By: AP via SportingNews.com —
INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue’s defensive numbers might imply the Boilermakers have one of the nation’s worst units.

Purdue ranks 104th nationally out of 119 teams in run defense and 108th overall. Somehow, the Boilermakers rank much higher, 63rd, in scoring defense. That means the Boilermakers are getting gouged between the 20-yard lines before tightening up in the red zone.
“Statistically, it’s not a good defense,” Purdue defensive tackle Ryan Baker said. “In the back of my mind, it’s a great defense.”

Purdue gave up 503 yards in a 32-26 double-overtime loss to Oregon, but the game was tied at 23-all heading into overtime. The Boilermakers only gave up one offensive touchdown in regulation and forced the Ducks to kick three field goals. Oregon entered that game ranked first nationally in total offense.

The Boilermakers allowed just two touchdowns in last Saturday’s 20-6 loss to Penn State, despite getting ripped for 422 yards. Penn State entered the game averaging 50 points and 515 yards per game.

Purdue’s offense normally is its strength, but the team’s gritty defense has coach Joe Tiller’s attention.

“I think we’re playing hard on defense,” he said. “I think we’re improving as the weeks go by, and that’s what we look for.”

Tiller said the defense would be better if the offense would execute and give it time to rest.

“We need more consistency out of our offense,” he said. “If you were to ask me which am I less pleased with at this time, the offense or the defense, I would say the offense.”

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9,988 AND COUNTING: Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter has another shot at 10,000 career yards passing.

He entered last Saturday’s game against Penn State needing just 124 yards to reach the milestone, but finished with 112. If he throws for 12 or more yards against Ohio State on Saturday, he would become the fourth Big Ten quarterback to reach 10,000 yards, following Purdue’s Drew Brees (11,792), Northwestern’s Brett Basanez (10,580) and Iowa’s Chuck Long (10,461).

According to the NCAA record book, just 47 quarterbacks in the Football Bowl Subdivision have passed for at least 10,000 yards in a career. The only active player to have done so is Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell, with 12,709 yards.

Painter might have reached the total last week had he not been benched in the fourth quarter against the Nittany Lions. He completed 13 of 22 passes with an interception.

Painter passed Mark Herrmann for second place on the school’s career passing yards list during the Penn State game, and could catch Brees for the school and conference records by the end of the season.

Painter’s numbers have been stellar throughout his career at Purdue. He has the conference record for yards passing in a season after throwing for 3,985 his sophomore year. He surpassed 10,000 total career yards in Purdue’s loss to Notre Dame last month.

He also has an 0-9 career record against ranked opponents, and can make it double-digit losses without a win against the Buckeyes.

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SWEET MEMORIES: Baker, a fifth-year senior, likes combining with linebacker Joe Holland for tackles. They played high school ball together for a year at Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.

“Him and I had a tackle together in one of the games,” Baker said. “I really never hear what the announcers say, but I heard ‘Joe Holland and Ryan Baker on the tackle.’ That went back to the high school games. That really stuck out.”

Holland, a redshirt freshman listed at 6-foot-1 and just 211 pounds, has Baker’s respect.

“He’s tough,” Baker explained. “He might be undersized, but I trust him with my life. I love playing football with him right now. It’s so cool.”

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NEW KICKER: Tiller finally has had enough of Chris Summers’ missed kicks.

Summers has made just 5 of 10 field goal tries this season. He missed a potential game-winning field goal in the closing seconds against Oregon, then missed another field goal in overtime. He missed two more field-goal attempts and an extra point against Penn State, prompting Tiller to go with Carson Wiggs for this week’s game.

Wiggs, a freshman from Grand Prairie, Texas, missed his only attempt of the season. It was a 60-yarder that was on course but fell just short.

“He has a stronger leg than Summers,” Tiller said. “What he needs to do is get in the competition and get some practice and some repetitions, et cetera, and he’s going to be a very good kicker.”

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MISCELLANEOUS: Kory Sheets has scored a touchdown in eight consecutive games. He has reached the end zone 14 times in that span. … Desmond Tardy ranks sixth nationally with 31.8 yards per kickoff return.

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