Bench Celebrates another big play
In a race for the hotly-contested basement of the Big Ten, Purdue took a commanding lead. Placing space between themselves and IU, Michigan and Wisconsin, the Boilers were able to not score an offensive touchdown for the third time this season. Kory Sheets backed up last weeks talk by rushing for 73 yards and a fumble (inside the Gophers' 20). The passing game did its part as two Purdue QBs combined for an eye-popping 109 yards passing and an interception each. One of those was noteworthy as Senior Joe Whitest placed the ball on his shoulder and presented it to a Minnesota DB. Whitest commented, "Not everybody can fumble the ball...I got an opportunity to help, and I did my part. We have one goal this year, and we're all focused on that."
"The entire offense really wants this..." Curtis Painter said. He continued, "We're trying to do something that hasn't been done by a Purdue team since many of us were in pre-school..." The offensive line, now a patchwork bunch of players that have been moved around all season, all seem to know their role. Each time Painter or Siller received the snap, it seemed there was a Golden Gopher there to greet him. Purdue Senior Cory Benton said, "Coach Z had the perfect gameplan today...we're right in the position we want to be...We loved what we saw on both sides of the ball last week. Hopefully, the defense can get on the same page versus Michigan next week."
Much of the early season, the defense was razor-sharp earning an overall ranking in the 100s...Now, it seems, it's just not the case. Brock Spack said, "I have no idea what our linebackers and DBs are doing. I sent in the prevent nearly every down...and on other downs utilized the vaunted 5-2 that we used v. UND in the third quarter...But nobody was listening. From Ryan Baker stunting to Joe Holland persuing Minnesota's running backs, they just weren't executing. I feel like I've lost control of this unit." He continued, "I have no idea why Kerrigan intercepted that ball in the fourth. Thank God the offense and its play-calling was so crisp when it got back on the field."
Coach Tiller was his typical hilarious self during the press conference afterwords. "Justin Siller scrambled a lot today gaining big chunks of yards as the protection broke down. We'll work on keeping him stationary in the coming week. Let's just say he's got a long way to go."
"We're looking forward to seeing a healthy Curtis Painter versus Michigan...he doesn't do sh*t like that."
Purdue shot past both Michigan and IU to 11th place in the Big Ten Network's power rankings on the shoulders of its "Basketball on Acid" offense...and now holds a one-game lead on Wisconsin, IU and Michigan in the battle for the cellar of the conference (0-4, 2-6).
The Ross Ade Homecoming crowd of a MAC-esque 45,000 quiet fans ooohed and ahhhed at the preparedness of this Boiler squad. Senior in the school of Engineering, Ryan Van Lashen said this as he left the stadium (with 6:00 left in the fourth), "Not everybody was here during the '05 season...I was lucky enough to be in this student section that season too. So what we're watching is the culmination of four and a half seasons of thinking and playing right on the edge of poorly..."
He continued, "My older brother was here back when Brees played here- He never got to see this type of football. It's great because now I can talk to my Uncles about those great teams in the late-80s and early and mid-90s...I keep telling them, 'there's no way this team could beat the Purdue team from 1996'...I think everyone can see now that I was right."
Next up, Tiller's team faces a Michigan team that is playing the same type of football.
Tiller ended the presser saying, with a cigar in his mouth, "It's going to be my type of game- two poorly-prepared, finesse teams battling for 5-7 minutes and calling it quits after the first quarter...That's how we used to do it in the Mountain West."