Greetings from Ross-Ade Stadium! It's a beautiful day for football as Purdue takes the lid off its 2019 home season, looking to wash the taste from its mouth of last week's spirit-crushing loss at Nevada.
Some quick keys to today's game:
1. Mute the Vandy rushing game. The Commodores have a legit star RB in Ke'Shawn Vaughn. Purdue's defense needs to commit to containing him and make Vandy QB Riley Neal beat them. Can the Ball State grad transfer do it? I have my doubts.
2. Attack, attack, attack on offense. Go deep early--and often--looking for big plays to Rondale Moore and Company. And look for freshmen David Bell and Milton Wright to have their workload increased. Oh, and the Boilermakers need to throw early and often to TE Brycen Hopkins, a Nashville native who has lots of family and friends on hand.
3. Get some turnovers. Purdue's defense needs to make more big plays ... sacks, tackles for loss and most importantly: turnovers. The defense generated none last week, while the Boilermakers committed five. Time for the defense to provide a spark.
My picks to click:
TE Brycen Hopkins. I think the fifth-year senior is gonna have double-digit catches today vs. his home-town school which at one time recruited him very hard … before dropping him. Plus, Hopkins will have lots of family and friends in the stands today. He won’t want to disappoint.
DE Derrick Barnes. Time for the line to dial up the pressure. No doubt, George Karlaftis set the tone last week with his relentless push. With the Commodores focused on No. 5, look for Barnes to deliver some negative plays for a defense that will swarm statuesque Vandy QB Riley Neal.
Who you got? What are your keys?
Some quick keys to today's game:
1. Mute the Vandy rushing game. The Commodores have a legit star RB in Ke'Shawn Vaughn. Purdue's defense needs to commit to containing him and make Vandy QB Riley Neal beat them. Can the Ball State grad transfer do it? I have my doubts.
2. Attack, attack, attack on offense. Go deep early--and often--looking for big plays to Rondale Moore and Company. And look for freshmen David Bell and Milton Wright to have their workload increased. Oh, and the Boilermakers need to throw early and often to TE Brycen Hopkins, a Nashville native who has lots of family and friends on hand.
3. Get some turnovers. Purdue's defense needs to make more big plays ... sacks, tackles for loss and most importantly: turnovers. The defense generated none last week, while the Boilermakers committed five. Time for the defense to provide a spark.
My picks to click:
TE Brycen Hopkins. I think the fifth-year senior is gonna have double-digit catches today vs. his home-town school which at one time recruited him very hard … before dropping him. Plus, Hopkins will have lots of family and friends in the stands today. He won’t want to disappoint.
DE Derrick Barnes. Time for the line to dial up the pressure. No doubt, George Karlaftis set the tone last week with his relentless push. With the Commodores focused on No. 5, look for Barnes to deliver some negative plays for a defense that will swarm statuesque Vandy QB Riley Neal.
Who you got? What are your keys?
