Welcome to your Anti-Preview for Purdue. Friends, the trip across the pond to Ireland was a complete success and gives us all a bit more hope as we head into this very tough 2012 schedule. Still, Navy was probably the easiest opponent the Fighting Irish will play all season, and although Notre Dame dominated the game from start to finish, there are still a few question marks on both sides of the ball.
Notre Dame comes home to kickoff their 3 game stretch of Big Ten games with…
Purdue
The Boilermakers ride into South Bend after winning their first game of the season against Eastern Kentucky, 48-6. They also have managed to give themselves a nice quarterback controversy. Caleb Terbush was the expected starter for Purdue this season, but he was suspended for the first game for something that I just don't give a shit about. Robert Marve was given the start against EKU and was 30-38 295 yards, 3 TD & 1 INT. Not bad- BENCHED! Terbush will get the start against ND.
Given the amount of anxiety Irish fans have about our secondary play after giving up a couple of big passes against Navy, one of the key matchups will be the Irish secondary versus the Purdue WR's. The thing is, is that I just don't see Purdue having that one guy that they usually do that takes control. They have a few nice options like OJ Ross & Antavian Edison, but not that one guy that makes you go, "Awww shit" like they have had in the past.
Another focus point will be how the Irish offensive line handles Purdue's defensive line; in particular Brice Gaston and Kawann Short, and especially while running the ball. Here's the thing though, both of those players played last year and had Purdue's leading tacklers behind them in linebackers Dwayne Beckford & Joe Holland. Notre Dame still racked up 287 yards rushing. Holland & Beckford are gone, so… how worried am I really supposed to be?
What Should You Be Drinking?
It's called, "The Force." There really isn't much more to be said about its dominance with a name like that. The recipe comes from friend of Subway Domer (and a HUGE closet Notre Dame fan) Michael Felder of In The Bleachers. This is what we do for home openers- we kick it with, "The Force." Yep- it's called tradition.
Here's how it works:
THIS DRINK IS NOT FOR THE WEAK
We like to make ours in a Gatorade cooler, the type with the spout on the bottom so that there's no dippage, I'm a germaphobe.
- 24 cheap beers (Natural Light is our go to)
- 1 half gallon cheap vodka (Aristocrat will do)
- 1 19 oz Country Time Lemonade POWDER
- *optional is a fifth of everclear (not suitable for freshman)
- *suggested is frozen lemonade or fruit punch concentrate (ice without watering things down)
- Pour the case of beer into the cooler, add the vodka, stir in the lemonade powder.
- We like to put frozen blocks of ice in ziploc bags to keep it cold but strong.
I will warn you that everyone's first experience ends badly. I passed out for the first half of the UNC-Rutgers game in 2006, woke up, everyone was at the game and I was still at the house.
It is delicious though. I've seen it called Moose Juice and Summer Beer as well.
(Editor's Note: Usually, I would add a video… but I don't think you need to see the ugly side of this)
What Should You Be Eating?
Going with a simple sandwich- A SIMPLE SANDWICH THAT IS GOING TO KNOCK YOU ON YOUR ASS WITH RAINBOWS!
Grilled Chicken, Tomato, & Onion Sandwich
- 3 ounce(s)
- (1 cup) pitted mixed olives
- 1 clove(s) garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoon(s) fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick
- 1 Vidalia onion, or any sweet onion sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 4 crusty rolls, such as ciabatta sourdough or hero split horizontally
- Salt
- 1 3/4 pound(s) thin chicken cutlets Directions
1. Light a grill. In a mini food processor, pulse the pitted olives with the crushed garlic and oregano until chopped. Add the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse until finely chopped. Season with pepper.
2. Brush the tomatoes, onion, and cut sides of the rolls with olive oil. Grill the tomatoes and onion over high heat until they are softened and lightly charred, about 2 minutes for the tomatoes and 6 minutes for the onion. Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
3. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and grill them over high heat, turning occasionally, until they are lightly browned in spots and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Cut the chicken cutlets to fit the toasted rolls and top with the sliced tomatoes, sliced onion, and olive relish. Close the sandwiches, cut them in half, and serve right away.
Irish Stew
It really is time to get our shit together and make ND Stadium a living hell for everyone in the wine & cheese crowd other teams.
Tweeter
Heyyy watch your mouth Ms.Diggins! Lol “@skydigg4 ND vs Purdont, I mean Purdue, this weekend…who's coming out to ND for the festivities!?”
— Tommie Thomas (@Tommo12Thomas) September 6, 2012
I PLAY WITH MY BROTHERS MY TEAM I DON'T PLAY FOR MEDIA IM FAR FROM AN EGO PLAYER AND LEARNING FROM MY UPPER CLASS MEN MY FAM IRISH D BOYS
— stephon tuitt (@DOCnation_7) September 6, 2012
Mark May is steady hating!lol
— Jesus Shuttlesworth™ (@JalenBrown21) September 7, 2012
Offensive MVP
Everett Golson. Call it a hunch. Call it intuition. Call it fate. Whatever name you want to give it, it all leads to something that tells me Golson will just blow the shit up.
Now, I expect the gameplan against Purdue to be somewhat similar to what Notre Dame did against Navy, where there was a "running" mindset and Golson was given some safe plays to run. However, I just have this feeling that a few of these "safe" passes are going to become HUGE plays, possibly even resulting in a long TD.
Although it may not be a OMGZ type of statline, I'm guessing Golson will throw for about 270 and 2 TD.
Defensive MVP
Ishaq Williams. One of the players that Notre Dame really needed to step up and take control in 2012 was Ishaq. After losing Lynch, what was ND's best pass rusher to the transfer wire, Ishaq was expected to be one of those players that helped fill the void.
Against Navy, Williams finally looked fully engaged on and off the field. Last year, Ishaq looked a little too laid back at times and his body language was one of IDGAF. He was just a freshman after all.
I expect Ishaq to have a solid day of pass rushing as he rotates in and out with Prince Shembo. 4 QB hurries and a sack or two would not be out of the realm of possibilities.
Something Else To Watch For
It might be worth noting that two-thirds of Notre Dame's suspended players will return to the field Saturday as Tommy Rees and Carlo Calabrese are reinstated. Cierrre Wood, of course, still is suspended for this game. While I don't expect Rees to even sniff the field (I really don't) Calabrese should see plenty of playing time.
Bragging Rights
It is simply called The Shillelagh Trophy. It was donated by a merchant seaman and Fighting Irish fan, Joe McLaughlin. He purchased the blackthorn oak club while in Ireland.
The winner of the game has received this trophy since the 1957 game. The winner has its initials put on a football medallion along with the score, and that is placed on the oak stand the Shillelagh sits upon.
The Irish hold a 55-26-2 record all-time against the Boilermakers, making this in-state-rivalry-trophy-game a bit underwhelming for most Irish fans, but it is still the only school from Notre Dame's home state of Indiana that the Fighting Irish play each year.
At The End Of The Day
The Irish beat up on Purdue last year at the Boilers house- and whooped up on them pretty well. Purdue could be a better team than what they were in 2011, but I firmly believe that ND IS a better team than what they fielded in 2011. Notre Dame's ground game continues to rack up yards while Golson continues to "manage" the game quite well. Although ND's corners will have a few moments, the pass rush from the Irish front 7 along with a suffocating run defense will cause problems for the Boilers all day. IRISH WIN 41-17.
