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effort against the Irish compared to the Illinois game. With that in mind, we expect to see a much better effort from Purdue’s linebackers covering the tight end in the passing game. As always, getting pressure on the quarterback will be key, especially since the Lions will probably be faced with several third-and-long situations. Keep in mind, that senior quarterback Zack Mills still won’t be close to 100 percent after partially separating his right (nonthrowing) shoulder against the Badgers. Also, the left-handed Mills has been prone to turn the ball over often during his career. He has thrown five touchdown passes with eight interceptions in 2004 and has been picked off 35 times (compared to 37 TD passes) during the course of his career. If Michael Robinson is unable to go after suffering a concussion against Wisconsin, Penn State’s passing attack will be greatly effected. Robinson holds the Lions’ longest pass reception of the season (49 yards), but after that the longest play has been 32. Not helping matters in this category has been the fact that Penn State’s receivers have dropped several passes on numerous occasions. Purdue must improve its pass defense, which is surrendering 239.5 yards per game (85th nationally). You can bet Penn State will try and exploit that any and every way it can. Advantage: Purdue PU RUNNING GAME VS. PSU AGAINST THE RUN The 77-year-old Paterno says the Lions aren’t as bad as some people believe at stopping the run (54th nationally, permitting 135.8 yards per game) so we think the Blue and White will play with a lot of energy and hold the Boilermaker running attack in check. Plus, Jerod Void is less than 100 percent after banging up his left shoulder against the Irish. The Lions did a decent job on Minnesota’s rushing attack, which entered play Oct. 2 averaging a Big Ten-best 332 yards per game. The Gophers settled for 288 yards on the ground, including a season-low 143 in the first two quarters. Nonetheless, Purdue proved against Notre Dame that it doesn’t have to run the ball especially well to be productive offensively. Advantage: Penn State PU PASSING GAME VS. PSU AGAINST THE PASS How would you like to be a defensive coordinator trying to devise a game plan to slow down the Boilermaker aerial attack and quarterback Kyle Orton? Purdue ranks second in the nation in passing 2004 Top Nittany Lion Statistical Leaders Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TDs Long Avg/G Hunt, T. 69 410 5.1 4 77 82.0 Scott, A. 21 172 8.2 2 47 43.0 Robinson, M. 22 99 4.5 0 14 24.8 Passing Att. Comp. Pct. Yds. TD Int. Long Mills, Z. 129 76 58.9 890 5 8 49 Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TDs Long Hunt, T. 17 168 9.9 0 24 Robinson, M. 16 231 14.4 1 49 Smith, G. 14 201 14.4 0 27 Jefferson, P. 10 63 6.3 0 20 Tackles UT AT Tot Sacks Posluszny, P. 22 17 39 1.0 Guman, A. 27 10 37 0.0 Shaw, T. 19 14 33 0.5 Rice, M. 17 13 30 1.0 Zemaitis, A. 20 5 25 0.0 follett’s Top Twenty 1st Place Team Pts Record Votes 1 USC 132 4-0 3 2 Oklahoma 116 4-0 1 3 Georgia 114 4-0 1 4 Auburn 99 5-0 1 5 Miami Fla. 92 4-0 5 Texas 92 4-0 7 Purdue 78 4-0 8 California 74 3-0 8 Virginia 74 4-0 10 Florida St. 65 3-1 11 Minnesota 53 5-0 12 Utah 51 5-0 13 Michigan 49 4-1 14 Florida 46 3-1 15 Wisconsin 45 5-0 16 Ohio St. 22 3-1 17 Tennessee 19 3-1 18 West Virginia 17 4-1 19 Arizona St. 16 20 Maryland 13 Also receiving votes: Louisville, Boise State, LSU, Oklahoma State. Voting Panel: Jeff Gulick, Follett’s; Joe McConnell, Purdue Sports Radio Network; Alan Karpick, Gold & Black Illustrated; Lanny Sigo, WASK-Radio and Guest Fans Brent Talcott and Keith Didion. offense, averaging 370.3 yards per game. Orton will be looking to become the first Purdue quarterback ever to have four consecutive 300-yard passing games. He’ll do just that if Stubblefield continues to sizzle. He is making a strong case for being the front runner for the Biletnikoff Award this season. No. 21 has been sensational to date, hauling in 28 passes for 505 yards (that’s an average of 18 yards per grab) and a whopping 10 touchdowns. In just four games Stubblefield is just three touchdown receptions short of the school single-season record shared by John Standeford and Vinny Sutherland. Stubblefield is playing with more confidence than ever and has that mind set that no one can cover him let alone catch him. Penn State’s defense limited Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito to 113 yards passing (8-for-18) and intercepted him once. Cupito, however, isn’t in the same league as Orton. Statistically, the Lions are 18th in the country in pass defense, allowing 161.2 yards per game, but haven’t faced an offense nearly as committed to the pass as Purdue’s. Advantage: Purdue SPECIAL TEAMS Purdue’s special teams were special against Notre Dame and if they continue to play like that they could be the difference between a very good season and a special season. Ben Jones hit both of his field goal versus Notre Dame and has now connected on 5-of-6 attempts this season, including five straight. Opponents now have to fear Jerome Brooks’ ability to change the complexion of a game. Freshman Dave Brytus has been OK in the punting department, averaging 38.1 yards. To his defense, he hasn’t gotten a lot of practice in game conditions (just nine attempts). Brytus has put five of those nine inside the 20. Talk about not many chances … that certainly applies to Penn State kicker Robbie Gould. He has hit 1-of-3 field goals this season, a 23-yarder. Like Brytus, Penn State punter Jeremy Kapino has been average at best. He’s averaging 37.8 yards per punt with six going inside the 20. However, Kapino has punted 26 times in five games. There doesn’t appear to be a big threat in the return game for the Lions as they have yet to run back a kickoff or a punt longer than 30 yards. Penn State has allowed a punt return for a touchdown. The Lions’ strengths on special teams is blocking kicks. Advantage: Purdue GUT FEELING Will Purdue suffer a letdown after such an impressive performance at Notre Dame? Not with the way Orton is playing and leading the offense. Penn State is playing with little to no confidence. After all, the Lions have lost nine of their last 10 Big Ten games. Purdue, on the other hand, has an abundance of confidence after its showing in South Bend. If the Boilermakers get off to a good start and silence the Penn State faithful (except for the “Joe must go!” shouts), this one could get out of hand early. Keep in mind that Purdue leads the nation in total offense, averaging 549.3 yards per game and is second in scoring offense, averaging 47.3 points. Penn State, on the other hand, is 65th in the country in total offense (364.8 yards per game) and 90th in scoring offense (20.4 points). Advantage: Purdue PREDICTION PURDUE 34, PENN STATE 17 If the Boilermakers can win in Notre Dame Stadium for the first time in 30 years, they certainly can defeat a slumping Penn State program for the first time ever in Beaver Stadium. As long as Purdue protects the ball, they’ll win going away in this one. For thorough, daily coverage of Boilermaker football, visit GoldandBlack.com.
2004 OPPONENT PREVIEW SCOUTING PENN STATE BY DOUG GRIFFITHS DGriffiths@GoldandBlack.com BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR … (a.k.a. STRENGTHS) R Beaver Stadium and its expected sellout crowd of 107,282 will be the largest venue the Boilermakers play in in the regular season. Penn State fans have been encouraged to “White Out” Purdue by wearing a white shirt or sweatshirt to the game. R Penn State’s defense probably isn’t as good as Notre Dame’s, but can have its moments. The Lions held Minnesota to 16 points, 28 points below its season average of 44.2 points per game. In addition, they held the Gophers 142 yards below their season average of 542.8 yards per game. Penn State ranks 22nd in scoring defense (allowing 15.2 points per game), 26th in the country in total defense (297 yards allowed per game). R If junior quarterback Michael Robinson returns to action, and that may be a big if considering he suffered a head injury less than two weeks ago, he would be cause for concern for Purdue. The multi-talented Robinson started at wide receiver for the third time this season Sept. 25 at Wisconsin and made a 49-yard catch and run on the first play of the game. It was the longest reception of his career. Robinson is the Lions’ second-leading receiver with 16 catches for 231 yards and one touchdown. He also has rushed for 99 yards on 22 carries and is 5-of-8 passing for 87 yards and one score. Robinson is second on the team with 330 all-purpose yards. Last year against Purdue, Robinson replaced the injured Mills at quarterback and connected on just 10-of-32 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown. R The Lions have a knack for blocking kicks. Defensive tackle Scott Paxson blocked two field goal attempts at Minnesota and now has five in his career (three this season). Outside linebacker Derek Wake blocked a Gopher PAT to record his seventh blocked kick of his career. R At times, senior quarterback Zack Mills, who is tied for fourth alltime in school annals with 37 career touchdown passes, can be a strength or a weakness. Mills, who has 15 200-yard passing games in his career (one behind the school’s all-time leader — Kerry Collins), is completing 58.9 percent of his passes (76-of-129) for 890 yards with five touchdowns and eight interceptions. He threw for 111 yards in the first half against the Gophers, but couldn’t guide Penn State past Minnesota’s 43 until the Lions’ final drive of the half. NITTANY LIONS AT A GLANCE Location: University Park, Pa. Nickname: Nittany Lions Colors: Blue and White Enrollment: 41,795 Conference: Big Ten Stadium: Beaver Stadium (107,282) Last Time Went To Bowl: 2002 (Capital One Bowl, a 13-9 loss to Auburn) Head Coach: Joe Paterno (Brown, 1950) R 341-112-3 overall, 55-35 in the Big Ten, as Penn State’s head coach (39 seasons) R Assistant coach, Penn State (1950-65) 2003 Record: 3-9 overall, 1-7 in the Big Ten (tied for ninth) Lineup: Offensive Formation: Multiple Defensive Formation: Multiple Returning Starters/Lost: 15/12 Returning Lettermen/Lost: 32/21 Website: www.bwi.rivals.com Penn State coach Joe Paterno ACHILLES’ HEEL … (a.k.a. WEAKNESSES) R Coach Joe Paterno summed up how thrilled he is about his team right now shortly after losing to Minnesota. “I’m not anxious to talk about the play of anybody,” Paterno said. “We just have to find some people who can make a play.” Enough said. R Penn State’s offense is struggling. In its first two Big Ten games, it scored a combined 10 points. That’s the fewest two-game total since scoring a combined six points at Pittsburgh and Ohio State in 2000. R If Robinson is unable to play against Purdue, that would greatly reduce Penn State’ potency on offense. Robinson traveled with the team to Minnesota but did not dress. He had several follow-up tests since his concussion at Wisconsin. Robinson is listed as week-to-week with original estimates from team doctors ranging from two to four weeks. R The Lions are 101st in the nation in turnover margin (-1.20 with 10 takeaways and 16 giveaways). R A winning attitude. Since the 1999 season, Penn State is 24-29 overall, including 14-20 in the Big Ten. R Penn State’s top five receivers from last year are gone, including Maurice Humphrey. He left the team in the spring while facing charges relating to an alleged assault. Humphrey was later acquitted of felony assault charges, but found guilty of three misdemeanor counts of simple assault. Last season, Humphrey had 30 receptions, 410 receiving yards and one touchdown. R Over the last two seasons, Robbie Gould has hit just 2-of-10 field goals from beyond 40 yards. R You probably never thought you would see the day where Paterno would play a number of true freshmen, but that day has come. So far this season, Paterno has played six true freshmen. DID YOU KNOW? R A win would make the Boilers 5-0 for the first time since 1945. R The last time Purdue won its first two Big Ten road games was 1997 when it defeated Minnesota (59-43) and Illinois (48-3). R The last time the Boilermakers won three straight road games was 1943 when they toppled Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana. Purdue went 9-0 that season. R Under Coach Joe Tiller, Purdue is 0-8 in road games against Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan. R Under Tiller, Purdue is 6-1 in games immediately following the Notre Dame game. The lone loss came to Washington State in the 2001 Sun Bowl. R You might have noticed that Purdue will play at Penn State two years in a row. After their visit to Happy Valley Oct. 9, the Boilermakers will return to State College Oct. 29, 2005. Why? That’s just the way the schedule the computer spits out the schedule. R Penn State is 0-2 in the Big Ten for the fourth time in 12 years of conference play. R Coach Joe Paterno hired former Penn State player Galen Hall, the former head coach at Florida, to be his offensive coordinator. R Paterno flew home without his team after the Nittany Lions’ loss to Wisconsin when he learned his son-inlaw had been involved in a serious bicycle accident. Craig Melvin/Getty Images Junior quarterback Michael Robinson, who is the Lions’ most potent offensive threat, was knocked out of the Wisconsin game Sept. 25 and was taken off the field by an ambulance. He suffered a concussion and didn’t play Oct. 2 at Minnesota. He is questionable for the Purdue game. Paterno was told after the game that Chris Hort, the husband of his daughter, Mary Kay, was in intensive care at a hospital in State College, Pa., with a head injury. Paterno’s wife, Sue, was at Camp Randall when she learned of the accident during the first half and immediately flew back to Pennsylvania. R Last year’s 3-9 record was Paterno’s worst at Penn State, but he was offered a new four-year extension that will put him at age 82 if the Nittany Lions go to a bowl game after the 2008 season. Paterno, who has donated millions of dollars to Penn State, continues to say he isn’t close to retiring. R The Sporting News ranked Penn State 55th nationally and eighth in the Big Ten. j For thorough, daily coverage of Boilermaker football, visit GoldandBlack.com. Great Rates for Great Boilermaker Fans Enter & Win! Bucket Game Tix & Tailgate Party Who Do You Rate As The Greatest Boilermaker Tight End Of All Time? ❏ Dave Young ❏ Tim Stratton ❏ Cliff Benson ❏ Marty Scott ❏ Write In: ______________________ We will publish the result of the Huntington Mortgage Great Rates survey in a future issue of Gold & Black Illustrated. Please vote by e-mail to HuntingtonGRates@aol.com, fax (765-464-2002) or by mail to Gold & Black Illustrated, PO Box 2618, West Lafayette, IN 47996. All entrants will be eligible for a drawing for four tickets to this year’s Old Oaken Bucket Game which includes an exclusive tailgate party. Enter and win! Entry deadline No. 1, 2004. GOLD & BLACK ILLUSTRATED • VOLUME 15, ISSUE 5 • 11 GoldandBlack.com
Page 1 and 2: The Authority On Purdue Athletics w
Page 3 and 4: Volume 15, Issue 5 Oct. 8, 2004 A P
Page 5 and 6: FROM PUBLISHER ALAN KARPICK NOW THI
Page 7: Kyle Ingraham (nine yards), and wit
Page 12 and 13: Q&A WITH OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JIM
Page 14 and 15: O DOUBT Photos by Tom Campbell HE D
Page 16 and 17: Each week the Maniacs are asked to
Page 18 and 19: NO. 15 PURDUE 41, NOTRE DAME 16 Wha
Page 20 and 21: BY DOUG GRIFFITHS DGriffiths@Goldan
Page 22 and 23: BY DOUG GRIFFITHS DGriffiths@Goldan
Page 24 and 25: BY ALAN KARPICK AKarpick@GoldandBla
Page 26 and 27: Purdue Freshman Parrissa Eyorokon l

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