Michigan 36, Purdue 14: The Goals Remain The Same
by BoilerTMill on Oct 29, 2011 5:46 PM EDT
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To call today disappointing is an understatement. When I was looking at stats and writing previews this week there were a lot of positives. Michigan State had given us a blueprint of what we needed to do in order to beat Michigan. We needed to build a lead, get after Denard Robinson, and run the ball against linebackers that, according to the Wolverine Blog, were suspect. After one possession we looked like the upset I predicted was possible.
This is where I have to give a ton of credit to Michigan. They answered our drive, held after a pair of ugly turnovers, then they were able to turn the game on two plays. Once they had the momentum in their favor after those two plays, it was over. The rest was merely an exercise in running the clock down and waiting for the game to be over. We quit after those two key plays went in their favor. It is as simple as that.
The first play we could have survived. The first key play was Caleb TerBush being sacked in the end zone for a safety. It came after we couldn't force the issue following a nice interception by Joe Holland and a key pick by Josh Johnson. The safety gave them a 9-7 lead, and we could have easily survived because we were only down 12-7 after we held for a field goal following the safety, free kick, and key dumbass penalty for 15 yards on the free kick.
The second key play was the interception as we were driving after that field goal. Robert Marve had entered the game (despite learning last week that we need to settle on one quarterback), and he was moving us down the field well. On a third down play all we had to do was keep control of the ball and we kick a field goal to cut the lead to 12-10. It's not much, but it stymies their momentum and shifts it a little our way. Instead, Marve's pass went off of Justin Siller's hands and was intercepted. Michigan went down and turned it into a Fitzgerald Toussaint touchdown.
Basically, the game was over after that.
It was very disturbing to see our defense fold like that. Our offense didn't give them a lot of help by being unable to hold on to the ball for long, but in reality, the interception was a gigantic shift because it took three points off the board for us and gave them seven. When we did nothing and gave up a field goal before the half it turned into a 13 point shift. The defense then did its job by holding them out of the end zone on the opening drive of the second half, but the offense could only get to midfield before giving it back. We needed points on that drive. A touchdown cuts it to seven or eight, yet we only advanced half as far as we needed to go.
Once we gave it back and they marched for a score, this time finishing instead of stalling at the one, we had missed any chance to regain the momentum, and most of the third quarter had been killed by two lengthy drives that did little to the scoreboard, but they advanced the clock.
Once again, we saw Purdue drop a game in a very frustrating manner. Yes, the final margin was 22 points, but we were close through three quarters and the difference of a few plays swung the scoreboard wildly in their direction. Things got wildly out of control after a few key mistakes, as often happens in college football. it was frustrating to see lack of discipline penalties like a 12-men on the field after a timeout and a few brutal personal fouls, but those were part of the snowball effect after the key plays mentioned above.
As frustrating as this game was, however, the goal remains the same. It would have been nice to win this one, and I even felt a victory was possible, but Michigan is a good team and we did not make them pay for their mistakes. We can't beat them unless we do that. Going forward, a win at Wisconsin next week is highly unlikely. That returns to my mantra I have been saying all week. As long as we split the final two home games and beat Indiana, we go to a bowl game.
Some will still get on coach Hope and place this at his feet, but I feel this one is not really on him. I also want a bowl game for the players and yes, for coach hope because he is at least trying out there to get victories. This team has improved greatly from the Rice loss, and even the Notre Dame loss. As we can see with the epic 0-0 game in Happy Valley right now, beating Illinois does still mean something. None of the current players on the roster have played in a bowl game, and they deserve to go to one for their efforts. Seniors like Joe Holland, Gerald Gooden , and Dennis Kelly who have busted their ass over the past four years deserve to end their careers in the postseason.
There is still a third of this season left. Win half of those games and we'll have a successful year as defined at the beginning of the season. If we get even more, then so be it. When these Boilermakers return home in two weeks against a bad Ohio State team let's get behind them and get the one more win we need before the Bucket game.
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HUGE step backwards today....
..and I wonder about this team’s psyche when we get clobbered at Wisky.
And, I’m sorry, but Hope “out there trying to get victories” isn’t good enough. Big fucking deal. When you’re 3-14 in BT road games, “trying” to get victories isn’t good enough. Show me one coach in America that isn’t “trying” to get victories. He hasn’t shown results. Plain. Simple.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
Could Have Gone Differently
I just think this game could have gone so much differently for Purdue. It all starts with that safety. I’m not blaming the refs for the outcome of the game (Purdue had plenty of stupid penalties that were deserved), but the Michigan defender obviously grabbed Terbush’s facemask on the safety and the refs totally blew the call. Getting 15 yards and a first down on that play would have kept the Purdue drive alive and kept the momentum from shifting to Michigan so quickly (there’s my Jon Madden analysis). Then you have that pass bounce off Siller’s fingertips and Michigan picks it off. Of course, that’s assuming it was a clean pick. It probably was since it held up under review, but ESPN2 cut to commercial during the review and they never showed a replay angle that showed the receiver getting his hands under the ball. So I don’t know if they upheld the call because of the lack of conclusive video evidence or if there was another angle that showed a clean interception. The moral of that side-story is that ESPN2 coverage sucks. Anyways, as the author of this article pointed out, that pick resulted in a huge swing in points since we lost our chance at a FG and ended up giving up a TD to Michigan. After that it was all downhill. But I can’t help but wonder how much closer this game might have been if those 2 plays turn out differently. Tough loss, but hey we can still make a bowl game without it. Iowa just lost to Minnesota, so bowling is starting to look very very possible for Purdue.
by BoilerEngineer24 on Oct 29, 2011 6:43 PM EDT reply actions
I either want to bawl or shoot something
haven’t decided yet
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Dosvidaniya, bitches! BTFU!
by BoilerUpAT on Oct 29, 2011 7:48 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah I was in Ann Arbor today
Depressing way to spend a whole Saturday, 80 bucks for a ticket and 40 for parking. Not to mention a whole tank of gas.
Depressing. I expected more out of this team and now I’m really starting to wonder why I did.
Dosvidaniya, bitches! BTFU!
by BoilerUpAT on Oct 29, 2011 7:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah I expected more too
My ticket only costed $30 and I live in Ann Arbor so I didn’t put as much into as you did, but it was still kind of rough. Especially after so much hope to start the game.
Boiler Up, Go Blue
Yeah we looked good to start.
Our D just got gashed today. And for the life of me I don’t get why we switched QBs or was running Edison as a RB. Where was Shavers? He hardly played. And our OL just was awful today. Ugh.
Hope we bounce back but I’m losing confidence.
Dosvidaniya, bitches! BTFU!
by BoilerUpAT on Oct 29, 2011 8:02 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
We've been running Edison or Ross all year
And it hasn’t worked – can we give the hand-offs to the full-time RBs, please?
Yeah
Two QB thing did not work. Not nearly enough running the ball. The coaches once again got away from just letting our team take its own identity. If we had just run the ball and kept TerBush in the game I know it would have been different. Maybe not a win, but different.
Boiler Up, Go Blue
The two plays were key
but I think you’re placing way too blame on momentum. These are college kids and it definitely matters, but UM was stronger, faster, and better coached. They call plays to their strengths while we…………well, I don’t know why we call half the plays we do. The confusion Hope displays during the game continues……and has been shown to be the norm rather than the exception. After last week’s game I actually thought Nord might have learned how to mix it up. I was wrong. When things get tough we go to the WR screen……or bring in Siller for a crucial third down. We don’t play to our strengths. I really don’t understand.
Momentum only affected the margin of loss and not the outcome
I agree that Michigan was stronger, faster, and better coached. I don’t think those 2 plays could have changed the outcome of the game either….I just think the score would have been a lot closer. That’s all.
by BoilerEngineer24 on Oct 29, 2011 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Agree with Bob's comment from the open thread
Why did we expect anything different? If anything, Hope’s teams have taught us that they are completely schizophrenic and lack any clear direction.
That O-line...
… was as terrible. I thought that was Hope’s specialty. No running lanes, no protection.
by docjay0 on Oct 29, 2011 7:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Overcoming Adversity
Yeah those two plays were killers. Maybe both were bad calls by the zebras. Tough shit. Bad breaks happen. A program with character moves past them and gets back to work. A quality coaching staff teaches kids how to handle adversity.
As much trouble as Hope and Co. seem to have learnin’ the boys blocking, tackling and other basics, they may not be capable of teaching the softer skills. Then again, maybe they haven’t gotten that far yet.
I’ve got to admit it, though – by Thursday, TMill had me drinkin’ the cool-aid.
"There's no hope until Hope is gone!"
One of my favorite things about TMill
is that he has an endless supply of Kool-Aid.
Boiler Up, Go Blue
Yeah, when TMill is in "glass half full" mode,
he can make Danny Hope look like Eeyore
"There's no hope until Hope is gone!"
I do what I can
I have to. I find it is easier than “the sky is falling” all the time.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
I enjoy it
It’s part of why I read your blog. Too many Negative Nancies and Debbie Downers in our fan base.
Boiler Up, Go Blue
by lonewolf371 on Oct 29, 2011 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Welcome back to reality "Hope's off the hotseat after the IL game" folks
This just continues our trend of getting one unexpected game per season. This year it came against the all-knowing Zooker. Three years later, and we are in the EXACT same situation we were in during Hope’s first year. I’m a big downer on Hope, but I expect more than a .500 season when the Big 10 is in the terrible condition it is in this year. For all of the crap so many here give CTC and his lack of progress down south, can you really differentiate between his progress and that of Hope (besides the infractions). I don’t see any difference, and so many here are so quick to defend Hope and give him the benefit of the doubt. When a coach is going to succeed in a new position, it’s obvious within the first 1-2 years; this is not the case for Hope.
I’m starting a new slogon and hope to see the worldwide leader pick it up…
Suck for Sumlin
Not the biggest Hope fan in the world
but I think Purdue is going bowling this year after seeing this week’s games. This statement has nothing to do with Purdue and everything to do with Iowa. They lost to Minnesota. We play them at home and I think the winner goes to a bowl (assuming we beat IU).
Not rooting against sucess, but...
What does getting to 6-6 and a crappy bowl accomplish, or really tell us about the direction of this program? I want Purdue to win, but stealing one against a struggling Iowa and beating a bad IU doesn’t say much and it doesn’t make me confident about the long term direction of the program.
I hate being in this situation as a fan – lost confidence in the coaching staff, but still want to cheer for the players.
Agree with you
All it means is more danny hope. Suck 4 Sumlin.
by PurdueBoiler1995 on Oct 29, 2011 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
i want to go to a bowl in my 4 yrs and i'm a senior
so out of selfishness i’m rooting for 6-6 and ticket city bowl
Riddle me this.
What if Purdue goes 6-6 and loses the bowl game? I think that could get Hope fired.
by Jackson Brunner on Oct 30, 2011 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Probably not
It would be an “improvement” – I use that word loosely – over previous years.
And Joe Tiller lost a bunch of bowl games.
I hope so
because that would be the best combination to get to a bowl and see coach Hope gone. For the current players and the fans, I think going to a bowl this year is important and not making a bowl game in 4 straight years would be quite embarrassing. I will never root against my beloved Boilermakers, but to be honest, part of me thinks going to a bowl would hurt the long-term progress of the football program if it allows Hope to keep his job. Unfortunately, I think Burke would use getting into the toilet paper bowl game by beating mighty Iowa and IU as an excuse to keep Hope and 3 years from now we’ll still be hoping that the other Big Ten teams can all have another crappy season so that we can perhaps finish 6-6 or 7-5 and go to some lower level bowl game.
One play summed up my thoughts on how we played today.
Siller catches a pass out on the left flat, turns up field and finds himself hemmed in by 3 or 4 UM defenders. He tries to make one cut and then GOES DOWN before there is any contact. WHAT THE FUCK!?! Initiate some contact! Other than a few flashes of aggressiveness here and there, we were completely dominated physically.
After that first series, we played on our heels the rest game.
Everyone should believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer.....
the 4th and goal play
where our 2 RBs ran into each other sums up this entire season
Also, more bad news for us via Columbus tonight
Anyone else watch the crazy ending to the Wisconsin-Ohio State game? If you thought the Badgers were pissed after the Michigan State game, they are fucking LIVID now. God help us next Saturday in Madison.
/not that we would’ve had a chance against them anyway
We've had enough of a sample size
to know DH is in over his head. Reminds me of Faust for ND a few years back. Nice guy and all but not B1N HC material. I feel for the kids because they are giving it their best but they’re not getting much help from this staff.
by Hummel's figurines on Oct 30, 2011 1:59 AM EDT reply actions
Hope is not getting fired.
Short of a massive recruiting scandal, a Tony Montana-like level of money laundering, or a nefarious plot to steal the Neil statue and frame our most beloved alumni of a crime. Morgan Burke kept Jim Colletto around for six years and he was never even a threat for a bowl. Hope at least was two years ago, was last year until the last two games, and is this year.
Recruiting is progressing to the point where we might have a legit top 25 class. The product on the field has improved since the ND game. Despite yesterday, if we somehow shock EVERYONE and win in Madison we would be very much alive in our own division with two home games and the worst team in the conference left. Hope gets at least one more year.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
Keep telling you, TMill...
…the landscape around college football has changed a lot since the Colletto years.
Hope comes back, we average about 40k in Ross-Ade next year. You really think the Athletic Department can put up with that?
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Oct 30, 2011 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't really like the talk of
trying to scape in two more wins, possibly from Iowa and IU, in order to get 6-6 and get a crappy bowl just because people on the team deserve it and it gets us to postseason.
The issue is that as Purdue football, a well known middle tier program, should never ever have to put up a come from behind bowl goal more than half-way through the season. Not in the days where just about everyone gets to a bowl game.
I am amazed how optimistic people got after the Ill game, and we are still a little optimistic. Does it take next week to finally pull down the blinds? Even though we will get a W from IU, it does not make me happy. As a Purdue grad I don’t like IU any more than any other PU grad, but why is there such sense of victory when we beat a IU team that is horrible? Maybe that is how ND feels about us, in resent history?
After watching the Ill vs PSU game yesterday, we shouldn’t feel much optimism from our W last week.
So if you are happy with getting things done this year against Minny, Ill, IU, and Iowa, fine. That brings us where JT left, right in the middle (maybe lower). I know the discussion is that IU and Iowa are our must wins for the bowl goal. Purdue is the only easy game on Iowa’s schedule, lets hope we bring our best game. They are getting about 36 points per game, if they bring a defense to ross ade, they win. I think they played not to lose against Minny and the came and stole the game. Good for them, IU still is winless, the only one in the B1G.
Overall I see improvement but there is something missing and I don’t think we can move forward without getting that fixed and currently nothing is in place to do that for Purdue football.
T-mill, how can you end your blog with “a bad Ohio State team?” I understand it was written possibly before the game last night but that was one of the best games I have watched in a long time. They are not bad. And one final critique, the only time the game was close was about the first quarter, we were never in this game.
The Purdue offense that was on the field was about as effective as the current Colts offense (heck maybe the defense too). 3 and out and repeate
Can Anyone Tackle
Our defense looks scared to tackle. The secondary looked liked they were running away from people.
Imaginative (delusional) recap
We needed to build a lead, get after Denard Robinson, and run the ball against linebackers
Oh, is that all? So to beat Wisconsin all we have to do is stop Wilson, stop Ball, build a lead and keep it? Pretty ridiculous statement.
Like drboiler I am confused why we can consider the Illinois game a turning point of the season. In all likelihood Illinois will finish 7-5, still having to play Michigan and Wisconsin. The fact that beating a team that will finish with 5 losses is considered a turning point is indicative of how far Purdue has fallen. Also, Ohio State is not bad at all. They have a bad passing offense but their defense is very good and their running game is more than effective (they rushed for 268 against UW). Plus they will be playing to keep pace in the Leaders division. I can’t see Purdue coming close to winning that game. The Iowa game is a toss up. Losing to Minny is no worse than Purdue’s loss at Rice (who is now 2-6 and 1-4 in CUSA.) IU is truly horrible so I think we win that one. If we lose to IU Hope has to go. My prediction remains at 5 wins for the season. No reason for optimism at this point and that does not make me a bad fan. The players do deserve better but you have to win to go bowling. This isn’t Pop Warner where everyone gets a trophy.
Last thing. A legit top 25 class? Right now Mizzou is #25 and they have two 4 stars. We have mostly 3 stars with a couple 2 stars. And those 3 stars are not somehow better because they are from the warm weather states.
Stars are about the most useless way to argue recruiting
Sure it makes comparison easily, but actually watch some of the highlights. Look at the competition that’s being played. The 2012 class is going to have some talent and talent that will play right away.
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by HawkeyeBoiler on Oct 30, 2011 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
I prefer to look forward and see where there can be positives.
Wisconsin will be very difficult to beat. Ohio State has two players who are offensive threats: Herron and Miller. That’s it. That’s less than Michigan. Iowa is beatable and Indiana is putird. If you want to pray for losses just to get hope fired, go ahead. I’ll look for something positive rather than throw my hands int he air and give up.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
Every Saturday I turn the games on and cheer for a win.
But leading up to the game I evaluate the match up rationally and objectively. Using this method I cannot see us beating Wisconsin or OSU, and see the game vs Iowa as a toss up. Unlike Purdue, OSU is getting better every week. Their offense is weak but so is ours and I am willing to bet that they will have more yards and points than Purdue at the end of the game.
by Billy Shears on Oct 30, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree stars aren't the end all be all especially when
you get to low 4 high 3 stars. But it can’t be ignored that the teams that consistently have a lot of 5 and 4 star recruits, ie OSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, PSU, tend to win more games. It is also why anything outside the top 10 recruiting classes is pointless to rank. Makes TMill’s the statement that much more irrelevant. But I can say with certainty that evaluating the recruiting class off of you tube highlights is just as inaccurate.
Talent is on the upswing
I look at Purdue now and see bigger, beefier linebackers and faster running backs than a few years ago. The problem is at some point they have to start executing properly on the field.
Boiler Up, Go Blue
Agreed, look at Boise State
and they don’t get a lot of 4 and 5 star recurits, but they have a coaching staff that gets most out of the players. Not much evidence for me to believe that Hope is going to get the best out of the incoming recruits.
How far back is a few years ago? You’d have to go pretty far back to find a Purdue team with so little NFL talent. The two things we have been able to hang our hats on in the past are below average. The quarterback play of the last two years is sub-Hance, and they cannot get anywhere near opposing quarterbacks.
by Ray Williams? on Oct 30, 2011 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions
2007-2009
Linebackers are bigger and better now. Secondary is better. Deeper at running back. Receivers are better over every year since 2007. We’re worse along the D-line and probably the same along the O-line.
Boiler Up, Go Blue
by lonewolf371 on Oct 31, 2011 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I assume you’re excluding 2007, because that team was miles ahead at all of those positions, with the exception of the secondary, and even there King, Pender, and Williams all were fringe NFL propsects.
I think it’s pretty rosy to look at this group and compare it that favorably to those 2008 and 2009 teams. Sheets, Orton, and Smith still look better than what we have now.
by Ray Williams? on Oct 31, 2011 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Reality check
I agree that the safety and interception turned things worse, but Michigan had 2 turnovers and didn’t lose their momentum. Reality is that Michigan could have scored another 20 points if they needed to, but probably got bored after 36 straight points. I hate Michigan but they now have a coach that gets it, is winning with Richrods leftover players and will be a real force in the next few years. I sure wish Purdue had the direction of Michigan.
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