All I Could Ask For, Far More Than I Was Expecting

I was fairly dismissive of Purdue's chances heading into Saturday's game. My bar for success was "don't embarrass themselves" and I was fully prepared for another inauspicious start the season. A "Cincinnati in 2013"-level loss wouldn't have surprised me, or anyone, really. Instead, we got something far greater than any of us could have predicted.

I predicted Purdue would win a maximum of three games this season, and while I'm not sure I'm ready to move off of that yet, I'm ready to be ready. The line was Purdue +25.5 and they ended up losing by seven; all along the way they looked like they belonged on the same field as this Louisville team. Had a bogus UL TD (the fumble-out-of-bounds incident) not gone UL's way, maybe things turn out different. Now, Purdue had its fair share of good luck (fumbles and their ensuing recovers are essentially random events; to come out on the good side of that several times in one game is nearly unheard of), but they made something out of that luck. So much of what plagued this Purdue program over the last several years was how they responded to adversary (which, like everything else that afflicted this program, comes down to the coaching staff). And after Blough's second INT in as many possessions, I wondered if we were going to see the same old Purdue team give up and turn it in. Nope. A TD drive followed the ensuing 3-and-out, and although the defense did give up a TD and a FG afterwards, they also made a number of key defensive stops, giving the offense every opportunity to tie or go ahead. This defense looks tougher than what we're used to as Purdue fans, and I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come, and not a one-off event.

And the offense, while lacking the usual Brohm super-powered kick, still showed signs of what it could be. (Once Brohm gets more talent in the door...ho boy...). Purdue fans, remembering the Danny Hope era, are probably a little reticent to have another two-QB system. But Blough and Sindelar both brought different things to the game, and both were successful (three INTs between them notwithstanding). However, what it really came down to was Brohm called a great game. The running game is still fairly anemic, the WRs are not B1G-quality, and the OL is fairly weak, but good play calling, putting guys in a position to make a play, paid off. This team might not score 50+ points a game, but they can move the ball a little, and I think they'll get better as the season goes on.

Maybe this team still spends the season in the basement, maybe we're still two years away from a bowl game, maybe the elites will still kick their teeth in, but for the first time in damn near a decade, this team is fun to watch. I couldn't be happier, and I can't wait until next week.