Posted by: ledman24
May 21 2012
With healthy QBs the hope is Purdue will have a much heartier passing game this season. Purdue faces a real problem of wide receiver depth for the 2012 season. One of the biggest problems is that two of the more experienced and capable receivers are currently sitting in no man’s land. Both OJ Ross and Antavian Edison have found themselves in some hot water. OJ Ross was suspended for the Pizza Pizza Bowl and was taken off of scholarship for the summer. Last word from the J&C was that Ross is back, practicing and is completely reinstated to the team. Ross was in trouble for academic issues. It’s been reported he has everything under control but I always wonder if a player will continue to stay motivated or if they will slip into those same bad habits. Here’s hoping he keeps up the good work. Antavian Edison, also reported to return, is probably the most important WR for the Boilermakers next season. He’s extremely versatile in his ability to line up all over the field. Last season he caught 44 passes but also ran the ball 30 times accounting for 5 touchdowns. He’s a player that Purdue absolutely has to have. His off the field legal issues should hopefully be solved by the time camp starts. It looks like things are on track for him as it appears it was all a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Other than those two what else does Purdue have? Let’s take a look at one of the most important positions on the field for Purdue.
Gary Bush 6’0 175 JR
Bush will be entering his third season with the Boilermakers after finishing last year with 29 receptions and a rather healthy 10.7 yard per catch average. It’s that sort of threat (sort of) down the field that Purdue has to have to keep opposing defenses honest. He played much better down the stretch showing great potential in the bowl game with 6 catches for 90 yards to go along with a TD. He’s had an issue in the past with trying to make a play before he truly has the ball in his hands but that’s something that can easily be overcome. Bush should see plenty of playing time but is still largely an unknown commodity. He’s got all the talent in the world though.
Raheem Mostert 5’11 180 SO
Hopefully we will see this on offense too
Raheem Mostert needs little introduction if you’re an actual Purdue fan as he was one of, if not the, most electrifying kick returner in the last 10 years. Raheem was a threat to break one nearly every time he caught the ball. It’s that kind of play making ability and explosiveness it’s hoped he will bring to the wide receiver position next year. Raheem didn’t catch any balls last year but did rush the ball 16 times for 108 yards for a pretty darn good average. In my opinion Raheem is really the key for this position next year. If he can move into the lineup and give Purdue a threat to make a play he changes the offense. Dorien Bryant is much derided by a certain section of Purdue fans but it’s impossible to say that his presence didn’t change the game. Raheem will continue to lineup on kickoffs but with the new rules who knows how that will impact Purdue’s return game. If Raheem wants to make an impact it’ll have to be on the offensive end this year. He should have a great opportunity.
Here’s where we run into a bit of a problem. After those two plus OJ and Antavian name me another Purdue WR. I’ll wait…After those four it comes down to some converted corners, 5th year seniors who haven’t seen the field as of yet, and guys who are young and have been injured. Ishmael Aristide was busy running for student body president in the offseason but failed to win. He’ll get the opportunity to get his name out there this year and maybe run again in the future. Ish was a former cornerback/safety who was converted to WR in the spring. He’ll have a lot of work to do in learning the position if he hopes to see the field this season. Though with the depth at the position I suppose he’s got a shot. Tommie Thomas is another player who seemingly has been at Purdue forever but hasn’t quite made his mark yet. By all accounts of spring ball he acquitted himself very well and could be poised to make an impact. I do like having seniors step up in their final seasons with the team. The fire and drive they exhibit sometimes gives them a leg up on their younger counterparts. Last but not least is Charles Torwudzo. I really liked him coming out of high school but he has been redshirted and hurt since then. It will be itnerseting to see if he can force himself onto the field.
Long story short this position is ripe for a newcomer to come in and make an impact. If one of the big guys gets hurt or if things with Ross or Edison don’t continue smoothly Purdue will be hurting. If that happens I would expect hope to go with the seasoned Thomas as his first choice. In order to stay a dynamic offense Purdue needs OJ Ross to use that speed he’s known for and for Edison to catch everything that’s thrown at him. Bush will need to be steady and try to work down field while Mostert will need to show he can make the occasional big play. That’s a lot of ifs for what is a pretty important position for Purdue.
Posted by: ledman24
May 16 2012
It’s been awhile since we touched base last and a lot has happened in the Purdue world. Let’s take of look at some of the highlights (The term highlights is being used loosely here.).
Lambert Field Goes out with a Bang (and a B1G Title)
Purdue baseball played the final ever game at Lambert Field and celebrated in walk off fashion in extra innings. This came after a pinch hit home run in the bottom of the ninth. The old ballpark just wouldn’t accept going out with anything less I guess. I don’t follow Purdue baseball too closely but I know they are doing quite well and are in line to host a round of the NCAA Tournament. Where is the question. Lambert field doesn’t have the capability to host a regional so Purdue is currently looking for a suitable “home” location. As always even though I don’t follow it closely Purdue is Purdue so I’ll be rooting for them. This comes on the heels of Purdue Baseball winning their first B1G title in 103 years. We are talking a Cubs like struggle with this one. It’s nice to see them finally break through. The team has been improving through the last five years and even have former player Josh Lindblom making a name for himself in relief for the Dodgers.
Antavian Edison in legal hot water
Purdue’s leading returning wide receiver (584 yards on 44 receptions) is in legal trouble as he was arrested in Florida after a weapon was found in his car. Antavian took to twitter to to proclaim his innocence saying:
Antavian Edison @EliteBreeze13
I don’t understand how the media and the FMPD can enjoy slandering an innocents man’s name… I wonder do these people have kids?
8 May 12
Posted by: ledman24
May 03 2012
Tip of the Hat for Fighting for home games
First off I want to start with something positive about IU basketball. It’s like ripping off a band-aid or eating the vegetables at the start of the meal. No one wants to do it but sometimes it just has to be done. It was announced today that IU and Kentucky would not be playing next season because the two teams couldn’t decide on continuing the series as either a home and home or a neutral site series. IU wanted home and home (because it’s college basketball) while Kentucky wanted neutral sites (because Cal is a giant douche and wants everything his way). Let’s face facts I hate IU but the fact is that IU was doing the right thing by fighting for home games. The fans of each school deserve to see a good home schedule and Cal was fighting to take away a home game from his own fans. I’ve seen people say there are recruiting implications for Cal because playing in Indy would be a huge showcase for him and his team. My counterpoint to that would be that he clearly doesn’t need the help. Kentucky recruiting is going just fine in case you can’t tell. I don’t think playing in Indianapolis versus Bloomington will truly make that big of a difference. I’ve also seen IU people say Cal was afraid of coming back to Assembly Hall. That’s ridiculous. Cal’s results speak for themselves. The guy just wins games. He’s in no way scared of any game. IU has done the right thing here fighting for their fans. Tip of the hat.
Wag of the Finger for their Sweet 16 Display
How hideous
BANNERS!!! BANNERS!!! FIVE BANNERS!!!! That’s a refrain every Purdue fan is familiar with when debating an IU fan. All they care about are national championships. Nothing else comes close. Oh and Purdue’s doesn’t count. Well that stance seems to have not just softened but gone all defrosted freezer on us. First there was this joker who said IU should hang a banner for this team and now there is a display for the Sweet 16 team that IU just had. Included in this display are newspapers from the IU defeat of Kentucky…in December…as well as Watford’s jersey from what is apparently the most important shot in IU basketball history. Look, I get that they had a great year and they came back from the depths of the conference for a 5th place conference finish and Sweet 16 appearance but Purdue did that in the past and you know actually won a Conference Title and a B1G Tournament title. For all of the high and mighty talk that IU throws out about being a premier team in the nation and not lowering themselves to such pathetic standards they sure didn’t hesitate to put up that display case.
It’s not a banner and perhaps it’s a good compromise but it smacks of MAC level achievement and mediocrity. Can you imagine the outcry if Purdue had done this after the two Sweet Sixteens Purdue went to in the last four years? Imagine the hatred, vitriol, and anger coming from the IU camp. I won’t say they’ve lowered themselves (even though they have) and I won’t say they are ridiculous (even though they are) but I will say that I’m not angry I’m just disappointed.
Posted by: ledman24
Apr 24 2012
The B1G today announced the “prime time” games for the 2012 football season. As I perused the list I couldn’t help but notice that Purdue isn’t mentioned. Not once. Not even as an opponent at an away game. By comparison IU has three night games (granted two are Ball State and Indiana State). I’m not going to sit here and tell you that lights are the end all and be all for Purdue football. They don’t NEED lights per say. Lights don’t make the team better and lights won’t necessarily bring in more fans or bring later start times, but varying the time every now and then couldn’t hurt. I know these days times are dictated by TV coverage which is vastly important for recruiting and national exposure. Purdue has been stuck in the doldrums of the 12:00 game for years now. For me personally it’s not that big of a deal. I live in the same time zone and live just about an hour away from the stadium. For me it means I simply get to sleep in less during home game Saturdays and I’m okay with that. I love Purdue football and will gladly sacrifice a few hours of sleep in order to watch my favorite team in person each and every Saturday. That being said not all fans are like me.
Most high school have lights
For instance, my fiancee’s family lives in the central time zone which is great when we go visit them because I magically gain an hour of time. The road home though is killer because it turns a two hour drive into a three hour drive. The same thing is true for Purdue fans from “the region” or Chicago hoping to come to a game some Saturday. The drive from Chicago to Ross-Ade is around 2.5 hours if everything goes right. Then add in an extra hour for the time change and you’re sitting at a 3.5 hour trip if things go great. Add in a half hour of traffic/bathroom breaks/detours and your looking at a 4 hour trip to get to the game. Now most fans want to get to the game a little early, find a place to park, and probably grab a bite to eat. Let’s assume they want to arrive an hour before kickoff. That means the 4 hour trip has become a 5 hour trip at the very least. In order to get to a 12:00 kickoff someone living in the Chicago area has to leave at 7:00 AM if they want to make it right at kickoff but at 6:00 AM if they’d like a little time to spare. I don’t know about you but that would suck. It’s not forcing these customers away but it does make it difficult for them to take in the game day experience. People like myself have no room to complain but those who face travel challenges like those above have a legitimate gripe.
The question is though how many of those fans would come to games if they were later in the day. What if they kicked off at 3:30? How about 4:00 like the Purdue vs. Michigan game will? I understand that on the opposite side of the equation for the early games are late night kickoffs that cause people to drive home incredibly late and even not get home till the next day. You can’t please everyone but that’s basically my point. The effect of lights on attendance would be negligible at best. It would be much more convenient for a lot of people but would it suddenly fill the stadium? I think not. Another thing to think about is if having lights would even get Purdue the later kickoffs. It certainly seems to be a factor in deciding game times regardless of what you read. How else do you explain IU football having three night games? I’m not sugar coating it when I say they are terrible. Every now and then they grab a win but they are just consistently and historically a bad program. Then they redid their stadium and suddenly they get a few night games a year. It appears that the administration has made it a point of emphasis to press for night games hoping the novelty will attract more fans. I know I watched more IU football in these last couple years simply because they were the only B1G game on at the time some nights.
So where exactly did we get to here? Probably nowhere. There is no right answer to the question of does Purdue need lights. It would certainly seem to help them get the more desirable (to me anyway) afternoon or evening the occasional evening kickoffs. Night games against good opponents of course generate buzz and more ticket sales and that is something Purdue desperately needs. I don’t think Purdue would benefit by having say the Eastern Kentucky game kickoff at 8:00. It’s just a gimmick at that point and I think people understand that. As long as Purdue doesn’t have lights though there will be people complaining about it. I’m not sure of the cost for lights at Ross-Ade but I remember reading it’s somewhere around $1.5-$2.0. Someone can correct me in the comments if I’m wrong. That seems like a small investment if you can prove that over time the late night starts and late afternoon starts bring in bigger crowds. Until you can prove that point though you’ll have a hard time getting that money away from the justifiably tight fisted Morgan Burke.
Posted by: ledman24
Apr 16 2012
Post John Hart Purdue now has two open scholarships for next year. It’s possible that Painter could give those schollies to Anthrop and Beshears but I have to assume he’s going to go after a 5th year transfer ala Brandon Wood from Valpo/M$U. It will be interesting to see what Painter does now that next year’s team is down to just 11 scholarship players with five of those players having never played a college game before.
