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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SATURDAY'S OPPONENT PURDUE-EASTERN KENTUCKY PREVIEW BY GOLD & BLACK STAFF Danny Hope's long-standing ties to Eastern Kentucky, the Boilermaker staff in general is well-acquainted with the Colonel program. Outside linebackers coach WORTH NOTING R In addition to head coach 2007 before coming to the Boilermakers as a graduate assistant for the 2008 season. Much of Donn Landholm was Hope's de- fensive coordinator at EKU before current coach Dean Hood came in and served as his own coordinator. Shawn Clark was Hope's offensive line coach. Both worked for Hood in 2008, then came to Purdue upon Hope's ascension to head coach fol- lowing that season. Special teams coach J.B. Gib- boney worked at EKU in 2006 and NEWSSTAND • Richmond Register: EKU line- man an NFL prospect • Richmond Register: Colonels ready for deep playoff run this season OPPONENT • Richmond Register: EKU run- ning back an All-American • Eastern Kentucky: Colonel game notes Blue text are live links to the stories mentioned. THE LAST TIME... the Colonel staff has ties to either Hope or his assistants at Purdue. Tight ends tory. In 2011, he threw for 1,605 yards with 18 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. R Senior cornerback Cejay Ceniza will miss the game, per media reports, and be replaced by either true freshman Stanley Ab- sanon or redshirt freshman Deno Montgomery. against FCS/Division I-AA oppo- nents, its last meeting being last sea- son's win over Southeast Missouri. 216: The average total yardage NUMBER CRUNCHING 7-0: Purdue's all-time record disparity between Purdue and FCS opponents. 7: Purdue's winning streak in season-opening home games. j coach and re- cruiting coor- dinator Ben Hodges, D- line coach Jake Johnson, wide receivers coach Klay Koester, running backs coach John Revere and strength coach Jon-Michael Davis worked for Hope while he was boss in Richmond. Meanwhile, defensive coor- The last time Purdue had dreadful weather for a season opener was on Sept. 8, 2007 when the game was delayed nearly an hour by storms. Purdue defeated Eastern Illinois 52-6, thanks to a school record-tying six-touchdown effort by Curtis Painter. The weather forecast for this Saturday is rain. Tom Campbell winning nearly 70 percent of the time, compared to its overall winning percentage of 53 percent in all games dating back to 1887. It has been a little tougher for Purdue in its home sea- son openers the past two years, winning last year by three over Middle Tennessee, thanks to a late blocked field goal by Ri- cardo Allen. The year before that, it was a 10-point win over FCS opponent Western Illinois. Still, in the last decade, high-scoring season openers have Purdue has been pretty good in season openers at home, dinator Tony Hatmaker and of- fensive line coach Carson Jeffers joined the EKU staff in 2008 and would have worked with Land- holm and Clark before their moves to the Big Ten. Clark and Davis were mates at Appalachian State in the 1990s. team- coaches on the Eastern Kentucky staff remain friends. But … "I have not talked to them prob- ably since mid-summer," he joked. "On purpose." Landholm said some of the T.J. Pryor battled a hamstring injury during camp. Sophomore Jared Mc- Clain would start in his place. Pryor is one of the most ac- complished players in program his- R EKU starting quarterback been the norm as Purdue has broken the 50-point barrier in its lid-liſter five times since 2002. The Boilermakers have rarely been tested by FCS oppo- nents. Purdue is 6-0 in such games and the average victory margin has been by more than 30 points. In Purdue's season opener back a quarter century ago, two play that helped the Cardinals knot the score and the fact it was his first trip to West Lafayette, or at least, "The first I' he joked. — Alan Karpick When asked Tuesday about the game, Hope could still recall the d ever tell anybody about," young assistant coaches were on the opposing sideline as Dan- ny Hope and Gary Nord were members of Howard Schnellen- berger's staff at Louisville. The game marked the home debut of first-year coach Fred Akers, but the Boilermakers missed three field goals and couldn't break a 22-22 deadlock. GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 23, EXPRESS 1 • 8