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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Joe Tiller (10th season, 67-43) 2005 record: 5-6 Big Ten finish: 3-5 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 31st (186.7 ypg) Passing: 36th (241.7 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 50th (143.5 ypg) Passing: 111th (287.3 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 Indiana State Sept. 9 Miami (Ohio) Sept. 16 Ball State Sept. 23 Minnesota Sept. 30 at Notre Dame Oct. 7 at Iowa Oct. 14 at Northwestern Oct. 21 Wisconsin Oct. 28 Penn State Nov. 4 at Michigan State Nov. 11 at Illinois Nov. 18 Indiana Nov. 25 at Hawaii Depth Chart: Offense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR - Selwyn Lymon Fr. 20 Andre Chattams Sr. WR 9 Dorien Bryant Jr. 6 Desmond Tardy So. WR 89 Kyle Ingraham Sr. 21 Greg Orton So. LT 65 Mike Otto Sr. 51 Garret Miller So. LG 67 Uche Nwaneri Sr. 60 Zach Smith So. C 68 Robbie Powell Jr. 78 Cory Benton So. RG 66 Jordan Grimes Jr. 50 Eric Hedstrom Fr. RT 74 Sean Sester So. 50 Eric Hedstrom Fr. TE 28 Dustin Keller Jr. 80 Jerry Wasikowski So. QB 12 Curtis Painter So. 14 Joey Elliott Fr. RB 24 Kory Sheets So. 42 Anthony Heygood So. Depth Chart: Defense 4 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 45 Eugene Bright Jr. 93 Jeff Benjamin Jr. DT 90 Ryan Baker So. 54 Jared Zwilling Fr. DT 71 Alex Magee So. 92 Mike Neal Fr. DE 49 Anthony Spencer Sr. 95 Keyon Brown Fr. SLB 32 Cliff Avril Jr. 81 Al Royal Sr. MLB 36 Dan Bick Jr. 30 George Hall Sr. WLB 59 Stanford Keglar Jr. 29 Jason Werner So. CB 7 Brandon King So. - Jonte Lindsey Jr. CB 5 Zach Logan So. 4 Fabian Martin So. SS 2 Torri Williams So. - Justin Scott Jr. FS 15 Brandon Blackmon Jr. 25 Paul Long Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K - Tim Dougherty Fr. P 11 Jared Armstrong Jr. KR 9 Dorien Bryant Jr. PR 7 Brandon King So.

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Purdue safety Bernard Pollard yelled "to give me my papers" as he was chased from practice that August evening after a confrontation with his head coach - a common term for an athlete wishing to transfer.

In hindsight, Joe Tiller wishes he had complied.

"If that confrontation that occurred between me and Pollard had happened some other time, he would not be on the team," Tiller said seven months later. "I would have kicked him off the team, and I didn't."

Tiller only gave his strong safety a three-game suspension -- and it foreshadowed a miserable fall in West Lafayette.

The Boilermakers were the trendy dark horse pick in the Big Ten. They had 10 defensive starters returning, and the Orlando Sentinel selected them as their preseason No. 1. The Indianapolis Star picked them to go 10-1 and win a share of the league crown.

Instead, they went 5-6 and failed to play in a bowl game for the first time since 1996, one year before Tiller arrived. The vaunted defense allowed 500 or more yards in six games. Teams riddled a secondary racked by injuries, and the front seven was surprisingly ineffective.

"We just had some really selfish guys on our team," Tiller says, "and I kept thinking, 'I'm going to change a little bit. I'm not going to be that old, hard-nosed, not-be-flexible coach.' I learned that's wrong. That's not me. I'm not going to deal with that stuff again from a player or a coach. No one."

Pollard, defensive end Ray Edwards and quarterback Brandon Kirsch left school after the season to enter the NFL Draft.

Things weren't exactly smooth on the coaching staff either. Tiller replaced five of his nine assistants after the season -- some by choice, some not. Most the returnees have new responsibilities. Former line coach Bill Legg and longtime college assistant Ed Zaunbrecher take over as co-offensive coordinators after Jim Chaney left for an assistant's position with the St. Louis Rams.

"Let me diplomatically say that some of these changes are good for us," Tiller says. "I didn't anticipate five new changes, but I thought if we had two or three, that would be fine. It would be good for us to get some new faces and energy."

OFFENSE

How Legg and Zaunbrecher will handle the play calling isn't entirely clear, but don't expect Purdue to abandon its increased reliance on the option within the spread offense. The Boilermakers averaged 4.9 yards per carry, third best in the Big Ten, and Tiller thinks the option did what it was intended to do -- create more big plays in the running game.

He also thinks it makes it easier for the offensive line -- which has a pair of potential standouts in tackle Mike Otto and guard Jordan Grimes -- to handle its assignments. They'll be blocking for Kory Sheets, one of the fastest and most elusive backs at Purdue since Tiller arrived before the 1997 season.

But the key is sophomore quarterback Curtis Painter. He started the last five games and pleasantly surprised the Purdue coaches with how well he ran the option. The strong-armed Painter also should improve Purdue's deep passing game.

Dorien Bryant, the Big Ten's leading receiver last season, heads what could be a dynamite receiving corps, especially if Selwyn Lymon, who missed last season after not meeting freshman eligibility requirements, is as good as Tiller believes.

DEFENSE

Calling last season a nightmare for longtime defensive coordinator Brock Spack would not be a stretch, as a veteran group went in the tank during a six-game losing streak that sank its season.

Only four starters return, which may not be a bad thing. Spack is giving up his responsibilities as linebackers coach so he can concentrate more on the total defense.

There is some talent at linebacker. Dan Bick is undersized but is fast and surprisingly physical. He's versatile as well and can play either inside or outside. Cliff Avril should be one of the Big Ten's better outside backers.

But the defensive front returns only one starter in senior end Anthony Spencer, who must rebound from a sub-par junior season. A secondary ravaged by injuries last season still isn't very deep, but Tiller is convinced the return of strong safety Torri Williams, who missed last season with a broken leg, will be a big boost.

SPECIALISTS

Purdue will have to break in a bunch of new faces, but punting and kicking off appear to be in good hands with Jared Armstrong, a junior college All-American at Harper (Iowa) College last season. Incoming true freshman Tim Dougherty likely will handle field goals and point-after attempts.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Big Ten fans heard before last season about how favorable Purdue's schedule was because the Boilermakers didn't have to play Michigan or Ohio State.

Well, this year's schedule is even more favorable. Purdue doesn't play Michigan or Ohio State again, and its first four games are at home against teams it should beat. The only game in which Purdue appears overmatched is at Notre Dame on Sept. 29. Don't be shocked if the Boilermakers bounce back with a New Year's bowl appearance.

Of course, if the defense doesn't improve, they again will be home for the holidays. There is precious little depth and no margin for error.