Purdue Boilermakers
2010 record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 conference
2010 Bowl Game: N/A
2010 ATS: 5-7
2010 O/U: 6-6
Returning starters: 16 total (7 on offense, 9 on defense)
Over the month of August, our team of writers will be previewing the top teams heading into an exciting 2011 campaign. The college football handicappers at Maddux Sports are also preparing and have season-long packages readily available for clients. Let’s take a look at a program that enters a third year under head coach Danny Hope and looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2010 season.
Offense
The quarterback position appears to be three-deep on the depth chart of possible starters, but sophomore Rob Henry currently mans the No. 1 spot. He definitely needs to improve his accuracy to maintain atop the list, completing just 53 percent of his passes in 2010.
Purdue can only go up as an offensive unit, ranking 104th and 105th in total offense and scoring last year respectively. The rushing game was a bright spot amongst ugly numbers, gaining 160.8 yards per game on the ground.
Junior Ralph Bolden is expected to fully recover from knee surgery and assume the starting role in the backfield, as he led the team in rushing two years ago.
The receiver group doesn’t present a lot of flashy numbers and is led by returning starter Antavian Edison, who caught 32 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns a season ago. Purdue was abysmal through the air last year, ranking 112th in the country by gaining just 150.8 yards a contest.
Four returning starters on the offensive line is certainly a strength for the team, especially considering the impressive running numbers that the squad finished with in 2010. Expect offensive coordinator Gary Nord to lean heavily on this group and control the clock, as the defense is capable with nine returning starters.
Defense
The stop unit returns nine members from a year ago, but lost a very important piece with last year’s Big Ten Defensive of the Year Ryan Kerrigan off to the NFL. He piled up 12.5 sacks and was taken with the 16th pick by the Washington Redskins.
He represented virtually the entire pass rush and the three starters that return to man the defensive line will need to create some type of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Two of three starters from the linebacking core are back and will be led by middle linebacker Dwayne Beckford, who finished with 84 tackles a year ago.
A group that came a long ways from the start of the 2010 season is the secondary, as many in the conference believe it will be one of the most improved units in the country. All four starters return and the focus in camp is creating turnovers, as the Boilermakers intercepted just 10 passes last year.
Special Teams
The place-kicking duties will be handled by senior Carson Wiggs, who hit 15-of-19 field goals a year ago, while going perfect in 27 PATs. He has unlimited range and displayed the fact with a 67-yard field goal in the team’s spring game.
Another strength in the field possession game will be punter Cody Webster, who finished fifth nationally among freshman with an average of 43.3 yards an attempt. He also dropped 12 punts inside the 20-yard line.
It’s likely that most of the work in camp will be spent on trying to improve a return game that ranked 98th and 100th in punt return and kickoffs respectively.
Against the Spread
Purdue is likely to make some noise in Vegas this year as a undervalued team, as it suffered many injuries last year and has gone 13-23 ATS the last three years.
Bet On
A great opportunity may be in the cards on the road against Michigan, as the Boilermakers have covered the last three meetings. Watch the college football lines page closely in this contest.
Fade Away
It’s not likely that Purdue has closed the gap on Wisconsin after dropping a 34-13 home contest last year, as the team is 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
