OP
OP
- Pronouns
- he/him
Alright Famiboards, you know what time it is?
It's time for WestEgg's 2023 PURDUE BOILERMAKERS hype post!
(For best experience reading this post, please precede it with listening to that greatest of college anthems, "Hail Purdue")
That's right, Famiboards, coming to you from beautiful West Lafayette, Indiana at historic Ross-Ade Stadium, your Purdue Boilermakers are ready to take the field and defend their status as Champions of the Big Ten West in what is likely to be the division's final year!
What has changed since last year? Just about everything! After helping to revitalize the program for the last 6 years, former Purdue Head Coach Jeff Brohm is returning home to Louisville to coach the Cardinals, and taking with him most of his staff and even some recruits. In a year that's looking like a case of discard and draw for the Boilermakers, the weight of building a successful program to retain the momentum of the last few years falls to new Head Coach Ryan Walters, coming from a successful stint as the Defensive Coordinator of the Illini.
And by all accounts, Coach Walters has hit the ground running, both in recruiting and in building his staff. New Offensive Coordinator Graham Harrell brings the Air Raid offense scheme, fitting Purdue's propensity for bombastic throws while creating enough misdirection to allow new running opportunities as well. On the Defensive side of the ball, Kevin Kane takes over as Defensive Coordinator, looking to build a defense meant to contain the run and confuse the quarterback. It's going to be a tough proving ground for these new coaches and their staff, but it will be exciting to see how they come into their own.
Players to keep an eye on
Hudson Card- QB
Purdue University is the Cradle of Quarterbacks™ and Texas transfer Hudson Card strikes out on his own to make it big on the field where former quarterbacks Aiden O'Connell, David Blough, Kyle Orton, Drew Brees, and countless others have forged their own futures. Card had limited play time at Texas, but was quite impressive when he took the field following Texas's starting QB's injury, putting up some nice stats (a 70% 75/108 completion rate, 12.38 yards per completion). Card was Coach Walter's key recruiting target, and expectations are high.
Devin Mockobee- RB
Mockobee was Purdue's breakout performer of 2022. Purdue's traditional pass heavy play has always left it a little lacking in the running game, but last year, the former walk on surprised and delighted with his quick legs and slippery movement. Now on scholarship, Mockobee will be Purdue's go to guy on the run. Last year, Mockobee ran for 195 carries, average 5 yards per carry, and scoring 9 touchdowns.
Cam Allen- Safety
In the last year, we've seen a lot of turnover in the defense, which was already hit and miss at the best of times. One consistent bright spot however has been Cam Allen, a defensive leader with 42 starts, 167 tackles, 12 passes defended, and 10 interceptions. Look for this veteran defender to lead a new group of freshman and transfers this year under Coach Walter's revamped defense.
Why should you cheer for Purdue?
1. Trains are cool
Trains are wonderful things, and Purdue's official mascot, the Boilermaker Special, embodies the larger than life presence of the Purdue as the NCAA's largest, heaviest, and fastest mascot.
2. Cheering for the Underdog
Purdue is always an unlikely hero. It's rarely the top dog of the Big Ten or even the West division, and despite that, Purdue has a fearsome reputation as a giant killer, with more wins as an unranked team against AP top 5 teams than any other, and it's not even particularly close. Purdue can win (or lose) any given game it plays, and every win is to be cherished because unlike the Georgias, Bamas, Michigans, and Ohio States of the world, nothing is taken for granted.
3. The Purdue All-American Marching Band and the World's Largest Drum*
Even when the athletics program disappoints, the Purdue All-American Marching Band never does. Accompanied by the famous Big Bass Drum and the golden and silver twirlers, this band is not just the pride of the university, but also of the state of Indiana, being the official band of the Indianapolis 500. They are also the creators of the first marching band field formation, the block P.
*The drum is officially named the Purdue Big Bass Drum. The signature World's Largest Drum comes from a time when it was the largest free standing drum.
4. CHAOS
This ties into the Underdog argument, but the Purdue Spoilermakers are the boogeymen, dream smashers, and nightmares of playoff hopefuls in the Big Ten. No one wants to play at Ross-Ade under the lights, for that's when the dark majiks activate and chaos rules the land. If you like seeing the keepers of the world overthrown on occasion by the humble and slept upon, Purdue is your team.
Final Thoughts
Common sense will tell you not to expect too much out of Purdue this year. There's a new staff, new players, and things take time to settle in. And yet, as a life long fan and alumnus of Purdue, I can't help but feel hope springs eternal for my Boilermakers, and when things look to be at their lowest, that's when you have an opportunity for greatness. Maybe Walters doesn't get things together this year, and maybe Purdue falls back to Earth from their recent lofty highs. Or maybe, just maybe, we shoot for the stars as Purdue Alum Neil Armstrong did so long ago.
Until next time, Famiboards
BOILER UP!
It's time for WestEgg's 2023 PURDUE BOILERMAKERS hype post!
(For best experience reading this post, please precede it with listening to that greatest of college anthems, "Hail Purdue")
That's right, Famiboards, coming to you from beautiful West Lafayette, Indiana at historic Ross-Ade Stadium, your Purdue Boilermakers are ready to take the field and defend their status as Champions of the Big Ten West in what is likely to be the division's final year!
What has changed since last year? Just about everything! After helping to revitalize the program for the last 6 years, former Purdue Head Coach Jeff Brohm is returning home to Louisville to coach the Cardinals, and taking with him most of his staff and even some recruits. In a year that's looking like a case of discard and draw for the Boilermakers, the weight of building a successful program to retain the momentum of the last few years falls to new Head Coach Ryan Walters, coming from a successful stint as the Defensive Coordinator of the Illini.
And by all accounts, Coach Walters has hit the ground running, both in recruiting and in building his staff. New Offensive Coordinator Graham Harrell brings the Air Raid offense scheme, fitting Purdue's propensity for bombastic throws while creating enough misdirection to allow new running opportunities as well. On the Defensive side of the ball, Kevin Kane takes over as Defensive Coordinator, looking to build a defense meant to contain the run and confuse the quarterback. It's going to be a tough proving ground for these new coaches and their staff, but it will be exciting to see how they come into their own.
Players to keep an eye on
Hudson Card- QB
Purdue University is the Cradle of Quarterbacks™ and Texas transfer Hudson Card strikes out on his own to make it big on the field where former quarterbacks Aiden O'Connell, David Blough, Kyle Orton, Drew Brees, and countless others have forged their own futures. Card had limited play time at Texas, but was quite impressive when he took the field following Texas's starting QB's injury, putting up some nice stats (a 70% 75/108 completion rate, 12.38 yards per completion). Card was Coach Walter's key recruiting target, and expectations are high.
Devin Mockobee- RB
Mockobee was Purdue's breakout performer of 2022. Purdue's traditional pass heavy play has always left it a little lacking in the running game, but last year, the former walk on surprised and delighted with his quick legs and slippery movement. Now on scholarship, Mockobee will be Purdue's go to guy on the run. Last year, Mockobee ran for 195 carries, average 5 yards per carry, and scoring 9 touchdowns.
Cam Allen- Safety
In the last year, we've seen a lot of turnover in the defense, which was already hit and miss at the best of times. One consistent bright spot however has been Cam Allen, a defensive leader with 42 starts, 167 tackles, 12 passes defended, and 10 interceptions. Look for this veteran defender to lead a new group of freshman and transfers this year under Coach Walter's revamped defense.
Why should you cheer for Purdue?
1. Trains are cool
Trains are wonderful things, and Purdue's official mascot, the Boilermaker Special, embodies the larger than life presence of the Purdue as the NCAA's largest, heaviest, and fastest mascot.
2. Cheering for the Underdog
Purdue is always an unlikely hero. It's rarely the top dog of the Big Ten or even the West division, and despite that, Purdue has a fearsome reputation as a giant killer, with more wins as an unranked team against AP top 5 teams than any other, and it's not even particularly close. Purdue can win (or lose) any given game it plays, and every win is to be cherished because unlike the Georgias, Bamas, Michigans, and Ohio States of the world, nothing is taken for granted.
3. The Purdue All-American Marching Band and the World's Largest Drum*
Even when the athletics program disappoints, the Purdue All-American Marching Band never does. Accompanied by the famous Big Bass Drum and the golden and silver twirlers, this band is not just the pride of the university, but also of the state of Indiana, being the official band of the Indianapolis 500. They are also the creators of the first marching band field formation, the block P.
*The drum is officially named the Purdue Big Bass Drum. The signature World's Largest Drum comes from a time when it was the largest free standing drum.
4. CHAOS
This ties into the Underdog argument, but the Purdue Spoilermakers are the boogeymen, dream smashers, and nightmares of playoff hopefuls in the Big Ten. No one wants to play at Ross-Ade under the lights, for that's when the dark majiks activate and chaos rules the land. If you like seeing the keepers of the world overthrown on occasion by the humble and slept upon, Purdue is your team.
Final Thoughts
Common sense will tell you not to expect too much out of Purdue this year. There's a new staff, new players, and things take time to settle in. And yet, as a life long fan and alumnus of Purdue, I can't help but feel hope springs eternal for my Boilermakers, and when things look to be at their lowest, that's when you have an opportunity for greatness. Maybe Walters doesn't get things together this year, and maybe Purdue falls back to Earth from their recent lofty highs. Or maybe, just maybe, we shoot for the stars as Purdue Alum Neil Armstrong did so long ago.
Until next time, Famiboards
BOILER UP!
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