Boiler Wrestling

I have always thought that wrestling is a sport that is not highly recognized, but I have never understood why. Wrestlers are very hard working athletes, who have to work out every day to try to maintain a certain weight without being unhealthy. No other athletes have to worry about their weight in order to compete in their competitions. Wrestling workouts are so hard core. I watched plenty of them in high school, and they were intense. I can’t imagine what it is like at the collegiate level.

Just to give you an idea on what they do for their workouts, here is part of an article I found on the Purdue’s wrestling website of their first season practice. It was a marathon charity run for the United Way.

"The run started in the Blake Wrestling Center, where the team took off on a three-mile run to start the day. Upon return they climbed all the stairs in Ross-Ade Stadium, only to take off on a second three-mile run afterwards. A pair of runs up-and-down Slayter Hill was next on the list, followed by 100-yards of flipping a large tire in the Mollenkopf Center, and yet another trip around Ross-Ade. The test completed with eight minutes of biking in the Blake Wrestling Center.”

Wow! There is no way I would be able to do that ever, let alone on my first day of season practice! I mean, I am sure not every practice would be that intense, but that just gives you a different view on what wrestlers have to do.
The Purdue wrestling team has been working out really hard for their season opener on November 1st at the Eastern Michigan Open. The tournament consist of many of the region’s top teams, including the number 10th ranked team, Michigan, number 11th Northwestern, and number 18th Central Michigan.

Some of the Boilermakers earned a preseason ranking from InterMat/NWCA poll. Senior Jake Patacsil and Luke Manual. They are both ranked in the 7th spot for the 149 pound weight class and 184 pound weight class. On top of being ranked 7th overall, Manuel is the top ranked wrestler for his weight class. Two other Boilers, Kissel ranked 11th in the 184 weight class, and Brown is ranked 13th for the 197 weight class. So this year, the Purdue’s wrestling team is full of high ranked wrestlers. Let’s hope they do well this season! Come out and support the Boiler wrestling team!!! Boiler Up!

Quarterback Controversy: Act Two

When Joey Elliot was injured a couple of weeks ago, I thought our little quarterback controversy was over, but the recent injury to Curtis Painter has brought controversy back into our midst once again. As many of you know when Painter was injured in the first half of Saturday’s game, redshirt freshman Justin Siller entered the game. Siller, who was listed at running back for most of the season, was the fourteenth ranked dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school and may be the quarterback of the future for our Purdue Boilermakers. Siller was not overally impressive on Saturday, but what can you really expect from a freshman who has been playing running back all season? Heading into this Saturday’s game with Michigan, I believe Siller should be tabbed the starting quarterback and here are my reasons why:


1. Dual-Threat- As I mentioned above Siller was a highly ranked dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school. This means not only is he a threat with his arm, but he is an even bigger threat with his legs. We’ve only seen Siller in one game at quarterback and what impressed me the most about him was his ability to use his legs and evade defenders. I remember one play in particular when Siller did an amazing spin move to avoid a defender and then scrambled up the field for a gain on the play. If Painter would have been in that situation he would have just taken the sack. Siller’s ability to make plays makes him exciting to watch and presents a new style of attack that the offense doesn’t have with Painter under center.


2. Looking Ahead- Alright folks let’s face it, Purdue is 2-6 this year and we aren’t going to make a bowl. Sorry seniors, but we need to accept the fact that we stink this year and prepare for the future. “What is that future?” you may ask. Well that future is number five Justin Siller. Painter will graduate this year while Siller is only a freshman. We need to get ready for next year and we can do this by letting Siller and other young players get as much game-time experience as they can. I know it’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s time to think ahead and let Siller start this Saturday.


3. 100%? – Will Curtis Painter even be playing at 100%? Painter hurt his shoulder in last week’s game and didn’t feel good enough to play in the second half. Why should we start a player who won’t be at full strength? Playing someone when they’re not fully healed hurts both the team and the player. Believe it or not Curtis Painter does have a future in the NFL and why should we risk ruining his future in a game that really doesn’t mean that much? Painter should put his pride aside and fully heal before he comes back onto the field. Really, it’s not worth it.


With all this being said I think Coach Tiller will remain with Painter as his starting quarterback, but I fully expect Siller to get some time. How much time? I’m not really sure, but I know when number five steps on the field I’ll be paying close attention and looking for big things to happen.

Purdue Basketball

October 31st is a day that I'm really looking forward to, and not because it's halloween, but because it's the start of Purdue basketball. This season really has a lot of people excited, especially after such a crappy football season. The fans here at Purdue really can have something to look forward to, because this team is really looking like they are gonna be a force to reckon with this season.

Recently the men's basketball team was ranked tenth in an ESPN/USA Today, which was voted on by 31 different coaches. Thats a good confidence booster for the team, they are expected to do well this season by many people and some people actually think that they can win the conference so that is something to shoot for this season.

This Friday the Boilermakers have an exhibition game against Florida Southern. In my opinion I don't see it being a big turnout, just because it's Halloween and its Florida State, which shouldn't be much competition. The game that everyone is anticipating this season is the Purdue vs. Duke game. That game is on December 2nd and will have hundreds of fans coming to fill the stands at Mackey Arena. So if you don't have your tickets yet I would get them as soon as possible, because those things are gonna sell out fast.

There are a couple of players that people are going to have their eyes on this season, sophmores, Robbie Hummel and E'Twuan Moore really have high expectations set for them. Both of them were named preseason first team All Big Ten. Hummel was also named preseason player of the year. The team has a bunch of good players and they can do great things this season, as long as they do what there supposed to do and don't choke like the football team did this year they should be good.

Boilermaker’s Start Off With A Good Standing In Preseason

The 1997-1998 Boiler Basketball season, where they were ranked number 9, was the last time they were ranked in Preseason rankings. The Boilermakers have not been ranked in the top 25 since that year. Eleven seasons after, Purdue is ranked 10th in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Poll. All the teams are voted on by a poll of 31 coaches from around the nation.

Purdue is one of the three Big Ten Conference teams that received a preseason ranking in the top 25. The other two teams from the Big Ten are Michigan State, which was ranked 7th and Wisconsin, who was ranked 21st. Also, some of Purdue’s biggest games are against teams that have high rankings. Duke, ranked number 5, plays Purdue on December 2nd, and number 20th, Davidson on December 20th.

The Purdue Boilermakers start their exhibition season off tomorrow, October 31, Halloween night against Florida Southern at 9 p.m. in Mackey Arena. Their first regular season game is against Detroit Mercy on November 14th at 9 p.m.

Volleyball Action

Purdue Girls Volleyball had a very intense game on October,22 against what was number 19 Conference opponent University of Illinois. Up until that point Purdue was ranked 18th with a record 16-4 ( 5-3 Big Ten) pretty impressive, but the stats had no effect on the Fighting Illini who went to win 3-0 with the first game being 25-18 second: 25-20 and third: 25-21. All three games on the other hand was not as much of a blow out as the 3-0 seems. In the first set it was a back and forth battle almost the whole time with twelve different times of being tied and each time Illinois would just barely score a bit more until the end of the first set where Illinois took over and scored 11 out of the last 15. The second set was just as if not more exciting than the first Purdue came off with a strong 5-3 lead to show that they weren’t just a push over with the first set after a back and forth battle again a few times for lead purdue managed to keep it with a 8-7 lead. After more of a back and forth exciting game UI had three different mess ups which put Purdue at 15-14. Nichols put away two more after UI which put it at 17-16, this point all fans on the edge of their seats if not all ready standing up cheering with everything they have, but just like the first set at the end UI scored the next 9 out of 12 points to take the win over the second set 25-20. The intense battle continued on into the third set where out of the first ten points it was split right down the middle 5 to 5, but just like déjà vu Illinois shot off with the next 8 of the next 12 points making it 13 to 9. With the help of Arthurs and Pierce’s put-aways they managed to close the gap to a 14- 13 score. After Illinois tried to take off with another giant take off with the points, But due to some service mistakes and some kills from Lynch made it another one point lead 18-17. For the next six serves Purdue and UI would trade the points. At this point Purdue knew they would have to give it everything they had and not mess up. There was no room for mistakes. With the score in the 3rd set being 21 to 20 Illinois lead. Purdue was just unable to finish through in this set as well as all three sets. They were only able to score one more point taking it to 25 to 21. In the very end of the third set Lynch tallied up 6 kills while Arthurs was able to get 4. Sadly it was all in vain for it was just not enough to take out the Illini. In all Seniors Stephanie Lynch and Danita Merlau paced the Purdue offense with 10 kills apiece, while redshirt freshman Mandy Nichols and junior Kristen Arthurs added six each. Defensively, senior Kelli Miller had 14 digs, while Nichols added nine. The Boilermakers had everything they needed to beat Illinois but when it came down to the last bit when it mattered the most they just couldn’t pull through. What I personally think they need to work on is more team work because when it came time to crush and seal the deal they almost broke apart. Things were just not clicking like they were towards the beginning. Either way through thick and thin… BOILER UP!!

Homecoming Rituals

Homecoming… A time where all school spirit focuses on one day for one goal, a victory for the home football team. There are many different “rituals” that come with this almost holy time for schools. One of which is the famous pep rally. This is simply where the team and the coaches come out in front of the student body and give everyone a little morale booster. Another thing that everyone thinks about when you hear homecoming is the parade that goes with it. This is probably the most special of events, simply because it gets the whole city of whatever team is playing involved. Different events of that school are also involved but of course the main event is the football team. This is a very special and cherished time for Alumni and just big supporters because they get to think back of when they were back in that position. They remember back to when they were marching down the street looking out and seeing everyone cheer for you. Another of rituals which is always a fan favorite is the Bon Fire. Some schools combine this with the pep rally, and others keep this as its own separate fun event. Usually at the bon fire it’s like another pep rally the football team gives there rant about how badly the will demolish the opposing team. Also the cheerleaders get to get the crowd going with all of their many cheers. A thing that some schools have also is the tug-of-war competition. This is more of a high school thing simply because they are usually between the different classes. What I think to be the most fun about homecoming is the whole “homecoming week” This is a week of nonstop random events to help get everyone. This week usually contains a week full of random and fun activities. Each day is a different theme usually. One day could be anything from a simple theme such as something like Disney day to just pride day where you wear all of your school colors and show off all of your school spirit. In all Homecomings, with all of its many fun and diverse rituals and events, is a time for everyone to pull together and cheer on their team to beat the rivals. If everyone gets involved and really enjoys it Homecoming can be the greatest thing to look forward to each year!

Texas Number 1.

It's official the number one team in the land is the Texas Longhorns. This team is not your ordinary team, this team is special. The longhorns are gifted on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field.

First let me talk about their offense. Their offense is lead by junior QB Colt McCoy, who is just amazing. This guy has broken records left and right. He is 20-6 for 26 career starts. The junior QB has over 5,800 passing yards which is number 6 on University of Texas all time list, he has 51 TD's with a passer rating of 148.9 the highest of any QB in the schools history. This guy has a lot of talent and really knows what he is doing out on the filed. The Longhorns who are 8-0 after their game against Oklahoma State. The game was actually a very good game that kept many people on the edge of their seats. The Longhorns had made a couple of mistakes this game and all of a sudden the number one team didn't look as invincible as they were thought to be. Despite all their mistakes that game the team held their own and won the game 28-24. McCoy had thrown for 391 yards and two TD's, however it was his third quarter interception and fourth quarter fumble that really had some people worried whether or not the team was gonna come off the field with a W.

It was the Longhorn's defense that really stepped it up on Saturday and proved that they could hold their own. When QB Colt McCoy fumbled it late in the fourth quarter the defense knew that they needed to put a stop to the Oklahoma offense and they did just that, not allowing them to get passed their own 30 yard line. 

Although it was a close game the Longhorns did what they had to do and came out with the win, hopefully they can keep the momentum going, because next weeks game won't be any easier when they play number 8 Texas Tech.

Boilers Lose.... Again!!

This past saturday was Homecoming here at Purdue. The boilers played against the Minnesota Gophers and once again lost. The game on Saturday really made me realize that the football team this year is really sucking it up. I mean they have lost their past five games, which is their longest losing streak since the 2005 season. They lost their 18th straight game to a ranked team and to top it off it was the first time that the gophers have beaten the Boilermakers since 1990. Purdue really has to step it up if they want to make it to a bowl game this season. 

The game against Minnesota was a really bad game for Purdue's offense. First QB Curtis Painter injured his shoulder in the first quarter, came back in the second quarter, but then did not return in the second half. All in all Painter was 6 for 12 with 36 yards and one interception. This wasn't the only thing that went wrong for Purdue. The back up QB Joey Elliot was injured in last weeks game and is out for the season, so that means that Purdue had to bring in their third string QB for the entire second half. Not to mention how well Minnesota's defense played. Their defense held Purdue to only 117 rushing yards, had five sacks, and also had forced four turnovers against the Boilermakers. I hate to say it, but their defense just made Purdue look like a bunch of pee wee players. 

On a lighter note running back Kory Sheets ran for 73 yards and become one of just three boilermakers to run for more than 3,000 yards in a career. Pat on the back to Kory Sheets. However, that still wasn't enough for Purdue to come out with a win the Boilermakers lost 17-6 and honestly this is Coach Tillers last season it would be nice if we could actually win a game and not blow our chances of going to a bowl game.

Ball States Surge to the top.

The year 2008 has been a great year filled with many surprises. We had Brett Farve come out of retirement... again, and this time he is with a new team. He has down fairly well breaking some of his career records like most TD's in a game. What else lets see, the Cubs had a pretty good season and made it to the playoffs, However everyone thought this was "the year" in the post season they got swept and all hopes of that flew out the window, surprise, surprise. But when it all comes down one of the most surprising teams this year is, Ball State's amazing season they have had so far. 

Ball State has really surprised many people this season, because for the first time the undefeated Cardinals are ranked in the top 25. This season the Cardinals are undefeated with a record of 7-0. They climbed to the number 24 spot after their 24 to 7 win at Western Kentucky. One factor as to why they have had an awesome season is QB Nate Davis. He is ranked number nine in the country in passing efficiency. He has also thrown for thirteen touchdowns and only four interceptions.

Another contributing factor in Ball States offense is junior running back MiQuale Lewis. Lewis who is a smaller guy right around 5' 6'' is ranked fourth in the country for rushing yards, with 914 yards. So don't let his small frame fool you this guy is a beast.  

Another factor that really helps the Cardinals team is their offensive line. Their O-line includes four starting seniors and when you combine a good O-line and two good key offensive players you get a team that is ranked 15th on offense, which averages 455.6 yards a game. This team has a really good shot at going undefeated all season. Don't get me wrong this team has suffered some setbacks, the teams star receiver Dante Love suffered a spinal fracture  in the second quarter against Indiana. Overall though the team has recovered and are doing exceptionally well this season so lets see how they end up.

Homecoming Festivities

Tomorrow is Homecoming and I know the game is early, but I recommend getting up early and checking out the Pre-Homecoming events.  I hate waking up early on Saturday’s, but last year I forced myself out of bed and checked out the campus festivities.  There were so many alumni on campus and Neil Armstrong was even here.  I went and watched him give a speech and even snapped a picture of him.  It was really cool to see such a living legend and its even cooler that I am going to the same school as he did.  Usually on Homecoming each college has a tent set up with food and a welcome desk.  I went to my college’s booth and met some alumni.  It was a great chance to network and it was interesting to talk to alumni and hear about how much campus has changed.  Homecoming only comes once a year and I advise you to get up and take advantage of it.

Game of the Week

The game of the week in the Big Ten and maybe in the entire country has to be Penn St. travelling to Columbus to play “The” Ohio State University. The game is a matchup between two top ten teams and will most likely decide the Big Ten Champion. Both teams are perfect in the conference and are coming off huge blowout wins. The Buckeyes made a huge statement last weekend after manhandling Javon Ringer and Michigan State, 45-7. The Nittany Lions were less impressive in their win against Michigan and in fact were losing at the half, but managed to bounce back in the second half of play outscoring the Wolverines 32-0. Ouch. If you have been following my posts, you probably know who I think will win this game. I have kept the Buckeyes ahead of Penn St. in my power rankings despite Penn St.’s higher ranking and more dominating victories. I’m not sure if the Buckeyes are a better team than the Nittany Lions and they have definitely struggled more than Penn St., but in College Football you don’t have to be better than your opponent to win, you just have to be better that day. With the game being in Columbus and with the Buckeyes having so much momentum, I think it will be hard for the Buckeyes to lose. By no means will it be an easy game for the Buckeyes as Penn St. has proved they are no slouches, but with Terrelle Pryor getting more comfortable each week and with running back “Beanie” Wells looking like his old self, I think we have an upset in the making. Penn St. Coach Joe Paterno hasn’t won in Columbus since 1978 and I think that streak will continue. If the Buckeyes do win this game they put themselves in great position to win their third straight outright Big Ten Championship and reenter the National Championship conversation. If Penn St. wins this game the legendary coach can end his career in style with a Big Ten Championship and the Nittany Lions may leapfrog Alabama for a spot in the National Championship. With so much one the line, which team will establish themselves as the top team in the Big Ten? I think the Buckeyes will and they win this one 26-23.

Purdue vs. Minnesota

This weekend is Homecoming week for the Boilers and traveling to West Lafayette are the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. Minnesota is coming off a huge road win at Illinois and has cracked the top 25 coming in at number twenty-five. Meanwhile, our beloved Boilers are sputtering, having lost the last four games and giving up forty-eight points last week to Northwestern. Things do not look good for Purdue. However Purdue fans, do not fear for things may not be as bad as they seem. I think Purdue has a good chance of winning this weekend and making all those drunken alumni proud. Here are my reasons why Purdue can beat Minnesota:

1. Rock Bottom- Like I just said above Purdue has lost their last four games and has pretty much hit rock bottom. Where can you go when you’ve hit rock bottom? Well, there’s no where to go, but up. Purdue’s backs are against the wall and when you’ve got an angry team pinned against the wall, they come out swinging. The players are tired of hearing how bad they are and how much of a disappointment this season has been. They can silence the critics this weekend by ending that losing streak and beating Minnesota.

2. Overdue- I’m sure we’ve all heard the statistic that Purdue has lost its last seventeen games to ranked teams and hasn’t beaten one since the 2003 season. Well Minnesota happens to be ranked 25th and if there was ever a ranked team that Purdue could beat, the Gophers would be it. The Gophers are ranked 10th in the Big Ten in rushing offense and dead last in passing defense. This could be the game where Curtis Painters wakes the fuck up and gets the offense going. I mean we’ve lost the last SEVENTEEN games to ranked teams, we’ve got to beat one sooner or later. Why not sooner rather than later? The Boilers are like an overdue library book and Minnesota is going to have to pay the fine.

3. The Last Homecoming- With Danny Hope taking the reins from Coach Tiller next year, this is Coach Tiller’s last Homecoming and I think that should mean something. The players should not only want to win the game for themselves, but for their legendary coach. I’m sure Coach Tiller wants to leave with some style and has some tricks up his sleeve.

On paper Purdue doesn’t have a chance, but games aren’t played on paper, they’re played on the field. So even though things don’t seem the greatest don’t be surprised if the Boilers pull off the upset this weekend and even if they don’t there’s always Michigan next week.

Bears Wreck the Vikings

Another good day for Bears fans. Today the Bears took on the the Vikings at home, it was a very good game and it had intense back and fourth action throughout the whole game. The game was very intense and the Bears just played a phenomenal game on both offense and defense.

 

I'll start by talking about how amazing the Bears offense was. Orton threw for 283 yards and completed 21 0f his 32 passes. He has been on fire lately, Orton in the last 5 games has been averaging 274.0 yards a game and also he has had ten touchdowns in the last 5 starts. Kyle Orton has really started to show what he can do, these past couple of games he has really been on his A game and if he keeps it up I think that we will be able to see this team going somewhere. As long as the defense does there job. The defense and special teams played so well today, the defense had four interceptions on the vikings QB Gus Frerotte. The special teams caught a nice break, the first one came on a strange sequence in the opening quarter, when Chris Kluwe dropped a snap and had his punt blocked. He then attempted an illegal kick, and Garette Wolfe scooped it up and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.  Later, Charles Gordon messed up a punt by Brad Maynard when he tried to block Bowman. Instead, the ball hit him and Bowman recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown that gave Chicago a 24-17 lead. All in all the bears played a great game and now they just have to keep it up.

Purdue Swimming

Purdue had a great beginning to this year's season on Saturday conquering the intense competition of ball state, Indianapolis University and IUPI. They took the title for the introductory meet several years in a row. Many great divers and swimmers showed their skills this weekend and really pushed themselves and their abilities to the next level. A few of the divers that represented Purdue's name this weekend were David Boudia who while winning the all around event also set a new record for Purdue diving by outscoring last year's record setter Zach Shultz, by over thirty points with a score of 399. Some other divers who placed at the invite this weekend were Kyle Mitrione, who finished third at 320.2. Ashley Karnes did well this weekend also scoring a 273 on her three meter dive, which is a good enough score to take the pool record. The swimmers who attended the meet also did exceptionally well. Lauren Roth who took the gold in the two hundred freestyle with a time of 1:52 and another first place in the five hundred yard freestyle, with a time of 4:58. 

On the mens side, senior Tim Watts, junior Aaron Koger, Kyle House and Andrew Langenfield won the 200 medley race. Aaron Koger also won the 100 breast with a time of 56.2. Watts came back tough in the 100 back, winning the event in 51.19. Overall Purdue's swim team came out strong in the first meet of the season and hopefully it is just a precursor to more great things to come.

OSU vs. Michigan St.

The game of the week this week in the Big Ten has to be Ohio State traveling to Lansing to play the Spartans of Michigan State. The Spartans are coming off a big road win against Northwestern while the Buckeyes beat Purdue in a poorly played game. If Michigan State wants to prove they are for real this game is a must-win. The Spartans have won six in a row, but really haven’t beaten anyone that talented. The Buckeyes are still in the hunt for a national championship, but a second loss would eliminate them. This game features plenty of stars such as Michigan St.’s Javon Ringer and Ohio St.’s Terrelle Pryor and Chris Wells. It looks to be a great matchup, but I think the Buckeyes will have the upper hand. Michigan St. doesn’t have much on offense besides Ringer and Ohio St.’s run defense is always tough. However, the Buckeyes will definitely have to do more on offense than they did against Purdue and quarterback Pryor will have to step his game up. Prediction OSU 20 – Mich St. 13

Paint Crew Signups

Did any of you see that huge line that was wrapped around Mackey Arena Wednesday? Well, that line was the line to sign up for the Paint Crew. For those of you who do not know the Paint Crew is Purdue’s student section for the men’s basketball team. With the team having such high expectations this year and being ranked as high as fourth in some polls I knew the 1,800 Paint Crew spots would be hot commodities, but I still couldn’t believe my eyes when I arrived at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. The ticket office opened at nine and I thought there would a few people in line, but boy was I wrong. We arrived almost two hours before opening and there was already about 110 people in front of us. With each person signing up about five other people, spots were filling up fast. Last year I was able to secure a spot in the Paint Crew on the third day of signups, but I quickly realized this year would be a different story. I was told that some people in line had camped out for Paint Crew spots and by the time that nine o’clock rolled around people were getting turned away because the officers realized there weren’t enough spots. Ridiculous. Anyway, the whole process took a very long time and I finally got through the line at 1:00 p.m. later that day. So to summarize, I got up at the crack-ass of dawn and waited in line for five hours for my Paint Crew spot, but you know what it is TOTALLY worth it. I loved being in the Paint Crew last year and with the team being so good this year, it’s going to be that much better. With great matchups at home such as Duke, Wisconsin, Ohio St., Michigan St., and IU, the basketball season is going to amazing and is something I have been looking forward to for quite some time. I can already tell the fan enthusiasm is going to be there and hopefully the basketball team can live up to all of this hype.

Boiler Volleyball

Women’s volleyball at Purdue University has back to back home volleyball games this upcoming weekend. Right now, the Boilermakers hold the # 21 spot. The first match up is against Wisconsin Badgers who are ranked # 19, on Friday night at 6 p.m. This is also the kick off to Mackey Madness, along with men and women’s basketball teams following after the match. Saturday evening, the Boilermakers host the Wildcats who are towards the bottom of the conference right now.

If the Boilermakers win the match between the Badgers, it will make it the first win over the Badgers since the 2005 season, it will be the first win in West Lafayette against Wisconsin since the 2004 season, and lastly, the Boilermakers will have won their second top 25 game of the season. So hopefully they can pull it off and top the Wisconsin Badgers!!

Some of our very own Boilermakers are ranked in the nation. Middle hitter, Stephanie Lynch ranks 11th in the hitting percentage, (.420) and ranks 24th in blocks per set (1.27). Danita Merlau, outside hitter for the Boilers is ranked 2nd in career attempts with 4,608, and she also ranks in the top 10 in career kills with 1,536. Setter, Jaclyn Hart has a career best of 1,641 assists, which puts her in the top 10. Lastly, the Boilermakers as a team, ranks 23rd in blocks per set with 2.6 average.

Bye-Week, 7-0..Can They Keep It That Way?

Most of you have already heard about Donte Love’s injury during the Ball State and Indiana game a few weeks back. The Ball State Cardinals are suffering on their receiving yards. It’s not because Love is out of the game though. Davis, a junior at Ball State, has been throwing his lowest passing yard sense his sophomore year. So should the Cardinals go with a passing game with TE Hill or a running game with Lewis for their next match up against Eastern Michigan?

Me personally, I think they should go with running with Lewis. He is one of the top runners in the nation with yards and touchdowns. He also has a dominate offensive line who has the extreme ability to block and create gaps for Lewis to break through.
Luckily, the Cardinals have a bye week, so that gives them time to decide which one they will go with. This bye week is well needed so that the team can recupe from there past few weeks of hard playing, considering the big part of their season is yet to come.

With a record of 7-0 thus far this season, let’s hope they can continue it next week. They have a lot to figure out within this week, but hopefully they will figure something out to keep their season undefeated!

On a side note, word is that Love is considering going out for the Ball State baseball team so he can stay in athletics at the University to end his senior year. More word on that later.

Bears lose to Falcons in last seconds of the game

This is a sad day for all Bear fans today. Earlier today the Chicago Bears faced off against the Atlanta Falcons, in what many Bears fans thought would be an easy win. Against a team that many thought, myself included, would lose. Don’t get me wrong the falcons are doing a good job this season, but statistically the Bears were the favored team. The Bears were favored in defense, in offense and special teams.

 

Throughout the majority of the game the Falcons were leading they were up 9 to 0 at one point. The Falcons runner Michael Turner had a hell of a game. The Bears defense really had a hard time putting a stop to his running game. It was an on and off game for the defense. They would do poorly and allow rookie Matt Ryan enough time to complete passes. However, when the game got closer to the goal line the defense would find some way to force the kicking team on the field.

 

The Bears had a couple of key plays, which they missed and those really hurt them. In the first half there were a couple of penalties that resulted because of stupid mistakes. But one play where the Falcons fumbled the ball on third and long, the Bears Tommy Harris picked it up, but lost it on his way up from the ground. That gave the Falcons a new set of downs and they ended up kicking a field goal on that play. Then later in the fourth the Bears were on the one yard line it was fourth and goal they decided to go for it, and Atlanta came up with a big stop and forced the bears to give the ball up.

 

The sad part came in the last few second of the game the Bears scored a TD with about eleven seconds left, then Falcons QB completed a pass to Michael Jenkins putting them in field goal range. The falcons brought their kicking team on the field and won the game.

Can the Bears keep it up?

Welcome everyone to another NFL packed sunday. Today the Bear's on on the road playing against the Atlanta Falcons. The game today can go either way. Both teams are 3-2 and both teams have their pro's and con's. 

The Bears defense is going to have to bring their A-game today and watch out for running back Michael Turner who leads the NFL in rush yards and touchdowns this season. If the Bears defense can put a stop to Turner then the Falcons will pull out the next weapon in their arsenal, receiver Roddy White. White has the third most receiving yards this season, he has also been doing very well the last couple of games catching twenty passes in the last three games. To answer that the Bears have cornerback, Charles Tillman who leads the NFL in forced turnovers this season.

If the defense holds up, then the Bears are going to have to keep up the good work that they have been doing on offense. Their QB Kyle Orton has really improved his overall game this season, with seven touchdowns and over 1000 passing yards. What the offense needs to be concerned about isn't Orton's performance, but how well the O-line can protect him against the NFL's leader in sacks Jon Ibrahim. The Bears are aware of this and because of that, they will probably turn to rookie Matt Forte for a couple of short passes. 

Both teams have an equal shot, in my opinion to come out with a win. It will all some down to who performs better. Will the O-line protect Orton? Will Michael Turner be able to keep up his running game, or will the Bears defense be able to shut down the run game? Here is some interesting stats that I found, the Bears have beaten the Falcons in their last three encounters and 8 out of their last 9 meetings.

Can the Boilers put an end to their losing streak?

Remember way back when gas was $1.60 or when Purdue’s Drew Brees was having his worst NFL career with the chargers? Well around that time was the last time that a ranked team has come to Purdue and left the field with a loss. The Purdue football team hasn’t beat a ranked team for almost 5 years now.

It all started when the Ohio State Buckeyes beat Purdue in overtime 16-13. The sad thing is that even back then the Boilers didn’t have the best of luck when it came to kicking. The kicker missed a 37 yard field goal and started a streak of 16 straight losses to ranked teams.

The sad thing is that not many of the players know of this embarrassing statistic. When senior captain Ryan Baker was interviewed and was told the sad truth, that Purdue is 0-16 against ranked teams he responded by saying “Wow, that’s a horrible statistic, you have to be beat good teams to do well.” Which is completely true, if you want to be the best you have to beat the best.

I don’t think that this statistic should put pressure on the team, it should do the complete opposite, it should motivate the team to play a great game and come home with a win. Ohio is ranked number 12 this season, so I know it is not going to be an easy game, but I think that the team can handle it. As long as the team plays consistent, if Painter can complete a pass and get the offense going, then it wont be impossible for the Boilers to come home with a win. Oh yea I forgot if the kicker can make a field goal in this game that would be very beneficial too. I mean they are bound to end this losing streak sooner or later where better to end it then where it began.

OSU vs. Purdue

After playing 6th ranked Penn State last week, Purdue’s schedule get no easier as they head to Columbus to play the 12th ranked Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are led by dual-threat freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Heisman candidate Chris “Beanie” Wells. The Buckeyes are coming off of a huge win at Wisconsin and have won three in a row after their embarrassing loss to USC. It looks like the Buckeyes are starting to put things together and Purdue might be catching them at a bad time. As the freshman Pryor gains more experience with each game, it only makes the Buckeyes that much tougher. Pryor has accounted for seven touchdowns in just two starts and against a defense that has trouble stopping mobile quarterbacks; he might have a field day. Also, don’t forget about “Beanie” Wells. The running back is averaging almost eight yards a carry and Purdue’s run defense has been anything, but stellar. Wells did miss practice yesterday with the flu, but he is expected to play tomorrow.

The defense will definitely have their hands full, but I believe the key to a Boilermaker victory lies with the offense not the defense. The Buckeyes are too talented not to score, but can our offense capitalize on an OSU defense that has been giving up some points? The Purdue offense has been very inconsistent and if you don’t score you can’t win. However, maybe Coach Tiller sending Curtis Painter to the bench last week will wake him up and make him elevate his game. If the offense is able to click, I think we can definitely score some points on a defense that has not lived up to expectations. The Purdue players definitely seem motivated after being blown out the past two weeks. They are tired of hearing about the losing streak to ranked opponents and are looking to play spoiler this weekend.

Prediction:
I think the Buckeyes are too talented for the Boilers especially at home. I think this will be a competitive game as the Buckeyes have not blown out many opponents, but the Ohio State running attack will be too much to handle. Score: OSU 27-Purdue 21

On a side note, Purdue will be using a new place kicker this week. Freshman Carson Wiggs will be handling the field goal duties after Chris Summers missed two last week. Let’s see how the freshman responds in such a hostile environment.

BSU's Defense

Ball states record;6-0, seems like they are off to a very good start, and of course they are. One major thing they need to work on though is their run defense. The core defense to defend the run lies mainly on the linebacker core. And of there 6 guys who are on the linebacker core only one of them are above 230. If you know anything at all about D1 football you know that is a very small core. The average for a linebacker whether it be Middle or Outside is roughly 250-260,

But Coach Hoke knows this and has this almost all to plan. Instead of having giant monsters to just obliterate everything in there way they have smaller, faster, and more agile. Of course they have to have some size to them or they will just get pushed around like nothing. So Hoke is aiming for an average around 230. They are under that average which is why the run defense is struggling a little. They still have an amazing defense and can hold their own ground but there is always room for improvement.

They are a young core which, with most, still has 3 years under their belt left. So with more room to grow in both experience and size the next few years of Ball State Football will be exciting ones both on the offense and defense.

Top 5 in Big Ten Volleyball

1. Penn State Nittany Lions: They are ranked number 1 in the Big Ten due to the fact that they are undefeated in their whole season with a record of 16-0, and 4-0 in the conference. And to top all of that, they are 48-0 in all their sets! That is incredible! The Nittany Lions have won their past 29 conference matches, going all the way back to the 2006 season. They have also won all their home matches, going back to the 2005 season. Hopefully they can keep this role going and win this years title!

2. Minnesota Golden Gophers: With a record of 14-2, 4-0 in Big Ten conference, the Golden Gophers are ranked number 2. This is their second consecutive year starting off with a 4-0 record in the conference. With only two loses in this season outside of Big Ten play, Minnesota is going to be a tough team to beat. They are going to battle it out with the Nittany Lions this upcoming weekend.

3. Michigan Wolverines: The Wolverines are at a record of 14-2, and 2-2 in conference. Their only two loses where to both Big Ten teams, across state rivalries Michigan State and Wisconsin. The Wolverines lost to the Spartans in a match total of 1-3, and to the Badgers in a match total of 2-3. Their next match, they are hosting Purdue at on October 10th.2-2 13-3

4. Purdue Boilermakers: The boilermakers are 13-3, and 2-2 in conference. Their two conference loses were to # 1 Penn State and # 2 Minnesota. Purdue lost both of those matches 3-0. Those are the two toughest teams in the conference, so they were not horrible loses.

5. Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers have a record of 12-4 and 2-2 in conference. Their conference loses were to Iowa and Minnesota. They lost their match against Iowa 0-3, and their match to Minnesota 1-3. It looks like they put up a better fight against Minnesota then they did to Iowa, considering Iowa is ranked 8th in the Big Ten Conference!

Purdue Volleyball Team On The Road

Since the Boilers have had two tough losses in Big Ten play, they are hoping for a readjustment in their attitudes and how they practice. Their first loss was to #1 Penn State on September 26, then the second loss was to #13, Minnesota Gophers this past Saturday. As said in The Exponent, this week the team is going to be “refocusing” on their attitudes and how they spend their time during practice. The team is realizing that it is important for them to perform well during practice, because they are noticing that the way they play during practice is the way they play at on the court.

With a record of 13-3, 2-2 Big Ten, Purdue will be facing harder opponents these upcoming weeks, which include six ranked teams. The boilermakers are facing Michigan (2-2 in Big Ten) this Friday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This should be a really good match, considering the Boilermakers and the Wolverines are tied in The Big Ten. Then on Sunday, the Boilermakers travel to Ohio State to face the Buckeyes (1-3 in Big Ten).

Let’s hope this weeks worth of practicing pays off for the Boilers when they travel to both places this weekend. Hopefully they have changed the way they practiced before and are improving their skills on the court!

Quarterback Controversy?

Curtis Painter has definitely not had the senior season he was hoping for. The Purdue quarterback has thrown just five touchdowns in five games compared to his 18 that he threw in the first five games of last year. Yes, the opponents that Purdue has played have been much tougher, but that is still no excuse for Painter’s poor play. His poor play led Coach Tiller to remove him from the game on Saturday in favor of backup quarterback Joey Elliot. Elliot, a junior, came in and led the Boilers down the field for a touchdown. With Painter not playing up to expectations many people are questioning whether he should remain in his starting role. That’s right folks, it looks like we have a bit of a quarterback controversy on our hands. Tiller said in his press conference yesterday that he will stick with Painter for the Ohio State game, but expect Painter to be on a short leash. I really don’t know what I would do if I were in Tiller’s shoes so I’ll present both sides of the argument.

Why Curtis Painter should remain as the starting quarterback:
Painter is a three year starter who has put up huge numbers in his career. We’ve watched Painter grow and progress and we know exactly what we’re going to get with him under center. He has so much experience and that experience will be much needed this weekend when the Boilers travel to the Shoe. Can you imagine Joey Elliot making his first career start with 100,000 Ohio State fans screaming at the top of their lungs? The kid would get eaten alive. Painter brings experience and leadership and those are both things Elliot lacks. Also, I’m sure all this talk of quarterback controversy has put some pressure on Painter and I think this pressure could be a good thing. Painter has never been threatened to be removed from his starting role and maybe he will step up his game and reestablish himself as the definite starting quarterback.

Why Joey Elliot should be the new starting quarterback:
Yes, Curtis Painter has had a great statistical career, but he has never been able to win the big game. He is winless in almost ten attempts to beat a ranked team. Hmm…let’s see, who are we playing this weekend? That’s right, twelfth RANKED Ohio State. Painter has not beaten a ranked team in his first three years as starting quarterback, why should things be any different this game? Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So starting Curtis Painter this weekend and hoping for a win is just insane. Let’s try something different and that something different is Joey Elliot. Sure, we don’t know much about Elliot, but the little that we have seen has been great. He led us down the field for a touchdown in his only drive against Penn State. Another advantage of not knowing a lot about Joey Elliot is that Ohio State doesn’t know much about him either. With his limited game experience there isn’t a whole lot of film for Ohio State to study and they might not know how to prepare for him.

Both sides bring up valid points, but which one is right, who knows. Painter is definitely the safer play while Elliot represents the high risk/high reward choice. So it comes down to whether Coach Tiller wants to take that risk or not. It looks like Painter is the starter for now, but don’t be surprised if you see #14 under center by the time the game ends on Saturday.

Bears roll over Lions

So today the Chicago Bears were on the road and took on the Detroit Lions. The Lions who have had a horrible start this season with a record of 0-3 tried to redeem themselves this week against the Bears. The Bears who went into the game with a record of 2-2 had a big advantage over the Lions. The Bears seemed to have an easy game when you look at the stats on paper, but I personally did not think that the Bears were gonna have such an easy time against the Lions. 

The Detroit Lions who are after today 0-4 and at the bottom of their division are going to have to get on the ball if they want to start winning any games. The Lions did recently get rid of their team president Matt Millen and if things don't change soon the head coach may be the next to go.

The Lions who are ranked last in defense for points allowed didn't do much in this week's game to help change those stats. The detroit defense allowed 334 passing yards in the game. This game was an incredible game for the Bears it really showed what the team could do and what they were made of. Orton lead the league this week in passing, he had a 121.4 passer rating, completing 24 of 34 passes. As I mentioned earlier Orton had a phenomenal game throwing for a career best of 334 yards and he had two touchdowns. Orton now has seven touchdowns in the past three games. He had no interceptions in this weeks game, which really shows his maturity as a QB and as a leader.

The Bears defense did an excellent job at applying pressure on the Lion's QB. They played great, just stopping the run. The defense had four sacks and allowed only 54 rushing yards.

Last year the Detroit Lions beat the Bears not once, but twice last year. The Bears knew that just because the Lions had a bad start they still had to practice and not go into that game with too much confidence. And the Bears did just that, they played extremely well and it showed. The bears are tied for first place in their division with this weeks win, and that's where they want to stay. If the Bears maintain their status as a first place team in their division then that means they are in the playoffs, if not then it is going to be a lot more difficult for those playoff hopes to become a reality. It is still early in the season and anything could happen, but if the Bears keep up the momentum and stay on track then I see a bright future for them.

  Sadly for the Lions that was the only points that the lions were going to see all game. The Bears sealed the deal when Charles Tillman intercepted a pass and brought it back for a TD. The Bears seem to have gotten a grip on things, their passing game has been amazing, their defense is superb and it is obvious that when both sides of the field are in sync they are really a force to be reckoned with. 

The next upcoming games are really gonna show where the Bears are heading. I feel that as long as the team as a whole keeps doing what they're doing they will be great. The Bears next week face the Vikings which is going to be interesting see. The Vikings whose record is 1-3 are currently second to last in the division and really need a win this next week so it will be interesting to see two teams who both need wins battle it out. In the end it will all come down to who wants it more.

New Kicker ?

So as many of you already know, earlier today Purdue took on Penn State's Nittany Lions. Penn State is nationally ranked and have had an excellent season. They are ranked 6th this year and after today have a record of 6-0. The game today didn't surprise many people as far as the outcome goes, however, it surprised many people in the sense that Purdue did a lot better than many thought they would. Personally I thought that Purdue was going to lose by a way bigger margin than they actually did. The final score was 20-6, the reason why Penn State didn't didn't win by more is because the Boiler defense did an excellent job at containing their offense especially in the first quarter. The defense allowed no points in that first quarter which really surprised me, because I thought that Penn State was going to start the game with a bang. Instead the Penn State offense didn't get on the board until the second quarter with a TD which was then followed with a field goal. The Purdue offense had a chance to put some points on the board, but once again the kick was missed. 

         The offense scored later in the game, but not after the kicker missed another field goal in the second half. The offense scored a TD in the second half, but again the kicker kicked and missed this time he missed the extra point. Throughout the whole game the kicker missed a total of 7 potential points. I know that isn't enough to win or even tie the game, but still 7 points is seven points. Purdue really needs to get on the ball and start making the points that are important. The kicker especially needs to buckle down and start doing his job, because honestly Purdue has had chances to win games and he just isn't performing.

"Friday Night Tailgate" at Purdue

If you noticed a camera crew walking around campus this week it was probably because the Big Ten Network’s "Friday Night Tailgate" is featuring Purdue this week. The show is hosted Mike Hall with appearances by correspondents Jordan Klepper and Steve Waltien. This is the third time the show has visited West Lafayette and they have focused on different places each time. For this episode camera crews visited the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, the Neon Cactus, and John Purdue’s grave. I remember last year when the show came they did a segment on the Boilermaker Special and my friend was taped riding the train. The show airs tonight at 8:30 and I know I plan on tuning in. You never know you might even see yourself!

Going Bowling?

With the loss this past weekend to Notre Dame, the Boilers dropped their season record to 2-2. I know it’s still early in the season, but it’s never too early to be talking about bowl berths. To qualify for a bowl these days you need at least six wins and even then you are not guaranteed anything. With this season being Coach Tiller’s last it would be terrible if the Boilers missed out on a bowl, but with the team only having two wins entering Big Ten play, things do not look promising. Here’s a preview of the games to come for Purdue:

Oct. 4 vs. Penn State: This coming weekend brings the sixth ranked Nittany Lions into West Lafayette. This is probably the best team that Purdue has played so far and I don’t expect much from the Boilermakers. Pulling off a win here seems highly unlikely even with the game being at home. However, this college football season has been filled with many upsets and no game is a guarantee. With that being said I still think Penn State will be too much for the Boilers to handle. Predicted Outcome: Loss

Oct. 11 @ “The” Ohio State University: This game also looks to be a tough one for the Boilermakers. Not only do they have to play at the “Shoe”, but they also have to play an offense that is going keep getting better as the season goes on. The Boilers haven’t beaten a ranked team since 2003 and I don’t see that changing here. Predicted Outcome: Loss

Oct. 18 @Northwestern: Usually when I look at the schedule and I see Northwestern, I think automatic win. Unfortunately I can’t say that this year as the Wildcats are 5-0 and coming off a huge win against Iowa. This squad is definitely improved from last year, but the idea of Northwestern actually being good is one that I can’t seem to grasp. I think the Boilers can win this game, but by no means will it be a gimme. If the Boilers want to make a bowl berth they are going to have to win a road game and this is a victory I think they are capable of. Predicted Outcome: Win

Oct. 25 vs. Minnesota: Another improved squad this year is Minnesota. The Golden Gophers suffered their first loss of the season this past weekend, but have already surpassed their win total from a year ago. This is the Homecoming game for Purdue and I think the Boilers will protect their home turf. However, if the Boilers lose this game their chances of making a postseason appearance will diminish. Predicted Outcome: Win

Nov. 1 vs. Michigan: This team just has me confused. At the beginning of the year they flat out stunk, starting the year 1-2. Their offense was atrocious and their quarterback play was worse than fudge mixed with tartar sauce. Then all of a sudden this past weekend they beat ninth ranked Wisconsin. I’m still not convinced Michigan is as good as they looked against Wisconsin and with Purdue playing at home, I like the Boilers in this one. Predicted Outcome: Win

Nov. 8 @Michigan St.: The Spartans are having a great start to their season and are led by Heisman candidate Javon Ringer. They look to be a very tough matchup for the Boilers for a couple reasons. First of all the Purdue run defense has not been very good this year and all the Spartans do is run the ball. Combine this with the fact that this game is on the road and things don’t look promising for the Boilers in this one. Predicted Outcome: Loss

Nov. 15 @Iowa: This is a game that I think could go either way. The Boilers beat the Hawkeyes pretty badly last year, but with the game being on the road, this year could be different. If Purdue loses their matchup with Northwestern, this would be a must win road game. I don’t think the Boilers can beat both Iowa and Northwestern on the road so I’m picking them to lose here. Predicted Outcome: Loss

Nov. 22 vs. Indiana: The battle for the Old Oaken Bucket will have big implications for Purdue this year. If my predictions hold true Purdue will have a 5-6 record coming into this game. Remember you need at six wins to qualify for a bowl so not only will the Boilers be playing for the Old Oaken Bucket, but they will be playing for a possible postseason berth as well. Indiana’s dual-threat quarterback Kellen Lewis always presents problems for a defense, but I think Purdue avenges last year’s loss with a victory in the season finale. Predicted Outcome: Win

Conclusion: With my predictions the Boilers will end their season with a 6-6 record. This qualifies them for a bowl, but doesn’t promise them anything. The keys to winning six games will be protecting home field and stealing a win on the road. If the Boilers can do these things a bowl berth may be possible. If they fail, Coach Tiller will end his career by missing a bowl for only the second time in his twelve years at Purdue.

Rowing aka Crew

Rowing is one of the oldest Olympic sports. It can either be a recreational activity or a competitive activity. For recreational, people mainly focus on learning the techniques of rowing, and competitive involves a lot of physical activity, so fitness plays a huge rule in it. Rowers need to have a strong core balance as well as physical strength and cardiovascular endurance. At the collegiate level, it is for competition. It is also called Crew at many Universities. Crew is where athletes race against each other either on a lake, river, or even an ocean depending on where it is taking place, what type of race, and the discipline. The boats are propelled by forces of the oar blades as each rower pushes it against the water. There are many different types of racing. Endurance races, time trials, stake racing, bumps racing, and side by side format used in the Olympics.

This article was just to give you an insight on rowing. If you are interested in more information on Big Ten Rowing, go to http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/w-rowing/big10-w-rowing-body.html