Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/131896
9. Purdue — Sept. 14 2012 Record: 6-7 (3-5 Big Ten) Last Meeting: Notre Dame 20, Purdue 17 (2012) Impact Player: Senior CB Ricardo Allen — The Boilermakers' shutdown cover man has been one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten for the past two seasons. He'll be a playmaker again in 2013 if teams are willing to throw in his direction. Outlook: Darrell Hazell provided Purdue with the normal buzz that accompanies a first-year head coach this spring. Hazell takes over a 6-7 Boilermaker team that returns several important pieces from a year ago. Defensive end Ryan Russell, who gave Notre Dame major issues in 2012, will be a focal point of Purdue's efforts this season. Behind him, linebackers Joe Gilliam, Sean Robinson and Will Lucas add some experience to the front seven. Lucas, a senior, forced a fumble and had another tackle for loss in the spring game. Senior quarterback Rob Henry spent his spring fending off early enrollee Danny Etling for the starting spot. The quarterback-by-committee days at Purdue are a thing of the past. Hazell said he'll tailor his offense around whoever wins the starting job. He also said he plans to make special teams a priority and wants to have the nation's No. 1-rated punt unit. Spring Storyline: While Hazell and his first-year staff got acquainted with their new team, a couple of offensive playmakers had a chance to make a good first impression. Junior running back Akeem Hunt will be Purdue's top threat next season. He ran for 134 yards in the spring game. Sophomore wide receiver B.J. Knauf, who missed last season with a back injury, showed he has the makings to become the next in a long line of undersized (5-10, 180 pounds) speed demons at slot receiver for the Boilermakers. 8. Pittsburgh — Nov. 9 2012 Record: 6-7 (3-4 Big East) Last Meeting: Notre Dame 29, Pittsburgh 26 3OT (2012) Impact Player: Senior WR Devin Street — The veteran receiver made 73 catches for 975 yards last season for the Panthers. He toyed with the idea of turning pro, but decided to return in hopes of setting school records and becoming the home-run threat his team has lacked in recent years. Outlook: Pittsburgh makes its debut in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) this season with a building sense of stability under second-year head coach Paul Chryst. The offense will have a new quarterback — either transfer Tom Savage or freshman Chad Voytik — for the first time in four years. Chryst will still need another year to create the offensive line depth he needs to run his style of a pounding attack. Last year, the Panthers allowed 2.92 sacks per game, which ranked them 102nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Returning tackles Cory King and Matt Rotheram shifted down to guards, where Pitt is hoping their 660 pounds of combined weight can build a sturdier foundation in the middle. The team's strength will lie in its secondary for the second straight year. Safety Jason Hendricks is back for his fifth-year senior season after intercepting six passes and making 90 tackles as a redshirt junior. Injuries have held him back in the past, and any more setbacks could put a Pitt defense that lacks depth in trouble. Spring Storyline: The departure of sophomore running back Rushel Shell highlighted an offseason of attrition. Shell is one of four members of the 2012 recruiting class to transfer so far. Turnover is expected under a new head coach, but Shell leaves Pitt without a big-name back for the first time in a long time. A heroin bust in late April sent two other players, tight end Drew Carswell and defensive back Eric Williams, packing and landed defensive lineman Khaynin Mosley-Smith an indefinite suspension.