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The Daily OrangeNational | Purdue looking for elusive Big Ten success
By John Sutton
Posted: 10/11/07, 4:04 AM EST Section: Sports
When Purdue head football coach Joe Tiller arrived in West Lafayette, Ind., after the 1996 football season, he was coming to turn around a program that had not made an appearance in a bowl game since the Peach Bowl in 1984. Besides that game, Purdue had only made four other bowl games in the team's history.
Since then, the Boilermakers have made their presence known on the national stage, going to a bowl game in every year of Tiller's tenure except 2005 when they went 5-6.
This season is no exception. In fact, if anything it is an improvement from Tiller's past teams, as Purdue has jumped out to an impressive 5-1 start with its lone defeat coming at the hands of No. 3 Ohio State last weekend.
With a tough road test coming this week at Michigan, the Boilermakers will look to prove they belong among the elite in the Big Ten. Tiller remains optimistic about his team's prospects despite the first bump in the road for his team.
"Our approach now is getting back to doing what we do well offensively," Tiller said. "I don't think it's a matter of changing people or dramatically altering our game plan, but rather getting back to what we do well and executing it."
Purdue finds itself in a situation where it has faltered in recent years, going a combined 12-12 in Big Ten play over the past three seasons after being in good position heading into conference play. There is something different about this years' team, according to Boilermakers senior running back Kory Sheets.
"The camaraderie on the team," Sheets said. "Everybody is all for one, working for the best. This is a brotherhood; I'm working for the guy next to me."
This bond between teammates will have to be strong heading into the next few weeks, when Purdue will enter the bulk of its conference schedule.
Senior quarterback Curtis Painter has been through both high points and low points with this team, and he knows how to recover from a loss. A positive attitude and perseverance must come quickly for the Boilermakers if they hope to get right back on the path they were headed before they were detoured by Ohio State.
"You've got to try to get back on track, and it's not something you want to sit and hang your head about," Painter said. "You've got to stay positive and keep motivating the guys. I still think we're a good football team, and we'll do a good job responding and rebounding from that."
Knowing that the level of opponent will rise for the rest of the season, Purdue knows it will have to raise its level of play to match opponents if the team hopes to be successful. Sheets has experienced a Big Ten season three times before, making him keenly aware of what to expect for the rest of the season.
"We know what kind of game to expect just from looking at past seasons," Sheets said. "We know that it is going to be hard-nosed football, we all know that. We have to get ready for playing in the Big Ten. You might hit some losses, but you have to play through it."
The primary problem for Purdue last week was poor play offensively, specifically in the running game, finishing with a total of four rushing yards. For Sheets, the primary concern was the offensive line and its ability to keep quarterback in the pocket and allow running room for him.
Tiller believes that the Boilermakers just need to maintain the plan that made them so successful during the first five games of the season. If they can get back to what they did early in the season, success will come.
"Our plan really will not change," Tiller said. "I just hope that is what we're working towards this week, to be good in all phases of the game. Offensively with our quarterback and protection, we just need to give the quarterback more time to throw."
Sheets knows his team can improve on these weaknesses; he has been around this team for four years and knows their capabilities. The offensive line and his play protecting the quarterback will improve in the next game and only lead to more success in a season that has begun so well.
"Last week, we had absolutely no time in the pocket to deliver the ball," Sheets said. "That's something that both myself and the offensive line were responsible for last week, but that is something that we're capable of fixing, and I have no doubt in my mind that we will fix that."
Four men charged in Bradford murder
Four men were arrested this week in connection with a Sept. 30 incident when Memphis junior defensive lineman Taylor Bradford, 21, was found dead in his car after he crashed it into a tree a few blocks from his campus apartment, authorities said.
Those arrested as of Tuesday night were Devin Jefferson, 21, a student at the university; and DaeShawn Tate, 21, Victor Trezevant, 21 and Courtney Washington, 22, all of whom are not students at the university. All four were held in custody, according to authorities.
Police said there were rumors around the campus that Bradford had won more than $3,000 at a local casino the night before he crashed his car. As reported by ESPN.com, Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin believed Bradford was a target.
The Memphis football team will continue its season with a home game against Middle Tennessee State Saturday at 8 p.m.
Game to watch
No. 11 Missouri at No. 6 Oklahoma
In a matchup that could go a long way in finding perhaps the best team in the Big 12, the Tigers will visit Norman, Okla. Led by junior quarterback Chase Daniels, who has already thrown 15 touchdown passes, Missouri is off to a 5-0 start after a big win against Nebraska last week.
The Sooners will look to build off a win in the Red River Shootout against Texas last week. With an offense averaging nearly 50 points per game, Oklahoma will look to be in a shootout with the Tigers Saturday.
Since then, the Boilermakers have made their presence known on the national stage, going to a bowl game in every year of Tiller's tenure except 2005 when they went 5-6.
This season is no exception. In fact, if anything it is an improvement from Tiller's past teams, as Purdue has jumped out to an impressive 5-1 start with its lone defeat coming at the hands of No. 3 Ohio State last weekend.
With a tough road test coming this week at Michigan, the Boilermakers will look to prove they belong among the elite in the Big Ten. Tiller remains optimistic about his team's prospects despite the first bump in the road for his team.
"Our approach now is getting back to doing what we do well offensively," Tiller said. "I don't think it's a matter of changing people or dramatically altering our game plan, but rather getting back to what we do well and executing it."
Purdue finds itself in a situation where it has faltered in recent years, going a combined 12-12 in Big Ten play over the past three seasons after being in good position heading into conference play. There is something different about this years' team, according to Boilermakers senior running back Kory Sheets.
"The camaraderie on the team," Sheets said. "Everybody is all for one, working for the best. This is a brotherhood; I'm working for the guy next to me."
This bond between teammates will have to be strong heading into the next few weeks, when Purdue will enter the bulk of its conference schedule.
Senior quarterback Curtis Painter has been through both high points and low points with this team, and he knows how to recover from a loss. A positive attitude and perseverance must come quickly for the Boilermakers if they hope to get right back on the path they were headed before they were detoured by Ohio State.
"You've got to try to get back on track, and it's not something you want to sit and hang your head about," Painter said. "You've got to stay positive and keep motivating the guys. I still think we're a good football team, and we'll do a good job responding and rebounding from that."
Knowing that the level of opponent will rise for the rest of the season, Purdue knows it will have to raise its level of play to match opponents if the team hopes to be successful. Sheets has experienced a Big Ten season three times before, making him keenly aware of what to expect for the rest of the season.
"We know what kind of game to expect just from looking at past seasons," Sheets said. "We know that it is going to be hard-nosed football, we all know that. We have to get ready for playing in the Big Ten. You might hit some losses, but you have to play through it."
The primary problem for Purdue last week was poor play offensively, specifically in the running game, finishing with a total of four rushing yards. For Sheets, the primary concern was the offensive line and its ability to keep quarterback in the pocket and allow running room for him.
Tiller believes that the Boilermakers just need to maintain the plan that made them so successful during the first five games of the season. If they can get back to what they did early in the season, success will come.
"Our plan really will not change," Tiller said. "I just hope that is what we're working towards this week, to be good in all phases of the game. Offensively with our quarterback and protection, we just need to give the quarterback more time to throw."
Sheets knows his team can improve on these weaknesses; he has been around this team for four years and knows their capabilities. The offensive line and his play protecting the quarterback will improve in the next game and only lead to more success in a season that has begun so well.
"Last week, we had absolutely no time in the pocket to deliver the ball," Sheets said. "That's something that both myself and the offensive line were responsible for last week, but that is something that we're capable of fixing, and I have no doubt in my mind that we will fix that."
Four men charged in Bradford murder
Four men were arrested this week in connection with a Sept. 30 incident when Memphis junior defensive lineman Taylor Bradford, 21, was found dead in his car after he crashed it into a tree a few blocks from his campus apartment, authorities said.
Those arrested as of Tuesday night were Devin Jefferson, 21, a student at the university; and DaeShawn Tate, 21, Victor Trezevant, 21 and Courtney Washington, 22, all of whom are not students at the university. All four were held in custody, according to authorities.
Police said there were rumors around the campus that Bradford had won more than $3,000 at a local casino the night before he crashed his car. As reported by ESPN.com, Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin believed Bradford was a target.
The Memphis football team will continue its season with a home game against Middle Tennessee State Saturday at 8 p.m.
Game to watch
No. 11 Missouri at No. 6 Oklahoma
In a matchup that could go a long way in finding perhaps the best team in the Big 12, the Tigers will visit Norman, Okla. Led by junior quarterback Chase Daniels, who has already thrown 15 touchdown passes, Missouri is off to a 5-0 start after a big win against Nebraska last week.
The Sooners will look to build off a win in the Red River Shootout against Texas last week. With an offense averaging nearly 50 points per game, Oklahoma will look to be in a shootout with the Tigers Saturday.
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