Notre Dame Football 2010Issue 1: BEAT PURDUE!

Purdue Run Offense vs. Notre Dame Run Defense

Purdue's offense, which was already replacing its quarterback and three lineman, took another major blow when Ralph Bolden, last year's leading rusher, went down with an ACL injury in the spring. Bolden will be replaced by 5 Al-Terek McBurse and 1 Keith Carlos, two players short on experience but long on athletic ability. McBurse had just four rushes for 10 yards as a freshman in 2009, while Carlos was moved from wide receiver following Bolden's injury. But both players saw success as kick returners in 2009, so they do know what to do in open space.

Quarterback 9 Robert Marve ran 59 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns at Miami in 2008. So while he may not be a major threat with his legs, he's certainly not afraid to try. Purdue's fullbacks and wide receivers only saw a handful of rushing attempts in 2009, but they will still need to be accounted for.

The Irish will again move to a 3-4, mostly due to the relative depth at line and linebacker. The move will also hopefully reignite 95 Ian Williams, who had his most success in that scheme in 2007.

Unfortunately, the linbacker depth has already taken a hit with injuries to 54 Anthony McDonald and 40 Steve Paskorz. 5 Manti Te'o and 44 Carlo Calabrese will start on the inside, backed up by 48 Dan Fox and 36 David Posluszny. Both Te'o and Calabrese are hard-hitting run stuffers.

On the outside, 56 Kerry Neal, 58 Brian Smith, and 46 Steve Filer are all fighting for the spot opposite 45 Darius Fleming. With the injuries on the inside, it will be interesting to see if Brian Smith returns to that position at some point this season.

Notre Dame Run Offense vs. Purdue Run Defense

5 Armando Allen is now in his fourth season as a starter, and has blossomed into a Doak Walker Award semifinalist. He'll be joined by a trio of talented backs in 33 Robert Hughes, 25 Jonas Gray, and 20 Cierre Wood. Interestingly enough, Wood didn't even see the field last year due to the depth at this position. But the talented recruit has impressed in fall practice, and has quickly moved to the primary backup on the depth chart.

It will be interesting to see how the other positions play into the running game. Quarterback 10 Dayne Crist was a mobile threat before his knee injury. While the team will no doubt be cautious with its starting QB, all the effects of Crist's injuries are basically gone.

Most spread offenses rely on end-around runs to varying degrees. 3 Michael Floyd started the spring game with such a run, but his physical abilities may not be the best match for such a game. Former tailback and current slot receiver 6 Theo Riddick seems to be an obvious choice for such plays. The Irish will also employ the wildcat, with anyone from Allen to 9 Kyle Rudolph running the show.

Brian Kelly's spread doesn't call for the fullback much, but the position is used when the situation calls for a traditional under center formation. Notre Dame's roster only lists two fullbacks, and for each player (running back Hughes and tight end 41 Bobby Burger) it is his second position.

The good news for Purdue's defense is that they return six members of their front seven. The bad news is that that front seven was torched for 173 rushing yards per game last year. Linebackers 30 Joe Holland, 24 Jason Werner, and 47 Chris Carlino combined for 229 tackles in 2009. Werner added a very impressive 14.5 tackles for loss.

Purdue Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense

Purdue's new starter is Robert Marve, a University of Miami transfer who completed 54.5 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions as the Hurricanes starter in 2008.

Marve's primary target will be 8 Keith Smith, who accounted for one-third of Purdue's receptions in 2009 and six of their 23 receiving touchdowns. Purdue distributed the ball to a variety of receivers in 2009; tight end 85 Kyle Adams is the only other returning player to average more than two catches a game last year.

Notre Dame's 3-4 lets both 90 Ethan Johnson and 89 Kapron Lewis-Moore play their natural position of defensive end. Normally 3-4 lineman do little more than occupy opponents' lineman to create gaps for the linebackers. But Johnson and KLM are talented players who should be able to get pressure on the passer despite a numbers disadvantage. That's especially true against a Purdue offensive line that is replacing three starters.

If Notre Dame's line can get pressure on Marve, it will allow the linebackers to stay back in pass coverage, where they can help a very thin Irish secondary. Purdue's base set uses three wide receivers, while Notre Dame only has four cornerbacks on scholarship - not counting former receiver/running back Barry Gallup.

Notre Dame Pass Offense vs. Purdue Pass Defense

Dayne Crist steps into the starting role for Notre Dame after mixed success in an abbreviated audition last year. But the knee is healthy and Coach Kelly's offensive schemes appear to be forgiving on a young passer.

Of course, it helps that Crist has no shortage of qualified targets. Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph are the big names who will get everyone's attention. But Crist will need a reliable checkdown when those two are covered, and that role hopes to be filled by senior 18 Duval Kamara.

Theo Riddick moves from running back to slot receiver, and is already looking like a natural. Talented freshman 7 TJ Jones has practiced both in the slot and in Kamara's X wideout position. Jones has shown both the shiftiness needed by the former position and the downfield ability needed by the latter.

There's more good news, bad news for Purdue in its pass defense. The good news is that they return defensive end 94 Ryan Kerrigan and his 13 sacks from 2009. The bad news is that they'll be breaking in four new starters in its defensive backfield against a pass-happy Notre Dame offense.

Special Teams

37 Carson Wiggs returns for his third season as Purdue's placekicker. The strong-legged Wiggs hit just 14 of 21 field goals in 2009, but only one of those misses came from inside 40 yards. He also had a long of 59. 40 Nick Tausch returns for the Irish after an impressive freshman campaign that saw him hit 14 of 17 attempts.

Carson Wiggs will also be taking over punting duties for the Boilermakers. Wiggs did have four punts last year, averaging 36 yards with a long of 51. 35 Ben Turk returns as the Irish punter. In 2009 Turk averaged 38 yards per punt with a long of 53.

Sophomore wide receiver 13 Antavian "Beeze" Edison steps in as Purdue's punt returner this year. He'll be backed up by 3 Waynelle Gravesande, who averaged 4.6 yards on 11 punts last year. Armando Allen will return punts for the Irish in 2010 after taking a year off from all return duties. He'll be backed up by "hands" man 81 John Goodman, who had five returns for 56 yards last season.

Al-Terek McBurse and Beeze Edison will return kicks for the Boilers. McBurse averaged 25 yards per return in 2009, including an 87-yard touchdown.

Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick are scheduled to return kickoffs for Notre Dame. Riddick averaged 23 yards per return last year.

Notre Dame Players to Watch

Dayne Crist, Cierre Wood, Ian Williams, Carlo Calabrese, Ben Turk

Prediction

Notre Dame 31, Purdue 21

Notre Dame Football 2009Issue 4: BEAT PURDUE!

An abbreviated preview for a hectic week.

The Boilers have a very effective run game, averaging 210 yards per on the ground, led by 140 per game from tailback #23 Ralph Bolden. However, after big days against Toledo and Oregon, the run game was held mostly in check by Northern Illinois.

Quarterback #14 Joey Elliot is one of those guys whose passes never hit the ground. He's completed 61% of his passes, but also has five picks already. Elliot also isn't afraid to run with the ball, averaging about five carries a game.

Purdue's base set is 3 WR, 1 RB, and 1 TE. Their pass game involves five passes a game to wideouts #17 Aaron Valentin and #8 Kevin Smith, with decent amounts of passes to running backs, tight ends, and other receivers mixed in.

The defense features SAM #24 Jason Werner and not much else. The defensive line does have two tackles over 300 pounds, but the rest of the front seven isn't very big. They also aren't very effective, giving up 181 rushing yards and over 250 passing yards per game.

Both kicker Carson Wiggs and punter Chris Summers have strong legs. Wiggs converted a 59-yarder in the opener, and his only miss this year is from 60.

This game will be a shootout if ND can't stop the run and can't get to the quarterback. But even without Michael Floyd, the Irish should still have enough guns to win it.

Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Purdue 25

Now, enjoy some Beat Purdue Memories.

Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21

Quarterback:In several ways, the sophomore outplayed the fifth year senior. Curtis Painter may have finished with more yards than Jimmy Clausen, but Clausen had the edge in completion percetage and touchdown passes. Perhaps more importantly, though, is that Clausen did not throw a single interception. Notre Dame as a team did not turn the ball over once against the Boilers. Clausen is also developing very nice touch on the deep balls.

Running Back: Curtis Painter had more passing yards than Jimmy Clausen because Painter attempted 20 more passes. That's largely because Notre Dame didn't need to pass as much; for once, the ground game was effective. Armando Allen had the type of game Irish fans had been waiting for - 136 yards on 17 carries, a 7.9 average.

Notre Dame was lucky to have depth at running back in this one. Robert Hughes, the leading man in several contests this year and last, was held to a 2.9 yards per carry average. But Allen and James Aldridge - 9 carries, 34 yards, 4.2 YPC average - were there to pick up the slack. Allen also picked up a 16 yard touchdown run.

Fullback: Mostly forgotten this year, Asaph Schwapp had some nice blocks in this game, and also made some cameo appearances at H-back.

Receiver: Golden Tate burst onto the scene in the first two games of the season, and now Michael Floyd is already trying to make fans say, "Golden who?" Floyd had his first career 100-yard game on a team-leading 6 catches. Tate added 5 catches for 64 yards and another touchdown. David Grimes came back from missing the Michigan State game to pick up 4 catches, 64 yards, and a touchdown.

Tight End: Seemingly the only tight end left, Kyle Rudolph is starting to get comfortable in the passing game. Rudolph had 3 catches for 32 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive Line: The line is starting to show some fight. The skill players are talented, but the grunts also deserve credit for 476 yards of offense and a 5.0 yards per carry average.

Defensive Line: Shotgun-friendly offenses have largely kept the defensive line quiet this year, but Pat Kuntz stepped up in this one, tying for the team lead with 6 tackles. No one recorded a sack on Curtis Painter, but Ethan Johnson and John Ryan recorded quarterback hits.

Linebacker: Maurice Crum tied Kuntz with 6 tackles, and Brian Smith added 5 of his own. Kerry Neal had the team's lone tackle for a loss, a -2 yard stop.

Safety: David Bruton also had 6 tackles. Bruton, Harrison Smith, and Sergio Brown each broke up a pass. Kyle McCarthy added 5 tackles.

Cornerback: Robert Blanton had the highlight of his young career, returning an interception 47 yards for a touchdown. It seems like opponents have largely avoided Raeshon McNeil, but he had 3 tackles in this one. Gary Gray and Terrail Lambert each added 4 stops.

Kicker: Brandon Walker missed from 31 yards, but made his first of the year from 41 yards. After Walker was congratulated by his line, Jimmy Clausen came off the bench to hug the kicker. That's just the type of leadership and togetherness you'd like to see from your quarterback and your team.

Punter: Eric Maust averaged 46.5 yards on two punts, thanks to a long of 54.

Kick Returner: Armando Allen was truly the star of the game, as he also picked up 105 yards on 4 kick returns, including a long of 36.

Punt Returner: About the only thing that didn't go well for Allen was his lone punt return - it went for a loss of 1.

Special Teams: Notre Dame's coverage teams continue to be phenomenal. Purdue's lone punt return went for 9 yards. On kickoffs, the Boilermakers managed a scant 13.9 yards per return. Mike Anello had 3 special teams tackles.

Notre Dame Football 2008Issue 4: BEAT PURDUE!

Purdue Rush Offense vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense

Maybe it's a product of their opposition to date, but pass-happy Purdue has run the ball almost as many times as they've thrown it this year. 24 Kory Sheets, now in his third year as a starter, has been the workhorse for the boilers. He's accounted for 62 of the team's 100 rushes. Sheets' average game consists of 20 carries for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. Again, that's two touchdowns per game - he has 6 total on the year. Sheets is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, a sign of his experience as a senior as well as Purdue's ability to call runs in the right situations.

Backup tailback 5 Justin Siller is averaging 3-4 carries and 11 yards per game. Fullback 44 Frank Halliburton has also seen a decent share of touches, averaging two carries and 4 yards per game. Quarterback 12 Curtis Painter has not been a threat to run, netting -5 yards on 16 attempts.

Notre Dame is surrendering 144.3 yards per game on the ground this year. If Purdue is still the Purdue of old, they mainly play out of the shotgun, similar to what the Irish saw from San Diego State and Michigan this year. Maurice Crum leads Notre Dame with 2.5 tackles for a loss. He is closely followed by Brian Smith, Harrison Smith, and Justin Brown with two each.

Notre Dame Rush Offense vs. Purdue Rush Defense

Notre Dame struggled on the ground against Michigan State. They are averaging 2.6 yards per carry - mediocre numbers against mediocre defenses. All three of Notre Dame's top horses have yards per carry averages between 3.0 and 3.5. Robert Hughes leads the way with an average of 13-14 carries and 47 yards per game. Armando Allen is averaging 8 carries and 24 yards per game; James Aldridge, 6-7 carries for 21.

As porous as Notre Dame's run defense has been, Purdue's has been worse, giving up 192.3 rushing yards per game. Of course, those numbers are tainted by a game against a run-happy Oregon team that went into two overtimes, and an All-World performance by Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour. Still, the Boilers did give up over 120 yards to Northern Colorado. Defensive ends 71 Alex Magee and Gerald Gooden lead the team in tackles for a loss, with 3.5 and 3.0 respectively.

Purdue Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense

In terms of talent and experience, fifth-year senior Curtis Painter may be the best quarterback the Irish see this year. Painter's average day consists of completing 22-23 of 38 passes for 251 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Painter is completing an impressive 59.6% of his passes, but I'm not sure what to make of the fact that he only has three touchdown passes - and as many interceptions - through three games.

Painter has distributed the ball very well between four main targets - wide receivers 21 Greg Orton, 8 Keith Smith, and 6 Desmond Tardy, plus Kory Sheets. The three receivers are averaging 5 catches and 50+ yards per game (Orton and Tardy are over 60 YPG). Each has a touchdown catch on the season. Sheets is averaging 4 catches and 19 yards per game. Purdue tight end 80 Jerry Wasikowski hasn't been much of a factor in the passing game thus far with only two catches on the season. So the Irish will need to focus on the receivers but not forget about Sheets.

Purdue is another team that plays predominantly out of the shotgun. Couple that with a senior quarterback, and don't expect many sacks from the Irish defense. That puts pressure on the secondary, especially Harrison Smith, who has struggled at times in coverage this year. Only one defensive back has an interception so far - Gary Gray - but Raeshon McNeil does have 4 pass breakups.

Notre Dame Pass Offense vs. Purdue Pass Defense

For a sophomore, Jimmy Clausen's numbers aren't that far behind Painter's. Clausen's average day is completing 18 of 32 passes (57.3%) for 209 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Clausen's efficiency rating is actually one and a half points higher than Painter's (120.19 to 118.6), for what that's worth.

Golden Tate is becoming the star of the Notre Dame offense, averaging 5 catches and 101 yards per game. But starting to emerge behind Tate is freshman Michael Floyd. Floyd is averaging 3 catches and 39 yards per game. The pair are tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with 2.

David Grimes, who missed the MSU game with back problems, says he is 100% healthy again. Grimes is fourth on the team with 6 catches. Will Yeatman (2 catches) will likely miss this contest - and perhaps a few more - because of legal issues.

Purdue is giving up 234.7 passing yards per game, and has recorded 6 sacks. Leading the team in sacks is end Alex Magee with two. Fullback-turned-stud linebacker 42 Anthony Heygood leads the Boilers with 29 tackles and has one of the team's four interceptions. Cornerback 7 Brandon King and safeties Frank Duong and Dwight Mclean, Jr. have the other three.

Special Teams

13 Chris Summers is in his third year as Purdue's placekicker. Summers is 5 for 7 with a long of 45, and is perfect from inside 40 yards. Freshman 37 Carson Wiggs was called upon for a 60-yarder last week and missed. For the Irish, Brandon Walker is now 0 for 3 on the season, missing from 51 and 41 against Michigan State.

Summers and Wiggs have also shared duties as Purdue's punter. Summers is averaging 42.6 yards per punt on 13 tries, with a long of 59. He's had three punts over 50 yards this season. Wiggs has punted three times, averaging 32.7 yards per kick with a long of 38. For Notre Dame, Eric Maust is averaging 41.6 yards per punt with a long of 52.

Desmond Tardy and Kory Sheets are Purdue's kick returners, and each have 4 returns to date. Tardy is averaging 40.2 yards per return with a long of 68. Sheets is averaging 30.5 with a long of 45. All of those numbers are very good, and Tardy and Sheets will surely test a Notre Dame coverage team that has been solid to date. Ryan Burkhart is averaging 60.7 yards per kickoff for the Irish. Couple that with an 14.0 yard return average given up by Notre Dame, and opponents are getting an average start on the 23.

Armando Allen and Golden Tate are sharing kick return responsibility for Notre Dame. Allen has returned 9 kicks for a 24.1 yard average. Tate has returned 4 kicks with a 21.5 yard average. Carson Wiggs kicks off for Purdue, averaging 62.7 yards per kick. Three of his 18 kicks have been touchbacks. The Boilermakers give up 19.3 yards per kick return, starting opponents at the 25 yard line on average.

Desmond Tardy and Frank Halliburton have each returned one punt for Purdue this year. Halliburton is a fullback, so I would have to believe that his return came on one of Purdue's two blocked punts. His return was for 13 yards while Tardy's was for two yards. Armando Allen returns punts for the Irish. He's averaging 11.2 yards per return with a long of 22.

Notre Dame Players to Watch

Robert Hughes, Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, and Raeshon McNeil

Prediction

Notre Dame 27, Purdue 24

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Notre Dame Football 2007Issue 5: BEAT PURDUE!

Purdue Rush Offense vs. ND Rush Defense

Purdue has feasted on lesser opponents so far this season, so much so that their pass-happy offense is averaging 202.8 rushing yards per game. They're led by senior 24 Kory Sheets, who is averaging 25 carries, 94 yards, and a touchdown per game. Sheets is backed up by 25 Dan Dierking, who is averaging 6 carries and 39 yards per game. WR 9 Dorien Bryant has 6 carries through 4 games, and FB 44 Frank Halliburton has 3 rushes in as many games. QB 12 Curtis Painter has been credited with a total of 7 carries and 13 yards this season.
Notre Dame's run defense has been porous, to say the least, giving up 232.8 yards per game on the ground. Though the Boilermakers like to pass, Sheets and company are probably licking their chops at those numbers.

ND Rush Offense vs. Purdue Rush Defense

Notre Dame is finally starting to establish itself on the ground. James Aldridge is the leading rusher, averaging 8-9 carries and 43 yards per game, and more importantly 4.9 yards per carry. Armando Allen is averaging 6 carries and 18 yards per game, but was not seen much against Michigan State. Robert Hughes appears to have established himself as the short-yardage back; he's picked up 33 yards on 6 carries this season. Fullback Asaph Schwapp has carried twice without any success, and any positive scrambles made by QB Jimmy Clausen are overshadowed by his sack numbers.
Purdue hasn't exactly spectacular against the run, as they are giving up 147 yards per game on the ground. Linebackers 59 Stanford Keglar and 17 Josh Ferguson have combined for 48 tackles, and are second and third on the team, respectively, in that category. Fellow LB 42 Anthony Heygood leads the team with 5 tackles for a loss. Surprisingly, none of those five stops have been sacks. The Irish would love to establish the run and build on the small success they had against MSU; Purdue should give them that chance.

Purdue Pass Offense vs. ND Pass Defense

Curtis Painter has put up scary numbers in his first four games. His average day consists of completing about 29 of 41 passes for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns. That's an average day! Painter has completed a staggering 68.7% of his passes thus far, and has only one interception. Dorien Bryant has been Painter's main target; Bryant is averaging 8 catches and 92 yards per game. Tight end 28 Dustin Keller is averaging 4 catches and 70 yards per game, and WR 21 Greg Orton is averaging 4 for 45. 1 Selwyn Lymon and Kory Sheets are also averaging 3-4 catches per game; Lymon for 36 yards and Sheets for 22. Keller leads the team with 4 TD receptions, and Bryant is right behind with 3. Orton, Lymon, and TE 85 Kyle Adams have two each. In other words, WATCH FOR THE TIGHT ENDS IN THE RED ZONE!
Notre Dame's pass defense has been respectable, giving up 119 yards per game. But again, why pass against ND when you can just run? Darrin Walls and David Bruton each have an interception, and Bruton, Kerry Neal, and Morrice Richardson each have a sack. Those singular interceptions and sacks both lead the team.

ND Pass Offense vs. Purdue Pass Defense

Jimmy Clausen is growing, slowly but surely. His average day consists of completing 10 of 17 passes for 76 yards. A pittance compared to Painter's numbers, but they could be worse. David Grimes is ND's leading receiver, averaging 3 catches and 21 yards per game. Armando Allen and George West are each averaging 2 catches per game; Robby Parris and Duval Kamara are each averaging more than one a game.
Purdue is giving up a respectable 227 passing yards per game. CB 5 Terell Vinson leads the team with 29 tackles. Safety 23 Justin Scott's 2 picks lead the Boilermakers. DE 32 Cliff Avril has a team-high two sacks.

Special Teams

14 Chris Summers is Purdue's field goal kickers. He's 4 for 6 on the season, but both of those misses have come from 40+ yards. For Notre Dame, Brandon Walker is still 2 for 2 from inside 30 yards, while Nate Whitaker has missed a 50-yarder.
11 Jared Armstrong punts for the Boilermakers. He's averaging 4 punts per game, and 39 yards per punt. For the Irish, Geoff Price has been very good and very bad. He's now averaging 41 yards per punt. Backup Eric Maust has now punted 4 times, and is averaging 43.5 yards per boot.
Dorien Bryant is the do-everything man for Purdue. He's returned 10 kicks for an average of 35.6 yards per. He also has a 91 yard TD. Nate Whitaker is now getting 61 yards per kickoff. But the Irish are giving up 27 yards per return, meaning opponents start at the 36 on average.
Golden Tate and Armando Allen now share kick return duty for the Irish. Tate is averaging 24.9 yards per return with a long of 40; Allen, 19.3 yards per return with a long of 25. Chris Summers kicks off for the Boilermakers. He's averaging just 53.9 yards per kick, but Purdue's coverage team has held solid at 18 yards per return. That gives opponents an average start at the 34. Hopefully, that field position will give the Irish the little extra it needs.
Bryant has also returned 4 punts. He's averaging 11.5 yards per return with a long of 24. Notre Dame's coverage team is giving up a so-so 10.9 yards per punt return.
ND's Tom Zbikowski is still averaging 14.4 yards per punt return, with a long of 47. Purdue's punt coverage team has good, giving up just 7.7 yards per return.

Look for a big game from Aldrige, Hughes, Grimes, Trevor Laws, Pat Kuntz, Bruton.


ND 24, Purdue 23: BEAT PURDUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUE!

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Also this week, be sure to look back at some fond Beat Purdue memories from years past.