Boiler UP! Purdue Football: The Black and Gold Game

College basketball season is over and for fans across the country, that can only mean one thing.  It's football time (insert bone crusher song).  

For Purdue fans this would normally be a sign of relief, but with the recent success of the basketball team at the University (Co Big Ten Champions ), Purdue fans are not as excited about football season.  I remember as a kid going to see the Super Bowl XLIV champion quarterback, Drew Brees play in front of sold out crowds in Ross Ade Stadium .  Unfortunately, Ross Ade hasn't had a complete sell-out in a while.

To some Purdue Fans, Football season is a season where you don't have to worry about ACL injurys , or do they?

Ralph Bolden, the soon-to-be junior star running back, who averaged 4.7 yards a carry in 2009, will most likely be sidelined with the same injury as the saint, Robbie Hummel. To rub salt in the wounds the Boilermakers were also without the four-star recruit sophomore Al-Terek McBurse.  Other Boilermakers of note to sit out the spring game were Ryan Kerrigan, the 6'4" soon to be senior defensive end who finished 2009 with 12 sacks and 66 tackles, and another incoming senior Keith Smith, who in 2009 finished with 91 receptions totaling 1100 yards. 

Despite the injuries the Boilermakers looked great on Saturday.  Junior quarterback Robert Marve, the former Florida High School player of the year transfer from the University of Miami, had a great game.  It was highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown pass to Cortez Smith.  Marve, as of now, looks as though he will be the starter on opening day when the Boilermakers travel to Notre Dame for the battle of the Shillelagh Trophy which somewhat looks like firewood.

Sophomore Caleb Terbush also got plenty of reps for the Black squad.  He led the Black Team to their first scoring drive and overall had a great performance.

I am not going to write about running backs in this article to the fact that we have run out of running backs due to injury, but expect McBurse to be ready to go when the Boilermakers go to South Bend.

The defense looked well except for the secondary.  The secondary seemed to be getting thrown on all day by the Purdue QB's but some of that is rust.  There were some great defensive plays at the ball yet the secondary definitely needed work. 

Special Teams is an area the Boilermakers need to improve on.  I especially noticed this on the punting squad.  I never thought I would say this but I miss Chris Summer.  The Boilermakers do not have a scholarship punter on campus right now, and unless Purdue plan on scoring every possession this season, which would be nice, they need to figure out this situation.  Wiggs looked good as usual in pre-game and we should be fine in the kicking game.

News flash, Purdue won.  The Black team won 31-10.

I look forward to Purdue having a great season and being a sleeper in the Big Ten. If the Boilermakers can figure out how to win in South Bend it will be a great year, if not it could be a steep slope to climb.