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THE AUTHORITY ON PURDUE ATHLETICS VOLUME 22, EX 1 • AUG. 31, 2011 In this issue: • Pages 6-9: Full Middle Tennessee Preview TerBush's Turn C Junior Gets Chance As Starting QB BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com aleb TerBush's turn could have come sooner than this. Last season after starting quar- terback Robert Marve tore his ACL in Purdue's fourth game and backup Rob Henry broke his finger against Ohio State, surely TerBush would gotten a chance to lead the Boiler- makers' offense. Instead, TerBush was forced to watch from the sidelines as his teammates took a beating, academi- cally ineligible for the season. But instead of stewing, TerBush put his energy into practice, work- ing as the scout team quarterback preparing Purdue's defense each week. And in that environment, run- ning other teams' plays, TerBush still made an impression. "I think he's one of the best throwers around," said Purdue's star cornerback, Ricardo Allen, who worked against TerBush daily. "He's always been one of my favorite quarterbacks." Now, TerBush gets his second chance. With Henry tearing the ACL in his right knee on Aug. 23 and Marve slow to recover from his knee sur- gery, TerBush has vaulted into the starting role. He'll be the fifth quarterback in GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com All eyes will be on Purdue junior Caleb TerBush, including Coach Danny Hope's, in the season opener on Saturday. TerBush will be the fifth player in the last calendar year to start at quarterback. the last calendar year to start for the Boilermakers when they open the season Saturday against Middle Ten- nessee State at Ross-Ade Stadium. "It's good to know the hard work has paid off, but the biggest thing is I can't be satisfied," TerBush said. "I have to keep working ev- ery day like I have been, trying to become more of a student of the game. "It was a pretty drastic change, working with scout team last year and coming into the spring and get- ting reps here and there and being second-string at the beginning of camp. You don't know what's going to happen next. You have to take ad- Tom Campbell vantage of every day. It's just a really good feeling." Coach Danny Hope insists • Pages 15-16: Bolden Is Back, And Better? • Pages 19-20: A Look At Purdue's Opponents • Pages 25-26: Basketball Recruiting Notes the offense won't change much with TerBush at quarterback. As one of the team's fastest and most athletic players, Henry may have been the perfect play- er to execute the option. Even though TerBush isn't as mobile — he said he was clocked this summer at 4.7 in the 40-yard dash — Purdue still will utilize those plays, Hope said. At least TerBush is fa- miliar with the system. At Metamora Township High School in Metamora, Ill., Ter- Bush rushed for 859 yards and 16 touchdowns in an option offense as a senior. "I feel really comfortable running it when they call it," TerBush said. "My size gives me an advantage, but you always have to look out for yourself being a quarter- back. You can't take too many shots, try to protect yourself when you can. We've got to be smart when we play." But don't misunderstand — TerBush defines himself as a pocket passer. "I feel more confident passing than running," he said. "I will run if I need to and do what I can. But as far as that goes, I'll just try to stay in the pocket as long as possible and get it to the receivers, let them do the running." 5 6 Inside The NUMBERS season, assuming Caleb TerBush gets the call Saturday vs. Middle Ten- nessee State. The number of quarterbacks who'll have started games for Purdue since the start of last Purdue's losing streak, dating to last season. 12 22 38 NCAA. least one career game. The number of players returning to Purdue's of- fense who have started at honor of the late Sean Matti. The number on the decal Purdue will wear on its helmets this season, in Middle Tennessee's turn- over total last season, the most giveaways in the And if Hope, offensive coor- dinator Gary Nord and TerBush's teammates are to be believed, Ter- Bush is an exceptional passer. Hope raved about TerBush's veloc- ity and ability to throw the deep ball. Nord said TerBush has "big- time ability" and is as good as any quarterback he's coached — and Nord has had seven former QBs play professionally. Allen said if TerBush was in the Big 12, he'd probably throw 500 GOLD & BLACK ILLUSTRATED • VOLUME 22, EXPRESS 1 • 1