Boiling Point

What to watch vs. Notre Dame

Purdue coaches may have gotten some extra help when Notre Dame played Michigan State last weekend because the Spartans also run a spread offense.
Coaches were sure to pay close attention to just how the Irish defended certain formations and how Notre Dame reacted to certain shifts and alignments.
The Irish won't necessarily use the same coverages against the Boilermakers, but Purdue coaches at least will know some of the options they could be facing.

• One thing the Spartans were able to do against the Irish that Purdue likely won't is connect in the vertical passing game. Purdue has worked on its deep passing, but quarterback Curtis Painter hasn't been as efficient as the team would like. He has hit tight end Dustin Keller deep down the middle of the field in stride for a 60-yard touchdown, but Painter hasn't had much success finding receivers down the sidelines.
• Coach Joe Tiller didn't rule out the chance of Purdue using some gimmick plays, even though he wouldn't discuss what they could be and objected to the use of phrasing them as such. "Some people refer to them as trick plays or cheap scores. I never refer to them as that. To me, it's a strategic development that materializes," said Tiller, drawing laughs from the media contingent.
• Linebacker Cliff Avril practiced Tuesday, even though Tiller said earlier in the day he expected Avril to not return until Wednesday and should be ready to go today. Avril suffered a concussion against Minnesota.

- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

What to watch vs. Minnesota

With as much attention paid to receiver Dorien Bryant last week -- Ball State used two defensive backs to cover him -- don't be surprised if Purdue does something new to get its No. 1 option in the passing game free. Or use him as a decoy.
Bryant has been catching what coach Joe Tiller called a "flare route," which is much like a flare screen in basketball. Essentially, another receiver is used a blocker and the ball is tossed over that receiver to Bryant. But Ball State was jumping that route -- getting tight on Bryant right at the line. So the next step may be having Bryant catch the ball behind the line and when the cornerback bites, quickly passing the ball to the other receiver on his side.

• Keep an eye on Minnesota linebacker Mike Sherels. Sherels was matched up in coverage with Bryant at points in last season's game, and Bryant finished with 95 yards on five receptions. Sherels has used it as motivation. "This is a game where I got exploited," Sherels said in the Star-Tribune. "Dorien Bryant made me look stupid. When I was working out this summer, I had him specifically in mind."
• Purdue didn't show much of its new 3-4 defensive look against Ball State after unveiling it and using it often in Game 2 against Miami (Ohio). Defensive coordinator Brock Spack likes to use the formation, though, that showcases four linebackers because he thinks he has a deep, talented group. Throwing that look in also can only serve to confuse offenses, and Spack always is trying to look for ways to do that. I'll examine that scheme -- and just why the Boilermakers coaching staff likes linebacker Cliff Avril playing on the defensive line -- in a story soon.

- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Inside the story: offensive line

Hope you got a chance to check out the feature on the offensive line. One thing I thought was kind of interesting that I didn't get in the story was finding out the different guys' personalities. Figured a fun way to do that was to do a bit of a "survey" with the guys, asking who is this and that of the five starters. I talked to Uche Nwaneri and Jordan Grimes together, and their interaction was pretty funny. Here you go:

Journal Gazette: Who's the best dancer?
Nwaneri: Me.
Grimes: Hmm, I'm pretty dang good, too.
Nwaneri: Yeah, but it's me.

Journal: Ladies' man?
Nwaneri: Me.
Grimes: No.
Nwaneri: Oh, really?
Grimes: There's really no one.
Nwaneri: No, I'm not even going to front. I excel in that area.
Grimes: If you want to go by volume.
Nwaneri: If you go by volume, I definitely excel.

Journal: Who's the quietest?
Nwaneri: (Sean) Sester. He's coming out of his shell, though.
Grimes: Once he warms up, he's not as quiet. But around people he doesn't know, he tends to be quiet.

Journal: Most talkative. (Grimes points to Nwaneri)
Nwaneri: That's just my personality. When I was in elementary school, I got in trouble all the time for talking in class.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

More from Purdue-Miami (Ohio)

Royce Adams likely will be the starting cornerback opposite Zach Logan now that Aaron Lane is out at least six weeks with a cracked scapula. Adams had a rough time against Miami (Ohio). He appeared to get beaten for three touchdown catches, including 32- and 52-yarders. But he was playing in only his second collegiate game, and he can only get better. It just may take awhile.
"He's talented enough to play the position," coach Joe Tiller said. "He's just extremely green."
But the entire secondary is inexperienced, so improvement week-to-week will be the focus. Tiller said he sees "tons of upside."
Some players see that, too.
Justin Scott, who is starting at strong safety for injured Torri Williams, said he thinks the secondary is making progress.
"We feel good," said Scott, a junior college transfer making his first start. "It's going to be a learning experience each week. We feel comfortable at the safety position, me and Brandon (Erwin). As long as we communicate, we're going to be OK."

• Miami (Ohio) used some trickery - recovering an onside kick on the opening kickoff - but Purdue's own flashy play was more impressive. With the game tied at 24, Purdue had the ball on Miami's 43-yard line after Kory Sheets 56-yard kickoff return. On the first play of the series, quarterback Curtis Painter faked a handoff to Jaycen Taylor and then faked another handoff to receiver Dorien Bryant coming around on a reverse. Painter played off the second fake well, turning his back to the defense, hiding the ball. Then he delivered a pass downfield that was snagged by Greg Orton, who bounced off a defender and rumbled into the end zone. Though the ultimate result was productive and most of the play was executed well, it almost didn't go for a touchdown. Painter was off-target most of the day, and he nearly waited too long and didn't get the right trajectory on the ball. Orton had beaten his defender, but another just missed creeping over and getting an interception.
• Bryant showed just why he may be the most exciting player in the Big Ten next to Ohio State's Ted Ginn. Bryant caught seven balls for 74 yards and rushed three times for 62, and he continually used his speed, quick feet and elusiveness to shake defenders and excite fans.
  "It's just a talent that I was blessed with," Bryant said. "I'm quick and hard to bring down. I'm tougher than a lot of people think. They see I'm 170, 175 pounds and think they're going to knock me around. It's not like that. I'm always going to come back, too.
  "I just go and try to have fun, and I had fun (Saturday)."
  Need a highlight to illustrate Bryant's tougher-than-I-look statement? In the second half, Bryant caught a ball and had 6-foot-4 Greg Orton blocking for him on the outside. But before Bryant headed out of bounds, he lowered his shoulder and leveled Miami's Joey Card.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

What to watch vs. Miami (Ohio)

Coach Joe Tiller wasn't shy in voicing his displeasure with the performance of the team's defensive tackles in the opener against Indiana State. But with Miami's inexperienced offensive line, perhaps Purdue's interior defenders can produce some pressure this week.
Ryan Baker and Alex Magee will start, but four other players got time at the position last week.
Baker attributed the unit's slow start to technique, as in not relying on it as often as needed.
"During a game, you're just always thinking, 'Get there, get there, get there.' But the film doesn't lie," Baker said. "You can watch every step you take. After watching the film, you realize ho wmuch work you need. When you're on the field, you're still in the emotion of it. Last week wasn't as good as we'd like (to perform)."

• With Kyle Ingraham out for the season, perhaps highly touted Selwyn Lymon finally will get his chance. Lymon had only one pass thrown his way last week, and it was deflected by a defender. Purdue didn't have Lymon as a starter in Ingraham's place on the depth chart, but don't be surprised if that changes come kickoff. He's a physical, speedy receiver with good hands, and Tiller has been spouting off in the last week about how it makes sense to give guys who are the future of the program experience now (i.e. true freshmen K Chris Summers and PR Royce Adams).
• Tiller quip of the week: "When you watch the tape, you always learn something you don't know coming off the field. We have media-type evaluation skills at that point."

- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

More from Indiana State

When asked earlier in the week leading up to his first game for Purdue if he’d be nervous, Purdue punter Jared Armstrong said nope.

“I don’t think we’re going to punt too much this weekend,” Armstrong said. “The only thing different would be the amount of people at the games but the clutchness of it, if that’s a word, is just pretty much the same. I need to perform at all levels.”

Consider Armstrong still a work in progress after his performance in the Boilers’ 60-35 victory over Division I-AA Indiana State.

Armstrong’s first punt was blocked when Donye McCleskey came untouched up the middle and batted down Armstrong’s kick and then recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.

On the block, coach Joe Tiller said Purdue's "personal protector" didn't block the right player. On the next possession, Armstrong bobbled the snap and Indiana State eventually got the ball on Purdue’s 14-yard line. The Sycamores scored two plays later to pull within 26-21 and succeeded in giving the Boilermakers a scare.

The snap wasn’t necessarily a bad one – it was shoulder height just to Armstrong’s left – but Tiller has a theory as to why Armstrong couldn’t snag it.

"What do they do after they get a punt blocked? They look at the rush, don’t they? That’s exactly what he did," Tiller said. "The ball was a little bit high and instead of looking the ball into his hands, he looked there, and it’s a learning moment."

The one time Armstrong did get the punt off, he boomed it 54 yards inside the 20-yard line.

• Armstrong handled all of Purdue's punting duties, and true freshman Chris Summers was the team's kicker, somewhat of a surprise considering Tiller said earlier in the week the team would utilize Casey Welch some in both disciplines. Welch may still get a chance to punt on occasion, but it sounds like Summers will keep kicking duties. That decision was made, Tiller said, because if Summers is going to be the No. 1 eventually, he might as well go ahead and get experience now.
• Keep in mind, Purdue does have a new long snapper (Andy Huffman).
• The same is true for freshman Royce Adams, who didn't start the game deep on punt returns but finished there. He was certainly freshman-like, looking confused on whether to try to return kicks or take the fair catch. But Tiller is taking the same approach with Adams as Summers -- let him get experience now.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Purdue wins season opener

Purdue certainly didn't play perfectly, but a solid second half helped produce a 60-35 victory over Division I-AA Indiana State Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
But the most important news had nothing to do with a W.
Starting strong safety Torri Williams left the game midway through the third quarter with a right knee injury that likely will be season-ending. Coach Joe Tiller said he'd be "surprised" if Williams played against this season. He will have surgery on the knee as soon as possible, Tiller said.
Williams redshirted last season with knee and foot injuries.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Inside the stories: Painter, kickers

Hope you checked out our college football preview issue, which included a feature on Curtis Painter, and my story today on the kickers.
Here's some info that didn't make it into those stories:

• One benefit for whoever wins the job could be the new turf at Ross-Ade Stadium. Gone is the Bluegrass that was in such horrible shape last season that members of the crew and even players spent time replacing divots during timeouts at games. In its place is Bermuda grass, which has held up so far. “It’s amazing,” Casey Welch said. “Last year, you would plant and you would actually take up sections of turf, and you really had to worry about it. It was a real big concern for kickers because a lot of people don’t really notice that. It was another thing in your head and you really want the least in your head as you can. This surface has been amazing. It had rained the day before we kicked on it our last scrimmage and held up great. It’s just a whole 'nother facet you don’t have to think about when you’re kicking."
• Welch hasn't attempted a field goal or an extra point in while at Purdue, but he said he's not worried about not being in game situations. He said simply being on the team and seeing reactions to big kicks both made and missed has helped him prepare. "Good things are going to happen and bad things, but you've just got to forget about the good and the bad and every kick is a new kick."
• Dan Bick tried to find something to illustrate Painter's type of humor, and he came up with something simple. "He'll catch a fish and without saying anything, he'll just kind of ... (Bick cleared his throat) ... and hold it up in the air and throw it out there."
• Though Painter's outdoor activities were many this summer, he and his roommates also stayed in to watch the World Cup. That led to buying a FIFA game to play on PlayStation2. But once the new NCAA Football was released, they scooped that up. And, yes, they chose Purdue and played with their video game-version selves. "It's tacky and corny," Bick said with a laugh. "But it's fun."
• By virtue of being a starting quarterback for a Big Ten program, Painter's visibility has increased. He's on many of the billboards splashed around the state, including one on Route 52 heading into campus, and he's learning to handle all the hype. "It's a lot of fun," he said. "At first when you see yourself on a billboard or you get the attention to throw out the first pitch (which he did this summer at an Indianapolis Indians game), it's really neat and you feel really honored. But sometimes, you'd just like to ... you have to forget about that sometimes. You can't let that be the only thing that drives you."

  -- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

What to watch vs. Indiana State

Expect Purdue to show some different looks and get quite a few players on the field Saturday against Division I-AA Indiana State.

• The Boilermakers flirted with some 3-4 defensive fronts during camp, but Tiller wouldn't talk about the new formation at all. In those sets, linebacker Cliff Avril was used as a rush end, and he joined other backers Dan Bick, Stanford Keglar and Josh Ferguson on the field at once. Avril said he doesn't know how much Purdue will actually utilize that new look, but he's game to try it if that's what the coaches want. One benefit of a 3-4 is it's easier to disguise blitzes.
• The secondary is the most likely see lots of players swapping spots and different combinations of guys on the field. Even though Zach Logan and Aaron Lane likely will start at corner, true freshman Royce Adams and Jonte Lindsey will get looks there. At safety, Torri Williams (who should be more effective at strong after a switch from free) and true freshman Brandon Erwin should start. But Justin Scott and Brandon Blackmon, among others, will get time there.
• Though coach Joe Tiller seems content right now to have two kickers share the duties, the job will be a constant competition this season. True freshmen Chris Summers and Tim Dougherty are battling fifth-year senior Casey Welch for full-time duties, though entering the opener, Welch appears to have the "short" range (45 yards and in) secured. All that competition does is add pressure to each kick. Like Welch said, one miss could mean you don't get another chance.
• Defensive end Mike McDonald has impressed during camp and it may not be too long until he's starting opposite Anthony Spencer, assuming Spencer is able to perform with a nagging hamstring injury. Keep an eye on McDonald, who was a second-team NJCAA All-American with eight sacks as a sophomore at Tyler Junior College in Texas. Right now, though, McDonald is listed on the depth chart as Eugene Bright's backup.
• One of the tweaks to the offense with new coordinators Bill Legg and Ed Zaunbrecher has been an insertion of more screens in the offense. With a bevy of big receivers who are physically blockers -- Greg Orton and Selwyn Lymon are 6-foot-4 and Kyle Ingraham is 6-9 --the screen pass just may open up some big plays.
• The co-offensive coordinator arrangement has been settled for the first game at least with Legg calling plays from the press box and Zaunbrecher on the field. Zaunbrecher, also quarterbacks coach, liked that idea because it allows him to speak with quarterback Curtis Painter throughout the game.
• Fifth-year seniors Spencer and offensive tackle Mike Otto were named captains in a vote by players.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Extras from the press conference

Coach Joe Tiller has weekly press conferences during the season -- about 12 or so reporters typically are present -- and the first was Tuesday. It was interesting whenever someone brought up Indiana State specifically, how Tiller was trying to be diplomatic and not trashing the lowly program.
For the most part, he did a good job.
He did basically say, though, that his starters won't get a chance to improve at all against a I-AA team and when asked what he's "concerned" about when it comes to the Sycamores, the best he could come up with is they have lots of juniors and seniors.
Nice try, Joe.

• Though end Anthony Spencer is hampered by a hamstring injury, Tiller said the player right now who may be the biggest concern is Jason Werner. Werner has been plagued by a back injury since his arrival to Purdue last season, and it kept him from getting much playing time in 2005. But he didn't redshirt either. He was targeted to return in Week 4 this season, but more pain in his back sent him to a specialist in Indianapolis Tuesday. Tiller fears it may be a different bulging disc in his back.
• Because the game isn't exactly an exciting season opener, my story Saturday is going to be taking a look at the team's kicking situation. I chatted with fifth-year senior Casey Welch and transfer Jared Armstrong after practice Tuesday. Welch did four interviews, including one for TV, after practice and when he was walking to the locker room he was saying he got no attention his first four seasons and now this. I believed him when he called this opportunity a "dream come true," and I'm sure Purdue fans hope he capitalizes on that. Actually, the first thing he said to me was, "I'm the best fisherman in our house!" You'll have to check out our college football tab issue (in the paper Saturday) to understand what he's talking about.
• Senior receiver Kyle Ingraham, who has had three ankle surgeries in the last nine months, said he's pleased with where his right ankle is at now. He doesn't have a limp and said he can push off it fully. Tiller has said several times that he doesn't think Ingraham is in shape yet -- he said Tuesday he couldn't play a whole game. Ingraham said the first day of camp was a bit tough, but he feels like he is getting into shape. Though Purdue has some depth at receiver this season, the more Ingraham is on the field, the better for the Boilers. He has good hands and provides a big target at 6-foot-9. Purdue must look to him in the end zone, though. After catching seven touchdowns as a sophomore, he didn't have a single one in his 41 receptions last season.

- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette