GBI Express

volume 23, eX 4 • sept. 26, 2012 Inside | A look at Marshall 7-11 | Depth Chart 14–15 Featuring Cody Webster 17–18 | Basketball notes 37-38 'We're A Top 25 Football Team' SClardie@GoldandBlack.com BY STACY CLARDIE For the first time in Danny Hope's four- national notoriety. And it's coming off a week in which year tenure, Purdue is getting some the Boilermakers didn't even play. Two voters in the Associated Press poll had Purdue in their top 25 — ESPN's Chris Fowler slotted it at No. 22, and Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Doug Lesmerises tabbed it 25th. Purdue also got four points in the USA Today Coaches' poll. It was the first time since Nov. 4, 2007, Purdue received votes in either poll. Hope, for one, has no doubt his team is worthy of a ranking. "I think we're potentially a very good football team," Hope said. place. We've also played some MAC-level teams and we've won and won big. Against teams we were supposed to beat, we beat them like we were supposed to beat them. about the way we've played so far. If you look at our stats and our numbers and how we compare to other teams in our league at this point in time, I think the competi- tion has been comparable. We've played a top-10 team in Notre Dame and played them well and had chances to win at their "I'm excited "I look at the stats, and I see where we're at, and we're in the up- per half in the league in almost every statistical category and ranked in the top two or three in many statistical catego- ries. I think we're playing like a good football team early in the sea- son. The key for us as a football team is to continue to get better. Our players can see where we're at and they can see the scores. They can compare where we're at to other teams. We know if we continue to improve, we're going to be a hard outfit to beat. Purdue hasn't actually been ranked " in the AP poll — not just receiving votes — since Oct. 1, 2007. The Boilermakers THE NUMBERS 7:34 13/16 26 a combined six carries against EMU. 33.5 Coach Danny Hope and the Boilermaker football program could be in for heightened national attention after receiving votes in the polls this week. Tom Campbell moved into the rankings at No. 23 after starting 5-0, including the program's last victory over Notre Dame, but dropped out the next week after losing to No. 4 Ohio State. The Boilermakers could garner more attention with a victory against Marshall and its top-ranked passing offense this week. It would give Purdue a 3-1 record entering Big Ten play. "We've been confident the whole back Rakeem Cato, ranking him tops in the country in yardage. 1,481 2007 to zero by its opponents. after kickoff. Though there won't be ad- ditional lighting, there are no darkness worries as a sunny day is forecast. The projected time of Saturday's sunset, four hours and 19 minutes number who have carries, through three games this season, illustrating Purdue's tendency to spread the wealth on offense. The number of players who have receptions, and the The number of points scored by Purdue in the first quarter of games this season, compared The number of yards Akeem Hunt and Bran- don Cottom averaged on Passing yards through four games by Marshall quarter- games. That year, it was 5-0 to start the season. The Boilers, 2-1, have a chance to break that string if they beat Marshall Saturday. The last time Purdue finished above .500 in non-conference way," senior quarterback Caleb TerBush said. "We feel like we can hang with any- body." Perhaps a lackluster start by the rest GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • volume 23, express 4 • 1

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