Why Purdue Will Win | Syracusefan.com

Why Purdue Will Win

SWC75

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- The Boilermakers are a Big Ten team. Here is our record against Big Ten teams over the years: Vs. Illinois 2-10 This century: 1-1
Vs. Indiana 3-4 This century: 0-0
Vs. Iowa 1-3 This century: 0-2
Vs. Maryland 19-16-2 This century: 1-2
Vs. Michigan 5-6-1 This century: 0-0
Vs. Michigan St 3-9-1 This century: 0-0
Vs. Minnesota 2-3 This century: 1-2
Vs. Nebraska 7-5 This century: 0-0
Vs. Northwestern 5-6 This century: 1-3
Vs. Ohio State 2-4 This century: 0-0
Vs. Penn State 23-43-5 This century: 0-3
Vs. Purdue 0-1 This century: 0-1
Vs. Rutgers 39-13-1 This century: 6-8
Vs. Wisconsin 3-1-1 This century: 0-0
TOTALS 114-123-11 10-22 (4-14)
Source: Basic Opponent-vs-Opponent Record
You can argue about the relative merits of the ACC and the Big Ten if you want. Really, both conferences have been a notch above Syracuse in this century. Without Rutgers, we are 75-110-10 all time and 4-14 in this century. The last time we played Purdue it was a 6-6 Syracuse team vs. a 7-5 Purdue team and we lost 0-51. I think the Boilermakers are better than anybody we’ve played, maybe a substantial margin and their game against Penn State, no matter how you break it down, was a more impressive performance than anything we’ve done.

- This is the game where the losses of Chris Elmore and Stefon Thompson will really hurt us. Sean Tucker has been slogging out the 5 yard runs because he can’t get to the next level without his snow plow out in front of him. That makes our running game easier to handle.

- Aidan O’Connell is a veteran QB who reads defenses quickly and gets rid of the ball quickly. He will be hard to get to disrupt their passing game, especially without Thompson, who had 79 tackles, 8.0 for a loss and 6.0 sacks last season. We have a fine secondary but give a top quarterback time and he’ll pick anybody apart.

- Charlie Jones has been compared to our Amba Etta Tawo, who caught 30 passes for 438 ayrds and 1TD in two years at Maryland before transferring here to catch 94 for 1,482 yards and 14 scores in one season. Charlie in one year at Iowa, caught 21 balls for 323 yards and 3 scores. In two games at Purdue, he’s matched that with 21/286/4, a pace for 126/1,716/24, which would make him a Heisman trophy candidate. His films show similar hands and moves to Amba so I can see the comparison. Do we really have ‘lock down’ corners? We’re about to find out.

- King Doerue, their leading rusher last season, will be out for this game. But he’s been only their third leading rusher this year, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Devin Mockobee is averaging 6.0 and Dylan Downing 4.6.

- Both teams have potent offense. Purdue is averaging 472 yards per game, 35th of 131 teams. Syracuse is averaging 457, 48th. We are 37th in scoring with 39.0, (hey, just like the 1959 team!). Purdue is 25th with 43.5. So much for a balanced offense being better than a one-dimensional offense.

- Those numbers suggest a shoot-out and the defenses are tired of hearing about it. Syracuse is 26th in yards with 268 a game and 17th in point with 10.5. But the Boilermakers are right there: 28th in yards with 275.5 and 43rd in points with 17.50.

- Both teams are also excellent in the kicking game. We’re averaging 64 yards a kickoff. They are averaging 65. We are averaging 42 yards a punt. They are averaging 43. Neither team has missed a placekick. Charlie Jones has returned a punt and a kickoff for a score in his career and Trebor Pena and Courtney Jackson, between them, have done the same for us. So where’s the big advantage that wins the game for us?

- Oh, yes the Dome. We’ve got the crowd but they’ve got the refs. Who would you rather have?

- We are SU! We’re feeling pretty good about the team just now. You know what happens next, right?
 
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I’m with a semi/connected Purdue guy, he’s waiting to hear back but might be some more key players out.
 
They’re victory over Penn at was impressive? The last time Purdue beat Penn st was 2004.
 

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