INSIDE SLANT

Purdue won’t be playing in a bowl game this season, so coach Danny Hope is treating the game against Indiana as the Boilermakers’ bowl trip. Only it isn’t very sunny or warm in Bloomington this time of year.

With neither the Hoosiers nor Boilermakers headed to the postseason, the Nov. 21 game is sure to be the finale for both teams.

“The game this year for the two teams is like a bowl game in a lot of ways,” Hope said. “It’s our last game of the season. Both teams want to finish the season strong with a win over their arch rival and feel good about themselves. The bragging rights and all that stuff is certainly part of it.”

Hope has plenty to build on as 2010 nears. Running back Ralph Bolden has two years of eligibility remaining after flashing big-play potential as a sophomore. Add to that highly touted true freshman Al-Terek McBurse, who has played more on special teams than on offense, and the Boilermakers could be on their way to becoming a sound running team next season.

First, though, the Boilermakers must patch a defense that gives up an average of 29.8 points per game—the worst in the Big Ten. It doesn’t look so bad this week against Indiana, though, since the Hoosiers aren’t much better at 28.7.

A victory for Purdue would mark an impressive turnaround from a 1-5 start that had skeptics wondering if the Boilermakers could win another game the rest of the season. They responded by beating both Ohio State and Michigan, a rarity around these parts.

The difference in a 5-7 season or 4-8 with a two-game losing streak can be huge to a rebuilding program like Purdue.

“Finishing the season on a positive note can be important to your program. It is a big game,” Hope said. “We didn’t win as many games as we would’ve liked to, but we’ve competed in every game and had some great moments. A win this weekend would certainly add to the experience and just add to the entire ’09 season.”

NOTES, QUOTES

• Purdue has outscored Indiana by nearly 1,000 points in the series: 2,400-1,477.

• Ryan Kerrigan’s 11 sacks rank as fifth-most in school history, but without the benefit of a bowl game, he’ll need a huge day against Indiana to reach the school record. He is four shy of Rosevelt Colvin’s school record of 15, set in 1998.

Series History:   Purdue leads 69-38-6 (last meeting, 2008, 62-10, Purdue)

Scouting The Offense:   The offense has a chance at a “triple-quadruple” never before accomplished in 121 years of football at Purdue: A 1,000-yard rusher, a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard receiver. Junior WR Keith Smith is already over 1,000 yards receiving, while QB Joey Elliott is 179 yards shy of 3,000 and RB Ralph Bolden is 69 yards shy of 1,000 rushing. When coach Danny Hope preached a more balanced run/pass attack, this is what he meant.

Scouting The Defense:   The pass defense is respectable, but the run defense has been atrocious. Purdue has allowed 1,885 rushing yards, easily the most in the Big Ten. As a result, the Boilermakers are also allowing the most points of any Big Ten team (29.8 per game). The defense seems to be getting worse, not better—Purdue has allowed its last three opponents to score a combined 113 points.

Quote To Note:   “The game this year for the two teams is like a bowl game in a lot of ways. It’s our last game of the season. Both teams want to finish the season strong with a win over their arch rival and feel good about themselves. The bragging rights and all that stuff is certainly part of it.”—coach Danny Hope

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

This Week  ‘S GAME: Purdue at Indiana, Nov. 21—The Old Oaken Bucket game between two teams whose seasons have kicked the bucket. The Old Oaken Bucket trophy was first awarded in 1925, making it one of the oldest football trophies in the nation.

Keys To The Game:   Expect a lot of points given up by the two worst defenses in the Big Ten. Indiana (28.7) and Purdue (29.8) are allowing the most points per game of any teams in the league. That should mean big days for both quarterbacks and gives Indiana a decided edge in the turnover battle. The Hoosiers are plus-11 in turnover margin, second only to Ohio State in the Big Ten, while Purdue is a league-worst minus-14. The Boilermakers have turned it over 29 times this year, also the most in the league. The Boilermakers’ best chance to win on the road is for QB Joey Elliott to stay under control and keep the ball out of dangerous situations. Indiana’s defense has come up with 16 interceptions this season.

Players To Watch:  

• QB Joey Elliott—Made the most of his one season as a starter. Elliott needs 179 passing yards to reach 3,000 for the season.

• WR Keith Smith—Has an outside chance at 100 receptions after a strong finish to the season. Smith has caught 26 passes over the last two games, giving him 86 catches for the season.

• DE Ryan Kerrigan—Did not record a sack last week against Michigan State, just the second time in the last nine games that has happened. He still leads the league with 11.

Roster Report:  

• FB Jared Crank reappeared in Purdue’s offense against Michigan State. Undersized Dan Dierking was taking most of the snaps at fullback for the Boilermakers, but Crank did well to spring RB Ralph Bolden on a couple long runs. Hope wants to see Crank evolve more into a runner/receiver in the future instead of strictly a fullback.

• QB Robert Marve, a transfer from Miami (Fla.), continues to progress from knee surgery and is the leading candidate to replace Elliott in 2010. Marve was forced to sit out this season under the NCAA transfer rules, anyhow. Hope said Marve has been working with the scout team the last couple of weeks and looks good.

• Junior college transfer CB Michael Eargle has signed to play with Purdue, according to Rivals.com. Eargle, a 6-foot, 165-pounder, played at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania. It’s the same junior college that produced Purdue receiver Keith Carlos. All four of Purdue’s starters in the secondary leave after this season, making it imperative the Boilermakers found a defensive back with experience. As of now, Purdue will only have three cornerbacks on scholarship next year.