Coach 'Bulletproof': A Coach's Story

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] No calls from alumni, no problems with players, I'm not sure I know what to do with myself as I sit in my office. I figured I wouldn't hear from the alums as we did exactly what was expected, no better, no worse. I figured coming off a win like that, there would be no player problems either. Scifres spread the ball around, the running game was on track and the defense was great. Of course, I spoke too soon. The knock was a quick, sharp rap on the oak door. I was a little surprised because anyone entering the football offices would have had to go through the secretary, unless... "Come in," I said to the person on the other side of the door. Coach Griggs walked in and, looking back, I shouldn't have been surprised. "Coach, I wanted to talk to you about my future here at Purdue," he said, waiting to be seated until I gestured towards a chair across from my desk. "Yeah, I think we would all like to have the same discussion," I joked. "But seriously," I offered, "what can I do for you?" "Coach, we have the 16'th ranked defense in the country and I'm wondering just how long until the University offers to extend my contract," he inquired. He had a good reason as my whole coaching staff and myself were on one year deals. Of course, he also seems to forget that I'm in the same boat as him. "Well Coach, I think it depends on a lot of things in addition to just the defense's performance. Overall team performance could make a big difference, alumni happiness, and whether or not each individual fits in the university," I responded, hoping that Griggs might get the point that a good defense doesn't necessarily make him a good fit. "Coach, I get it, but I want some job security so that I can start to implement my 4-2-5 defense," he responded with, seemingly annoyed. "Well Walter," I said, looking him in the eyes, "if I'm here, as we discussed in the interview, we will be staying at a 4-3 unless our talent core drastically changes so you'll have to shelve the 4-2-5 for awhile, if you even stay." Griggs and I had not been on the same page a lot of the time this year. In fact, where I have occassionally taken over play-calling on the offensive side of the ball, I have given some serious consideration to taking over defensive play-calling for a full game even though it isn't my specialty. "Well Coach, the ability to implement my defense could determine whether or not I return," Griggs said, thinking the threat of losing him could change things. "I get it, but you also said during your interviews you understood that we are going to be a 4-3 team," I replied, now getting very annoyed. "I just figured that with our success-" he started. "Our success? OUR SUCCESS?!? I'm pretty sure we are 3-2 and while your defense did well against some of the lesser competition, we've been destroyed by any quality offenses we've played. In fact, I'm not sure you will be offered a contract unless the defense has a strong showing against Penn State and both Michigans," I said, a bit more harsh than planned. He seemed taken aback but recovered enough to say, "Well, thanks for your honesty Coach and I'm sorry to hear that my 16'th ranked defense has been a disappointment." With that he left the office and a headache entered my cranium.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week 7[/b] Coach's Notebook Our opponents now look like this- NIU (4-2) Tennessee (3-3) Wisconsin #9 (5-1) Ohio State (3-2) Northwestern (1-4) Penn State #12 (5-0) Minnesota (3-3) Notre Dame (3-3) Michigan #7 (5-0) Michigan State #6 (5-1) Indiana (1-4) The Big Ten season is starting to have its toll on other teams as well. Ohio State has slipped to 3-2 and Michigan State has finally lost a game, even though they haven't slipped below their undefeated rival Michigan. Penn State may be the best team on our schedule and yet they are ranked much lower than Michigan or MSU. Our offense moved up to 13'th in the country but we did so in a week that we played Northwestern. Mike Scifres is rapidly becoming one of the stars of college football this year and is driving our offense to achieve great things. Coach Griggs has it right, we're ranked 16'th defensively but again, we made the huge leap after a week against Northwestern. I might be too hard on him though since we did shut down a great running back in the process. Word is that Seth Harris is quickly becoming considered to be the country's best tight end. His four touchdown performance last week earned him Big Ten player of the week honors as well as NCAA Offensive Player of the Week honors. If he can continue to make such strides, he could make a difference against the great Penn State defense.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] Injuries are really starting to pile up as the offensive line continues to be weakened and now our #1 receiver Louis Douglas is going to try and play through an injury. If we were playing anyone other than 5-0 Penn State I would think that we could be okay, but this is a lot to overcome when playing the 12'th ranked team. The good news injury-wise (or potentially good news) is that Ken Trapp has been upgraded to doubtful and we currently have him listed as Bryant's back-up. Correll is coming off of his best game of the year but it still won't be enough to unseat Trapp on his return. Penn State's offense is dangerous in the typical Joe-Pa way. Ernie Mickens, the Nittany Lions' running back, is dangerous, fatally so if we aren't ready for him. He has 9 touchdowns in just 5 games and is averaging 133 yards per game. He'll be tough to stop but maybe the way we shut down the Northwestern rushing attack will be good prep for this game. Penn State's strong safety Lethon Johnson has been a playmaker all year long. He has 4 interceptions in his team's 5 games. The hard-hitting safety is also second on his team in tackles. It's going to take some smart passing by Mike Scifres and some brave receivers to beat their defense but it is definitely possible. Mike Scifres is having a tremendous year and is currently being touted as a potential Heisman candidate. He has 1789 yards passing, 17 tds, 3 interceptions, and a 61.7% completion rate in just 5 games. His average line for the year is 358 yards and 3 touchdowns per game, simply amazing. Now if we could just be consistent around him everything would be alright.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] Thirteen point underdogs and yet I still feel pretty confident coming in. I think the confrontation with Griggs this week may have helped to light a fire under his ass. This week is put up or shut up time for the defense. At the last minute, we decided to let Ken Trapp get some touches on kick returns. He got the ball at the 3 on the opener and took it back fourteen yards, nothing fancy, but enough to give us an idea of where he's at. We figure him to be about 75% right now. Bryant took our first two carries for negative yardage to make it third and twelve at our own 15. Scifres dropped back and nailed Douglas on a curl route, gain of twenty-one but bad news, Douglas would limp off the field, he'll probably be done for the day. We followed that up with a seven yard run from Bryant and a nine yard pass to Sandoval and the Boilermakers are making some progress, first and ten at the PSU 48. A pass went for four to Harris, Bryant went nowhere on a sweep, and then a four yard sack killed our drive. We made some progress but not enough. At least we can hope to pin them. Of course that was wishful thinking as Collins shanked it out of bounds at their 25. Penn State slowly made their way down field on eleven plays, moving forty-one yards. We stuck them at our 37 and forced a fifty-two yard field goal. 3-0 Penn State. Trapp took the ensuing kick-off at our ten and ran it back eighteen yards to the 28. After some give and take, Tyler Bouman made a huge play for thirty-one yards. On the next pass, Tony Foster made a thirty-five yard grab making it first and goal at the PSU 8. Bryant ran for three on first down and Gautt and I decided it was time to look for Seth Harris, our goal line specialist. We ran a play-action but Harris came off covered...but Tyler Bouman wasn't, TOUCHDOWN! Purdue 7-3 and Scifres has started 8-8 for 118 yards. We stopped them pretty quickly and got the ball back on our 18. Bryant ran outside for one but a fifteen yard facemask moved us to our 34. Bryant picked up another yard just as the first quarter ended...

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] Scifres finally threw his first incomplete pass on a screen leaving us with a long third and nine. Mike took a short drop and looked immediately to Seth Harris for a long gain of twenty-eight to the PSU 37. Bryant followed it by finally breaking free on a great block by the returned Matt Bush for nineteen yards. Scifres started by hitting Harris for seven to make it second and three on the Penn State 11. Correll Bryant took a pitch from there outside to the strong side, broke a tackle and then another, and dove for the pylon...TOUCHDOWN! Purdue 14-3. On third and four Penn State decided to go to the air. Their quarterback Jeff Paup took a short three step drop but was creamed before he could even look up. As Dan Kramer hit him, the ball slipped from the passer's hand, fumble. Darrell Bradshaw covered it up at the Penn State 30 for a turnover. We would move the ball to the 21, leaving us with fourth and one and a tough decision. I sent Patrick Sams out to try and make it a two touchdown game. The kick perfectly split the uprights for three, Purdue 17-3. We would exchange punts and Penn State would eventually find themselves on our 28 for a field goal attempt with 4:15 in the half. Bobby Bodrick nails this one as well and he really seems to have an NFL-quality leg. Their kick sailed into the endzone and we took over at our 20. Bryant ran a draw for two, Scifres threw incomplete on second down, but connected big to Kendall Sandoval on third for twenty-four yards to our own 46 with 2:34 to go. Scifres would hit Sandoval downfield but he coughed the ball up and next thing I know there is a dark blue jersey sprinting the other way, ball in hand. 17-13 Purdue. With two seconds left Penn State would add ANOTHER field goal, Purdue 17-16 at the half.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] HALFTIME NUMBERS Purdue- 17 Scifres, QB- 14/19, 198 yards, 1 td Bryant, RB- 16 carries, 58 yards, 1 td Bouman, WR- 4 catches, 53 yards, 1 td Harris, TE- 4 catches, 45 yards Sandoval, WR- 3 catches, 37 yards Foster, WR- 1 catch, 35 yards Douglas, WR- 1 catch, 21 yards Bryant, RB- 1 catch, 7 yards TOTAL YARDS: 235 Penn State- 16 Paup, QB- 6/12, 55 yards Mickens, RB- 10 carries, 41 yards Meier, RB- 1 carry, 8 yards Bates, FB- 1 carry, 6 yards Paup, QB- 2 carries, 3 yards McMillan, RB- 3 carries, 2 yards Bates, FB- 3 catches, 40 yards Meier, RB- 2 catches, 9 yards Smith, WR- 1 catch, 6 yards TOTAL YARDS: 107 We're hoping to get the offense going a little more because the defense has been steady. Our offense just isn't giving us a chance to stick Penn State deep much.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] Penn State started with a long, arduous march all the way to our 2 where we finally stuffed them on fourth down. Sadly we made nothing happen of the momentum change and punted it back with Penn State starting on their 46. We gave up a yard, stopped them, and fair caught their punt at our 19. Scifres started torching their defense, taking us to their 15 when he dropped back and looked over the middle. A pump fake and Seth Harris broke open...TOUCHDOWN! Purdue 24-16. We fought Penn State on first and second down of their next possession. With third and twelve to go, Paup dropped back and fired on a short curl...but the pass drifted long and right into the arms of Darrell Schey, interception at the Penn State 26!

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] The fourth quarter started with a nineteen yard connection to Kendall Sandoval to the PSU 7. With exactly 14:00 left in the fourth Seth Harris reached out and caught his second td of the day, Purdue 31-16. We stopped Penn State on their following possession and with 12:11 left we wanted to move the ball and run some clock. We moved the ball nineteen yards from our 20 but didn't run off much clock and ended up punting with 10:55 to go. The punt came down at the Nittany Lions' 21 yard line. We returned the favor of a stop and with 8:11 took over on our own 31. We moved it all the way to the Penn State 38 but got stuck there on fourth and two. I made the decision to go for it but Scifres threw to the wrong team and they brought it back nineteen yards. Penn State ball on their 48 with 5:15 to play. Penn State struck hard and fast, scoring a touchdown with 4:06 to play, Purdue 31-24 after the two point conversion. Trapp only brought their kick out to the eight and our backs are against the wall. Bryant responded with some huge moves, gaining nineteen on his first three carries and getting the ball away from our endzone. First and ten with 2:39 to go from our 27. Bryant followed all that with a four yard carry and we benefitted from a five yard facemask call, first and ten from the 36 with 2:04 to play. We stalled to third and twelve but Scifres stepped it up big time, hitting Foster for forty-five yards and a huge first down at the PSU 21 with 1:30 to play. Penn State used a time out after our second run left us on their 19, third and eight. Bryant came up with a four yard run to the 15 of Penn State and with 0:38 to play, Sams went out to put the game away. Flags flew as Sams lined up...false start and back five yards we go. So now he's kicking from the 20. Sams missed the easy 38 yard kick and Paterno looked like a genius for strangely enough keeping two timeouts. Paup started with an incomplete pass from the 20 to make it second and ten with 0:25 to play. Paup had a ton of time on second down, looking, looking, looking, but fired incomplete as our downfield coverage held up, 0:18 to go. The third down pass brought the same result as the first two and left just 0:12 on the clock, fourth down for Penn State at their own 20. Penn State completed a swing pass but when the running back went to pitch it downfield the ball got loose...recovered by Penn State, GAME OVER, UPSET OVER!!! Purdue 31-24 and the fans storm the field after upsetting #12.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] FINAL NUMBERS Purdue- 31 Scifres, QB- 23/31, 365 yards, 3 tds, 1 int Bryant, RB- 36 carries, 123 yards, 1 td Foster, WR- 4 catches, 104 yards Bouman, WR- 5 catches, 84 yards Sandoval, WR- 6 catches, 82 yards Harris, TE- 6 catches, 67 yards, 2 tds Douglas, WR- 1 catch, 21 yards Bryant, WR- 1 catch, 7 yards TOTAL YARDS: 466 Penn State: 24 Paup, QB- 13/30, 160 yards, 1 int Mickens, RB- 20 carries, 74 yards, 1 td McMillan, RB- 7 carries, 18 yards Bates, FB- 3 carries, 11 yards Meier, RB- 3 carries, 9 yards Paup, QB- 3 carries, 8 yards Bates, FB- 4 catches, 85 yards Meier, RB- 6 catches, 56 yards Mickens, RB- 2 catches, 13 yards Smith, WR- 1 catch, 6 yards TOTAL YARDS: 270 Our defensive coordinator may have earned himself a contract today, what a game by our D. Offensively we were good but some inconsistencies that are of a concern. My highlight though, walking across the field and shaking Joe Paterno's hand after a Purdue victory!

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Seven[/b] PRESS CONFERENCE Vest- The team had a great performance this week against a great opponent. Our defense the last two weeks has shut down terrific rushing attacks and done well even when our offense has put them behind the eight ball. Offensively, I continue to see amazing things from Mike Scifres. He controls the game well and Correll Bryant did a great job of complementing the passing game today with his thirty-six carries. Media- What was it like coaching against Joe Paterno? Vest- He's a legend and an institution and while I root for his success, it was great to beat a Paterno-coached team. He has a reputation for flawless gameplanning and today was no different, we just got some breaks. Walking across the field to shake his hand at the end of the game was amazing. As we shook hands, he looked at me and said, "welcome to the Big Ten. Nice job Coach." And I was saw awestruck that I had no come back. Media- Is Mike Scifres ready for the NFL? Vest- I think it is an option that he will have to confront once the season is over. It is obvious that he can make all the throws, makes great choices, and is a natural-born leader. The question then comes whether or not he feels like he could gain or grow by staying for his last year of football and by getting a degree. I like to think that three years of groundwork would help sway Mike into returning but only time will tell. Media- There are rumors of tension among the coaching staff, any comment? Vest- I think any good staff has disagreements. If we all thought alike, then we would never make any progress. It takes open discussion for a staff to make changes for the better. I think that we have and maintain a great and positive professional relationship and today's win demonstrates that. Media- Coach, any word on Ken Trapp's eventual return to the starting lineup? Vest- Trapp looked good on the couple touches we got him on special teams and I look forward to seeing him get the ball a bit more each week. I would say that we are looking two more games until he makes a full return. In the meantime, we are looking at a shared time arrangement between Trapp and Bryant. Media- Minnesota is ahead, can your team keep this momentum? Vest- I hope so, but I think that momentum is often overrated. Sometimes the more dangerous team is the one that has something to prove. It's too easy for a successful team to try and coast. We'll be working hard to keep that fire lit for our upcoming game. Thank you.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week 8[/b] Coach's Notebook Our opponents now look like this- NIU (5-2) Tennessee (3-4) Wisconsin #11 (5-2) Ohio State (3-2) Northwestern (2-4) Penn State #15 (5-1) Minnesota (3-3) Notre Dame (4-3) Michigan #6 (6-0) Michigan State #7 (6-1) Indiana (1-5) We've pulled off the minimum of one upset we've needed, now assuming we win the games we should, we'll finish with at least 7 victories. I'm still hopeful that we can get one more nice upset to make our first season an 8 win season and an even better bowl bid. Our offense moved up one spot to 12'th in the country and it looks like, depending on the outcome of the Minnesota game, that [i]Sports Illustrated[/i]. The John Purdue Club is getting behind the Mike Scifres 4 Heisman program and it looks like the university will be doing some PR for his race. Coach Griggs moved our defense up into 6'th in the country and maybe he does have a case for a contract.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] Our injury report is MASSIVE! Below is the whole report, with the names of starters in bold: [b]RB Ken Trapp[/b] is struggling with an injury to his Lower Leg (Torn Calf Muscle). He is able to play this weekend, but I don't think he would be anywhere close to 100%. The smart move would be to let him sit and check again next week. [b]WR Louis Douglas[/b] will not be playing this week because of his Ankle (Torn Tendon). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. WR Sam Anthony is recovering from an injury to his Ankle (Hyperextension). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. TE Gene Davenport will not be playing this week because of his Quadriceps (Strained). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. [b]OG B.J. Stovall[/b] is out for atleast a month with his Foot (Stress Fracture). You need to look at other options while we continue his rehab. [b]OG Ernie Carlson[/b] is saddled with an injury to his Shoulder (Torn Tendon). His performance would certainly suffer if you played him so we recommend letting have a little more time to get back closer to 100%. [b]C Matt Bush[/b] will not be playing this week because of his Foot (Stress Fracture). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. [b]DT Chuck Pope[/b] is recovering from an injury to his Wrist (Contusion). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. [b]OLB Travaris Dove[/b] will not be playing this week because of his Foot (Complete Ligament Tear). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. [b]CB Reuben Robb[/b] is recovering from an injury to his Shoulder (Frayed Labrum). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. Minnesota is not one of our bigger tests but our rash of injuries make it a challenge and really, anytime you play a Big Ten opponent, it is tough. Minnesota doesn't specialize in any one thing and are kind of the middle of the road Big Ten team. All of that given though, we're still 23 point favorites on the road so maybe I'm pulling a Lou Holtz and overestimating my opponents.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] And before I could get comfortable on the sideline, we caught a huge break. Their kicker put the opening kickoff out of bounds, placing us on the 40. Unfortunately we would only gain four yards and have to kick it away, opportunity wasted. The Gophers got a huge return to take the ball back to their own 41. We gave up just three yards and forced them to punt as well. Our first eight plays went for fifty-eight yards on the ensuing drive which put us just into the redzone at the 20. Scifres threw a quick dump off to Seth Harris who grabbed the ball and rumbled twenty yards for the score, Purdue 7-0. Minnesota answered with an equally impressive thirteen play drive that resulted in a touchdown. There were no big plays but just a lot of medium range plays, 7-7 tie. On our possession our first four plays went for a combined forty-two yards, great offensive gameplan thus far. On the 35, Mike Scifres dropped back and tossed it Seth Harris' way. The tight end made the grab, ran through one corner, and stiff-armed the safety and made it to the promised land again, Purdue 14-7. The quarter ended that way...

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] A quick three and out gave us the ball out our own 31. Mike Scires' strong start really started to open up holes for Bryant and he took full advantage. He put together some big runs that then did the opposite and opened up the aerial attack. From the 15 of Minnesota, Scifres again found Harris for his third touchdown of the game! Purdue 21-7. With 5:15, following an exchange of punts, Minnesota got a field goal to tighten things up, Purdue 21-10. That was followed by an eighty-one yard touchdown pass by Minnesota to take away just about all our breathing room, Purdue 21-17. We responded quickly though, bringing their kick-off up to our 49. Mike Scifres started throwing the ball to everyone with a P on their helmet and we were downfield and in the endzone in no time as Tyler Bouman took it in from fifteen. Purdue 28-17. This brought us to halftime...

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] HALFTIME NUMBERS Purdue-28 Scifres, QB- 14/23, 233 yards, 4 tds Bryant, HB- 14 carries, 61 yards Harris, TE- 3 catches, 70 yards, 3 tds Bouman, WR- 4 catches, 61 yards, 1 td Sandoval, WR- 3 catches, 52 yards Bryant, RB- 3 catches, 38 yards Foster, WR- 1 catch, 12 yards TOTAL YARDS: 284 Minnesota- 17 Pinkston, QB- 10/20, 204 yards, 1 td Stone, RB- 6 carries, 17 yards Nutten, FB- 1 carry, 3 yards, 1 td Caver, WR- 1 catch, 85 yards, 1 td Eaton, WR- 1 catch, 43 yards Stone, RB- 2 catches, 27 yards Ojo, WR- 1 catch, 19 yards McPhail, TE- 2 catches, 18 yards Nutten, FB- 2 catches, 12 yards TOTAL YARDS: 222

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] Third quarter and here we go. The Gophers start at their own 24. A fifteen yard face mask and a fifty yard bomb quickly moved Minnesota to our 8. Minnesota got nailed for ineligible receiver but threw a td on the next play anyway, Purdue 28-23 after the failed two-point conversion. We started up at our own 37 thanks to Ken Trapp. We took nine plays from there and moved deep into Gopher territory but came away with just a field goal, Purdue 31-23. Minnesota responded with an equal drive but we held at our 6 for a turnover on downs. We realized the way that they were moving the ball that we needed to put together a sustained scoring drive now or else we could lose this game. And we started chipping away at yardage and the clock. Our ball control offense of inside runs and short passes moved the ball thirty-nine yards on nine plays and we ate up 3:08 of game time to bring a close to the third quarter...

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] We start the fourth quarter with first and ten at our 45 and an eight point lead. On third and seven we threw a three yard completion but lucked out with a pass interference call that got us the automatic first down at their 49. They finally stopped us on their 44 after we ran off over five and a half minutes. We punted, hoping to pin them...but a bad bounce forced us to down it on the 22. 12:31 to play, Minnesota ball. We bit badly on a play-action on second down and Minnesota struck big for fifty-seven yards. The Gophers got first and ten at our 21 and they are looking to tie things up. The Gophers got paydirt with 9:58 to play, 31-29 after another failed conversion. We got a thirty yard return, a blessing, and started at our 48 with 9:35 to play. We lost two on a bad draw. Scifres stepped up on second down and hit Harris for thirty-eight yards and a huge first down at the Minnesota 16. Bryant and his feet took over, getting us first down at the 2 with 8:07 to play. Scifres hit Kendall Sandoval on first down for the score, Purdue 38-29 and 7:42 remaining. The Gophers begin on their 29 and need to do some work. Minnesota wouldn't go far but they would take a lot of time doing it. They punted it to us with 4:43 remaining. From our own 22 we wanted to waste as much clock as possible. We started by taking a gamble, a play-action pass that the defense fell for. Bouman went twenty-seven yards and we're at our 49 looking to finish this thing. Bryant runs for ten and another first down with just 4:08 to play and we're at the Minnesota 41. Bryant worked it all the way to the Minnesota 32 but they stuffed us on third and one and fourth and one. We were, however, able to take the clock down to just 2:44. With 2:07, Minnesota ran a streaks play deep and it looked like trouble but the qb underthrew and we got an interception, first and ten Purdue! Looks like this could be over. Correll Bryant worked us back down to Minnesota territory but their defense held strong again on third and one and fourth and one. The Gophers took over with no time outs and just 0:44 on the clock. Minnesota would drive thirty yards but that would be the ballgame, Purdue 38-29!

[PurdueBrad]

Hey guys, I leave in five hours for Vegas to go get married, be back Tuesday, have a great weekend.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] FINAL NUMBERS Purdue- 38 Scifres, QB- 26/39, 371 yards, 5 tds Bryant, HB- 35 carries, 141 yards Trapp, HB- 1 carry, 1 yard Harris, TE- 8 catches, 141 yards, 3 tds Bouman WR- 6 catches, 109 yards, 1 td Sandoval, WR- 4 catches, 54 yards, 1 td Bryant, HB- 4 catches, 42 yards Foster, WR- 3 catches, 22 yards Trapp, RB- 1 catch, 3 yards TOTAL YARDS: 502 Minnesota- 29 Pinkston, QB- 22/44, 424 yards, 3 tds, 1 int Alzado, RB- 9 carries, 33 yards Stone, RB- 15 carries, 32 yards Nutten, FB- 1 carry, 1 yard, 1 td Eaton, WR- 3 catches, 146 yards Caver, WR- 6 catches, 133 yards, 2 tds Stone, RB- 4 catches, 48 yards Jones, WR- 3 catches, 35 yards Nutten, FB- 3 catches, 25 yards Ojo, WR- 1 catch, 19 yards McPhail, TE- 2 catches, 18 yards TOTAL YARDS: 486, 1 turnover

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Eight[/b] PRESS CONFERENCE Vest- Back-to-back wins as we head into the meat of our schedule. Over the next three weeks we have one of our rivals in Notre Dame and two top ten opponents in #9 Michigan and #5 Michigan State. I like the momentum we've got and I see some very good things developing for our team. Media- Your team allowed 29 points to Minnesota, just how do you think your defense will hold up against any of those three teams you just mentioned? Vest- That's a good question and one we are going to have to explore in great detail over the next six days. We can't allow teams to move up and down the field on us consistently. We have games where the defense is brilliant and could stop a tank and then games like today where we let the Gophers pile up yards. It's anybody's guess what defense will show up each Saturday. Media- Talk about the job that Bobby Gautt has done with your offense. Vest- He has been stellar, without his direction there is no way that we are sitting here at 5-2 and there is no way that Michael Scifres would be mentioned in Heisman talk. He has completely blown away opponents and remember, this is with a couple receivers playing through nagging injuries, a decimated offensive line, AND the loss of our starting running back. Media- You mentioned Ken Trapp, what is his progress? Vest- He's been on the field some and we will see more of that each week. I would like to get him twenty carries this week against Notre Dame to gear him up for the big stretch but we'll have to see if his body will allow for it. Correll Bryant continues to impress though and we may go to a duel running back system. Media- What message does your team want to send to Notre Dame this week? Vest- Short and simple, 'Come ready to play smash-mouthed, Boilermaker football.'

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Nine[/b] Coach's Notebook Coach's Notebook Our opponents now look like this- NIU (5-3) Tennessee (4-4) Wisconsin #8 (6-2) Ohio State (3-3) Northwestern (2-4) Penn State #24 (5-2) Minnesota (3-4) Notre Dame (5-3) Michigan #9 (6-1) Michigan State #5 (7-1) Indiana (2-5) A bowl bid looks more and more likely as we go, as does a season with at least seven wins. The key game will now be the Notre Dame game. A win here and then Indiana at the end would give us our seven wins without having to rely on a big upset. We're in control of our own destiny. Michael Scifres and Seth Harris split the cover of [i]Sports Illustrated[/i] this week with a headline that read "Scifres to Harris, again and again and again and again and..." It was a very good article and I know the team is hyped up about it.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Nine[/b] "This is probably the biggest game we'll play all year. If we win, we're essentially guaranteed the finish we want. We lose and we're screwed," said Bobby Gautt. "I agree whole-heartedly, so what ideas do you have for us," I inquired. "Most teams empty out the playbook for their bowl games but I say we do it here. Test the team, make them learn the plays, and lets see what happens. That means reverses, cutbacks, flea flicker, option, whatever, I just want to be able to use everything we've got," he said. And I couldn't help but agree as this is a game that is about much more than just our season. This is Notre Dame, the evil empire, our true rival. A win this week could set the tone for our tenure at Purdue. A knock at the door ended our conversation. "Hey Coach, can we talk," Correll Bryant said timidly. "Sure, sure, come on in. We're just working on game plans to get you and Ken into the endzone this week," I said. "Well Coach, I have some bad news. I wanted to tell you before you saw it but I'm on the academic warning list this week," he said, tears welling up in his eyes. I was stunned, not sure at all what to say. This happens from time to time, a back-up gets his shot and then slacks everywhere else because he's either so focused or spending so much time celebrating. "Well, you aren't ineligible this week, are you," I asked. "No, but I'm borderline and I feel like I've let the team down," he said, slumping down into a chair. "Correll, it takes a man to come in here and tell me things like this. I find out about most athletic problems from Professors or even the report, this took guts. Ken is slowly working his way back and you filled in brilliantly. You haven't let us down, you've saved our season and we're going to continue needing you. No practice for you today or tomorrow, get your school work done and then we'll play some catch-up here," I said, sending him to his dorm. "Do you think that was smart coach, we're going to need him to know all the new plays," Coach Gautt asked. And, although I did the right thing, I wasn't sure it was the smart thing...

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Nine[/b] Still a huge injury report, but slightly less daunting: RB Ken Trapp is currently battling an injury to his Lower Leg (Torn Calf Muscle). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. WR Louis Douglas is out for atleast a month with his Ankle (Torn Tendon). You need to look at other options while we continue his rehab. WR Sam Anthony is recovering from an injury to his Ankle (Hyperextension). He seems to be progressing well and we recommend playing him this week. TE Gene Davenport will not be playing this week because of his Quadriceps (Strained). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. OG B.J. Stovall will not be playing this week because of his Foot (Stress Fracture). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. OG Ernie Carlson is saddled with an injury to his Shoulder (Torn Tendon). His performance would certainly suffer if you played him so we recommend letting have a little more time to get back closer to 100%. C Matt Bush is out for atleast a month with his Foot (Stress Fracture). You need to look at other options while we continue his rehab. DT Chuck Pope is saddled with an injury to his Wrist (Contusion). His performance would certainly suffer if you played him so we recommend letting have a little more time to get back closer to 100%. ILB Darrell Schey is currently battling an injury to his Foot (Fracture). He is getting better and able to play, but you might want to sit him out one more week. OLB Travaris Dove is really hampered by an injury to his Foot (Complete Ligament Tear). He could play as an absolute last resort, but we would strongly advise against it. CB Reuben Robb will not be playing this week because of his Shoulder (Frayed Labrum). We are making good progress, though, so keep monitoring him over the next few weeks. Of those, Ken Trapp could be the most important. He's a brilliant football player and has done nothing but study film and gameplans since his injury. Maybe he can pick up Bryant's slack this week...

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Nine[/b] We're five point favorites as of kick-off. I had someone ask the other day why I pay attention to spreads and the answer is simple, I want to know in advance what should happen according to an unbiased observer. As a coach, it lets me know how good or bad people expect us to play and judge our performance based on that. I said it before, I'm a realist. We elected to receive the kick-off in front of 69,000 screaming fans. Word is that tickets were going for $500 a seat in the parking lots. That should buy some college kids a lot of beer. Trapp got his first touch on the return and ran it back fifteen to our own 25 to start things. Notre Dame has the twenty-fifth ranked defense against the run and I wanted to test their front seven early and often. Trapp ran for two on a counter and then two more on a pitch; third and six. Scifres hit Sam Anthony in the flat for a nine yard gain and a first down. Trapp lost one on a run up the middle; second and eleven. Scifres threw incomplete on a play-action to bring up third and long. Scifres held the ball for way too long and he took a sack. We punted for the first time on the day. We downed the kick at the ND 18 and sent our defense out to face a great offense. We gave up a first down but the secondary did great and we forced a punt from their 30. We began on our own 32 and I sent Bryant out this time. He took his first carry off left tackle for a gain of six. Scifres threw incomplete on second down but made another big third down completion for a firs-FLAG, Ineligible receiver. ****, we move back to third and nine now. Scifres again finds himself sacked on third down and his Heisman campaign is taking a hit on national television. Collins' punt went just twenty-six yards and Notre Dame, after a short return, took over on their own 44. The Irish moved the ball with ease, going all fifty-six yards in just seven plays, 7-0 Notre Dame. We started at our own 20 and the stadium had fallen silent. Bryant went for nine on a draw but Notre Dame stuffed us cold on the next two runs. Punting again and we're preparing to do what Coach Gautt suggested, opening up the offensive playbook. Notre Dame set-up their play-action brilliantly with four straight runs and then they aired it out for a sixty yards catch and run for another score, 14-0 Notre Dame. Luckily their kicker put the kick-off out of bounds. Our first pass went incomplete but the second was caught, fumbled, and then recovered, gain of twelve. First and ten at the Notre Dame 48. Scifres stepped up and gunned one down the field to Harris...thirty yard gain, first and ten at the 18. On first down Scifres was sacked for the third time, this one a four yard sack. A screen to Bryant went for eight, making it third and six at the 14. Scifres dropped back and lofted one just over the outstretched arms of Harris...BUT WAIT, I, like the ND defense thought the pass was to Harris, it was actually to Bouman running the same route, just six yards deeper, TOUCHDOWN! 14-7 Notre Dame at the end of the first quarter.

[PurdueBrad]

[b]Week Nine[/b] Notre Dame got a touchback on the kick, picked up eleven on a pass and then burned us deep to get first and ten at our 39. The defense has to get their act together. And we did, two incompletions and a two yard run is all we allowed. ND punted the ball out at our 16. Another four yard sack started our drive and our line is playing horrid football. I guess ND's front seven is as good as advertised. They broke up our screen on second down and we're stuck with third and fourteen. Scifres threw behind Bouman on third but Tyler made an amazing grab, gain of sixteen to our 28. Loss of four on a botched handoff was compounded by a false start, second and nineteen. Tony Foster picked up thirteen on a swing pass, making third down a more manageable six yards. But ANOTHER third down sack ends the drive and Scifres gets up limping. We downed the forty-nine yard punt at the Irish 20. We stopped the first run but Derek Voight, the great Notre Dame qb, goes play-action on second down. We bite but the thirty yard pass hangs up there and Arnold Greise makes a brilliant interception and falls to the ground. First and ten at the 50. We start with a seven yard screen to Bryant. Bryant follows it with a fourteen yard carry and we're down to the Irish 29. Bryant picks up three and three to make it third and four. I'm sick of getting sacked on third down so we run a draw but Bryant comes up just short, fourth and one at the Irish 20. And Sams blows the kick...should have gone with the crowd's chants of "go, go, go" I guess. The momentum turns drastically on the kick and the Irish move the ball fifty-seven yards on four plays to our 23. A screen pass moves them to our 9. Voight throws a td with 2:52 to play in the half, 21-7 Irish. Mike Porcher takes their kick out of the endzone and all the way to our 43. We're getting great field position but doing nothing with it. Scifres is sacked on first and ten making it second and fifteen. Tony Foster makes a catch for twenty-four though and we're at the Irish 38 with 1:47 to play in the half. A play-action pass and Scifres goes right back to Foster for a gain of thirty-two. 1:19 to play and we're at the Irish 6. Bryant loses a yard on first down but Scifres hits Bouman for another score on second down, 21-14 Irish at the half.