#85 R.P.I. Virginia Tech vs. #98 R.P.I. Purdue:

Today’s word of the day is… Boilermaker!

boil·er·mak·er
/ˈboilərˌmākər/
noun.

1. a person who makes boilers. (Who; knew… right?)
2. NORTH AMERICAN: a shot of whiskey followed by a glass of beer as a chaser.
3. My ’52 V.P.I. pops, out on his 3o4 back-porch every Friday nite after coaler work once married until 1969. 1 Miller Pony + 1 Old Foster (3-fingers).
4. The techsideline.com message boards all boiling over after meeting their BIG-1o cyber maker come Saturday at ≅4PM???

Purdue Head Coach: Ryan Walters: age=37, (o-1 @ Purdue and @ overall); has a rep’ for defending and secondary in particular; also: for being in touch with 2days kids.
Said to be an Energizer-bunny high-octane guy as well.
$4,ooo,ooo.oo. (with: another $1.5-mill in performances bonuses)

Youngling Walters was born in Los Angeles, California to parents Marc and Nicole. Soon after his birth, his father accepted a scholarship to play Qb for the Colorado Buffaloes. During his father’s playing days, his babysitter was National Football League coach Eric Bieniemy. After his father’s playing days, he grew up in Aurora, Colorado, while his father worked as a lawyer for Qwest.

Baller Walters attended Grandview High School, where he played Qb. As a junior in 2oo2, he threw for 1,582 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also running for 478 yards and 11 scores before a meniscus tear ended his season; (St.Nikon bless!). As a senior in 2oo3, he broke the Grandview record for career touchdown passes, 36, a record that stood until 2020. The spring before his senior season, Walters committed to play college football at Colorado and head coach Gary Barnett. As a senior, he racked up 1,549 passing yards (59.2 completion percentage, 14 TDs), limiting his running as he played hurt a good portion of the season as he played in just nine games… likewise: ‘illnesses’ plural; dangnation… Godspeed on dat bro’. (FYI: …wiki does say he played some Fs1 for the Buffs as well… which can only help; as that this Qb1 on the defensive side as coverage setting(s) go). Which ‘splains the side of the LOS (line-of-scrimmage) coaching the verb, swap. As he did have a fumble-return and INT-return nose of the ball as an Fs1. A Pt.Guard1 in another life most likely.

Big Whistle Walters is considered by most to be one of the nation’s fastest-rising young coaches, Ryan Walters was announced as the 37th head coach in Purdue Football history on Dec. 13, 2o22.

In his second season as defensive coordinator for Illinois in 2o22, Walters emerged as one of the nation’s best defensive play callers. The Illini posted an 8-4 record, with five wins holding their opponents under seven points and seven wins at 1o points or fewer. Along with guiding the Illini defense to Top 1o national rankings in 17 different defensive categories, Walters was named 247Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year and On3 Coordinator of the Year!

He also has logged tour stops @: OK, ‘zona, Memphis (‘aye’, under Fu’), Nor.Texas and Missouri. So, this Ry’ on Wheat knows his way around BIG-name conferences and recruiting of the same.

Has also been a hit on the Minority this/that banquet tour. As in… prior to his arrival at Illinois, Walters was one of 12 coaching participants in the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches’ inaugural Coalition Academy in April 2o22, a first-of-its-kind mentorship program pairing influential athletic directors with minority football coaches.

Hired at age 36, Walters (now 37) became the fourth-youngest coach in the Power 5 conferences. He is kinda their version of our very own Pry-bar. 3rd Ranked Illinois D last time out would support this. Ditto his 1st-best ppg Scoring D (allowed). He can coach a D; can he coach a; team?

Ergo, therefore, to Witt, prolly go’on and expect some gaffs and yuck-ups here

(Game-clock management, substitutions, mini-Punt/Long-FGA, et al).

Walters and his wife Tara have two sons, Aaron, and Cason.

That, and he wears TIGHT sideline muscle shirts; LOL!

2022 record: 8 up 4 down and 6-3 in the BIG-X.

Purdue Portaling:

• Qb Hudson Card (from Texas)
• Qb Bennett Meredith (from Arizona State)
• Rb Bishop Johnson (from Army)
• Wr Jahmal Edrine (from FAU)
• OLine Jalen Grant (from Bowling Green)
• OLine Preston Nichols (from UNLV)
• OLine Luke Griffin (from Missouri)
• OL Bakyne Coly, Lawrence Tech to Purdue
• OLine Ben Farrell (from Indiana Wesleyan)
• DLine Isaiah Nichols (from Arkansas)
• DLine Malik Langham (from Vanderbilt)
• DLine Jeffrey M’Ba (from Auburn)
• Db Anthony Brown (from Arkansas)
• Db Salim Turner-Muhammad (from Stanford)
• Db Marquis Wilson (from Penn State)
• Db Braxton Myers (from Ole Miss)
• Db Zeke Williams (from Northern Illinois)
• Db Markevious Brown (from Ole Miss)
• LS Daniel Hawthorne (from Missouri)

Purdue Defense: (starters back=6)

• base thirty-four; (now).
• (kinda/sorta a high-risk/high-reward highly pressured look).
  Multiple, shifty, Flexy, movey nite D at that.
• 113 in Total D!!
• 64th vs. the run.
• 123rd vs. the throw!!!
• 111th in Passing Efficiency D allowed!!
• 54th in zone D.
• 6 in 1o in dLine Havoc. 6 of the ’22 Top-8 are back here. So, the Learning and the Experience Curves are both solid enuff. As in… in ’22 their Dline did a phenomenal job of harassing opposing signal callers with a 34% pressure rate (26th best). Yet, at the same time, they allowed too many big plays, both on the ground (83rd in rush explosiveness) and through the air (97th best).
  In ’23 terms and we see that… there’s a ton of work to be done to fill in the schematic gaps. The D-line is bringing in Malik Langham from Vanderbilt, Isaiah Nichols from Arkansas, and Jeffrey M’Ba from Auburn to work around the new starting Ng1, Cole Brevard. Sorta like the great Illinois D from last year, the goal will be to create a steady rotation and hold up against the run first. Auburn three-tech Dt1, Jeffrey M’Ba (6′6″/3o7 lbs.) posted a 9.1% pressure rate in 82 snaps last year, along with Dt1, Isaiah Nichols (6′3″/315 lbs.) who has five years of experience at Arkansas, logging 422 snaps last year while starting every game for the Razorbacks. Throw in Vanderbilt Dt3, Malik Langham, who earned 650 reps with 12 stops over the last two seasons, and you’ve got a defensive line that’s been overhauled with a trio of So.Eastern transfers who will contribute immediately.
  That squarely struck… De1’s Jack Sullivan gone to USC-east is an edge hurt here. As Purdue is almost de facto better internally than externally just due to the presence of his absence alone.
• 6.5 of 1o in Linebacking Havoc. The strength of the defense projects to be at OLb in this 3-4 set. Where starter Kydran Jenkins (four sacks, seven Qb hurries, one forced fumble) returns, and sophomore Nic Caraway, a VHT (very highly touted) four-star recruit from Bryan, Texas, is poised for a breakout season after a strong spring.
  As Linebacking is the most stacked (pardon the alignment pun) in the three layers here. As the Boilermakers return starters Kydran Jenkins and O.C. Brothers (42 tackles). There is Lb3 intrigue as sophomore Nic Caraway turned a lotta spring-ball heads and could have the highest ceiling of the three in terms of testable/metrics. ’22 Purdue was decent at forcing mistakes, and that’s where the new schematic Lb1’s come in. Kydran Jenkins and Khordae Sydnor are playmakers behind the line-of-scrimmage (LOS); and OC Brothers should be a stat-sheet filler in the middle. There are ATH’s here and they do have measurables to disrupt. The hope here is “when”, not ‘if’.
  VHT **** or quad-star recruit Mister Nicky Scourton -who has emerged since I wrote ^this^- and Jenkins (middle and far-right below) actually move sorta well to be a human “tatanka” and a mini-me Bison respectively.
  The interior guys tip the Toledo’s @: 244 and 24o). i.e., this is a roly-poly front-7.
  Six of the front-7 are r-Jr’s or older. Should checkmark Learning/Experiencing alike.

• 3.5 from 1o in Secondary Havoc. Last year in ’22…, the Boilermakers’ secondary’s 3.6% interception rate ranked 17th best nationally to go with a 57% completion rate allowed (25th) and a sterling 22.5% passing down success rate (6th) was nearly secondary to none in ’22 Big-1o terms. They do play the ball not the man here. The Boilers hind-4 returns most of their talent in 2o23 with (localized, graham high school’s): Cam Allen, Sanoussi Kane, and rising star Jamari Brown. Incoming transfer Salim Turner-Muhammad from Stanford is expected to help fill the void of Bryce Hampton and Cory Trice who were impactful players for the Boilermakers defensively in 2o22. Allen is your old-salt defensive Pt.G1 or Qb1 who signals everything Fs1-wise. He good; prolly All-Conference good. Ss1, Sanoussi Kane led the team with 72 stops, and the Cb’s should be fine in time with Salim Turner-Muhammad (Cb1, Stanford) and Marquis Wilson (Cb1a, Penn State) coming in through the portal. Still, yet, you’d rather face these new edges right away as we do here. As the Middle-D in the hind-4 will not be second to anyone. Dillon Thienman has now seized an Fs spot and he’s as good as any other Safety value here; which is a very subjective/relative call.
  That said… Ss1 and Star Cam Allen (49 tackles, 6 PBU, 3 INT HM All-B1o) moves from Fs1 to the “Star” position, playing a hybrid LB/S role. So, we shall see if he takes to that right away or not. Ole Miss sophomore Cb1a, Markevious Brown is a pure man guy or possibly Nickel showcase playar. Some say he is the best pure Man cover guy too. Tho’ Cb1a: Marquis Wilson seems the mo’ fluid/Natural guy on film to me.

• D overall: Ryan Walters knows defense, and so does Kevin Kane, the former Illinois Lb-Coach who came with the new head man. Last year’s Boilermaker defense was reasonable overall, yet nothing special. There weren’t enough sacks and not enough tackles for loss; however, it was good on third downs and held up against the mediocre opponents it faced. i.e., it found its ’22 level.
  (film-study):
  This year and… Purdue hits a base 3o. Nose-to-nose, well; Ng1. With OLb’s angling inwards. Like they really wanna whoop you inside the Ot-box and make you chase inside-out. Cb’s don’t get a lotta help like this with a deep Fs1 playing/batting clean-up as an off-the-screen Cf in M.l.b. terms. There is no denying this is a Fosterian stop the run, 1st, 2nd and worry about 3rd-down that which this way (may) come later; D. They are big, bulky, blotchy looking upon breaking tape; in particular in the forward-7. The De’s even inhabit 4-point (rock-back) stancing at times as everything is taking the Run away. They will Landry/Flex the De’s back a step to make them harder to scrape/reach too. They tackle okay inside the box though south of okay outside the same. F.s.u.-West got them on midrange crossings and angular thingys. And plum beat them to the edge. Do we have any Te or Ot who can seal the edge here? Or, must we run right into the mastodon teeth of this over-humped D? As this is not a speed-burner D; though it moved better 1Q and 3Q than 2Q or 4Q respectively. It is a D you do not wanna Pier-6 or phonebooth brawl with on the inside. However, they did appear passing-fancy available, in particular from the F.s.u.-West Z or Slot. (This hopefully limits P.T. from Ky’).
• ∑ (summary): returning D production=64% (61st best). Allen is your conflict defender here. He runs really hot-n-cold in Pass-D.
  In theory, the front-3 in this thirty occupies and keeps clean… as the back-8 is in charge of taking the ball away. Illinois was a takeaway machine, and that will be the main early emphasis early on in the new system for Purdue. Not exactly bend though don’t break, mo’ like TAKE rather than fake. However, 1o of their ’22 Top-14 leading tacklers is no longer on the roster. That will prolly take until October give/take get the new concrete to set.
  Denny’s: look out block here! As this is a massive/rotund front-7 for Purdue. Wendy’s football or: “Where’s the beef?” Gonna be very interesting if we can budge them at all upfront down-low.
  That and this is not much of a zoning-Secondary. Lotta O.G. Oaktown Raiders Man-looks all-over. F.s.u.-West plum got after this on quickies and short middle-works. As Purdue will offer a keep-everything-in-front cushion at times.
  This puts the onus on Grant; he may very well have to wing us to VicTory vs. such a dense-looking front-7 as ‘due’s bulky run-fills go.

Defensive letter-grade:

BONUS: kinda like Foster’s Stout, Ryan Walters’ defenses are known to be zone-stoppers! Only #1 in D-1 here last year! As they go vice-like as the field compresses vertically itself.

P.U. Offense: (returning starters=4!)

• ‘air-raid’ base O; albeit mo’ balance per mo’ rush’.
• 8oth in Total O.
• 95th in ground O!
• 58th in aerial O.
• 53rd in Passing Efficiency O.
• 82nd in zone O.
• Rb1: preferred-walk-on, Devin Mockobee and his debuting near thousand-yard ’22 are back (968-yards good for 6 Majors) and so is his 6′, 195 lb. Fly-guy look. And a full-ride schollie. Seriously, he rocks his very own F-10 wheels. (see: pic)! And you have to have it goin’ on to put thyself out there like dis. He sports the yesteryear-flavored Rb1 digits of: four-five (or, #45, same as Cy.Lawrence and Eddie Hunter my neighbor once did). As all work and no play does not make this Jack a dull boy. Enemy of dull -if not a downright fun- kid. +1 for dat. r-Soph’ rising star ball-carrier who keeps a blow-out Jersy Shore teased fro’ and a Phillip JAX looking thinker of a chin-slinky (goatee). d.Mocko -as he is want to be called- is a combo’ of a Wendell Tyler glider and a hippy (hip-turn) Rb1. Really smoooooth effortless-looking guy in traffic who makes it look easy (or easier than it is…). Really moves well on off-T stretch plays too. A natural runner with a capital Coach God “N”. Not s pure burner tho has deceptive game speed and did I mention the navigational software is already downloaded and fully-installed onboard yet? Has a longer than expected leg-stride and a higher-than-expected knee lift. Like a Baltic Ave. man’s Jim Kiick. Runs low to the surface and his hard to land a heavy lick on for it. Helluva a two, that’s (2 or **) recruiting coup of a Rb1 pull. Solid overall athlete to boot— what with his: having won the Indiana State long jump Championship and having finished second in the 110m hurdles! That’s not ½-bad and mighta been two-thirds of a clue. Something of a latent scholastic bloomer at a small school (nearly 2K his Sr. season rushing) prolly did not help anything… tho’ still yet, Talent is Talent, and you can only play who is in front of yah, see? 4th leading Wr (so to type) per: 32 snags producing a reasonable 274 yards in ’22 means you must honor his passing fancy outta the backfield. (Apparently) this Mocko was originally a U.S. Naval Academy commit. So, you know he has some brains upstairs and some disciple/heart between the pecs backing that up. All the mo’ potent from the (seemingly mere) 36th-ranked in-state (Indiana) baller. Squat: 425 lbs., 4.58 forty, 4-sec 20-yard shuttle and 34″ Vert’ all pretty much speak to what Eye already said I saw on film. Good ATH, not quite an epic one; tho’ a sharp and/or heady one who is indeed athletic enuff. ex-Wr2a, Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s move from receiver to running back gives Purdue a speed and pass-catching option in the backfield to complement the inside running of Mockobee. Their Connley if you will. Rb2a, Dylan Downing makes this rushing trifecta a legit-3-deep.

  

• Qb1: …is kinda unknown… which is what happens when one Sr. year Pivot1 goes Pro’ and his likewise 4-year back-up backs out on a 5th year. Enter Texas Qb1, or one Hudson Card. The next-generation Hudson Bomber if you will. Hud’ was only housing on being the 4oth ranked baller in all of America from ESPN.com in 2o2o and he did reasonably well in relief for an injured TX Qb1 last year down in Austin. Where he was said to be something of a sleeper ATH of a Qb1. What with a: 4.62 forty, a 4.28 20-shuttle, and a lofty looking 36″ vert’ means this kid dunks with 1-hand; easily. Said to be a big-time snowboarder on the side and a pretty cutting-edge exotic workout guy to boot. I give him dat. Seems kinda lean/rangy to me. 6′2″, 2o5 lbs. seems to agry. Although the practice field fully hinged forward (left-knee) bracing seems pretty beat-up to me as well; St.Nikon bless. 928 passing yards, with 6 total TDs, 1 Pick, and 69.4% ’22 does not really Qb2 suck at all. And at least this Hud’ has some P5 Experience Curve Effects already straightened out. Good quickness, solid ‘long-speed’ on film. And hails from what most consider to the *the* Alpha scholastic pipeline (A.K.A., Lake Travis H.S. in backyard Austin, Tx.); known for producing level-up collegiate Qb1’s. Likewise his none-too-shabby 138 then 159 Qb-ratings for the Longhorns that prolly left mo’ than a few Portaling suitors horny indeed. These are actually great Qb2 problems to have as only 1-football exists in 1-game at one, time. (Even if some ‘whispers’ say Hud was about to fall to: Tx.Qb3; as he was apparently not a good or not a satisfied Pro-Style Tx. fit). However, now Mister Card must deal from the Top of the Deck. That and a few size/durability concerns lingering… the throw-fits seem fit enuff. ’cause… Hud showcases flashes of creativity and the ability to make plays both from inside and outside of structure. He is a pretty accurate passer from within the pocket. He shows a nice touch and ball location on downfield throws. He uses his athleticism to escape the rush and make off-platform throws and pick up big chunks on the ground. Lot to like here, n’est-ce pas? Might even have mo’ pure Talent(s) than last year’s Purdue Qb1 now N.F.L. gone. Some even went so far as to refer to this Hud’ as a dual-threat Qb1. That and going from a 141-replacement-Qb-rating to a whopping 2o9 got sat back down Qb2-rating last year might just be a this year, clue. ’cause Hud was good enuff and only got better from the Longhorn bullpen. Especially when you see that his stricter QBR metric rose (up) each and every single game. The only mild glitch Eye can find is… he only logged two, that’s (2) aerials north of 39 yards on 11o attempts. May not be a pure HR hurler, tho’ triples and doubles can put in R.B.I. work. As there is not really not much of anything that Hudson cannot do. And not too surprisingly… lives well “pur” the Qb1, life. (SEE: below pic’).
  (That all Qb1 in ’23 dutifully struck… Arizona State transfer Qb1a, Bennett Meredith has a live, accurate arm; he’s a slinger. And Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning take up all the space in the quarterback room. Still, yet, it would be a surprise and to some an outright shocker if this isn’t Card’s gig. Though Purdue is now officially Qb2 three-deep as quality and experienced Pivot’s go here).
  BONUS: Hud’ does have a big-time-throws ‘forces’ things tag; like he trusts his own less than fully canonized arm a bit too much. As he chucks some floaters someone with breaking speed might just get to on ’23 film. As his this year footage looked south of his Tx footage; at least to me.
• oLine: 100% of Ot’s do return although only 6o% returns overall. As the b.Make’ blocking bunch is mo’ experience and mo’ reliable on the Ot edges than they are internally on the G-c-G blocking wedge. As said, 3 outt 5 ’22 starters return on the offensive line, including Ot1, Mahamane Moussa. Academic All-Big Ten stud with a grate name (likewise: parents: (Abouzeidi and Houre) and siblings: (Baserou and Monernadou) Scrabble point dat, yo’— reads like a good one not to fight, right? Nice kid, smiley 1o1 and that locker room never hurt. Not huge (6′4″, 288 lbs. r-Soph’., very crafty seal/folder on the edge to spring things off-T. As last year the ’22 1’s front five were great at keeping defenses out of the backfield (14th best in TFL allowed, Tackles for a Loss) and wasn’t ½-bad in pass protection (56th best here). Gus Heartwig (knee dent; St.Nikkon bless) is a terrific C1, Marcus Mbow is a tough G1, and there’s experience everywhere else helped by Bowling Green’s 3o-game-starting G1, Jalen Grant and UNLV’s (3rd-Team All-Mountain West) after Charleston Southern’s (twice)-grad-transfer utility odd/even G1, Preston Nichols to battle for time inside. This oLine may need 4, 8, or 12-quarters to mesh; though the 1’s look legit here once they do. The 2’s are a bit of a drop-off and keeping the ’23 1’s fresh is on the TOP (time of possession) to-do list. As there are some smarties here, so, you wanna get them early before they figure things ’23, out. (As we do in the no.2 hole). ex-left-G1, DJ Johnson is back after missing much of ’22 on a trick knee (St.Nikon help). The seasoned offensive line returns 92 total line starts; just spread across 3 different ’22 D-1, schools!
  #77 is a messy guy upon breaking tape; prolly make a good Roadhouse cooler late in life. As he ain’t no fun to mix with. Not epic; though at least temperamental. He by his own combative self makes the even (right) side at least a scosche tougher if nothing else.
  Also, the Purdue “hiker” spot is either fluxed up or in flux itself. They are dingy and/or unsettled here; watch how that C1a, C1b, and maybe even C1c… go.  As one maybe even two of their Top-3 are dragging around trick knees. (St.Culbreth bless).
• Wr(s)/Te: Wr1 c.Jones (Cincy Bangles) and Qb1 a.O’Connell (Oaktown Raiders) departing does hurt here… and this jus’ in… rain is still rumored to be, wet. Tritto: ex-Te1: Payne Durham, now of Buccaneer service. Such is code for ~16o snags great for nearly 1.9k-yards on 2o majors (TD’s). Again, this is a lot lot lot of production and Learning/Experience Curve reps that just went Exit Stage Left. As that is a pretty quality pitch-n-catch battery. Returning ’23 would be: now: Wr2, r-Sr., Mershawn Rice (a parttime Db) and now: Wr1, r-Sr., TJ Sheffield. Te1: TeeJay strikes me as the swaggier pick of these receiving returnees. Paul Piferi is prolly your de facto inheritance typea Te1. However, these three only conspired to tally one grab north of 29 yards in ’22 terms. Someone(s) has gotta showcase some northward stretch to make this refurbished ’23 Boilermaker O truly ‘sing’. As Sheffield was steady last year, Rice has nice size tho’ tailed off a bit in November and P2 is able to gain Y.A.C. (yards after contact) as he does rumble at bit and does seem to have a hoopology knack for finding soft/available Zone spots on tape. Prolly a Point-F in another life. Still, yet, Rice seems to want for headroom or pretty close to his ceiling in his fifth year. Sheffield did manage to lead the team in punt and kickoff return yards in ’22. And that is typically nothing if not an athletic callsign. As he is from an athletic fam’ (1-sport pops (football) and 2-sports mum (softball and basketball in college terms)). So, maybe there is some hope there… and these two should have all systematic things down pat with a decade of play-booking literacy between ’em. And yet, frankly; you’d have to hope that some mixer of an up-n-coming youngling Wr3 really pops clean here and stirs the play-making drink. As this is a solid grab-gang group; just not a great much less dominant one. TJ Sheffield (knee ding; St.Nikon help) is the leading returning receiver catching 46 balls last year for 48o yards and four scores, and Mershawn Rice was fourth in yards with 283; new to the fun is Corey Gammage from Marshall -who some informers say is- likely be the new No. 1 Wideout. As they also say: ” deep speed” or a real HR threat at all times. Time=tell here, though this one is gonna take a minute or three to cook either Wr way.
  Te1, Payne Durham made the All-Big-Ten second team last season and turned a steadying-looking 56 receptions for  56o yards on a very useful you need to be red-zone aware eight-touchdown season. Though, he is t.bay Bucs gonzo. That leaves Garrett Miller and Paul Piferi; who have been around for a while and provide nothing else if not well-seasoned Te2/Te3 depth in ’23.
  BONUS: po’ Purdue is really dingy/denty at Te and to some extent at Wr so the ‘whispers’ say.
  Coach God Bless.

• O overall: Walters has filled out his Big-O staff, including adding Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator. Harrell spent last season @w.V.u. and had been part of the USC staff prior to that. Pretty sizey surname coordinating get and he has a rep’ for truly chucking it around. As recall… Qb Harrell was merely a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2oo8, and set school, conference, and national records for: passing yards, attempts, completions, and TD’s. That’s all. Solid C.F.L. digits and a Packer N.f.l. Super-bling does not suck either. Qb1 Harrell is also basically a medalist in any everything is bigger TX H.S. passing category you can name. Including: 12,532-yards good for 167 majors (TD’s). wowow. That plus eight, that’s (8) NC2A passing markers (still) to his name. Yah; Eye’d say that counts. Grandpaw was only the coaching deputy to legendary TX big-whistle Gordo’ Wood and only got 9 State Blings in 43 seasons in his own right. His old man (Sam Harrell), was only the highest-paid high school coach in Texas football. Period. (Coach God bless on the M.S. that forced him out). Every single bro’ or uncle has been a Wr1 or a Qb1 in D-1 ball. That’s all. This guy sucks— #FireHimNow! However, should you decide to keep him…
  As this is an up-tempo O that throws the rock around a lot; though also allows for the Qb1 to ad-lib and make surface plays if/when they see a reason to take off. Almost 1 or 2% sandlot if you will. Backyard Air-Raid O 1o1.

• ∑ (summary): returning O production=65% (55th best). So, this is a shorter to medium quick-hitting ‘bang-bang’ O. May not quite West Coast, mo’ like Eastern Washington State if you will. Almost like the Fu’/BAX O having its most Qb1 healthy and best hair, ever.
  (film-study):
  This O has a lotta crossbucks and misdirections and counters and whatnot built-in. You must ‘stay home’ and play Macaulay Culkin ‘ball and honor your backside checks/assignments here. It is something of a misdirected version of O.d.u., in that it stretches East-West or laterally quite a bit; although it stretches both East and West at the same time. Purdue will shift/motion behind all of this to engineer running-starts (like a horizontal C.f.l. O); to try to create even mo’ sideline-to-sideline tension. There are a lotta shorter/quicker thingys here; though with so much elasticity they hope to ‘snap’ your rubber band and break contain or just have ‘one-guy-to-beat’. O will play-action to freeze your pursuit off of a myriad of R.P.O.’s and it will hit sit-down patterns (Hitch, et al) quickly downfield. Drops cost them vs. the Bulldogs; as they are clearly still settling in timing and scheming alike at this stage. O still has some gittery thingys to work/iron out to it. They were/are very much on the left or short side of the Learning and Experiencing Curves along in the film room.
  To me, Purdue’s Qb was off-n-on at times. Not the cannon arm Eye expected until Eye spied the double ankle tape job on each side. Like he was nursing/bleeding/leaking velocity. The vaunted walk-on Rb1 seemed smaller to me on tape as well. He is a bit hippy/shifty or swivels well enuff. Lotta 45° down-hill ½-Gap over blocks here. Did like the hesitation or stutter step moves from the Purdue Wideouts. Very Pearson of d.Cowboy 70’s looking. Even pushed off (as if blocking) to free themselves.
  Finally, all hands (UP) on deck here— as this ex-Tx-Qb1 really fights small. He sits down, literally; on some of his throws and you can get skin on leather. As F.s.u.-West deflected several passes Hud’ made at them. (…who says tippin’ does not, count)?
  Doh!
• 5o% run:pass 5o% mix. Even Stevens; so far… Wr1 Deion Brooks is your secret sauce offender here. Brooksy. The team’s fastest player had a breakout performance in Week 1 in the tepid L to Fresno State, catching four passes for 152 yards and the first two TDs of his career. His previous two-year totals: 16 catches, 175 yards. He can go… your crack is his seam; your seam is his… 6.
  Finally; Card is a homer Qb1. +4%-n-change better @home. However, Hud’ is one of the very few Qb’s you will see who warms into games. Q2 better than Q1 (+~5%) ¦ then Q4 better than Q3 (+~9%!). That’s a damn gamer folks. (Or, a kid nursing something that has to warm up and warm into the given half a bit throw-fit-wise).
  Finally, this is not a Nixon raised to the Regan power right of rightest right O. It will dabble in this/that; they are known for trickeration and going-for-it when others would long-FGA or short-punt. Gotta toe the damn line here in defense.

Offensive letter-grade:

BONUS: This O “goes for it” a LOT via design… 4th down conversions: Purdue 18-of-33 (55%) in ’22!

Boilermakers Special Teams: (return)

Te4 and part-time P2a, Ben Furtney takes over as P1 and did not do much of anything in Net Punting last year as your P2. This year and he rates a centrist 56th in Net Punting (early-on) thus far.

Also -same as below- Chemical Engineering Academic All-Big Ten and his mum (Stacey) was only a wimminz hoops star over for the ‘Sota Golden Gophers once upon a time. His old man (Craig) was only a star footballer at: Southwest Minnesota State. Kid sis’ (Megan) is only a star golfHer down @Duke. So, the Football Genome Project does project well here. Ben does have a history of fakes with one reception good for 1o-yards and one 1st-down. He keeps a Goonies-looking big azz strawberry blonde mop-top. Truly. Did play some Outsdie-Lb1 in H.S. terms so maybe he is not as soft as his look suggest(s)? 5′11″, 229 lbs. prolly speaks to this as well. r-Jr. Likewise, he and Rudy have tallied 1-Qb-sack as an Lb7 or so already. So, maybe this one is not going to see the new Barbie movie opening nite? P1 and I are not so sure due to the dearth of statage… tho’ his H.S. digits are solid enuff and did I mention moonlighting as an OLb caddy, yet?

Jack Ansell is also back as the part-time starting punter after averaging 41.9 yards per punt. Warrnambool, Australia/Brauer College native or yet another Rugby bloated ball booter imported from: ‘down-under’. Jack is a: 6′2″, 2o8 lb. Academic All-Big Ten third-year footer here. He has a leg 0ut to just shy of a 7o-yard career long. So, his leg-Talent is strong enuff is not quite bionic itself. Really good hang time with nearly a 50% fair-catch ratio to show for it. Over 4o-career fair catches forced in 1.5 or so seasons of booting says so. 21st P in America/Australia per 247Sports says so as well. This Kiwi is already 25 years young; so you know who goes to get the Coopers Beer Keg(s) for the team here. 0 carries or pass-attempts here so the Fake does not seem en vogue for most imports.

• 6th best in Punt Returns | tho’ only 7th best in KO returns!!! wowow❗️
  (Tyrone Tracy Jr. is your H.U.D. or housing/hoteling Monopoly guy here). He; good!
• 9th best in punt coverage | tho’ 11oth best in suicide-squad! Wild.
• Purdue has blocked o kicks and allowed o kicks to be blocked.
• Purdue has blocked o punts and allowed o punts to be blocked.
• Offensive field-position  | Defensive field-position

The Boilermakers will go into fall facing a kicking competition, with Ben Freehill (who handled kickoffs last season), Julio Macias, and Caleb Krockover all battling for the PK1 job. (Some say this is an ongoing in-season battle as I practice-field type)…

Mitchell Fineran was your final-year returning PK1 for Purdue. Gone are his nearly 6 years’ worth of K1 love and experience and this is a pretty sizey hole to fill.

Attempting to plug the same is… ’22’s K2: or one: Caleb Krockover. He of one career point, that’s (1) on one P.A.T. career make. Although listed a a Soph. last year Krock’ is now listed as a r-Jr. this year. Academic All-Big Ten from the School of Mechanical Engineering does not suck. Norris Hall+1 hereby rightfully G.P.A. awarded. Much DAP on dat. Beyond that… there was not a lot to find here… West Lafayette H.S. homespun K1 who only holds the Indiana football scoring rec’ all-time for K’s. That too does not suck. 94% kicker in H.S. who only netted right at 300-points on P.A.T.’s alone! (His H.S. musta been Pinball Wizard scoreboard ’tilt’ friendly indeed). Owns a 2018 State Champion bling. And did Eye mention that he only missed two, that’s (2) FGA’s in four years as a scholastic K1, yet? Yah; those three counts… an interesting prospect that some view as a possibly weaponizing K1 sleeper-pick of sorts.

Ben Freehill was the surprise 1-hole K1 starter. He is indeed a strong weight-room-looking K; though is KO-depth (~55) does not speak to this. r-Sr. Crop and Soil Science major from Okie-State. Where he was a career 50% P.A.t. chip-shotter and now he is an o fer lifer on F.G.A.’s. thus far. As this game-day promo’ may be a Pro’-Temp’ or a carrot to an elder statesmen class-rank wise? That said, his bro’s do (both) ball at Illinois. And Ben looks 30-something already. Not a fondue-sissy-smuggler looking flaky K2. We shall see if he can play footsie or not.

Deion Burks (19.9 yards per return) is back to return kickoffs this season, with Sheffield the leading candidate to return punts. These two are at least ‘okay’ enuff; are they anything north of ‘K itself remains to be seen?

Purdue: Special Teams letter-grade:
Purdue has some go-getters here… K is the only sag Eye sees. Nice B maybe B+ and they have some kicking leg-room if/when that pops clean.

Unit Rankings:

1. VT D.
2. VT O. (Nearly tied, no, Eye’ma not satirizing here).
3. Purdue O (slight gap).
4. Purdue D (bigger gap).

Airplane Cost Conference Rankings:

1. CAL,
2. S.M.U., VeeTee (tied),
3. Stanford.

X-factor(s):

• motive: Not real sure here? A Purdue must be o-2 nil win-hole self-aware, right? Though VeeTee is @home and this is a very early tip-off which prolly favors sleeping in thy own bed. EDGE=push.
• weather: Looks, well; not really good… if this Friday nite holds… EDGE=the bigger meatier set(s); which is Purdues’ BIG-1o swagg.
• health/off-field: Both squadrons are relatively healthy here. Though there are three Te’s, that’s (3) out for the year collectively and the Boilermakers grab-gang is dingy or even denty a mite to boot. EDGE=VeeTee.
• penalties: Five, that’s a mere (5) spots that separate these two in yellow-laundry terms. EDGE=tied, nearly.
• intangibles: …Eye don’t front or pose… and frankly Eye do not see any here… Do any of you? Turnover Margin was solid for each/both.  A few other metrics I might include here were hard to prase. Only TOP (time of possession) favored anyone and that someone was the Technical one here. EDGE=VeeTee (+ ~ 10-mins. at that, early on as it may ’23 be).
• fatigue: N/A just yet.

Lord Haw-Haw …or… Tokyo Rose?
…inpowerHERment 1o1.

• Qb VT O rating=38th vs. Qb Purdue D=41st (this is suspect, Qb-rating allowed if you will).
• Qb Purdue O rating=53rd vs. Qb VT D=114th (this is very good, Qb-rating allowed if you will).

Qb analysis:
A rarefied pivotal clean sweep.

4×4 as this head-to-head Koterback score goes.

That science fact correctly struck… it would be difficult to the point of umpossible to posit, aver, or connote that Hud’ has less Talent or fewer metrics to work with than g.Wells does. He best(s) Wells in every single category vis-à-vis. The question(s) here is… ‘fit’. And if ‘fit’ is a Miller Sharp’s Boilermaker ask? The question then defaults to: “When“? When will this Hud’ go bombs away? Though until he does…

EDGE: VT won everything.

Wild.. huh?

 

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of  Boilermakers who could  imbibe @Tech=9’ish

the takeaway:

The takeaway here is…

…it is tough to be taken with either of these ’23 two teams after game no.1.

If you combined these two you might (sorta) have one semi-complete one.

---

As each one has a few shiny parts, a few foibles, and a few no-no’s that ’24 and beyond prolly have to O.G. mechanical hard-drive gone WOPR war computer Coach Joshua dial-up download.

Both fanbases need to cultivate some patience and message-board left-click hesitate until ’25 or ’26.

Free Dabney Coleman!!! Do not declare #FIREbug War!!!
Don’t be a crockpot, give both chefs room to… cook.

Or would that jus’ make too much, sense?

***

xxx’s & ooo’s:
VeeTee is (in theory) beyond year no.1.
That should put them one-up in Experience and Learning curves alike.

As you’d have to think these Boilermakers knock a drink or two over along their youngling ’23 circuitous way.

That, and little ole Vah.Tech just zoomed Top Gun 45 whole entire R.P.I. spots upwards! Maybe the R.I.P. V.P.I. crew is now unglued?

WWI: “The Great War”…

Trench Warfare favors…

…well… it may favor the faster/quicker Gap-jumping crew early on…

Though who will it favor later on in the twilight of the 4th?
Check it…

• On average their defensive front outweighs VT Defense by 28.5 lbs. at the 6 internal spots.
• The Purdue OLine and Te outweigh our 6 defensive guys by 246 lbs. or 41 lbs. per guy!
• Yikes!!!

As this is: Wendy’s football 1o1, or “Where’s the beef?“

That’s a lot lot lot to mule for a 6o-minute or 20-round fight.

Lo.FM (Long-field Management©)

• VeeTee’s O is a choppy-looking 97th best in 1st down O | whereas Purdue’s D is a likewise wavy-looking 1o4th best in 1st down D allowed!
• Purdue’s O is a modest 89th best in 1st down O | whereas VeeTee’s D is a slightly better than average 51st best in 1st down D allowed.
• VeeTee’s O is a surprisingly useful 35th best in 3rd down O | whereas Purdue’s D is a sivey 123rd best in 3rd down D allowed!
• Purdue’s O is ineffective 113th best in 3rd down O | whereas VeeTee’s D is a matching ineffective 113th best in 3rd down D allowed.

Analysis:
Well, as you can sees… these are two uneven teams here. Although one is clearly less even.

As in… Purdue only mounts an 89th-best Lo.FM. metric across all four, that’s all (4) categories as chain-gang busting goes. VeeTee is at least doing Wells enuff on 3rd-down downfield itself. i.e., you’d better hope Grant is granted 6o-minutes’ worth of health, here. EDGE=Wells and his Wr‘s.

TTT (Time To Throw©)

• VeeTee’s O is 1st best (zero) sacks allowed O | whilst Purdue’s D is a reasonable enuff 48th best in opposing Qbs sacked D.
• Purdue’s O is also 1st best (zero) sacks allowed O | whilst VeeTee’s D is a hot-n-heavy 6th best in opposing Qbs sacked D!
• VeeTee’s O is a salty (surprising) 12th-best in TFL (tackles for a loss) allowed O | whilst Purdue’s D is a somewhat truncated 86th-best in TFL-inflicted D.
• Purdue’s O is a woody 31st best in TFL allowed O | whilst VeeTee’s D is a very sprite 15th best in TFL inflicted D!

Analysis:

Well, as you can see… both clubs improved a bit compared to Lo.FM work(s) here.

And something has gotta (both) O’s passing V-cup integrity give here at some point— as both D’s court some oomph to their pass-rush.

The more compelling part is the T.F.L. metric. Whereby you begin to successfully glean which team is more dynamic and more kinetic alike. As Purdue seems to want to scheme that way(s); although they are (stuck) playing ’23 with refugee ’22 leftover static parts. EDGE=VeeTee‘s D in particular.

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/a7275826-0b3e-49f0-ab52-99f1e2bdc1fc

#ChallangeA.c.c.epted… There are 1,440 minutes in a day and VeeTee is prolly gonna have to pull at least 55-of-’em to win here. Maybe even closer to 6o itself.

Purdue Projected S&P+: 58th.
Boilermaker Projected S&P wins: 6.9 W’s.

the optics…

…the optics show that now is the 2nd-best time to play Purdue. What with two new coordinators, it’s brand-new systems on both sides of the LOS (line of scrimmage). Accordingly, only the 1-hole woulda been a better time to play Purdue. As they are still very left-tailed on the Experienice-Curves for both O and D alike and the Learning Curve is not much further right than that.

---

the skinny…

In ’22, Purdue was 6-o when running for at least 115 yards and 7-1 when running for 95 yards or more. In 2o21 the team was 4-o when running for more than 91 yards and 6-1 when getting to at least 8o yards.

Think about that one sports-fans… and when you do you will think that it doesn’t take much to balance such an airwaves wolfman Jack O out.

Anything north of centennial (1oo-yard) rushing is gravy for said ground, chuck.

 

3-game splits, H/A, ask @Marshall b.street!

Our handy dandy friend, the so-called: Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is merely calling for an Oktoberfist hit-back.

Triangle Theory says that… a rolling stone gathers no… (Randy), moss?
No wait… that’s not it… We’d better ask back here, too.

the call…

…ask weather.God here folks.

’cause if you asks me -and you did via reading these very words- if you ask me?

VeeTee wins on a clean track.

However, if this one gets all soggy-bottom 24o6o U.S.A.?

Who knows?

the sportlight…

Here in the sportlight… we were warming to picking VeeTee to out-athlete the plodding/plowing Boilermaker farm hands. Kinda like a legit VeeDub bug getting footloose by about a shoestring got all hung up in some corny tractor pull.

And… wait for it… an Ariel, victory dance if you will.

Then Eye bothered to look up these two nubile Betas…

1. dot is a dot.
2. dots is a line.
3. dots is plane.
4. dots is a trend…
5. dots is a pattern when things first begin to…

That’s all true and it will take 5 dots before ’23 things begin to take shape.

Still yet… VeeTee tallied a 96th Beta-O and Purdue tallied a 98th best Beta-O.
(both: sucked at explosiveness; though Purdue hit a few longer throws downfield).

Then… VeeTee tallied a still pretty suspect 93rd Beta-D and Purdue tallied a 119th best Beta-D.
(The Boilermaker one did not surprise much. As they did get big-played chunked vs. F.s.u.-West. Tho’ V.P.I. only scored well on ‘negative plays’; and had the same Gaps on longer gaining fills; just not quite as elongated as Purdue’s gaffs were).

–oOo–

Or, come to think of it… these are two pretty inefficient football teams at the moment. Nearly the enemy of efficaciousness itself.

Or, think of this one this way… does Purdue R.A.T.T. beat O.d.u.?
Aye. Prolly.

♥  ♣  ♦ ∪

Then, think of this one this way… where is Purdue north of O.d.u.?

• Qb & Wr’s.
• Rb1.
• dLine and Linebacking.
• Returners to boot.

oLine is not worse than a push; secondary might even agry with that.

Or in final words… our O.d.u. effort/level won’t be enuff here.

We gots to come up on that.

The OPT VerdicT:

• …this one is one good-weather VeeTee could win by 1 to 1.5 full plays @home.
• …this one is also one that bad-weather VeeTee could be in a dogfight for 60. {sic: mins.}
  That one would figure to be a 1-play sloppy game; either way.

As try as we might, this oblong spheroid still ain’t rocket surgery folks.

Me personally? Eye do not foresee this one truly boiling over; as both still lack high-end play… makers.
As these two βetamakers and βeta-birds do not have enuff ‘oomph’ to go’on and whoop the other one.

That means that someone hangs around— through no credit of their own.

Or a bad-weather race to 2o; the first one there, wins.

🙏>>>🏈

upset Index=49%

#wimps!

Virginia Tech=33, Purdue=3o

“LETS GO!“

Please support the VT F.C.A.!

“HOKIES!“

bourbonstreet**