The timeline by which recorded history abides was long ago split in two: B.C., meaning \before Christ,"" and A.D., which stands for the Latin ""Anno Domini"" meaning ""in the year of Our Lord."" Surprisingly, two equally distinct periods of time emerge in the history of Purdue's football program-though the implications of this division are far less profound than the birth of the non-Touchdown Jesus.
Most of the country knows it as the ""Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the Year,"" which granted the University of Wisconsin a whole bunch of scholarship money, but true Badger fans knew-even at the time-that it meant even more than that. Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton, nursing a 17-14 lead, fumbled with 2:36 left in the fourth quarter and senior Scott Starks picked it up and returned it for the game-winning and season-saving touchdown.
It is entirely appropriate then, that the catalyst for this 180-degree turn in Purdue's fortunes that game-and in the year to follow-is a man who lives his life by the word of God. And while an acronym in honor of Starks, such as ""after Scott Starks,"" would obviously be inappropriate, the mark he has left on the Boilermakers is something no football historian can deny.
In the 18 games before Starks' divine intervention, Purdue was 14-4. Since, they are 4-9. Even Purdue students can do the math.
""Our game may have cost them two or three games,"" Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez said in Monday's press conference. ""You know, they couldn't get that game out of their system, it was such a tough loss.""
""But that team... those four losses they had last year, every game was a two- or three-point loss,"" Alvarez added. ""They could have run the table a year ago.""
The hangover should never have lasted into the current season, but the Boilermakers have stumbled to a 2-4 record thus far and given Illinois some competition in the Big Ten's annual race to the bottom.
""The thing that makes you scratch your head the most is the effort level,"" said Purdue head coach Joe Tiller following this month's 49-28 loss to Notre Dame. ""We all share the responsibility. But when we have to coach effort, we're in trouble. That's one thing you shouldn't have to coach.""
Tiller's frustration with his team has come on account of not only effort, but of an apparent complacency on the part of his players, whom he thinks lack the maturity-to this point-to pick themselves out of their woes.
""We're not playing at a high energy level,"" Tiller said. ""Is that because the guys are experienced and think they don't have to do that? That the play is going to come to them? Perhaps.""
Since their defeat at home against Notre Dame, Tiller's tune has changed-he is just as bewildered by the fact that his team continues to underachieve, but he has moved on from blaming lack of effort and has resorted to something eerily reminiscent of an excuse, describing the nature of a vicious losing cycle that his team can not seem to break.
""Success creates confidence. You have to have success to have confidence, and if you're confident, then you will experience success,"" Tiller said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. ""Right now, this team is between confidence and success; we're still trying to work at being where we need to be. This last Saturday, we were very close, but I can honestly say that there were more positives than negatives.""
So now is that all Purdue needs? Some big plays to get their confidence back? Ask Purdue defensive tackle Brandon Villarreal and he will say the key is playing with more emotion.
""It's not like we go out there and try to lose the game, but I think we need to play with more emotion, and that could steer us in the right direction.""
Perhaps the answer to the question, ""What can Purdue do to turn things around?"" is ""all of the above."" They may be best off figuring out what needs the most improvement-effort, maturity, confidence, emotion-but for any number of reasons, they can not seem to get on the right page. All the Boilermakers know is that there is one page in history they would like to rip out.
-Purdue sports information
contributed to this report.
