Aug. 31, 2005

2004 Record:  7-5 (4-4 Big Ten)
Head Coach:  John Tiller, Record at Purdue:  62-37 Career Record:  101-67-1
Starters Returning:  Offense 7, Defense 11, Special Teams 2

This could be the year.

Starting the 2004 season like they were shot out of a cannon, the Boilermakers scored 189 points in the first four games.  It seemed almost too good to be true, and that they were scoring points at will.   It all came to a quick halt and Purdue lost their next four games by a combined total of 11 points.  If even a few plays had gone the other way, Purdue might have shared a piece of the Big Ten title.

Though there will some new faces filling in some major positions, overall the team will be packed with experienced veterans.  Purdue has an unbelievable 41 returning lettermen and 20 returning starters, including everyone back on defense.

It is for these reasons that the Boilermakers are considered to be a major contender for this year's Big Ten Championship.  "I don't think there's a better situation that a quarterback would like to step into than to have all 11 starters on defense coming back," said QB Brandon Kirsch.

Coach John Tiller agreed. "The strength of our team is our experience certainly," he said.  "Experience is paramount in competitive athletics and we have an experienced football team." 

Despite losing a talented quarterback in Kyle Orton, many Boilermaker fans can't wait for Kirsch to get the full-time role.  The exciting Kirsch has appeared in 17 games in his career, starting six, and already has over 1,800 rushing yards.  He will do everything possible to carve his name into Purdue's illustrious history of quarterbacks.

"Now it's my team and my turn to lead this team.  With the guys we have back and the experience on both sides of the ball, I think this year could be a very special year for Purdue," said the 6-3.  A few minor changes have been made to the attack to try and ensure better and more consistent results. 

"Changes don't mean wholesale changes," Tiller said. "I just think we've become too predictable. We're not on the attack as much as we used to be, and we need to get back to that."

Kirsch added that "It will be the same old Purdue, just with a few things tweaked to fit my styles and strengths."

The offense also will have to replace wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield, the NCAA All-time leader in receptions, and the 16 touchdowns Stubblefield added in 2004.  Poised to not only fill that role, but make a huge impact this season will be wide-out Dorien Bryant, who is one of the best recruits Tiller has ever brought to West Lafayette and averaged over 15 yards per catch as a freshman.

Also posing match-up nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators is the 6-9 Kyle Ingraham.  With another year of experience under his belt, the big and fast junior is poised to have a breakout season after appearing in all of Purdue's game in the past two years and scoring nine touchdowns.  Senior Ray Williams will also look to have a solid year as he moves into a full-time role. 

True freshmen Greg Orton (no relation to Kyle) and Selwyn Lymon will immediately battle for a lot of game time, along with junior back-up and spot-starter Andre Chattams.  The freshmen bring great size and speed, while Chattams brings experience after playing in 17 games over the past two years.  Along with standout tight ends Charles Davis and Dustin Keller, Purdue should have one of the best receiving corps in the conference. 

Three starters are back up front, and right guard Jordan Grimes appeared in 10 games last season. Matt Turner will start at center, Uche Nwaneri at left guard and Mike Otto at left tackle. Sean Sester will take over at right tackle.  The front line of the offense will be one of, if not the best in the Big Ten, and could make or break Kirsch's season.

For the first time in his tenure, Coach Tiller will rely heavily on his defense overshadowing his offense.  The 11 returnees stacked up pretty well against the run in 2004, not to mention that they led the Big Ten in sacks with a whopping 35.

At defensive end, Ray Edwards and Anthony Spencer will combine to form one of the toughest duos in the country.  Brandon Villarreal and Brent Grover add intensity and veteran leadership on the inside to affirm Purdue's potential to dominate its opponents.

Behind the line, George Hall is a tenacious middle linebacker, and one of the league's hardest workers, who led the team with 92 tackles in `04. Stanford Kegler and Bobby Iwuchukwu are tough talents on the outside, and the top talents are waiting in the wings with Kyle Williams and Cliff Avril, two solid young prospects who will be difficult to deny playing time.

In the defensive backs, redshirt freshmen Zach Logan and Fabian Martin will give starting corners Paul Long and Brian Hickman a run for their money this season.  Brian Pollard was a second team All-Big Ten selection at strong safety, and with two years of starting experience will anchor the secondary.  At the free safety position, Kyle Smith returns, but will be tested by Torri Williams, who is coming off a broken leg he suffered in the spring.

On special teams, kicker Ben Jones should return to his old form after an injury plagued 2004 season saw him hit only 10 of 18 field goal attempts.  Punter Dave Brytus averaged about 40 yards per punt, and should be a great asset in helping his defense out of trouble.  Dorien Bryant will likely be the kickoff and punt return man this year in addition to his wide receiving duties.

Though Purdue does not have a mid-season open date, it will face Notre Dame, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan State and Illinois at home.  The Boilermakers will travel to Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Penn State before closing out the season at Indiana.  Although it does not face preseason top 10 teams Ohio State and Michigan, Purdue will still need to be consistent and execute in the final minutes to be successful.  The Boilermakers have gone to a bowl game in every year of Tiller's eight-year tenure, but while bowl games might be the culmination of a successful season in other programs, Boilermaker fans won't be satisfied this season with another 4-4 Big Ten record.

The absence of Michigan and Ohio State from this year's schedule has raised a lot of media attention.  "We like to look at it the other way, where Michigan and Ohio State don't have to play Purdue because we're going to be a big threat this year," said Kirsch.  "Not only will we be a threat within the Big Ten, but on the national level too, looking for a BCS berth."

As long as they can finish the games when they count the most.