Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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9. PURDUE SEPT. 8 2011 record: 7-6 Last Meeting: Notre Dame 38, Purdue 10 (2011) Impact Player: DT Kawann Short — The big tackle has made steady improvements in each of his first three seasons on the Purdue defensive line. The 6-3, 310-pound team captain made 54 tackles last season, 17 of them behind the line of scrimmage, and is expected to be a first-round draft choice in 2013. Outlook: The Boilermakers ended 2011 on a high note by winning three of their last four games. Optimism remains high in West Lafayette for a team that returns 18 starters to this year's lineup. New defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar will try to breathe some life into a vanilla defense that finished in the middle of the pack in most categories last season. Like Wake Forest, they lose two safeties, but the secondary remains a strength. Last year's leading tackler, Joe Holland, is the other departure on defense, and he leaves the linebacker corps with a worrisome lack of depth. Purdue will get a boost on offense from running back Ralph Bolden if his knee heals from a third surgery in time for the start of the season. If not, senior Akeem Shavers and sophomore Akeem Hunt will lead the rushing attack. They combined for 833 yards last season. Spring Storyline: Quarterback competition is a bit of a misnomer for this Purdue team because head coach Danny Hope has made it clear that he plans on playing more than one. Former Miami trans- fer Robert Marve pushed returning starter Ca- leb TerBush hard during the spring and looks to be the better passer at this point. Rob Henry, who was supposed to start in 2011 before a preseason knee injury sidelined him for the year, is expected to be healthy this summer and could quickly make this a three-man race for playing time. Purdue defensive tackle Kawann Short has developed into a potential NFL first- round draft pick. PHOTO COURTESY PURDUE JUNE/JULY 2012 71