Purdue Boilermakers @ Illinois Fighting Illini Football Preview

After a 49-0 blowout at the hands of Ohio State last week, Purdue will have no choice but to bounce back when it faces Illinois on Saturday in Champaign.  With an upcoming schedule that is just about as nasty as they get, featuring matchups with Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State, a win is crucial to the Boilers’ bowl hopes.

Purdue may have to do it without quarterback Rob Henry, who suffered a laceration injury to the index finger on his throwing hand last week and will be limited even if he does play.  True freshman Sean Robinson is next in line, and is essentially Purdue’s last option at quarterback.

It’s easily the story of the season: Purdue has been wracked by injuries to key personnel, including Marve and top offensive playmakers Ralph Bolden and Keith Smith, and has still found a way to be reasonably competitive, already having won two Big Ten games.  Other key players, including running backs Dan Dierking, Keith Carlos, and Al-Terek McBurse, have also missed time due to injury.  Despite all the adversity, the Boilers have put themselves into a position to make a bowl game.

The Boilermakers should be used to it by now; if Robinson is the starter, the team will have to adjust the same way it did when Robert Marve initially went down against Ball State and Henry was forced to take over. 

It would help if wide receiver Justin Siller, who started several games at quarterback in 2008, was available to take some snaps, but he is still sidelined by a foot sprain.  Purdue coaches say Siller will get some practice time at quarterback when he returns.

Purdue’s opponent, the Illinois Fighting Illini, is coming off an impressive performance last week, a 43-13 thrashing of Indiana at home.   An opportunistic Illini defense forced five turnovers and returned two interceptions for touchdowns while dominating an IU offense that usually scores points by the truckload.  If the Illini are similarly disruptive this week, that could spell trouble for a Boilermaker offense that has been forced to reattach the training wheels now that its QB is a true freshman.

The Illini quarterback is Nathan Scheelhaase, a grizzled vet by comparison.  Scheelhaase is a redshirt freshman who will be making his eighth career start.  Were Henry not banged up, it would be an interesting storyline, as the two athletic redshirt freshman signal callers have similar skill sets.

With an offense that might struggle, the Boilermaker defense needs to make Scheelhaase’s life miserable, while also containing Illini running back Mikel Leshoure.  That will be up to a front seven that – other than last week’s debacle – has performed up to its considerable potential for most of the season, led by senior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan.   If the Purdue offense struggles, Kerrigan might need to be the best player on the field.

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