Signing Off

It's the end of the day here at Ross-Ade and the faces of the players coming out of the locker room closely mirrored the current state of the turf at the stadium: worn-out and beaten-up. The Cats took a hard blow today, losing 35-17 to a Purdue team that is, truthfully, not that much better than them. I would say this is a big blow to NU's bowl chances, but who knows? This team could come out and put 2400 yards of offense and 180 points on the board over the next three weeks and come out 8-4. Or it could put up 2400 yards, 180 points and finish 5-7. Or it could put up 600 yards, 30 points and finish 8-4 because the defense wakes up. Or it could put up 600 yards, 30 points and finish 5-7 because the defense doesn't. There are limitless possibilities and prognosticating is pointless. As much as I'd like to guess at where the Cats will end up this year. I have no clue. And I don't think they do either.

Judgment Day

Bacher tries to set up the screen. Allllllmost picked off by a Purdue defensive end. 2nd and 10. Bacher escapes, tries downfield for Lane, but Vinson picks him up, knocks it away. 3rd and 10. Bacher sacked by Avril, fumbles, loses 10 back to the 27. 4th and 20. Demos punts it, down at 24. We're going down to the field. Not looking good for NU.

Purdue returns the favor

And goes 3 and out. Peterman returns the ball to the NU 37.

NU ball. Trailing by 11. 4:14 to go.

That was an ugly series

Bacher throws once to two Purdue defenders. Luckily for him, they knock each other out of the play. Then he throws off the hands of a Purdue defensive end. Then, he throws to Rasheed Ward before he comes out of his break. 3 plays. 0 yards. Punt.

Face-guarding always works, right?

Painter puts one right over Brad Phillips' head. Phillips never looks back to the ball, allowing Bryant to make a circus catch in the back of the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown catch.

Purdue 28, NU 17 (8 plays, 71 yards, 3:59)

6:24 left in the game

And now the yards are coming in waves

All it took was Neil Armstrong telling the Boilermakers to get off their keisters. Purdue drives down to the NU 37. Then they run into some adversity and face a 3rd and 3. But Painter finds Bryant for 17 yards down to the NU 20.

Offense proves fruitless

3 plays and a punt. Demos rugby punts (my migraine is killing me) 35 yards to Bryant at the 29, where he is stopped. Purdue takes over with the ball and the lead.

REVIEEEEEEEEW

Purdue has a 4th and Goal at the one-inch line after Dorien Bryant caught a ball from Painter right at the goal line. The ref called him down before the end zone, for which Eddie Simpson rewarded him with a congratulatory butt pat. The play is under review. And it is upheld. They're going for it. Jaycen Taylor over left tackle. Too easy. Touchdown, Purdue to go ahead. Chris Summers adds the extra point.

Purdue 21, NU 17 - 11:21 left in the game. 10 plays, 69 yards, 3:39.

The Penalty Bug Bites!!!!!

A 12-yard pass to Dustin Keller turns into a 27-yard gain because of a late hit by Eddie Simpson. And all of a sudden, Purdue's stagnating offense is back on track. Three plays for 35 yards brgins Purdue to a 1st and Goal at the NU 7.

End of the Third Quarter

And we got ourselves a barn-burner. The quarter ended on a 46-yard punt by Stefan Demos. So Purdue takes over at its own 31, trailing 17-14. The first man to ever walk on the moon is exhorting the Boilermakers to victory. Oh, well, NU's got Moses.

Guess who's back...back again

Tyrell Sutton ran a draw down the right sideline on 3rd and 2, keeping his balance to stay inbounds and taking on a tackler at the 5. All said and done, a 21 yard gain down to the 4. After three unsuccessful tries, Amado Villarreal is coming in to kick an 18-yard field goal. Good.

NU 17, Purdue 14. 3:01 left in 3rd quarter (14 plays, 79 yards, 6:56)

3rd down is like a warm blanket for the NU offense

Twice on this drive NU has picked up a third-down conversion. That makes 7 of 9 on the game. 2nd and 5 NU at the Purdue 40. 6:35 left.

Boilering Up (cont.)

Purdue is methodically marching down the field. It has gone 42 yards on 11 plays. But now the drive has stalled, with incompletions on third and fourth down. Chris Summers out to attempt a field goal. And he misses the 37-yarder wide left. Still tied. NU ball at the 20.

Fasten your seat belts

We're getting ready to Boiler Up! Start of the third quarter.

Adventures in football scoring

This is how you score the hook and ladder:

Thompson with a catch for 9 yards. Peterman no catch for 15 yards and a touchdown.

And now numerically:

Bacher - 1 of 1, 24 yards, TD.
Thompson - 1 catch, 9 yards.
Peterman - 0 catches, 15 yards, TD.

Got it? Good. Now explain it to me.

End of the First Half

OK, let's all take a deep breath.

Here's what we (or at least anyone who is at Ross-Ade Stadium or gets the Big Ten Network) saw in the first half:

- More than 350 yards of total offense
- Four turnovers by Northwestern
- 7 rushes for 37 yards by Tyrell Sutton
- 3 picks and a touchdown from C.J. Bacher, who leads the conference in passing.
- And a hook-and-ladder play. Yes, a hook-and-ladder play.
- 7 penalties for 65 yards for Purdue. Temper, temper.

Say what you will about NU. There's never a dull moment.

Purdue 14, NU 14 at the half.

Hook ... and Ladder

See if you follow me. 1st and 10 on the Purdue 24. Bacher completes the ball to Thompson for 9 to the 15. Thompson laterals backwards to Peterman who is streaking to the sideline. Peterman does the rest, diving to the pylon. Purdue 14, NU 14. 0:32 left in the half.

See-saws for sale

And the Cats come back. Starting at the 33, 17 yards to Thompson. On a 3rd and 6, a screen to Sutton with nothing but daylight: 19-yard gain. A sack to Bacher and an incompletion to Sutton sets them back. BUT a late hit on Purdue's Justin Scott gives NU a first down on the 24.

There goes the ole turnover margin

Conteh takes a pitch on the option and the ball mysteriously disappears from his grasp. First down Purdue on its own 28. BUT the Cats' defense forces a three and out. So no harm no foul, but that's the second turnover in Purdue territory and the fourth overall. 2:01 to go.

Another 3rd down conversion

And the Cats are in business. On a 3rd and 2, Bacher found SUPERback Drake Dunsmore for 12 yards, down to the Purdue 32. NU is 4 of 6 on third downs. 4:11 to go in the half.

Corey Wootton is a manimal

On a 3rd and 18, Wootton got inside a Purdue's right tackle and buried Curtis Painter. And then he got really excited. On the punt, players got chippy and there were offsetting unnecessary roughness calls. Play nice, boys.

Ross Lane is a better receiver than a juggler

Bacher throws to Lane, who juggles the ball a lot ... and right into the hands of Purdue's Dan Bick at the NU 34. Purdue driving now, 2nd and 10 at the NU 49 with 7:39 to go

False Alarm

Sutton's back, and picking up 9 on a draw. Cats are driving, 1st and 10 at the Purdue 44 with 11:20 to go in the half.

Fitz gets animated

So Dorien Bryant came up and fielded a short kickoff from Demos, returning it past the 45. But one of his teammates had called for a fair catch, which would negate Bryant's return and be a 5-yard penalty for delay of game. The refs didn't see this. Pat Fitzgerald did. And then he got pissed. Eventually, the refs got it right and moved the ball back to the 25.

A scoring drive ends in trickery

Bacher completed two 3rd and 10s over the course of a long drive, one to Kim Thompson and one to Ross Lane. Then, Peterman took a reverse from Omar Conteh and took it 15 yards down to the Purdue 11, landing on a felled Kurt Mattes, who softened the blow considerably. Then Conteh took a pitch from Bacher on the option and waltzed into the end zone. Purdue 14, NU 7. 13:14 left in half. Beepbeep ... Beepbeep ...

Sutton is down

Lying at the 40-yard line with trainers around him. After getting stuffed for no gain, Sutton lay on the turf for about a minute before getting up and walking off the field on his own power. And it doesn't look like he's limping. 14:23 left in the half.

Little correction: Purdue only had 112 yards at the end of the 1st quarter.

End of the First Quarter

And it looks like somebody (or about 30-40 somebodys) forgot how to play the "Wildcat Way." The Boilermakers have benefitted from great field position in building their 14-0 lead. Purdue has put up 176 yards in the first quarter, as opposed to 42 for the Cats. Sutton has 3 rushes for 15 yards in his return.

Bacher will see a big number 5 in his dreams tonight

On a 1st and 10, Bacher way overshoots Sutton in the slot and throws it right into the arms of Purdue's Terrell Vinson, his second pick of the day and fifth on the season. After Vinson returns it to the 40, the Boilermakers work it down inside the 10 on two passes and an option to Dorien Bryant. After the Cats stopped them on the first three downs, the Boilers did a little play-action dink-and-dunk and got the score. Purdue 14, NU 0. 0:22 left in 1st.

Sometimes, fumbles work out for the best

After breaking for 32 yards down the sideline to the 1, Purdue's Jaycen Taylor got stuffed on 3rd and Goal, but fumbled the ball over the line, where teammate Dustin Keller fell on it for a score. After the shortest official review in history, the touchdown was confirmed. XP good. 5:29 to go in the first. Purdue 7, NU 0.

Sutton's officially not a decoy anymore

He got his second carry! It went for one yard on 3rd and 20! This followed a gimmick play where Bacher flipped the ball to Eric Peterman, just like in the schoolyard. Unlike in the schoolyard, Purdue was not fooled and Peterman lost 3 yards. That must have been what they were hiding from us evil media members at practice this week. Then Stefan Demos rugby-punted 34 yards and Dorien Bryant returned it to the NU 45. Someone remind me why rugby punting is a good idea.

Early Excitement

Sherrick McManis returns the ball to the Purdue 49. After a 9-yard completion, Tyrell Sutton gets his first carry in almost two months, breaking one for 13 yards down to the Purdue 27. But then C.J. Bacher's pass glances off the hands of SUPERback Brendan Mitchell and into the waiting arms of Purdue's Terrell Vinson (who made a nice play scooping it from just off the ground). No harm, no foul, though: Purdue couldn't score and had to punt.

Predictions

Sorry fr the late start, had some technology problems. The machines are finally rising against their imperial masters.

Predictions:
Chris - Purdue 41, NU 33 - late turnover gives Painter all medicine he needs
Matt - Purdue 51, NU 48 - but an NU win wouldn't be surprising...
David - Purdue 44, NU 37 (OT) - Cats not afraid to work overtime...neither are the Boilers