I hope our secondary is in good shape and ready to play some ball. Just read an article over on ESPN and Coach Hope is raving about mavre and comparing him to drew brees.
Take it for what it's worth, he is his coach and does need to give mavre confidence, but we have no reason to believe we're going to win by 30. none.
Marve is a Miami transfer after all.
Anyway, there is cause for optimism. Marve is...
A) Coming off of a one year break
B) Playing his first game away, at Notre Dame Stadium, with a crowd that should be more electric than usual, seeing as how it's Kelly's first game
C) Lacking in weapons (Keith Smith is his only proven target)
Bolden will be out for this game?? That is huge... even still, I just have a feeling about this year,
New QB coming of an injury in a new system... uproven O line protecting said QB... A new system AGAIN on defense, with said D being complete swiss cheese at times the past two years... depth in the secondary...
lot of issues man, I wish the schedulewas reversed and we could get WMU, Tulsa, Army and Co in the first half to build on that rather than having to play stiff challenge after stiff challenge to start the year... My hope rests with the pass catchers...
This game could go either way imo.
Reasons for optimism, from the "Optimistic until the first three-and-out and then he explodes" guy!
1. Purdue has no returning starters in the secondary.
2. We own Purdue.
3. We own Purdue at home (they've won once? in the past 17 appearances in South Bend).
4. Purdue can never stop our offense. Ever. Even in 2004, Quinn threw for over 400 yards despite losing 41-16. 2007, our terrible o-line was manhandling the Boilermaker front and Clausen and Sharpley were having their way with them.
At least we know who our starting Quarterback is going to be. It could be worse, look at Penn State.
Like you mentioned, Purdue won't have Bolden, and the only other guy who got a decent amount of carries last year (other then Bolden) graduated. They'll be throwing a running back who has less than five carries out there.
They lose Valentin, and Bolden was third in recieving yards for their team last year. So, the only reciever with much experience will be Keith Smith. And I don't care who their new quarterback is, it's still a new quarterback, and he's coming off an injury too.
Their secondary lost all four starters from last year, and our recieving core is pretty strong, they really don't match up well.
Of our first six games, this should be the easiest.
Keith Smith deserves double coverage. The guy's probably the most underrated wide receiver in the nation not named DeAndre Brown.
