I love watching Purdue football. One of my favorite parts of
watching Purdue football is watching Chris Carlino. There are very few people
that play the game as hard as and with as much passion as Carlino. Is it any
coincidence that he got a start at LB yesterday and the defense pitched a
shutout? Maybe. Maybe not. It certainly didn't hurt things.
The Fishers, Indiana-native sees most of his action on
special teams. Last year he was named Purdue Special Teams MVP. You want entertainment;
watch this guy cover a kick-off. More often than not it ends with him putting the
ball carrier on the turf or the guy trying to stop him on his back.
Between the football and Chris Carlino is not a place you
want to be. His personality, and passion make him easy to root for. Oh, well
that and his sweet facial hair and flowing locks.
To find out more about his leadership style, I asked him a
couple of questions. Please don't hurt me...
Joe Holland's ability to lead doesn't stop on the gridiron. When
you look at the Indianapolis-native's career accolades, one thing jumps out. Holland is as successful
in the classroom as he is on Saturdays.
The linebacker has been named Academic All-Big Ten and
Academic All-District V three years in a row. Last year, Holland was named second team Academic
All-America.
You get the feeling that Holland is the type of person who will
excel at whatever he chooses to do in life because of his work ethic. That's
been the case at Purdue. After switching from safety to linebacker early in his
career, he has been making tackles ever since.
As a defensive co-captain he leads a squad that just
completed its first shutout in seven years. To learn more about his own style
of leadership, I grilled him with a couple of questions and of course, he aced
this test too.
That's just what the doctor ordered. Coming off a heartbreaking loss at Rice, the Boilermakers needed some confidence before meeting with in-state rival Notre Dame.
They got that today. The Boilermakers scored early...and often. Once Purdue ceased momentum, they never looked back.
The Boilers did pretty much whatever they wanted on offense. Run right, run left, run middle, run over, run through were all very successful today. When Purdue put the ball in the air it was much of the same. Junior quarterback Caleb TerBush was 13-16 for 133 yards in the first half. He would finish 14-17 with 143 yards.
The story of the day might be Robert Marve's return to the Purdue offense. Marve entered in the second quarter and completed his first 6 passes and ended the half 7-8 with 91 yards and a touchdown.
At half, this one was pretty well decided. Purdue had 396 yards and led 38-0.
The second half was much of the same. Purdue only put the ball in the air once in the half but had great success putting toe to turf. Freshmen running backs stole the show in the half as Akeem "The Dream" Hunt and Brandon Cottom came in and saw some action for the first time all season. Cottom rushed seven times for 70 yards while Hunt ran six times for 56 yards.
Again, Purdue needed this. Now, it's on to Notre Dame. That could be a game that makes or breaks either team's season. Look for a (absurdly pre-mature) preview and prediction tomorrow (hey, I only have control of this thing for so long).
Thanks everybody for your support today and interactions on twitter. I will have some final material tonight and tomorrow.
Until then...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue.
Whoa, what a morning. It featured Ninja Turtles, Santa Clause, pancakes, a Rambling Band and a ton of diehard Boilermakers.
I thought I would provide some photo evidence for you to enjoy while you prepare for the game. First let's take a look back at Breakfast Club:
The only thing missing was the theme music for these pac-man enthusiasts.
These "sisters" think it's Sunday...Shame on them.
These guys just wandered over from the nursing home.
After Breakfast Club (which actually doesn't feature breakfast) I had worked up an appetite and headed over to the annual Family Day Pancake Breakfast.
Precision pancake pouring. Who wants some pancakes, actually who wants A LOT of pancakes?
The famous Cary Quad that has housed thousands of Boilermakers was between the Pancake Breakfast and my next stop...
Thrill on the Hill with the All-American Marching Band and the B1G RV. What a scene...if that doesn't get you fired up, I don't know what will.
Purdue Pete even stopped by for his Photo Op with the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy. That wraps up my morning. Looking forward to the game. Visit my Purdue Gameday Blog for all the information you could ever want, including a prediction that will surely be completely wrong. Follow @B1GMobileTour on twitter for in-game updates and interactions.
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
If you're a college student, this is what you live for.
Saturday mornings are special. As a student, your time is limited so you have
to make the most of every single opportunity to root your team on.
I thought it might be a good idea to outline what my
schedule is today so we can better exchange
ideas/tweets/conversations/blogs/smoke signals (okay, maybe we'll avoid smoke
signals).
Schedule:
Breakfast Club: No,
not the movie. Breakfast Club is the most recognizable football tradition at
Purdue. Imagine Halloween every Saturday of a home football game. Now, Imagine
Halloween extremely early in the morning and the bars offering super cheap
(we're all poor college students) deals on beverages and you have breakfast
club. I am going to do my best to display some of the best costumes of the day
and show you a little bit of the atmosphere. Follow @B1GMobileTour for pictures
and commentary.
Pancake Breakfast:
Once a year, Purdue hosts a pancake breakfast. It is quite the show. It
features a HUGE griddle, an automated machine that perfectly pours the pancake
batter and a set of chefs that flip pancakes with the artistic expertise of
Michelangelo (you caught me, that's an exaggeration but you get the point -
it's cool). Again, I am going to bring this to you and let you see what this
experience is all about. That is, if I can put down the syrup bottle long
enough to actually work. Shhh....
Tailgating:
Purdue, like any B1G Ten school, loves to tailgate. Coincidentally, one of the
major hot spots for tailgating is Slayter Hill. Guess where the B1G RV is
going to be? Slayter Hill! Who's the genius in charge of this? If you're
tailgating, give me your best effiort and I might feature you as part of the
Purdue tailgating experience.
B1G RV: The B1G
Mobile Tour RV will be at Slayter Hill from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Stop by to see
the B1G Ten Championship Trophy! It will also be available for an hour after
the game.
Game Traditions:
One of the greatest and most underrated traditions in all of college football
(and I swear I'm not biased) is Purdue's "I Am An American."It doesn't matter if you're a Boilermaker,
Hawkeye, Wildcat, Badger or Hoosier (there, I said it), we're blessed to live
in this great country and we need revel in it. Again, follow @B1GMobileTour for
a video of this great tradition performed by the All-American Marching Band
prior to the game.
I will also Shout at you! Well, at least highlight the
"Shout" tradition at Purdue. Between the 3rd and 4th
quarters Purdue makes a habit out of playing this song and having a Purdue
legend waving a Purdue flag from the press box. A great song, a great tradition
and a great time to be a Boilermaker.
The W flag. One of the more unknown traditions at Purdue.
After every victory, the grounds crew flies a W (you know, for "W"in) high
above the south endzone bleachers. Assuming Purdue can take care of business, I
will be there helping raise the W!
My Prediction
I feel obligated to do this. That's what sports writers do,
right? I am going to make some outlandish prediction, I'll be wrong and then
you'll ridicule me for doing this. I just can't wait.
Well, this is an interesting week for Purdue. Coming off a
tough loss to Rice (the school, not the food), you would Hope (pun) that the
Boilermakers come out a little upset and jump all over Southeast Missouri State
early. However, the fact that Purdue's next game is against inter-state rival
Notre Dame could complicate things. Are the Boilers looking ahead? Will they
take the Redhawks seriously? Is this a trap?
To be honest, this is a game that Purdue should NOT lose. A
B1G school should have the talent to make this an ugly game and do it quick. At
the same time, this is SEMO State's signature game and you know it's circled on
the calendar. Purdue will get SEMO's
best punch.
The other interesting wrinkle - SEMO runs the option
offense. Something Purdue hasn't seen yet and won't see the rest of the season.
How do the Boilers adjust? I don't know (this is where an actual sports writer would offer something beside "I don't know",
hey - you get what you pay for here).
What will be the highlight of the game? Funny I ask. The
Purdue coaching staff has mentioned that the return of QB Robert Marve is
likely this week. Marve is still a bit of an unknown.A highly touted recruit, Marve went to Miami before
transferring to Purdue. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL early in the season last
year before ever getting to really establish himself in the offensive scheme.
This could be a chance for him to get his feet wet before the showdown with
Notre Dame in two weeks. A lot of Purdue fans, including myself, are excited to
see what level his play is at.
Okay, enough of my blabbering. To the prediction. I just
don't think SEMO has the horses (and by horses I mean human football players)
to compete with Purdue.
...wait for it...
Purdue 41 - SEMO St. 10
Weather
I will be watching from the press box (I work in Athletics
Communications Department on gamedays). I like to joke that it is always 72 and
sunny where I am sitting. Well tomorrow it really
is going to be 72 and sunny with a nice Brees (get it?) outside. Come out
to Ross-Ade and support your Boilers.
Resources
Check out 2011 Purdue Football Gameday Central for
everything you would ever need.
Interact with those in the know by tweeting at @PurdueSports
and @BoilerFootball. I will also be tweeting highlights and answering fans'
questions at @B1GMobileTour.
The game will be shown on Big Ten Network.
That's all for now. Please reach out to @B1GMobileTour if you have any questions. Looking forward to gameday.
Until then...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
You 'oughta see the looks I get when I tell strangers that I
love doing Triple XXX for breakfast whenever my parents visit.
I'll give you a second to gather your collective minds out
of the gutter while I begin to educate you on this historic Purdue landmark.
First, Triple XXX is a family restaurant. And no, I don't
really understand the naming. Does Triple XXX mean there are actually six Xs or
is it three raised to the third or maybe it's three times three equals 9 Xs. I
don't know. Did you get the memo? I'm not a math major. Anyway, it is
pronounced "Triple Ex." The restaurant has been around since 1929 and became
famous for its Root Beer. Today, it is known for much more than this delicious
bubbly beverage.
The great thing about Triple XXX is that it is open 24 hours a day and serves delicious breakfast plates "All Day, Every Day" according to its site. I hope you're hungry. With plates of Biscuits and Gravy that could feed a small army, you better come prepared with your appetite and a shovel.
The delicious food doesn't end there. Triple XXX has been nationally recognized for its 100% ground sirloin burgers. Kslfnjv09 oi 2 (That was the drool hitting my keyboard). If you ever visit Purdue you have to visit this place.
What makes it truly great though is its environment. Everybody sits at the bar that bends around the whole restaurant and often times you sit facing a complete stranger. However, almost everybody has one thing in common, we bleed black and gold. This common bond makes it easy to strike up conversations with complete strangers. And of course the 24-hours are extremely appealing to those students who find themselves out late at night ummm...uhh...studying.
A quick look at the menu and you know you've arrived at Purdue. Meals are named after Purdue greats such as the Bernie Flowers All-Pro, The Leroy Loin, and the Drew Bress Special. However, the meal you have to get and my personal favorite is the Duane Purvis All-American. It is 1/4 lb. of 100% ground sirloin served on a toasted sesame bun with melted cheese on top with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Spanish onion and French fries and...wait for it...add thick creamy peanut butter on the lower deck and dig in. I know, sounds crazy right? Try it once and you'll be hooked.
Nothing sums up a late night or early morning or
mid-afternoon or brunch or late dinner or study break or...well, you get the point
quite like the Triple XXX. Three things in life are guaranteed death, taxes and
the Triple XXX being open. Dig in and Boiler Up!
What are you waiting for? Go visit, right now. I'll meet you there.
Until then...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
It is fitting that the Big Ten's trophy for best quarterback
is named after not one but two Purdue quarterbacks. The Griese-Brees (sounds
like something that I learned in my meteorology class) Trophy will be awarded
to the best quarterback in the Big Ten each year. If this trophy knows anything
about Purdue's history (it probably doesn't, it's inanimate after all), it may
want to consider taking up residence West Lafayette.
Purdue has become the Cradle of Quarterbacks. With a
tradition of developing talent and creating passer friendly offenses, the
Boilermakers are now nationally recognized for a tradition of aerial expertise.
As recent as last year, Purdue honored this "Cradle"
throughout the season. Let's take a look at this time-tested line-up of field
generals and precision passers:
Drew
Brees, 1997-2000: The first memories I have of cheering for
Purdue revolve around the man, the myth, the legend that is Drew Brees. I could
dedicate an entire week of blogging to Brees (Believe me, it was tempting).
Where do I start? He was a two-time Heisman finalist, two-time Big Ten
Offensive Player of the Year, Academic All-American and led the Boilermakers to
their first Rose Bowl in more than 30 years. Perhaps more impressive than
anything is that he has been a great ambassador and representative of Purdue in
every walk of life. He's proud to be a Boilermaker and we're proud to call him
a Boilermaker.
Scott Campbell, 1980-83: The Hershey, Pennsylvania-native
had a sweet (my sense of humor infuriates even me) career at Purdue. Campbell graduated as the
second all-time passing leader at Purdue trailing only Mark Herrmann (we'll get
to him later). Campbell
went on to play six years at the NFL level.
Gary
Danielson, 1970-72: You may or may not recognize the name but you
may recognize his voice. After a very successful collegiate and 11-year NFL
career, Danielson moved into the television booth where he has become a staple
for big-time college football broadcasts.
Len Dawson, 1954-56: The first of Purdue's three Super
Bowl quarterback champions (Brees, Griese). If the Super Bowl ring doesn't
convince you Dawson knows how to win the big one, perhaps his 7-1-1 record
against Purdue's top rivals Indiana, Notre Dame and Illinois will.
Bob DeMoss, 1945-48: The father of the Cradle. DeMoss
was the first great passer at Purdue. While his numbers may not stand the test
of time, his legacy certainly does. After an extremely successful playing
career at Purdue, DeMoss went on to coach many other great Purdue
signal-callers, such as Dale Samuels, Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Mike Phipps and
Gary Danielson.
Jim Everett, 1981-85: The Boilermaker that other teams
loved to hate. Everett (figuratively) kicked in
the door at the Hoosier Dome Dedication Game in Indianapolis. Behind their fearless leader,
the Boilermakers defeated the heavily favored Notre Dame Irish in his first
career start. He accomplished something no other Purdue quarterback has ever
done by defeating Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan
in the same season. Everett
was selected third overall in the NFL draft and had a successful professional
career leading the Los Angeles Rams to the playoffs three times.
Bob Griese, 1964-66: Bob Griese is the quarterback that
my dad grew up with and thus, I feel as though I grew up with. The Evansville,
Indiana-native led the Boilermakers to their first ever Rose Bowl appearance
and victory. His athletics resume is quite lengthy. He was truly a
Jack-of-all-trades. Griese kicked, punted, played quarterback, went 12-1 as a
baseball starting pitcher and was a guard on the basketball team briefly. Oh
and then by the way, he led the 1972 Miami Dolphins to the only undefeated
season in the history of the NFL.
Mark Herrmann, 1977-80: Herrmann practically turned the
record books into an autobiography in his time at Purdue. The Carmel,
Indiana-native was named a unanimous All-American and Big Ten Most Valuable
Player in 1980. Herrmann became the first quarterback to ever throw for 8,000
yards. He would go on to have an 11-season NFL career.
Kyle Orton, 2001-2004: Want to put Kyle Orton's Purdue
career in perspective? He started in
four consecutive bowl games. Only 12 quarterbacks in the history of college
football accomplished that before him. 12, that's not a type-o. You want tough?
How about this - Orton played with a broken thumb, sprained toe and cracked rib
in the Capital One Bowl. Come on Denver,
who needs the Golden Boy when you have the Gold and Black Boy?
Curtis Painter, 2005-2008: If Curtis Painter's middle name
isn't gunslinger, it should be. Painter could whip the ball around the field
with the best of them. Painter set a Purdue record with 546 passing yards in a
2007 Motor City Bowl 51-48 victory. He ranks second at Purdue in career
completions and passing yards. I'll give you a hint who he trails, it rhymes
with Brew Drees. Oh and he's responsible for my favorite Purdue rushing TD of all-time. Somebody let the state of Illinois know he has the ball!
Mike Phipps, 1967-69: The Notre Dame Leprechaun has
nightmares about this guy. Phipps defeated the Fighting Irish three straight
years when they were ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 9 nationally. He subsequently
led the Boilermakers to a No. 1 ranking and finished second in Heisman voting.
Following his senior year, he was named a Rhodes Scholar but instead went on to
play for 12 years in the NFL.
Dale Samuels, 1950-52: Dale Samuels may be best
remembered for ending Notre Dame's 39-game unbeaten streak. Samuels would go on
to become the first Purdue passer to ever throw for 1,000 yards in a season and
led the Boilermakers to a co-Big Ten Championship his senior year. Samuels was
a lifelong Boiler as he served the university for over a quarter century in
various administrative positions.
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue.
Don't forget to stop by the #B1G bus at Memorial Mall from 10:30 - 2:30 today.
Leading is nothing new to Kawann Short. The defensive tackle
is used to success but never satisfied.
In high school, the East Chicago-native, enjoyed as much
success on the hardwood as he did on the gridiron. As a teammate of former
Boilermaker E'Twaun Moore, Short helped lead his high school to the 4-A state
championship.
His achievements didn't end there. As a redshirt freshman,
Short was named an All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com and to the Big Ten
All-Freshman Team by Sporting News.
Don't question his work ethic. When he's not hunting
quarterbacks, his hobbies are listed as "enjoys lifting weights" on
purduesports.com.
To learn more about this defensive captain, I asked about
his own thoughts on leadership. Here's to hoping he doesn't confuse me with a
ball carrier...
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
Don't forget to stop by the Mobile Tour Bus at the Memorial mall on Friday from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
The weekend and thus gameday is fast-approaching. And let's be honest, is there anything better than football gameday on a Big Ten Campus? But before we move forward I thought it might be a good idea to take a quick look back at Purdue's first two games. Let's do this:
Football is a game of inches. Purdue, exhibit A.
The Boilermakers are just inches away from being 2-0.
However, that tale can be spun both ways. The Boilermakers are also just inches
away from being 0-2. At 1-1, Purdue's season has not lacked any drama.
The Old Gold and Black went into week one with their fifth
starting quarterback in the last calendar year. Junior Caleb
TerBush, who was coming off of an academic suspension last season, struggled
early but grew as a leader and quarterback throughout the Boilers' first game.
After a back-and-forth game, Purdue found itself trailing
Middle Tennessee late in the fourth quarter. Captain Comeback Caleb TerBush
engineered (see what I did there? Purdue is a school known for its engineering)
the Boilermakers on an 85-yard, 11-play drive capped off by a 35-yard touchdown
pass to junior wide receiver Antavian Edison.
The Blue Raiders (what's the difference between a Blue
Raider, Red Raider or even a Purple Raider?) were down but not out. Middle
Tennessee drove to Purdue's 30-yard line and was able to line up for a field
goal that would tie the game. Unfortunately, they couldn't find a way to block super
sophomore Ricardo Allen (aka Rico Island) and Purdue prevailed.
Last week, the Boilermakers traveled to Houston to play
against Rice in what should have been dubbed the Astronaut Bowl. Between the
two schools, they have accounted for 36 astronauts (22 from Purdue and 14 from
Rice). We might not be able to orchestrate a pretty game of football but we can
launch humans on rockets into orbit...so there!
It was another back-and-forth game as both teams seemed to
be beating themselves as much as they were their opponents. TerBush led the
Boilers on yet another last minute drive. Sports Illustrated Pre-Season
All-American Carson Wiggs lined up for a 31-yard attempt, which is a chip-shot
by his standards.
Revenge is a dish best served cold ... and by Justin Allen -
the Rice Owl who blocked Wiggs' attempt. Just like that, the train came off its
tracks and the Boilermakers now sit at 1-1.
Where the season goes from here? We don't know. Senior quarterback
Robert Marve appears to be getting healthy which could provide a boost, but
there haven't been any indications that TerBush can't lead this team.
Fans are frustrated (when are they not) and the players are
determined. So where do the Boilers end up this season? Again, no one knows.
One thing is for sure. It will be exciting and I am glad to have the B1G Mobile
Tour along for the ride this week.
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer
Down and Hail Purdue!
As the stereotypes go, kickers aren't realathletes. They're weird, they're loners and they don't actually do anything at practice. Not this kicker.
Senior kicker Carson Wiggs knows what it means to be a
leader.
The special teams captain has been leading since his
freshman year. And currently, he is Purdue's all-time leading career field goal
percentage leader (.715). The Texas-native also owns Purdue four longest field
goals at 59, 55, 53, and 52. The accolades go on and on for this young man. It
may be rare for teammates to look to kickers as leaders but not for this
football team.
To learn more about one of Purdue's leaders I asked him
about his thoughts on leadership:
Don't forget the Mobile Tour come to Purdue TODAY! Visit the bus at the Memorial Mall from Noon to 4 p.m.
