Boiler team. Bob Griese and his son Brian will be in the booth to call the game for ESPN as well. There have already been Joe Tiller sightings in Lafayette. He will be in attendance along with other members of the 2000 team that went to the Rose Bowl. At halftime they are going to recognize the 2000 Rose Bowl team down on the field. In honor of that team the Boilers will be wearing throwback uniforms that resemble the ones the Boilers had on in Pasadena. The helmets will have the rose through the P just like on New Years day in 2001. I was not able to attend that game so this will be a cool experience for me. I am sure that during the week this site will be flooded with pictures from the day.

How cool will it be to walk into Ross-Ade today and see the 2000 Rose Bowl uniforms on #15 who is making his first start at home? Rob Henry has led the Boilers in rushing for three straight games now. His 67 yard run at Minnesota was the longest for a Boiler quarterback since 1965. It is partially because of Henry that the Boilers have rushed for over 200 yards for four straight weeks. That is the most consecutive games since the Mike Alstott era. That is pretty impressive considering all of the injuries that the Boilers have endured in the backfield in that span. The flip side to that is the fact that the Boiler passing game is ranked 105th out of 120 teams in the FBS. Last week the Minnesota defense did not force a turnover or sack the quarterback. This could be the week that Rob Henry and the Boiler offense gets a little confidence. Part of the reason the Boilers have been playing better this season is the fact that they have kept turnovers to a minimum. They have only lost two fumbles all season which leaves them in a tie for third in the nation. The extra emphasis that the coaches put on ball security is paying off. They have only lost two fumbles all season, and it is no coincidence that both of them were against Toledo which was their only loss. One of those of course was the Marve fumble when he tore up his knee. Of course now that I talk up ball security they will cough it up a few times today. The Boilers got through the game against Northwestern with no injuries of note. When was the last time we could say that? The continuity of having the same guys taking snaps at the same positions for three weeks straight has to show dividends. The receivers are back at their positions, and the running backs appear to be healthy. I really think the offense will give us something to cheer about this week. This will be the first week they score the points that I predict they will.

The Boiler defense is led by Ryan Kerrigan. He has just been a beast this season. He has 13 tackles for a loss which leads the nation coming into the game. That is part of the forty tackles for loss that the defense has as a whole. That is good enough for 2nd in the Big Ten. The Boiler defense leads the Big Ten with 17 sacks as a team. The front line is really starting to come together. Freshman like Bruce Gaston as well as veterans like Kawann Short are enjoying the extra attention that Kerrigan draws. Short in particular has had a good run as of late. He was named co-Big Ten special teams player of the week for his performance against Northwestern. He got the award because of his field goal block. That was his second kick block on the season. He also has five pass breakups from the tackle position. Minnesota protects its quarterback well. The battle on the line will be the key to the game. If Purdue can get in the backfield they will walk away with this one.

The Boiler kicking game had a good week last week. Carson Wiggs used some extra practice to help him have a perfect day kicking the football. True freshman punter Cody Webster made some headlines with his 79 yard punt. Our kicking game has not been an issue. Kick coverage and returns have been an issue. Last week Josh Johnson took over the punt return duties. During the game he returned a punt two yards, and still beat the team average for the season. A big return would do a lot to help the Boilers go 2-0 in the Big Ten.

Let’s talk a little bit about Minnesota. They are led on offense by a fifth year senior quarterback Adam Weber. Weber holds numerous Minnesota records, but has really never led his team to a good season. He has endured a 1-11 season once already, and may be on track for another one. He has two big targets to throw to on offense in MarQueis Gray and Da’Jon McKnight. McKnight made two great grabs in the end zone last week against Wisconsin. As I said earlier they did not get to the quarterback last week. That may be because Wisconsin had such a good game on the ground. They only have one win this season, and that was a seven point victory at Middle Tennessee State. Purdue needs to get up early on these guys. They will come out firing after feeling disrespected last week. A quick lead could remind these guys that they are not good. Feelings of doubt could creep in, and the game could get ugly. Tim Brewster is fighting for his job, and needs a win badly. They are tied with Washington State for the worst record of any BCS school. I think that the stops will be out to start this game.

With a win today the Boilers will go to 2-0 in the Big Ten. If Ohio State, Michigan State, and Iowa all lose the Boilers will be alone atop the Big Ten on a day that they wore retro Rose Bowl jerseys. More importantly it would be their fourth win leaving them two shy of a bowl berth.

I have seen Minnesota play five previous times. They have lost four of those five games. Here is a list of the games that I have seen. If I have a write up about the game on the site I have added a link to that write up on the date.

• 10/1/94   Indiana 25 – Minnesota 14
• 10/3/98  Purdue 56 – Minnesota 21
• 9/23/00 Purdue 38 – Minnesota 24
• 9/23/06 Purdue 27 – Minnesota 21
• 10/25/08 Minnesota 17 – Purdue 6

I find it interesting that I have seen this game played twice on the same date in the short time that I have been attending Purdue games.

Predictions: Here is the interesting part of the blog. This is where I attempt to pick games. Last week I was 7-3 with my picks. Purdue once again came back and bit me. I had an upset special pick of #18 Wisconsin over #1 Ohio State, but all week long I saw this being picked as everyone’s upset pick. I think that I will still go with my gut on this one. I think Camp Randall will be rocking for this primetime game. I saved Purdue for last this week that way when I tabulate what I have done I can feel good until then. Here are the picks:

• #13 Michigan State 35 – Illinois 24
• #15 Iowa 31 – Michigan 27
• #5 Nebraska 34 – Texas 28
• Indiana 35 – Arkansas State 21
• #7 Auburn 31 – #12 Arkansas 30
• Ball State 34 – Eastern Michigan 17
• Notre Dame 42 – Western Michigan 16
• #1 Grand Valley State 42 – Lake Erie 10
• #18 Wisconsin 28 – #1 Ohio State 27
• Purdue 38 – Minnesota 27