Ohio State vs. Purdue Football 2009
Struggling Boilermakers Try to Halt Streaking Buckeyes
Oct 13, 2009
That's when Purdue takes on No. 7-ranked Ohio State in a Big Ten Conference matchup at West Lafayette, Ind. The Boilermakers will be trying to snap a five-game skid and halt a four-game Buckeyes winning streak.
Purdue (1-5 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) defeated Toledo 52-31 in its season opener, but then lost four consecutive games by a touchdown or less. Two of the defeats were to teams now ranked among the Top 25.
Last weekend, the losing streak reached five in a 35-20 setback at Minnesota. The Boilermakers outgained the Gophers by 121 yards but fell largely because they committed three turnovers and had a blocked field goal attempt returned for a TD.
It's been like that virtually all year for coach Danny Hope's team.
Purdue turned the ball over six times in a 27-21 loss to Northwestern, allowed the decisive touchdown with 25 seconds left in a 24-21 defeat vs. Notre Dame, and gave up a critical first down on a fake punt in a 28-21 loss to Northern Illinois.
In the second game of the season, Purdue rolled Oregon for 451 yards, dominating the Ducks defense like nobody else has in 2009. But the Boilermakers lost 38-36, because they committed three turnovers and caught a potential game-tying 2-point conversion pass out of bounds.
Purdue might indeed be the best 1-5 team in America, but it'll take quite an effort to avoid falling to 1-6.
Ohio State 5-1, 3-0) is the highest-ranked team Purdue's faced this season. And the Buckeyes are not in the habit of losing to the Boilermakers. The teams have played 50 times, and the Buckeyes hold a 37-12-1 advantage. They've even gone 12-6 in West Lafayette.
Saturday's game is scheduled Noon EST and will be telecast by the Big Ten Network.
Buckeyes Offense Less Than Spectacular
Ohio State has won its last four by an average of 26.2 points per game, but its offense was hardly dominant in last week's 31-13 victory over Wisconsin. The Buckeyes were held to a season-low 184 yards, but scored three touchdowns on returns.
Coach Jim Tressel's team is putting 29.7 points per game on the board, but managing just 338.3 yards to rank 86th in the 120-team NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. Yet it can't be denied that the Buckeyes have promising talent.
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has passed for 948 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushed for 333 yards and three TDs. Brandon Saine has run for 349 yards – many coming while Dan Herron (241 yards, 5 TDs) recovers from an ankle injury.
DeVier Posey (21 catches, 268 yards, 3 TDs) and Dane Sanzebacher (16 receptions, 326 yards, 4 TDs) are potent receivers, and Saine is a pass-catching threat out of the backfield.
But the aerial game has been shaky overall. Pryor's been intercepted six times in just 128 attempts. And the Buckeyes are passing for only 166.17 yards per game, ranking 108th in the FBS.
Ohio State Defense Provides Scoring Punch
Ohio State's defense actually outscored its offense last week, as Kurt Coleman and Jermale Hines returned interceptions for touchdowns. The Buckeyes offense managed just one TD, with another score coming on a kickoff return by Ray Small.
Coleman has been an electrifying performer at strong safety. Despite missing a game, he's second on the team with 43 tackles. He's also forced three fumbles and made two interceptions for a team that's yielding only 12 points per game.
Ross Holman leads Ohio State with 51 tackles and fellow linebacker Ross Holman has 41. Other standouts include free safety Hines (2 interceptions), cornerback Chimdi Chekwa (4 pass breakups), end Cameron Heyward (21 tackles, 3 sacks) and end Thaddeus Gibson (6.5 tackles for losses).
The Buckeyes are giving up only 271.83 yards per game, with just 89.2 coming via the rush. They're also averaging three sacks per game.
Purdue Offense Doesn’t Lack Weapons
While the Boilermakers haven't won much lately, their offense could give the Buckeyes defense one of its toughest challenges yet.
Purdue is producing 28.5 points and 410.2 yards per game, and features highly productive players like quarterback Joey Elliott, running back Ralph Bolden and receiver Keith Smith.
Elliott has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,575 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Bolden's rushed for 634 yards and four TDs on 5.2 yards per carry.
Smith, meanwhile, has reeled in 42 passes for 585 yards and four TDs; and Aaron Valentin has 29 catches for 356 yards and five touchdowns.
So why aren't the Boilermakers winning? Their 20 turnovers are second most in the FBS.
Boilermakers Yielding More than 30 Points Per Game
Purdue's defense has been leaky, giving up 30.5 points per game. But the Boilermakers are allowing fewer yards (379.7) than their offense has been gaining. Thanks to the turnovers, that hasn't mattered much in the win column.
Linebacker Jason Werner is putting up big numbers for the Boilermakers. His 50 tackles lead the team, and his 11 tackles for losses place in the FBS top 10. The senior also has three sacks.
Purdue is led on the defensive line by end Ryan Kerrigan (7.5 tackles for losses, 4 sacks) and tackle Mike Neal (5 tackles for losses). The secondary includes safety Torri Williams (42 tackles) and cornerback David Pender (6 pass breakups). Linebackers Chris Carlino and Joe Holland have 37 tackles each.
