2010 Purdue Boilermakers Football Preview

2009 Results: 5-7, No Bowl

Head Coach: Danny Hope (2nd year, 5-7 @ PU, 40-29 Overall)

Home Venue: Ross-Ade Stadium (62,500), West Lafayette, Indiana

It was the dawn of a new era for the Purdue Boilermakers in 2009 as longtime head coach Joe Tiller stepped down after a great 12 year tenure that was highlighted by Purdue’s 2nd ever Rose Bowl trip in 2000. Replacing the program’s all-time leader in wins was O-Line coach Danny Hope, who did well as a D-1AA head man at Eastern Kentucky. Purdue was not expected to be a competitive team coming off of a 4-8 campaign in Tiller’s last season but the Boilermakers announced from the get-go that they were not going to be a pushover. Purdue started 1-5 but they lost four of those games by less than a touchdown. That competitiveness finally transitioned into wins with a shocking home upset against eventual Big Ten Champion Ohio State and the Boilers roared to a 4-2 finish. While they fell short of a bowl berth, Purdue defeated OSU and Michigan for the first time in the same season since 2000. On top of that, they had five losses that came by less than a touchdown and if any of those games had gone their way then the Boilermakers would have gone bowling. Can Hope’s second team get Purdue back to the postseason for the first time since 2007?

OFFENSE

Purdue took a big step forward on offense last fall, finishing 6 th in the Big Ten in scoring at 28 points per game. Part of the credit belonged to breakout tailback Ralph Bolden, who nearly broke the 1,000 yard barrier. Unfortunately, Bolden tore his ACL in the spring and he could miss the entire season. Can a retooled Boilermaker attack match last year’s strong showing?

The most notable change for the Boilers will be at quarterback, where former Miami starter Robert Marve will take over for graduated senior Joey Elliott. Marve has elite talent and was the clear-cut starter coming out of spring practice. While Elliott had a solid year in 2009, Marve could easily match his production.

One major reason that I think that he’ll have a strong season is the presence of senior receiver Keith Smith (91 catches, 1,100 yards, 6 TDs in ’09), who was a 2nd Team All-Big Ten selection last fall. He’s one of the best kept secrets in the country because he received very little press despite tying for the league lead in catches. He’s one of three seniors (tight end Kyle Adams and wideout Cortez Smith) that will start this fall and there’s no doubt that he’ll have another big season. Expect Marve to find quick chemistry with this group.

Marve also endeared himself to his teammates and Purdue fans everywhere when he refused to do interviews in the spring without his linemen next to him. The symbolic recognition that he won’t be able to have a strong season without the big guys in front of him was seen as a great sign of maturity from the starting quarterback. It also helps adds some needed confidence to a young line that only returns two starters. While juniors Dennis Kelly and Ken Plue are two of the league’s better linemen, they could potentially be joined by three underclassmen up front and that will mean some growing pains in the early going.

But what about balancing the attack? With Bolden anchoring the running game, the Boilermakers could have been one of the most dangerous offenses in the conference. However, there is a precipitous drop off without him, as sophomore Al-Terek McBurse is the team’s most experienced runner after he carried the ball a paltry four times last season! Barring a shocking breakout season by one of Purdue’s highly green runners, there is little doubt that the ground game will be less explosive this fall.

Overall, the Purdue offense is going to be very different this season. Expect more of a reliance on the passing game without Bolden but Marve and Smith should be more than capable of powering a dangerous aerial attack. The O-Line should also have a solid year with two great starters mentoring a young but talented group of new contributors. If McBurse (or another back) can step up in Bolden’s absence, this could be a great offense. Even with a diminished running game, the Boilermakers should still score plenty of points in 2010.

DEFENSE

Where Purdue is badly in need of improvement is on defense. The Boilermakers had the league’s worst ground defense, ceding 173 yards per contest, while finishing 3rd worst in the Big Ten in scoring defense at 29 points per game! However, there is a lot of talent returning in the new coaching staff’s 2nd season: Can Purdue take a big leap forward on defense this fall?

They have a great foundation up front. Senior Ryan Kerrigan (66 tackles, 13 sacks) was a 1st Team All-Big Ten selection after leading the conference in sacks last season and he is an elite performer. With junior Gerald Gooden (37 tackles, 4.5 sacks) lining up opposite him, the Boilermakers should have a strong pass rush coming off of the edges. The middle of the line should also be stout, as sophomore Kawann Short (48 tackles, 2 INT) had an excellent campaign as a frosh last year. With a big influx of redshirt freshmen to provide depth, it looks like Purdue will have a strong defensive front that provides a good pass rush and performs much better against the run this fall.

The linebackers are a very experienced unit, as the Boilers are the only squad in the Big Ten with every starter back at the position. Senior Jason Werner (77 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT) will line up with juniors Joe Holland (81 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) and Chris Carlino (71 tackles, 1 INT) to form the conference’s most experienced group of ‘backers. They should provide much stronger run support this season and this is one of the Big Ten’s better sets of linebackers.

Where the Boilermakers really worry me is at defensive back. After finishing 4th in the league against the pass last fall, they have to replace every starter in the secondary. In fact, not one DB on the roster has started a single game for Purdue in his career! Things were so worrisome for Coach Hope in the spring that he went out looking for more talent in the junior college ranks after practice completed! While the presence of a solid pass rush will help this young unit, there is no doubt that opponents will try to beat the Boilermakers through the air in 2010.

After a tough year against the run, I’m confident that Purdue will have a much stronger showing on the ground this autumn. Their line should be deeper and the linebackers are the conference’s most experienced. On top of that, a solid set of defensive ends should help generate an effective pass rush. But the real question is in the secondary. This might be the country’s least experienced group of defensive backs and they will need some time to gel at the start of the season. However, their schedule is going to help with the transition for the new backfield and I think that they’ll be serviceable by the time the Big Ten portion rolls around. With a strong front seven, I think that Purdue will be better on defense this year.

> Buy Purdue football & basketball jerseys and Purdue Boilermakers clothing & apparel and find a great selection of college Fatheads online through College Sports Fans!

SCHEDULE

After playing Notre Dame and Oregon out of conference last season, the non-league portion will seem less intimidating this fall. Purdue faces off against the rival Fighting Irish in South Bend to kick off the Brian Kelly era on the season’s first day. However, the rest of the games outside of Big Ten play are not intimidating as the Boilermakers host MAC foes Ball State and Toledo and D-1AA Western Illinois. If they can beat the Irish on the road to start the year, a 4-0 start is a strong possibility.

The Big Ten schedule is also very favorable, as Iowa and Penn State are not on the ledger this fall. Conference play doesn’t kick off until the 2nd week of October, so Purdue gets an off week between their non-conference games and the start of league play. With a home schedule featuring Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and archrival Indiana, there is great potential for a 3-1 record if the ball bounces their way. The road schedule is tougher as the Boilermakers have to travel to Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern and Illinois. If they can win even one of those road games, a bowl season is a strong possibility. Overall, this is a very favorable schedule.

OUTLOOK

Purdue announced itself last fall as a renewed contender under Danny Hope with a season full of hard-fought contests. This year should continue the progression up the Big Ten ladder as they have a favorable schedule and an offense that should score plenty of points. Furthermore, the front seven on defense should be a much improved group against the run. While I’m worried that their pass defense could be exploited by some of the better teams on the schedule, I keep coming back to the fact that this team had five close losses last season and could easily be coming off of a seven or eight win campaign. I’m a believer in Danny Hope and I think that his second team is going to take the next step forward and earn postseason eligibility. Watch for a big season-opening victory over Notre Dame to vault them to a bowl berth. The Purdue Boilermakers are my choice to finish tied for 7th in the Big Ten Conference in 2010.

PREDICTED RESULT: 6-6 (2-6 Big Ten)