Boiling Point

Getting ready for kickoff in Toledo

Season openers always are so intriguing because you never truly know what you're going to see, especially considering Purdue had all of its practices closed. So we're just basically going on potential. But this team certainly has loads of that.
A couple things I'm excited to see today:

• Quarterback Curtis Painter. Toledo is expected to utilize five defensive backs, a scheme Painter hasn't seen too much. Will the Rockets be able to confuse him? Will he fall back into his forcing-the-ball habits? Surely, it should help that the Boilers anticipate playing more nickel packages this year, too, so Painter should have had a good look during camp and practice for this game. It's not a ground-breaking statement, but I don't care how great the playmakers are on this team: If Painter struggles so will the team.
• Purdue's defense, specifically its alignment. It's reasonable to assume the Boilers will use a 4-3 with Josh Ferguson at middle linebacker on first downs. But after that on down-and-distance appropriate situations, could we see the nickel package exclusively with Dan Bick on the field with Anthony Heygood at linebacker?
• Kicker Chris Summers. He was simply awful from the second half of the season on last year on field goals. Tiller is pretty wishy washy on kickers in general, but he hasn't seemed too impressed with Summers' accuracy so far in camp. Regardless, Summers has the job. The only other option at this point is Brody McKnight, a freshman. One wouldn't think Summers' leg would come into play today -- I think Purdue wins this one by two touchdowns -- but surely there will be games this season he will be crucial.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Purdue beats Michigan State

Michigan State isn't a great team, maybe not even a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten program this season. But those are the ones Purdue is beating consistently in 2006, so chalk up victory No. 6 for the Boilermakers. This time, Purdue needed a late field goal by fifth-year senior Casey Welch to win 17-15.
Still, like co-offensive coordinator Bill Legg said, it did take some character to win this game. So that's something.
Coach Joe Tiller opted to let Welch attempt his first-ever field goal at Purdue after much hesitation. He was all set to run a play on fourth-and-2 from the 2-yard line, down one point. He changed his mind and kicked, which was exactly the right decision.
Purdue needed a win for its confidence -- senior Anthony Spencer went as far as calling this game a must-win game -- and because of that, it needed to kick for the go-ahead score.
Good thing Welch made it.
Now, Purdue can focus on winning only one of its final three games to become bowl eligible. I say that comes next week at Illinois. Then add another one against Indiana the following week. The final against Hawaii, I'm not so sure. This defense has improved, but not many people have held Hawaii's ridiculous pass offense in check.
At the start of the season, I picked the Boilers to go 9-4. It looks more like 8-5 now, but a bowl game is a bowl game. That's the most important thing for this young team, and it appears to be on its way to that.

- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Halftime at Michigan State

Purdue's offense isn't exactly back - but at least the unit produced some points in the first half against Michigan State Saturday.
At halftime, the Boilermakers are leading 14-6, thanks to Dorien Bryant's 8-yard touchdown catch from Curtis Painter that capped a frenetic, one-minute, 13-second drive toward the end of the half.
It has been nice to see Bryant involved in the offense again. He needed it for his psyche -- he's shown a tendency to pout in the past -- but the offense needed it for productivity's sake. Bryant caught six balls for 69 yards and had both touchdowns.
Painter has looked better. There's been only one pass that was way off-target, but even then it was a tough throw trying to get it over defenders to a receiver. He has had some close calls in terms of forcing passes when he's gotten pressure, but Michigan State hasn't been truly close enough to get interceptions. Painter is 15 of 22 for 165 yards.
Painter has been smart at going to his check-down options, namely running back Jaycen Taylor, who has five catches for 44 yards.
The defense has done pretty well vs. Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton. There have been a couple breakdowns -- Kerry Reed caught a ball for 44 yards -- and at least twice the Spartans have lined up with a trips formation but Purdue had only one defender to that side.
But the Boilermakers are doing their bend-don't-break thing, and Michigan State has had to settle for Brett Swenson's 22- and 46-yard field goals.
Joe Tiller only wishes he had a kicker who could connect. Freshman Chris Summers continued to struggle, missing a 37- and 50-yarder in the first half. Tiller has talked about how he doesn't want to mess with Summers' confidence by yanking him. Enough of that. Give senior Casey Welch a chance. He can't be any worse.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Penn State vs. Purdue pregame

Penn State is known for its linebackers, and it will be interesting to see if Purdue can do anything to influence that group. Coach Joe Tiller isn't sure it can be done.
A well-executed play-action has a linebacker taking a step - or even leaning - toward the line of scrimmage, which allows a quarterback to drop a pass in behind. But that doesn't happen often against the Nittany Lions.
"Their linebackers are very, very rarely out of position," Tiller said. "These guys are extremely well-coached. Very instinctive. They're naturals. They're very, very good."

• Penn State also is an athletic, quick group, but Tiller doesn't think any changes pre-snap will rattle quarterback Curtis Painter much. Tiller said Painter has done an average to above-average job at changing the play.
  "The more that I learn about our offense and what we want to get accomplished and the more I learn about defenses, I think my ability to do that will continue to get better," Painter said.
• Tiller likes Penn State's combination of back Tony Hunt and quarterback Anthony Morelli. Purdue recruited the strong-armed Morelli, and Tiller called Hunt an explosive back.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Halftime vs. Wisconsin

Purdue trails No. 21 Wisconsin 10-3 at half, but a couple questionable calls and a blown opportunity have played a big role in the score thus far.
The Boilermakers were up 3-0 late in the first half and drove to Wisconsin's 39-yard line. On third-and-1, quarterback Curtis Painter tried a sneak but got stood up and didn't gain a yard. On fourth down, Purdue opted to punt.
Wisconsin had a 7-3 lead when Purdue defensive tackle Ryan Baker got an interception to give the Boilers the ball at midfield. Purdue moved the ball to Wisconsin's 23 but stalled. Instead of attempting a 40-yard field goal into a bit of a wind (Chris Summers made a 47-yarder earlier in the game going the opposite direction), coach Joe Tiller opted to go for it on fourth-and-11. Painter threw an incompletion.
Wisconsin had a golden chance to score before the half. Quarterback John Stocco lined up under center ready to field the snap and spike it to stop the game to give his kicker a chance at a field goal of about 35 yards. Instead, the ball slipped out of Stocco's hands when he went to spike it, and he had to pounce on the fumble as time expired in the half.
Painter has not looked good thus far (7 of 19, 71 yards). He's missed wide open receivers, even on short throws that he's sailed high. He's also been off-target on sideline out routes.
But Purdue will get the ball to start the second half, and it has to take some positive out of being behind only one score despite the first-half craziness.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Purdue loses to Iowa

Coach Joe Tiller said his team took a step backward in its 47-17 loss at No. 19 Iowa Saturday, and everyone who saw the game would have to agree.
Iowa was the definition of Big Ten football: physical. And Purdue couldn't compete.
The Boilermakers got blown off the ball by Iowa's offensive line, and the Hawkeyes manhandled (pretty literally) Purdue's receivers.
The result left some asking afterward if the Boilermakers are set for another spiral. Players said it wouldn't happen, but that may only be because Northwestern is on the schedule next week. Even if Purdue is young, it still should be talented enough to beat the Wildcats.
But the Boilermakers have to made huge strides in that game to set themselves up for a good bowl. Wisconsin and Penn State are on the horizon at Ross-Ade Stadium, and those games will be the season-makers.
Players have to make tackles. They have to want to be out there -- it didn't seem like defensive guys played with much passion. They all talked about how they just didn't come to play, but no one knew why.
Defensive coordinator Brock Spack may have summed it up best: It's time to grow up.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Halftime at Iowa

Purdue's offense hasn't looked this bad all season. Curtis Painter isn't sharp; the running backs mostly aren't hitting the holes when they're there or aren't getting lanes at all; receivers are dropping passes; and the only reason the Boilermakers didn't get shut out in the first half was because of a 44-yard field goal as time expired.
No. 19 Iowa is leading 20-3 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
Painter (11 of 22, 100 yards) threw an interception into coverage over the middle, and the Hawkeyes converted it into a field goal.
Iowa had 201 yards of offense -- in the first quarter. In that same time, the Hawkeyes had their longest catch of the year (52 yards) and longest run (44 yards).
Purdue does get the ball to start the second half, and if it doesn't produce a touchdown, I can't imagine the upset will happen today. The final drive to get the field goal was the best Painter looked so far. After Dorien Bryant's 48-yard kickoff return gave Purdue the ball near midfield, Painter quickly hit Bryant on two completions near the sideline. Chris Summers then stepped onto the field with 2 seconds left and drilled a 44-yarder. He missed a 48-yarder earlier.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Purdue beats Minnesota

Curtis Painter completed 18 of 27 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns -- but most importantly didn't throw an interception -- as Purdue beat Minnesota 27-21 in the Big Ten opener.
Painter started slowly, completing only four of his first 11 passes and missing some badly. But when his performance picked up midway through the second quarter, so did the offense's. Painter's 27-yard touchdown pass to Dorien Bryant with 2:45 left in the half gave Purdue a lead that it never lost. It was the first of four consecutive scoring drives.
Bryant tied Dustin Keller for a team-high with six catches. But Keller's 119 yards nearly doubled Bryant's. Jaycen Taylor rushed for 90 yards and scored twice (a run, a pass), and Purdue's defense got an end zone interception by George Hall and two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery from Anthony Spencer.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Halftime vs. Minnesota

A late interception in the first half secured Purdue's 10-7 lead over Minnesota heading into the locker room in both teams Big Ten openers.
Trailing 7-3 with about 4:30 left in the second quarter, the Boilermakers blocked a 51-yard field goal. Three plays later, Curtis Painter found Dorien Bryant in the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown to give Purdue the lead.
The Gophers moved down the field -- despite not having any timeouts -- and a late hit penalty on freshman cornerback David Pender gave Minnesota first-and-goal at the 4-yard line with about one minute remaining.
Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito threw an incompletion on first down then was stuffed on a keeper on second. On third, Cupito tried to a lob a pass to 6-foot-5 Ernie Wheelright in the end zone. But 6-1 Pender leaped with Wheelright and deflected the ball. Linebacker George Hall was there to secure the tip and downed the ball in the end zone to end the threat.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette