2008 Purdue Boilermakers - Recruiting Class

Purdue Boilermakers 2008 Head Coach: Joe Tiller

Purdue Boilermakers

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Kawann Short, DT, 6-4, 280, East Chicago, Ind. (Central)
Three-star prospect ranked as No. 24 defensive tackle nationally and No. 6 player in Indiana by Scout.com ... selected to play in Indiana North-South All-Star Game ... totaled 85 tackles, including nine sacks, with two fumble recoveries and two blocked punts as senior ... had 80 tackles, including 15 for loss and 8.5 sacks, as junior ... coach was A.J. Rodriguez ... also played basketball and was teammate of Purdue men's basketball freshman E'Twaun Moore when East Chicago won Class 4A state championship in 2007.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Chris Carlino, LB, 6-2, 215, Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
Three-star prospect ranked as No. 27 middle linebacker nationally and No. 14 player in Indiana by Scout.com  ... runner-up for Indiana Mr. Football and first team all-state, all-area and all-conference after totaling 136 tackles, including five sacks, with four interceptions, three pass breakups and three fumble recoveries as senior ... named to Indiana Football Coaches Association list of top 50 players in the state ... member of Indianapolis Star's Super Team and Daily Herald's list of top 33 players in Indiana ... runner-up for Indiana's Linebacker Award ... academic all-state selection ... had 24 receptions for 368 yards (15.3 average) and five touchdowns ... recorded 103 tackles as junior.

Ralph Bolden, ATH, 5-9, 185, Folkston, Ga. (Charlton County)
Ranked as No. 64 running back nationally and No. 43 player in Georgia by Scout.com ... named Region 2-AA Offensive Player of the Year ... member of Florida Times-Union Super 24 and all-state running back as senior ... rushed for 1,572 yards on 154 carries (10.2 average) with 17 touchdowns ... had 1,963 yards of total offense ... also recorded 13.5 tackles, three interceptions and one blocked kick ... recorded 902 yards of total offense with 771 yards rushing on 64 attempts (12.0 average) and eight touchdowns as junior ... also had 27.5 tackles and four interceptions (three returned for touchdowns) and recovered two fumbles ... first team all-region as defensive back and second team all-region running back ... timed at 4.43 in the 40-yard dash

Rest of the Class

Dwayne Beckford	LB	6-3	210	Irvington, N.J. (Irvington)
Alvin Blackmon	WR	6-1	190	Corinth, Texas (Lake Dallas)
Ralph Bolden	ATH	5-9	185	Folkston, Ga. (Charlton County)
Andrew Brewer	C	6-4	250	Huntington, W.Va. (Cabell Midland)
Jordan Brewer	WR	6-5	220	Carmel, Ind. (Carmel)
Monroe Brooks	DE	6-6	240	Palatine, Ill. (Palatine)
Chris Carlino	LB	6-2	215	Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
LaSalle Cooks	DE	6-3	225	Orlando, Fla. (Pine Castle Christian Academy)
Arsenio Curry	WR	6-4	210	Rufkin, Fla. (Fresno [Calif.] City College)
Peters Drey	OT	6-6	275	Theodore, Ala. (McGill Toolen)
Albert Evans	RB-DB	6-0	195	Gary, Ind. (Portage)
Nnamdi Ezenwa	LB	6-2	210	Acworth, Ga. (North Cobb)
Kevin Green	CB	5-10	180	Tallahassee, Fla. (Rickards)
Derek Jackson	LB	6-2	215	Glen Allen, Va. (Deep Run)
Robert Maci	DE	6-4	225	Fishers, Ind. (Cathedral)
Eric Mebane	DE	6-4	225	Grand Prairie, Texas (Bowie)
Gavin Roberts	S	6-1	205	Somerset, N.J. (Franklin)
Kawann Short	DT	6-4	280	East Chicago, Ind. (Central)
Caleb TerBush	QB	6-5	210	Metamora, Ill. (Metamora Township)
Tommie Thomas	S	6-2	175	Robbins, Ill. (Richards)
Carson Wiggs	P-K	6-0	200	Grand Prairie, Texas (South Grand Prairie)

- 2007 Purdue Preview
- 2007 Purdue Season
- 2006 Purdue Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2007 Record: 8-5

Sept. 1 at Toledo W 52-24
Sept. 8 Eastern Illinois W 52-6
Sept. 15 Central Mich W 45-22
Sept. 22 at Minnesota W 45-31
Sept. 29 Notre Dame W 33-19
Oct. 6 Ohio State L 23-7
Oct. 13 at Michigan L 48-21
Oct. 20 Iowa W 31-6
Oct. 27 Northwestern W 35-17
Nov. 3 at Penn State L 26-19
Nov. 10 Michigan State L 48-31
Nov. 17 at Indiana L 27-24
Motor City Bowl
Dec. 26 Central Mich W 51-48

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: You know exactly what you're getting, and that can be a good thing. QB Curtis Painter will throw for a bazillion yards, there will be more offensive balance with RBs Kory Sheets and Jaycen Taylor, and the defense, which improved after a few horrible years, will be decent. Even if the defense needs time to replace some key players, which it will, Painter and the attack is built to keep up in shootouts. Missing Wisconsin and Illinois is a plus.
Why to be grouchy: Greg Orton is a good receiver and Joe Tiller always finds productive targets, but losing longtime playmaker Dorien Bryant and top catching TE Dustin Keller isn't a plus. In Tiller's final year before passing the reins to Danny Hope, the defensive players aren't there to come up with big days against offenses with a pulse. On the non-conference schedule is Oregon, an even better Central Michigan, and a trip to an improved Notre Dame, while the opening Big Ten road game is at Ohio State.
The number one thing to work on is: Getting the offense going against the good teams. Oh sure, it blew the doors off the MAC teams, Eastern Illinois and Minnesota, but when it came time to playing Ohio State and Michigan, the production went bye-bye. Basically, Purdue beat the teams it was supposed to and, with the possible exception of Indiana, it lost to the teams it was supposed to. To get to a bowl and be in the Big Ten upper-division, it'll have to pull off an upset or two. That hasn't been Tiller's forte.
Biggest offensive loss: WR Dorien Bryant
Biggest defensive loss: CB Terrell Vinson
Best returning offensive player: QB Curtis Painter, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Anthony Heygood, Sr.

2007 Recap
2007 Recap: The Boilermakers were a product of their competition in 2007, winning the games they were supposed to, and losing to the better opponents on the schedule.  As has been the case for the past few seasons, Purdue went only as far as its quarterback, Curtis Painter, would take them, often struggling when the defense allowed too many long drives and too much real estate on the ground.  The Boilers’ only two wins against bowl qualifiers were versus Central Michigan, once in West Lafayette and once in a Motor City Bowl shootout.

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Dorien Bryant

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Cliff Avril

Biggest Surprise: Purdue was supposed to beat Iowa on Oct. 20, but not by 25 points.  The Boilermaker defense delivered its best game of the season, limiting the Hawkeyes to 254 yards and a pair of Daniel Murray field goals, the fewest points scored by Iowa in this series since 1976.

Biggest Disappointment: The Boilermakers went 0-for-November, losing to Penn State, Michigan State, and Indiana in successive weeks to settle for the Big Ten’s least desirable bowl slot.  Losing the Old Oaken Bucket to the Hoosiers on a last-minute field goal was easily Purdue’s most painful loss of the 2007 campaign.

Looking Ahead: Pulling a Wisconsin, Purdue has already decided on Joe Tiller’s successor in 2009, former Eastern Kentucky head coach Danny Hope.  It’ll give the players and coaches a full year to get acclimated to the new sheriff in town.  With Painter back for one more season, the Boilermakers will once again be an offensive-driven team that needs more support from Brock Spack’s defense.      

Dec. 26
2007 Motor City Bowl
Purdue 51 ... Central Michigan 48
Purdue avoided a colossal collapse marching 39 yards in seven plays in the final minute leading to a 40-yard Chris Summers field goal to finally put CMU away. The Boilermakers, led by Curtis Painter, who finished with 546 passing yards, held a 34-10 halftime lead and was up 41-20 midway through the third, but CMU's Dan LeFevour led the comeback with a 28-point third quarter, starting off with a 76-yard Antonio Brown touchdown in the first minute, and a 19-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Anderson with 1:09 to play to tie it at 48 before Painter marched the Boilermaker offense in a position to win. Anderson caught three touchdown passes on the day, while LeFevour ran for two scores and threw for four. Purdue got up early helped by two one-yard Kory Sheets touchdown runs and a 62-yard touchdown catch from Dustin Keller. Purdue cranked out 587 yards of total offense to 435
Offensive Player of the Game: Purdue QB Curtis Painter completed 35 of 54 passes for 546 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions
Defensive Player of the Game: Central Michigan LB Nick Bellore made 11 tackles, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass
Stat Leaders: Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 35-54, 546 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 12-27, 2 TD. Receiving: Greg Orton, 9-136, 1 TD
Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 17-34, 292 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Dan LeFevour, 33-114, 2 TD. Receiving: Bryan Anderson, 7-129, 3 TD
Notes & Thoughts ... Central Michigan's secondary was awful all year long. Curtis Painter was able to throw without a problem with little pass rush to worry about and receiver after receiver getting behind the D. It also helped that the Chippewa defensive back seven couldn't tackle in the first half. ... CMU's Dan LeFevour became just the second player, Florida's Tim Tebow the other, to run and throw for 20 touchdowns in the same season. ... Yeah, Purdue broke its bowl drought and ended the season on a high note, but to struggle to survive against a MAC team it already beat by 23 earlier in the year isn't exactly impressive. If the Boilermakers had choked away the loss, would Joe Tiller be on a red hot seat or would he be gone? ... Defense schmefense. This is what you want in a bowl game. High-octane offense, lousy defense, and a game that goes right down to the wire.

Nov. 17
Indiana 27 ... Purdue 24
Austin Starr nailed a 49-yard field goal with 30 seconds to play to halt a late Purdue rally and get the win. The Hoosiers got up 24-3 helped by two Kellen Lewis touchdown runs and an eight-yard pass to James Hardy, but the Boilermakers roared back with two one-yard scoring runs from Kory Sheets and a five-yard Jake Standeford catch coming with just under four minutes to play. A last gasp drive never got going.
Player of the game: Indiana QB Kellen Lewis completed 23 of 39 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown with an interceptions and ran 13 times for 30 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 28-45, 281 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jaycen Taylor, 13-53. Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 9-53
Indiana - Passing: Kellen Lewis, 23-39, 216 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Marcus Thigpen, 19-140. Receiving: James Hardy, 10-87, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It took too long to get the offense on track against Indiana, and by the time it did, the defense couldn't come up with one more big stop to get the Hoosiers out of field goal range. The running game was never established because it didn't have time after the first 20 minutes, and Curtis Painter didn't generate enough big plays down the field. Even with the loss and the lousy three-game losing streak to end the season, Iowa and Northwestern losing means the Boilermakers are still going bowling.

Nov. 10
Michigan State 48 ... Purdue 31
Michigan State took advantage of three Purdue turnovers, breaking the game open in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard Travis Key fumble return for a touchdown, and putting it away with a three-yard Eric Andino catch. Jehuu Caulcrick ran for two short scores for the Spartans, and Brian Hoyer threw for two scores and ran for a one-yard run. MSU needed to keep putting points on the board with Purdue's offense cranking out 517 yards. Curtis Painter ran for touchdowns from 27 and seven yards out and threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Kory Sheets, but it wasn't nearly enough. MSU held on to the ball for 38:18.
Player of the game: Michigan State WR Devin Thomas caught ten passes for 116 yards
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing: Brian Hoyer, 22-31, 266 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 23-86. Receiving: Devin Thomas, 10-116
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 29-45, 344 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 6-80, 1 TD. Receiving: Dustin Keller, 7-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Purdue's offense woke up, but the defense couldn't handle Michigan State's efficiency, and three turnovers proved to be way too much to overcome. Now on a two-game losing streak after getting bowl eligible, a win over Indiana is a must to ensure a good bowl spot. It's in, but it might not get a primetime bowl without an impressive performance. As long as the turnovers stop, the offense should be able to blast its way by the Hoosiers with Curtis Painter getting hot at the right time.

Nov. 3
Penn State 26 ... Purdue 19
Dorien Bryant took the opening kickoff for a touchdown, but that was the last time the Boilermakers would see the end zone with Chris Summers connecting on field goals from 45, 28, 50 and 37 yards out. Penn State's running game rumbled for 251 yards, with Evan Royster sealing the win late in the fourth on a 26-yard dash. WR Derrick Williams scored on a 12-yard run and catching a five-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Morelli. Dan Connor became Penn State's all-time leading tackler after making 11 stops.
Player of the game: Penn State LBs Sean Lee and Dan Connor combined for 23 tackles with Lee forcing two fumbles.
Stat Leaders: Penn State - Passing: Anthony Morelli, 22-35, 210 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Evan Royster, 21-126, 1 TD. Receiving: Derrick Williams, 10-95, 1 TD
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 27-48, 255 yds
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 8-43. Receiving: Selwyn Lymon, 6-78
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Boilermaker offense was able to get in position to take control of the game against Penn State, but failed to do it time and again. Settling for field goals, losing a costly fumble, and getting nothing from the running game equaled a loss, but overall, this wasn't a bad game considering it was Penn State's Senior Day. Now Purdue gets to show if it belongs in the upper-part of the Big Ten with Michigan State and Indiana ahead. Win those two games, and a ten-win season is possible with a victory in the bowl game. To get there, the run defense has to tighten up in a big hurry. Penn State moved way too easily on the ground.

Oct. 27
Purdue 35 ... Northwestern 17
Purdue got 220 rushing yards and a big day from Jaycen Taylor, who tore off 157 yards and two one-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. Northwestern turned it over four times and didn't get its running game going, but it went on a 17-point run with Omar Conteh rushing for an 11-yard score and a 15-yard Eric Peterman touchdown catch, but the Boilermakers owned the fourth quarter pulling away with a 21-yard Dorien Bryant scoring grab. The Boilermakers held on to the ball for 11:46 in the fourth.
Player of the game: Purdue RB Jaycen Taylor ran 20 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a pass for 14 yards.
Stat Leaders: Northwestern - Passing: C.J. Bacher, 20-39, 208 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Sutton, 12-72. Receiving: Kim Thompson, 5-64
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 24-38, 182 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jaycen Taylor, 20-157, 2 TD Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 7-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... So this is going to be the way Purdue rolls. Beat up the average teams, lose to the top teams, have a good record. At 7-2, the Boilermakers don't have anything to apologize for, and it did a great job of adjusting and adapting in the win over Northwestern, but it's going to need to be razor-sharp to win at Penn State next week. The key will be catching the Nittany Lions, who could be down after the loss to Ohio State, early. Keeping Jaycen Taylor and the running game going will be a must.

Oct. 20
Purdue 31 ... Iowa 6
Purdue pulled away from a punchless Iowa with a 33-yard Dorien Bryant touchdown catch late in the third quarter to spark a 17-0 run. Bryant also caught a 22-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and Dustin Keller scored from 14 yards out in the first as the Boilermakers were never threatened. Iowa managed just 254 yards of total offense and two field goals.
Player of the game: Purdue WR Dorien Bryant caught nine passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Iowa - Passing: Jake Christensen, 17-40, 177 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Albert Young 7-44. Receiving: James Cleveland, 7-101
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 29-48, 315 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kory Sheets 18-71, 1 TD. Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 9-167, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... And the slide quickly stops. After struggling so much against Michigan and Ohio State, the Boilermaker offense got on the board early, kept the pressure on with Dorien Bryant having a big day, and let defensive line take care of the rest. The Boilermakers got into the Iowa backfield early and often, and the outcome was never really in doubt. Against Northwestern and its hot offense, the defense has to continue to hit the quarterback and has to force mistakes.

Oct. 13
Michigan 48 ... Purdue 21
Mario Manningham had a career day with 147 yards and touchdown catches from 24 and 21 yards out as Michigan got out to a 48-7 lead before the Boilermakers scored two touchdowns in the final 47 seconds. Mike Hart ran for two first half touchdowns to help the game get out of hand, and then Carlos Brown put it well out of reach in the fourth quarter on touchdown runs from 29 yards and one yard out. Purdue only gained 292 yards of total offense and turned it over four times.
Player of the game: Michigan WR Mario Manningham caught eight passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Purdue - Passing: Joey Elliott, 12-19, 140 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 4-19. Receiving: Dustin Keller, 7-68
Michigan - Passing: Chad Henne, 21-28, 264 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Mike Hart, 21-102, 2 TD. Receiving: Mario Manningham, 8-147, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There's no shame in losing to both Ohio State and Michigan, but to get blown out so badly so early, and to need late scores to make the two games look closer than they really were, isn't a plus. Fine, so Purdue is going to be one of those teams that beats the ones it's supposed to and can't handle the better teams. Considering Penn State is the only game left that the Boilermakers shouldn't be able to deal with, that's not all that bad. Now there has to be a big turnaround next week against Iowa, and it has to start with the running game. Kory Sheets hasn't been able to get going over the last two weeks, and the offense has broken down.

Oct. 6
Ohio State 23 ... Purdue 7
Ohio State held the high-powered Purdue offense to just 272 yards, while stuffing the running game allowing four net yards. Todd Boeckman threw three interceptions, but he also threw two first quarter touchdown passes, connecting with Ray Small for a 26-yard score, and Brian Hartline for a six-yard touchdowns. The Buckeyes were never threatened, getting up 23-0 on Ryan Pretorius field goals from 44, 39 and 23 yards out. Purdue didn't get on the board until there were ten seconds to play on a one-yard Jeff Lindsay catch.
Player of the game: Ohio State S Chimdi Chekwa made ten tackles and broke up a pass
Stat Leaders: Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 31-60, 268 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 7-20. Receiving: Greg Orton, 10-91
Ohio State - Passing: Todd Boeckman, 17-29, 200 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Chris Wells, 18-85. Receiving: Brian Robiskie, 5-99, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's not time to start panicking that the first five games might have been a mirage. Ohio State's defense is playing as well as any in America right now, but to only generate a garbage time touchdown, and to get absolutely nothing from the ground game at home, simply isn't what the team was hoping for in a nationally televised statement game. Michigan is very, very beatable right now, so if the Boilermakers can quickly regroup, they should be able to go on a nice run. Second in the Big Ten is still very possible, and the Rose Bowl isn't out of the question by winning out.

Sept. 29
Purdue 33 ... Notre Dame 19
Purdue added to Notre Dame's misery as Kory Sheets scored from one-yard out, Dorien Bryant caught an 11-yard touchdown pass, and Chris Summers nailed three field goals on the way to a 23-0 halftime lead. Notre Dame opened the scoring in the second half on Jimmy Clausen's first career touchdown pass, hitting John Carlson from five yards out, and got within seven on two Evan Sharpley touchdown passes. The Boilermakers got comfortably ahead with a 14-yard Dustin Keller scoring grab.
Player of the game: Purdue RB Kory Sheets ran for 141 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, and had a reception for eight yards.
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Evan Sharpley, 16-26, 208 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Armando Allen, 6-25. Receiving: Robby Parris, 7-93
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 22-37, 252 yds, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 27-141, 1 TD. Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 8-82, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There has to be a little bit of a concern over how the defense let Notre Dame back into the game in the second half, and there will be some yelling this week in practice over how the offense didn't keep its foot on the gas after halftime, but 5-0 is still 5-0, and now the Boilermakers are coming into the two-game make-or-break part of the schedule against Ohio State and Michigan as hot as can be. That the Boilers pulled this off without getting a huge game from Curtis Painter and the passing attack might actually be a plus as the season goes on.  

Sept. 22
Purdue 45 ... Minnesota 31
Purdue started out hot with a 95-yard opening kickoff return for a score from Desmond Tardy, and got up 17-0 helped by a 16-yard Kory Sheets touchdown catch. After a 43-yard Cliff Avril interception return for a touchdown, and 24-3 halftime lead, the rout appeared to be on. But Minnesota fought back with short touchdown runs from Duane Bennett and Jay Thomas, but the Boilermakers kept pace with a three-yard Sheets run and a four-yard Dorien Bryant scoring grab. Bryant's 16-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter finally put it away.
Player of the game: Purdue WR Dorien Bryant caught 12 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Minnesota - Passing: Adam Weber, 23-44, 237 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Duane Bennett, 7-81, 1 TD. Receiving: Eric Decker, 7-79, 1 TD
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 33-48, 338 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 21-111, 1 TD. Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 12-150, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The defense struggled a bit, especially in the second half against Minnesota, but the offense always kept the game out of reach. Curtis Painter is red hot, spreading the ball around well while finally utilizing his big-play star in Dorien Bryant for a huge day. Kory Sheets remains a key unsung cog in the mix with yet another strong all-around game. Now the real fun begins. If this team is as good as it should be, considering the way the first month has gone, it should roll over Notre Dame at home. Then comes Ohio State. Then comes Michigan. The offense has to stay mistake-free and balanced, while the the run defense needs to stiffen up quickly.

Sept. 15
Purdue 45 ... Central Michigan 22
Purdue jumped out to a 38-0 lead helped by two Curtis Painter touchdown passes, Kory Sheets touchdown runs from 17 and seven yards, and a 19-yard Jaycen Taylor score. Central Michigan bounced back with 22 second half points with Justin Hoskins scoring twice and Justin Gardner scoring from 14 yard out, but the Boilermakers stopped the threat with a five-yard Selwyn Lymon touchdown catch. The teams combined for 1,048 yards of total offense.
Player of the game: Purdue QB Curtis Painter was 29-of-39 for 360 yards and three touchdown passes.
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 35-56, 364 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Ontario Sneed, 14-41. Receiving: Bryan Anderson, 10-101
Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 29-39, 360 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 21-144, 2 TDs. Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 6-95
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It was nearly a perfect game for Purdue. The offense rolled with ease on Central Michigan, let up off the gas, and then put it away without a problem. Basically, the team played well, but the coaching staff can still be ticked off all week before facing Minnesota. QB Curtis Painter is making every right decision and continues to spread the ball around extremely well, but it's Kory Sheets and the running game that's making the offense hum so efficiently.

Sept. 8
Purdue 52 ... Eastern Illinois 6
Purdue rolled for 533 yards and Curtis Painter threw six touchdown passes on the way to a layup of a win. EIU managed just two short field goals and was held to just 236 yards of offense. The Boilermakers held a 31-3 halftime lead helped by two Dustin Keller touchdown catches in the second quarter and scoring grabs from Jake Standeford and Greg Orton. Painter fount Dorien Bryant early in the second half and tight end Jason Wasikowski for a one-yard score early in the fourth.
Player of the game ... Purdue QB Curtis Painter completed 38 of 49 passes for 348 yards and six touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 38-49, 348 yds, 6 TD
Rushing: Jaycen Taylor, 16-85   Receiving: Dorien Bryant, 12-111, 1 TD
Eastern Illinois - Passing: Cole Stinson, 15-32, 143 yds
Rushing: Travorus Bess, 11-67   Receiving: Micah Rucker, 6-74
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Eastern Illinois was the ultimate tune-up game. The Panther defense didn't have a prayer of stopping the Purdue offense, and Curtis Painter made sure of it with a fantastic day. He spread the ball around to all of his weapons extremely well, and he did everything right to keep the chains moving with the offense going ten of 18 on third downs. As long as Painter gets time, he's deadly.

Sept. 1
Purdue 52 ... Toledo 24
Curtis Painter threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers highlighted by a 80-yard play by Dustin Keller for an early 14-7 lead. The Rockets tied it up on a four-yard Jalen Parmele touchdown run, but Purdue would answer with a 24-point run to put the game away. Even when the Rockets showed a sign of life, like with a 44-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, the Boilermakers responded as Dorien Bryant returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.
Player of the game ... Purdue QB Curtis Painter completed 14 of 30 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns and ran twice for three yards
Stat Leaders: Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 14-30, 244 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 11-90, 1 TD  Receiving: Dustin Keller, 3-107, 1 TD
Toledo - Passing: Clint Cochran, 9-14, 83 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jalen Parmele, 24-93, 1 TD   Receiving: Nick Moore, 5-44
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... How good is Purdue's offense? Curtis Painter had an off day against Toledo and it still cranked out 52 points and 488 yards. Painter might have misfired early on, but he soon found his groove, spreading the ball around well to his vast array of weapons. If the attack hums like it did this week, a 5-0 start if more than possible before dealing with Ohio State. Toledo might not be great, but this was still a much-needed blowout after the bowl game flop to Maryland to end 2006.