Offensive Line... (B)

Decent job all the way around, and in particular I liked what I saw from Kelly Butler. That holding call on him was BS, it was a legitimate Orlando Pace like pancake. Minnesota did not blitz much and the guys gave Orton plenty of time for the most part. The 2 sacks were a bit disappointing. Running game was okay with an average of 3.3 yds/carry.

Running Backs... (B-)

Joey had another 100 yd plus effort but had another costly fumble. Void fumbled when his own player bounced into him but he still needs to hang on in those situations. Brandon Johnson was solid off the bench with some nice short yardage gains.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends... (B+)

Standeford had an off game this time but Stubblefield (8 grabs) and Rhinehart (4 catches) were there to pick up the slack. Both guys did a fantastic job getting open, making the grab, and getting key first downs. The guys failed to make any longer receptions than 18 yards and I think that needs to improve. I thought Wilson has 2 nice catches for 24 yards but I'm still hoping to see Chambers, Noel, and Williams have more of an impact. Williams was open deep a couple times but Orton did not see him.

Quarterbacks... (B)

Judging by his first drive, I thought he was on his way to an A game after going 5-7 and leading us to a game opening TD. 19 for 32 is a decent completion percentage of 59% so, he is making progress in that category. His yards per completion were way down this week without any completion beyond 18 yards. No interceptions is always a great thing. He missed Williams deep a couple times despite having plenty of time to go through progressions. Another area of improvement was on some touch patterns including a beautiful TD pass to Shaun Phillips. Overall, a solid winning effort against a good opponent. If his teammates would stop turning the ball over so often his stats would go up big time.

Defensive Line... (B+)

Solid effort led by Vedran Dzolovic and Shaun Phillips. Vedran had 6 tackles while Shaun had a tackle for loss and a sack. Actually, Brandon Johnson and Craig Terrill were equally as strong in the middle with 4 tackles apiece and their backups Grover (a sack) and Villareal played well also.

Linebackers... (B)

Landon Johnson was back with a vengeance including 8 tackles and Niko was solid with 6 tackles. Gardner had a key fumble return of 30 plus yards while Goldsberry and Odon contributed. Nice job supporting the run by this group.

Safeties... (A)

Ralph Turner was Big 10 Defensive Player of The Week with 8 tackles, a forced fumble, and an INT TD return that broke the game open. STU racked up 6 tackles but seemed to be a bit later on pass coverage than he usually has been in the past. I think his knee is not close to 100% yet.

Cornerbacks... (B)

While I saw some ugly coverage on some long patterns early, these guys also had some nice breakups and coverage. Rogers had 8 tackles and Sean Petty looked good off the bench.

Special Teams... (F)

Shall we start with the blocked punt? Then there was the fumbled kick off return from STU and a missed FG to close out the ugly day. The grades in this category over the years I bet would average the worst and it's time for drastic changes in this area. We cannot get away with failing in this area next Saturday and get a victory.

Coaches... (B+)

Turnovers continue to concern me as does our inept special teams (missed FG, blocked punt, and fumbled kick off return). Like many I'd like to see us complete a few more vertical seem routes when the D drops 8 and Orton has all the time in the world. I'd like to see us use a little more play action and Kyle use his pump fakes more often. Whatever we did on the first offensive series (5 of 7 pass completions), let's do more of that. I thought the defense did a very nice job thwarting the run and they played solid football. Overall, I thought the coaches made the right 2nd half adjustments and had the team prepared to get a much needed bounce back victory.

Fans... (C-)

57,000 fans for a Big 10 Homecoming game is a bit below average for my expectations. The fans who were there did a nice job with The Sea of Gold and a decent job helping out the defense with vocal support on 3rd downs. The Go Boilers back and forth chant could be used a couple more times a game, it really resonates well. Conversely, The Boiler UP whistle and chant is a bit overused and loses some of its luster over time but that might be me just being too picky.

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Let me say this about the advantage that we with Purdue Football Recruiting...

I thought Purdue was okay in terms of campus atmosphere/scenery, and weather when I was a student from 1990-1994. I'd visit friends during those years at UCLA and Arizona in the cold months and I'd be insanely jealous of their weather and things to look at around campus. However, there was ONE THING that kept me coming back to life at Purdue...THE BEST PEOPLE/FRIENDS ON THE PLANET!

In 1997, after 3 okay years in Indy where I loved being close to my best friends and Purdue, but loathed my job situation and the winter climate, I chose to move to Austin, TX , which was the best decision I could have made. Job wise, I could not be happier, and just for Joe Tiller and all of us lacking real jobs (ie knuckleheads) I'll mention this...I spoke to our company COO this morning and he congratulated me on my contributions to our company's record setting sales quarter (both bookings and revenue). So guess what Coach, this knucklehead HAS a real job, is contributing to a multi-million dollar flow of funds in this stagnant economy, and still finds time to support your program from a long distance - but I will digress!

What I'm getting to is that I love my current job, I've met great people down here in Central Texas, and the scenery and weather are phenomenal. Yet, at the end of the day, it pains me to be away from home, ie, Purdue University. Walking around on campus this past Saturday around 11 am, I reflected upon memories of my time at Purdue while soaking in all the amazing changes that will make Purdue quite possibly the most well rounded, technologically advanced campus in the Big 10! I also thought about all the advancement in our sports programs and renovations, etc. The conclusion I came to is that there has never been a greater time to be a part of Purdue University, especially for a prospective student. The new Krannert center is going to be unbelievable and I'm sure the Nanotech Center and other renovations will be awesome attractions too.

Net, net instead of picking on the weaknesses of Purdue, some of which can be addressed and some of which cannot - why the heck aren't we extoling our advantages? We have all sorts of Purdue Football players who are now starring in the NFL. Most of them got their degrees from Purdue and will have that to fall back on while many NFL colleges that recruit against us simply could care less if their kids focus on getting their FREE education.

The value of that Purdue education is not only what you learn in the classroom, it is also about further developing and refining one's social and interactive skills. Much of this comes from the people you learn from outside of the classroom and I could go on all day about all the little things I picked up from observing and getting to know so many at the THE BEST PLACE FOR PEOPLE ON THE PLANET! Heck, I'm still coming back several Saturday's each fall for continuing education in that regard (grin).

So, while I don't dispute the mind of many an 18 year old with high octane genes may think immaturely, these are also very impressionable kids, and they can be influenced by other things than an NFL farm team school, women, and weather. They can be influenced by feeling the passion of a Purdue person (perhaps even reading the positive spiels on msg boards) or coach and feeling like they are part of a family that is more than just chasing the NFL, women, and weather. It is my belief that we have better people and because of that more than a few recruits will overlook cold weather and less scenery to be a part of the family in God's Country.

-Barclay

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Understanding The Television Situation For The Purdue-Iowa Football Game

ESPN or ESPN Regional?

Sept. 30, 2002

"WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Because of the limited schedule of Big Ten Conference football games this Saturday, Oct. 5, the Purdue-Iowa contest in Iowa City will be televised by both ESPN and ESPN Regional.

Within the Big Ten market, fans will be able to watch the game on ESPN Regional. In the state of Indiana, that includes WLFI in Greater Lafayette, WTTV in Indianapolis, WHME in South Bend-Elkhart, WAZE in Evansville and WBAK in Terre Haute. Wayne Larrivee, Randy Wright and Jim Barbar will be the announcers.

Outside the Big Ten market, the game will be carried on ESPN. The announcers will be Mark Jones, Bob Davie and Holly Rowe.

There are only two other Big Ten games Saturday - Ohio State at Northwestern and Penn State at Wisconsin. Illinois plays at Minnesota on Thursday, Oct. 3."

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Ball bounces Boilers' way

Two Minnesota turnovers ignite second half blitz

By Tom Kubat, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/football/stories/200209280purdue_football1033276608.shtml

"Purdue football coach Joe Tiller summed it up perfectly: "I made the comment in the locker room, the turnover worm has turned."After giving the ball away five times in last week's loss to Wake Forest, the Boilermakers' main focus during practice was, simply put, to value possession of the football as if it were made of gold, and it didn't make any difference whether it was Old Gold or Vegas Gold.

However, quicker than Keith Jackson could bellow his famous "fuuuumble" call, the Boilermakers lost three fumbles and had a punt blocked and went into the locker room trailing 9-7 at halftime.

But then the Purdue defense got in on the act, coming up with a big interception and fumble recovery of its own, and the Boilermakers rallied to defeat Minnesota 28-15 in the Big Ten Conference opener and Purdue homecoming at Ross-Ade Stadium."

for the full story click on the link above

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Defense, big plays fuel pivotal victory for Boilermakers

By Jeff Washburn, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/football/columns/200209281purdue_football1033276609.shtml

"It's amazing what a bitter dose of reality can do for a college football team.

Purdue, which played with Gomer Pyle's mental toughness during last week's loss to Wake Forest, got it right Saturday night in Ross-Ade Stadium.

Those students and tailgaters who refrained from spending the afternoon chugging beers or sipping Bloody Marys appreciated the Boilermakers' most complete defensive effort in a year.

And while Boilermaker running backs continue to fumble the ball, it didn't matter.

A 28-15 homecoming victory against previously undefeated Minnesota is a step in the right direction for a team whose confidence was shaken after absorbing seven losses in a 10-game sequence."

for the full story click on the link above

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Pain-free Turner hurts Gophers

Safety's forced fumble, interception revive Boilers in third quarter

By Mike Carmin, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/football/stories/200209282purdue_football1033276609.shtml

"Ralph Turner had his usual No. 8 gold Purdue football jersey on for Saturday night's Big Ten Conference opener against Minnesota.

But the Turner that showed up during the Boilermakers' 28-15 victory was a different player than in the previous four games.

Turner returned an interception for a touchdown, caused a fumble which set up another score and collected seven tackles in front of a homecoming crowd of 56,839 fans at Ross-Ade Stadium.

"Boy, the light went on for him," Purdue defensive coordinator Brock Spack said. "It was good to see the old Ralph out there."

The old Ralph Turner is finally all the way back from last season's reconstructive shoulder surgery. Turner dislocated his left shoulder during the loss to Notre Dame and subsequently missed the Boilermakers' appearance in the Sun Bowl."

for the full story click on the link above

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Boilermakers shackle Minnesota running game

By Jeff Washburn, Journal and Courier

"At 6-foot-7, 350 pounds, Minnesota offensive tackle Jake Kluppe had his way with Southwest Texas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Toledo and Buffalo.

Kluppe, a fifth-year senior, and his offensive linemates had helped the Golden Gophers average 244 rushing yards during a 4-0 start.

But when the Purdue defense's quickness made life miserable for Minnesota's huge line Saturday night, the Boilermakers laid the foundation for a 28-15 homecoming victory.

"Purdue is a better team than we'd faced all year ... better personnel," Kluppe said. "A lot of times, we'd have that first run and come back with second-and-9 or third-and-9.

"At that point, we had to throw the ball, and that's not our style. We're not a drop-back passing team. If we're going to succeed this year, we have to get the running game going."

for the full story click on the link above

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Supporting cast steps up

By Brendan Murphy, Journal and Courier

"Through the first four games, Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton has looked for receiver John Standeford more often than not. But during Saturday's Big Ten Conference opening win over Minnesota, Orton had to make adjustments, much like the Golden Gophers defense did to the Boilermakers' leading pass catcher.

Standeford was second in the conference with 132.5 yards per game but was held to season lows of two catches for 21 yards, his lowest output since having just one catch for 7 yards his sophomore season at Ohio State.

"They always tried to have a safety over the top of him and that makes it tough," Orton said. "They tried to play their best defender on him the whole game. But John is the type of guy who can match up with their best defensive back and still do something."

Even with Standeford's production severely limited, Orton believes that's not necessarily a bad thing. That's because with the comeback of Taylor Stubblefield (8 catches, 85 yards) and the emergence of tight end Mike Rhinehart (4-45), Orton knows there will always be someone else willing to step up and make a catch."

for the full story click on the link above

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Defense earns Tiller's raves

By Tom Kubat, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/football/stories/200209302purdue_football1033362827.shtml

"Upon further review, Purdue coach Joe Tiller thinks the Boilermaker defense just may have turned in their best overall performance of the season during Saturday's 28-15 victory over Minnesota.

"We just commented on that as a staff, that we played the run extremely well and held them to 83 yards," Tiller said Sunday, after reviewing tapes of the game. "We played physical. We broke hard on the ball in the secondary. We had some nice hits and they dropped some balls later in the game.

"We did well with the sudden changes (turnovers), and our defense scored and put our offense in position to score."

click on the above link for the full story

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Ground attack helps to stump Gophers

By Jason Tomcsi
Sports Editor

http://www.purdueexponent.org/interface/bebop/showstory.php?date=2002/10/01§ion=sports&storyid=index

"Although the defense received much of the credit in Purdue's 28-15 win over Minnesota, the Boilermaker offense used a more balanced approach and was able to overcome three turnovers in the first half.

"I think we have one of the most balanced attacks in the nation," said sophomore quarterback Kyle Orton. "Minnesota made it hard to throw deep, but Joey (Harris) and Brandon (Jones) came up with some big runs."

Joey Harris ran for 106 yards on 25 carries in the game and also scored two touchdowns. The two scores bumped his total up to four rushing touchdowns for the season and he has rushed for over 100 yards in four of the five games this season.

"I just want to be consistent," said Harris. "You don't need to break a long run if you can get four or five yards on each carry. If we can do that on first down, it's a great advantage for our team. I wouldn't say that I am an every-down back yet but I'm improving."

for the full story click on the link above

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Heralded football recruits get up close look at Purdue

By Tom Kubat, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/football/stories/200209301purdue_football1033362827.shtml

"The recruiting battle for defensive end Mike Macellari is down to Purdue and Stanford. Offensive lineman Anthony Crummey has trimmed his list to the Boilermakers, Michigan State and Ohio State..

"The coaches here are just great," Macellari said while standing just outside the north end zone before the game. "Joe Tiller's a great guy, the recruiting here is just outstanding. It's unbelievable the way they make me feel like I'm a part of the team already."

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Macellari is listed as a four-star recruit (five being the highest) by Prep Football Report. He's rated the 60th top prep prospect in the Midwest by SuperPrep.

Although his father is a Notre Dame graduate, the Fighting Irish aren't in the picture.

Crummey, a three-star recruit according to Prep Football Report and rated No. 67 in the Midwest by SuperPrep, came to West Lafayette to check out the game day atmosphere.

"Atmosphere," Crummey said when asked what he hoped to learn the most about Purdue during his official visit. "How the team performs and how the community comes to football games. And the academics of the school."

click on the above link for the full story

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PURDUE NOTEBOOK

Tiller shows he can coach with pain

Boilermakers coach has minor shoulder surgery during week leading up to game.

By Michael Pointer

michael.pointer@indystar.com

September 29, 2002

http://indystar.com/article.php?pufbside29.html,sports

"WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Joe Tiller was forced to coach in a little pain on Saturday.

The Purdue coach has been bothered by a sore left shoulder since he played at Montana State from 1960-63. He underwent surgery Wednesday and wore a harness during Saturday's 28-15 victory over Minnesota.

Tiller appeared to grimace while standing at the podium during his postgame news conference.

"It's OK," he said. "I was doing really fine until (right tackle) Kelly Butler whacked me coming in."

Injured Purdue players wear purple jerseys during practice so their teammates know they can't be hit. Tiller showed up at Thursday's practice.

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Monday Morning quarterback

Boilermakers in dire need of a good kickoff returner

September 30, 2002

http://www.indystar.com/article.php?pufb30.html

"Purdue coach Joe Tiller couldn't resist a little dig when Stuart Schweigert entered the interview room after the Boilermakers' 28-15 victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

"I want you guys to meet a former kickoff returner," Tiller cracked.

Schweigert returned two kicks for just 30 yards and lost a fumble when he ran up the back of a Purdue blocker. They were the first kick returns of the stellar free safety's college career.

Tiller modified his stance on Sunday, saying Schweigert likely will get another chance. But the Boilers will explore several options in practice this week. Purdue is last in the Big Ten in kickoff returns, averaging 15.1 yards per attempt."

for the full story click on the above story

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Bob Kravitz

It's crazy, but Boilermakers may contend

September 29, 2002

http://indystar.com/article.php?krav29.html

"WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Here's the craziest thing: As lousy as the Purdue Boilermakers have played these first five games, as often as they have lost fumbles and dropped passes and engaged in other forms of ritual self-immolation, the Boilers have a shot to contend for the Big Ten title.

You're nuts. Have you been watching these guys?

Let me answer the question with a question: Have you looked around the Big Ten recently?

There's Ohio State, a team that nearly lost to Cincinnati. There's Penn State, a loser Saturday to Iowa in Happy Valley. There's Michigan, which lost to Notre Dame and went to the wall against Washington and Utah. There's Michigan State, the conference's leading candidate for Underachievers of the Year.

There's . . . nobody.

Now, I'll grant you, Purdue has looked awful. Well, awful, interspersed with moments of uninspired mediocrity, particularly on offense. The fumbles keep coming at a record rate; add three first-half fumbles to the grim total during Saturday night's victory over Minnesota. This kind of ugliness can't continue if Purdue is going to win on the road this Saturday at Iowa, or extend its streak of bowl appearances to six years, or beat a team that has more to offer than Minnesota -- which is to say, almost everybody."

for the full story click on the link above

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Football Game Notes

Purdue-Iowa: Oct. 5, 2002

http://purduesports.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/093002aaa.html

Sept. 30, 2002

Purdue Boilermakers (3-2, 1-0 Big Ten)
at #24/NR Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten)
Kinnick Stadium (70,397) - Iowa City, Iowa
October 5, 2002 - 11:05 a.m. CDT/EST - ESPN/ESPN Regional

ALL-TIME RECORD: 525-449-48 (.537) - 115th season
BIG TEN RECORD: 281-312-32 (.475) - 107th season

PROJECTED ATTENDANCE: 65,000

RADIO: Boilermaker Sports Network (Flagship - WAZY, 96.5 FM, West Lafayette) - Joe McConnell (play-by-play), Pete Quinn (color commentary), Brett Schetzsle (sideline), Tim Newton (pregame/halftime/postgame)

TELEVISION: ESPN - Mark Jones (play-by-play), Bob Davie (color commentary), Holly Rowe (sidelines) / ESPN Regional - Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), Randy Wright (color commentary), Jim Barbar (sidelines)

A LOOK AT THE BOILERMAKERS: The Purdue football team, under sixth-year head coach Joe Tiller, travels to Iowa to take on the 24th-ranked Hawkeyes on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. It is the Boilermakers' first trip to the Hawkeye State since the 1997 season. It is Homecoming at Iowa. Purdue is one of merely two schools in the Big Ten Conference and one of only 13 nationally to play in a bowl game each of the last five seasons."

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Purdue-Illinois Football Game Time Announced

Boilermakers and Fighting Illini to kick off at 12:05 p.m.; no television

Sept. 30, 2002

"WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Big Ten Conference announced Monday morning that there will be no television for the Purdue-Illinois football game Oct. 12 in Champaign, Ill.

Illinois subsequently announced that the game will kick off at 12:05 p.m. CDT/EST. It originally was announced for a 1 p.m. start."

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Ross-Ade heads 'Sporting News' second tier of Big Ten stadiums

By Ken Thompson, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/football/columns/200209300purdue_football1033362827.shtml

"In sharp contrast to rankings released last week by The Indianapolis Star, Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium is held in higher regard by the college football writers at The Sporting News.

The Star's rankings listed Ross-Ade eighth out of 11 stadiums in the Big Ten Conference, praising the new press box but penalizing the lack of atmosphere that is found in places like Madison, Ann Arbor and Columbus.

The Sporting News rankings, which also can be found at www.msnbc.com/modules/sports/collegefootballstadiums, list Ross-Ade fifth behind Michigan Stadium, Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium, Ohio Stadium and Penn State's Beaver Stadium.

The Sporting News ratings broke down into four categories: setting, structure, history and fans. Ross-Ade ranked fifth in all categories but history, falling to sixth there."

for the full story click on the link above

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Increasing prices of some Ross-Ade seating stirs debate

About 12 percent of stadium's seats affected

By Beth Hlavek, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/planet/stories/200209300purdue_planet1033362825.shtml

"Purdue University will introduce tiered seating to Ross-Ade Stadium in 2003, when stadium seats closest to the 50-yard line will carry a higher price.

The increase of $10 per game for prime seats is the first increase to the stadium's basic unit price since 2001, although total season ticket prices increased for the 2002 season with the addition of a seventh home game.

University trustees earlier this month approved the increase, which affects roughly 12 percent of the stadium's seats, citing the loss of more than 4,500 seats during the stadium's $70 million renovation. The board agreed to freeze all other ticket prices including men's basketball seats and the remainder of football seats.

Fifth-year senior Matt Smedley, who holds season tickets, figured students won't be concerned as long as the prime seats remain outside the student section."

for the full story click on the link above

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The New Gene Pool

We're revising the "Gene Pool" to help you - our best and
most vocal fans - get closer to the court. The Gene Pool
will be seated in front of a normal "student section" and we
need you to help raise the game's intensity level and make
Mackey a destination feared by our opponents.

Gene Pool membership is just $8.00 and comes with some
exclusive benefits:
Priority seating in front of the student section
Early game admission for a scouting report delivered by
the coaches
A pre-season party with the team and coaches
Special game premiums
The official gold Gene Pool, long sleeve T-shirt
A game day e-mail newsletter
A chance to have lunch with our coaches

We're returning key players who know that it's their turn
to lead, adding a quality transfer who chose to become part
of the Purdue legacy and welcoming back a team leader after
a medical redshirt season. These men are joined by one of
the most exciting class of recruits I've been around. To
the man, these student-athletes are focused on the goal of
returning Purdue to the top of the Big Ten.

We'll do our part. Will you do yours? We need a full arena
for every game. We need fans who understand that players
feed off the emotions of the crowd and that staying home to
watch the game on TV is a vote to accept mediocrity.

I want you in Mackey Arena! Bring your blue platinum card
holder voucher application to Mackey Arena Gate F, this week
to secure your seat. And, if you're a diehard fan make sure
to bring $8 to join the Gene Pool!

Go Boilers!
Coach Gene Keady

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More Purdue basketball games on TV

By Jeff Washburn, Journal and Courier

http://www.boilerstation.com/hoops/stories/200210010purdue_hoops1033451518.shtml

"The good news is that 6 of 11 regular season, nonconference games will be televised, along with all 16 Big Ten contests.

By comparison, only 3 of 14 nonconference contests were televised during the 2001-02 season, when Purdue stumbled to a 13-18 record.

However, among this season's six nonconference games set for TV, only two will be played in Mackey Arena -- the Dec. 7 championship of the Boilermaker Invitational and a Dec. 28 date with Valparaiso.

Including Nov. 5 and 15 exhibition games, 7 of 9 pre-Big Ten contests in Mackey will not be televised.

"From a rights' perspective -- what we pay -- we're not able to afford the same rights' payments we used to be able to afford. Plus, ratings for all college basketball games are down because there are so many more opportunities."

for the full story click on the link above

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