9/23/2024 Boilermaker Water Cooler Chat: Beaver Dammed Edition
Rants, ravings, and somewhat sensical opinions following the wild, wacky, and wide-wide world of Purdue sports.
I had to go for a walk at halftime of this game. It was for the greater good. I hadn’t had much to eat for dinner, so a quick walk over to the convenience store in my one stoplight town to get a snack is just what my mental health needed.
I listened to some music on the way, an upbeat playlist, something to maybe cheer me up.
As I enjoyed the warm evening, the internet fed me a song that was incredibly appropriate given the situation.
in 1999, a British electronic music group called Apollo 440 took the music world by storm, albeit shortly. These one hit wonders emerged into the dance/club scene with their fun groove “Stop the Rock”. You’ve heard this song, as it was featured in multiple movies in the early 2000s, but listening to this song immediately terrified me. I am pretty sure that Apollo 440 wrote this song about the 2024 Purdue Boilermakers football team. I am sure of it.
Lets check out the lyrics:
Stop the rock
Stop the rock
Stop the rock, can’t stop the rock
You can’t stop the rock, can’t stop the rock
You can’t stop the rock, can’t stop the rock
You can’t stop the rock, can’t stop the rock
You can’t stop the rock, can’t stop the rock
You can’t stop-Stop The Rock, Apollo 440, Album: Gettin’ High on Your Own Supply
Considering that “stopping the rock” is an old school football cliché meaning stuffing the run game…
I have concluded Apollo 440 are apparently prophets. Us Purdue fans should’ve been paying more attention in 1999.
The Game: Purdue 21, Oregon State 38
Purdue was given every opportunity to rebound from the brutal loss to Notre Dame and squandered each and every one of them. The maligned offensive line actually played well, and Devin Mockobee rushed for a tremendous 168 yards, but not much else worked. Boilers were out physicaled, out skilled, and out schemed the entire game. The defense gave up a blood curdling 341 rush yards, allowing the Beavers to keep Purdue at (more than) a stiff arm’s length.
Break It Down:
I said it last week, I will say it again this week. Purdue fans don’t ask for much. Put out an entertaining product. Go to bowl games regularly. Be in the conference championship picture occasionally. Most importantly, be competitive. That is all we ask.
Over the nearly two decades of my media career, the most common critique that I get is that I am too positive. My TV/Radio football show is a 100% positive show. I gass-up Purdue on podcasts. I write these articles with a smile on my face. I love Purdue sports dearly. There is value in the power of a positive mental attitude. I am a positive human being, and it is a good way to live life!
As this season is unraveling unfolding, I find it very difficult to be positive
What Went Well:
- RUN BABY RUN!: The combination of Devin Mockobee, Reggie Love III, and Hudson Card racked up 263 yards. Mockobee and Love each scored a TD, and the three of them averaged 8.8 yards per carry. Really difficult to lose when you rush for that amount of yards, with that huge of an average.
Opportunities for Improvement:
- AIRLESS Raid: Purdue passed for a mere 56 yards, on only 17 attempts, with only 7 completions. One of those completions was a 32 yard touchdown pass to Max Klare. Adding insult to that stat line, there were multiple dropped passes which hit receivers in the hands, as well as a freak interception for touchdown.
- Physics: Speaking of that freak pick-6, it defied everything that I know about physics. I have been watching football for 4 some-odd decades, and I have never seen a ball carrom like that, perfectly into the hands of the defender. It was like one of those NCAA video game glitches that you see videos of online. The perfect microcosm of Purdue Athletics.
- Can’t Stop The Rock: 341 rushing yards given up will kill any team. 57 attempts, 4 TDs, 6 yard average. Really difficult to win when you give up that amount of rush yards, with that huge of an average.
One More Thing:
I really like this coaching staff as human beings. They are young, excited, good family folk. As leaders of young men, they are exactly what I would want as a role model for my children.
Currently this staff is struggling. Read twitter to see what the armchair quarterbacks are saying right now. Yes this season is spiraling, but keep in mind that it is still early. There is little to be positive about, currently, but crisis provides opportunity to correct your mistakes.
Coach Walters is a defensive savant. The defense is consistently a half yard out of position, and is giving up regular, consistent chunks of yardage. This team cannot keep contain or set an edge. They have the skill out there, but they can’t stop the rock. Time is now for Ryan Walters to do what he does best, get his defense humming.
Graham Harrell has had success as an offensive coordinator. His Air-Raid offense is a misnomer, as passing is hardly existent. He has a productive rushing attack, but isn’t sustaining drives. Play calls are often vanilla, predictable. We’ve seen his offenses be productive, as recently as this season (albeit against Indiana state), but also last year against Indiana in the Bucket Game. This line is better. This team has the same quarterback. The same running back. The same offensive coordinator. Purdue should get back to what they had success doing last season, before this season is a complete wash.
At any crossroads, you have to dig deep. Sink or swim. This coaching staff needs to make some changes, and quickly. Something has to give.
A Look Ahead:
Purdue comes home for a nooner against Nebraska. This homecoming tilt brings in an angry Nebraska team who is licking their wounds following a rough loss to ranked Illinois. While it seems like Purdue plays -every- game against a team that is angry following a loss, we will see if it has any factor. Does that even matter? Purdue has been licking their wounds this whole season… and motivation seems to be a problem at this point.
Nebraska is a sound favorite in this game as the Cornhuskers are favored by 9.5 / 10 depending on what book you shop at… If the Boilers are going to be competitive this coming Saturday they will surely have to Stop the Rock.
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