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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 7 • 5 S o the demon's been exorcised, the winless- in-the-Big Ten cloud that's followed Purdue around since the end of Darrell Ha- zell's first season with the Boilermakers is dissipated. It's over. In winning at Illinois 38- 27, Purdue did a few things aside from breaking that dubious streak. For one thing, it dropped embattled Il- linois coach Tim Beckman's job security quo- tient to something less than a whole number. For another, Purdue found its quarter- back, for a week anyway. Congratulations to Austin Appleby, a great story. He stuck through a situation in which you had to wonder if he'd ever get a real chance, despite his strangely unwavering belief his day would come. Lesser men might have quit; equal men might have, too. But Appleby bet on himself and for one October Saturday afternoon at least, drew Blackjack. Understand that Illinois' defense is to up - coming opponent Michigan State's what Wif- fle Ball in the backyard is to digging in against regular-season Clayton Kershaw. But no matter the incompetence of the opponent, Appleby ruled the day, with a whole lot of help from a running game that did an excellent job running into vast, strangely vacant prairies worth of field and managing to not pull hamstrings on the way to the end zone. That's a credit to Purdue as much as a stab at Illinois. So much went into Purdue's landmark win in Champaign, but the contributor who stood tallest was most certainly the quarter - back, the 6-foot-5 straw that stirred the drink in Champaign. Purdue needed to find a presence at quar- terback to do all the usual quarterback stuff, make certain throws, make solid decisions, etc. But what Purdue needed perhaps more than anything was a personality, an attitude, a spark. This is no slam on Danny Etling. Rather, it's a credit to Appleby and his infectious cha- risma and uncommon conviction, that rare leadership gene that we see in practice and you saw on game day Saturday. People all over the field respond to the quarterback, not just receivers or offensive linemen. All of sudden you see everyone moving a little faster, maybe even trying a little harder, the energy emanating from the quarterback rubbing off. Players rely on quarterbacks to give them a chance; belief fuels effort. You saw it at Illinois. Things change now. Appleby will now be a prominently featured name on opponents' scouting reports. There are no guarantees more quarterback tumult doesn't lie ahead in coming weeks even. Purdue's recent history says that once the quarterback situation looks settled, it's about to get unsettled real quick. There are no promises here that this wasn't lightning in a bottle, a right-player-at- the-right-time situation that gave Purdue the nudge it needed to beat a bad team badly. If there's any team out there that can turn Cinderella into a pumpkin real quick, it's Michigan State. I think it sticks, though, even if Etling quickly composes himself behind the scenes, outside the spotlight, and comes hard for his job back. The Illinois game showed us there's something to this Appleby fellow, that something making him exactly what Purdue needed to break that burdensome Big Ten losing streak. You see, Appleby made plays. But he also made players. His personality was the rising tide that raised all ships. His very nature was the driving force that finally pushed Purdue over that troublesome hump. In the weeks to come, Apple - by is not going to be flawless. He's going to throw some picks. Michigan State will sack him a time or two or three. Nebraska probably will, too. Saturday was awesome for Purdue football, but not a sustainable real- ity moving forward. There are going to be struggles. Here's hoping for Purdue's sake that Ap- pleby has some leeway to make a mistake or two, because the intangible impact he can have on his team is too great to cast off to the side at the first sign of trouble. j Neubert can be contacted at BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com F R O M E D I T O R B R I A N N E U B E R T The Power Of Personality