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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 1 • 27 well with Jason King over there in terms of combination blocks, the communication that you need to have. Obviously we're going to do some things (to help) in the pass game. "You see his growth. He just keeps getting better and better and more confident. … He's ready to go." Cermin is not Purdue's only first-game starter on the line. Fel- low sophomore J.J. Prince gets the call on the right, after he won the position out in the spring, then held it tightly through camp. The 6-6, 302-pounder isn't completely inexperienced, as he played a few snaps last season. But those didn't go exactly as he hoped; on one, when he had to come in for a play vs. Notre Dame because starter Justin Kitchens' helmet popped off, he immedi- ately allowed a quarterback pres- sure on third down. Prince remembers, even if he says he doesn't, and has taken motivation from those plays. "That was a year ago," he said, attempting to suppress a smile. "I don't want to comment on those right now. "I think (the next three) will (be better). But I don't remember the last three." Hazell says he's confident in the duo. "They'll do a good job," Hazell said. "Prince has done a good job since the spring and been a pleas- ant surprise for us out there. And, obviously, Cermin is new to that situation and has a little baptism by fire. Hopefully he'll get going. We'll be fine." THE NEXT THREE The following is a quick look at Purdue's next three opponents: Sept. 6: Central Michigan The Chippewas kick off the 2014 season Thursday night against Chattanooga at home. CMU is looking to take a step forward under fifth-year coach Dan Enos, who after a couple of 3-9 seasons has battled back to 7-6 and 6-6 records the past two seasons. Sophomore quarterback Coo - per Rush will lead the Chippewas in 2014 and is protected by a line that returns four starters. Last year, Rush, who started the season on the third team, played in 11 games, completing 56.7 percent of his passes with 15 TDs and 15 interceptions. CMU was tabbed to finish fourth in the MAC West by CBSS- ports.com. Sept. 13: Notre Dame Notre Dame opens its season at home against Rice, hoping to start fresh after an investigation revealed academic misconduct surrounding four football play- ers. The Irish are going to have to adapt after losing the foursome, three of whom were starters. Despite the setbacks, the Irish look to improve behind Ev- erett Golson, who will be seeing the field for the first time since he led the Irish to the BCS National Championship game in 2012. The Irish, ranked 17th, have a loaded schedule, featuring the defending national champions, Florida State, as well as four other top-25 foes. They will host Michi- gan on Sept. 16 before meeting Purdue in the Shamrock Series in Indianapolis, which is an an- nual off-campus home game for the Irish. Notre Dame is 5-0 in the event and has played at landmark venues, including Yankee Sta- dium, Cowboy Stadium and the Alamodome. Sept. 20: Southern Illinois The Salukis open the season Thursday night against Taylor. Dual-threat quarterback Marc Iannotti will draw his first start. The Salukis travel to Eastern Illinois on Sept. 6 and host SEMO on Sept. 13 before traveling to West Lafayette. SIU, which fin- ished 7-5 in 2013, nearly pulled off an upset against Illinois last year, falling 42-34 on the road. SIU also beat fellow common opponent Indiana State by 16 more points than Purdue did. The Salukis will rely on run- ning back Malcolm Agnew, who started as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to South- ern Illinois. Agnew had more than 1,000 all-purpose yards in his first year at SIU in 2013. The Salukis are looking to get back to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2009. j ... all the services ... all the food ... all the comfort ... all the fun