Purdue went 4-8 overall last year and 2-6 in the Big Ten.
Storylines: A rematch of last year’s game, won by Oregon, 32-26 in overtime. Danny Hope, a coach-in-waiting last season, makes his debut as the Purdue coach today, replacing Joe Tiller, who retired. The Boilermakers will have a new QB, with senior Joey Elliott replacing three-year starter Curtis Painter, and they’re new at running back, sort of, with Jaycen Taylor back after missing 2008 with an injury to replace departed senior Kory Sheets, who rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries vs. the Ducks.
The national leader
After one game, a 52-31 home win over Toledo, the Boilermakers have the nation’s leading rusher, running back Ralph Bolden, a 5-foot-9, 194-pound sophomore who ran for 234 yards — the third-highest single-game total in Purdue history — and two touchdowns on 21 carries. He ran 78 yards for a touchdown on Purdue’s third play from scrimmage; his first career start earned him Big Ten co-offensive player of the week honors.
“I think Ralph’s a complete player,” Hope said, citing his pass-catching skills and blocking ability. “He can be as good as there is if he stays healthy and we keep good players in front of him. The advancement of our passing game is going to help Ralph a lot. … We’re going to be in the shotgun and throw the football; that’s what Purdue does. As we improve in the passing game, that will really open more doors for Ralph.”
Bolden played as a true freshman in 2008 and had 16 rushes for 28 yards in eight games, but he wasn’t fully recovered from a severe knee injury he suffered toward the end of his high school career.
[Although Purdue ran roughshod over Toledo, they allowed Toledo 423 passing yards. Now would be the perfect time to pass more and take pressure off of our new runners.]
A long trip
The Boilermakers will have late evening practices today and/or Thursday — 6 p.m. EDT — to get somewhat accustomed to at 7:15 p.m. PDT kickoff, or 10:15 their time.
Hope made it clear that he’d prefer nonleague games closer to home — so the Boilermakers could get more fans to the venue — but otherwise downplayed the rigors of travel, which won’t get Purdue home until 7 a.m. EDT on Sunday, or thereabouts.
“I don’t see it being different from any other game or any other trip,” Hope said. “We have to get ready to play a game. We’re going to be on an airplane. We don’t have to walk all the way out there, thank goodness. I think we can manage that.”
It all looked … blue
Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott said he watched the Oregon-Boise State game Thursday night, and of course has been studying film of it.
“I thought it was a very hard-fought game,” he said. “Going to Boise to play is a tough atmosphere. I mean, watching them on film now, I can barely tell who’s who with that blue turf and blue jerseys, so I know Oregon had to have a world of trouble with that.
“Boise moved the ball well on them … and I think Boise’s defense did a great job of game-planning against Oregon.”
[So the blue jerseys on blue turf messed up the Ducks. Too bad we don't have blue turf. All we got is dumb ol' green turf . . . . . . Hey! That's it! You know what the Ducks can do?. . . . . . . . . . . Naaaa, forget it. I was thinking maybe they could punch some Boilermakers in the face. But we tried that already. Didn't work.]
Purdue football coach Danny Hope said the LeGarrette Blount episode will either serve as a distraction for the Oregon football team, or bond the Ducks even closer. In his Tuesday teleconference with reporters, Hope made it clear that he’s not counting on the former when the Boilermakers visit the Ducks at 7:15 p.m. Saturday in Autzen Stadium. “I think they’ll be waiting for us,” Hope said. “They’re going to be ready to go. Again, one of two things will happen out of that incident. It will be a distraction in some ways, or it will cause them to bond even closer.
[Oregon is favored by 12. But let's not be greedy. I'll be happy if they get one or two more first downs than Purdue.
With a new head coach, new assistant coaches, Blount gone, and a terrible performance last week, there's no point talking strategy, matchups, or any of that right now. They just need to go out and play some football. Execute. Make good plays. Have some fun. And then we'll look at the scoreboard and see if it was enough.] --kb
1 comment:
The Boilermaker Coach says the punching incident will either bring the Ducks together or it will be a distraction. Which will it be?
At the pregame handshake I think the Ducks should spit on their hands before they shake their opponents' hands. Then they should tell them they want to meet in the alley after the game. That should clear that up.
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