Purdue coach Joe Tiller has been beloved by the Boilermaker faithful during most of the past decade. He led the quick turnaround of a once-struggling program, and his wise-cracking, self-deprecating humor was a hit with both fans and media.

But now, those same fans and media are more than willing to take Tiller to task — even with 18 of 22 starters back from last season’s team that finished 8–6 overall and 5–3 in the Big Ten. Even with all those starters returning, improving on last season’s victory total will be a challenge.

Purdue didn’t beat a team that finished with a winning record last season. The defense was horrid for a second consecutive year, finishing 114th in the nation one year after ranking 100th.

There have been problems off the field, too. Strong safety Torri Williams and linebacker Jeff Lindsay each were suspended after being arrested this spring in alcohol-related incidents.

Wide receiver Selwyn Lymon was stabbed in the chest outside a nightclub near campus. (Lymon is expected to make a full recovery and play this fall.) Tiller also closed practices for the first time and says the move is permanent.

But the Boilermakers should be fun to watch. Wide receiver Dorien Bryant is only one of several playmakers on offense, and Curtis Painter provides an experienced quarterback.

But the defense — which lost All-Big Ten defensive end Anthony Spencer to graduation — must show major improvement. If that happens, the Boilermakers just might be the surprise of the Big Ten.

Quarterbacks
Painter has showed signs of brilliance during his career. Last year, he led the Big Ten and ranked seventh in the nation in total offense, averaging 292.3 yards per game. He threw for 350 yards or more four times last year and tossed at least two touchdown passes in seven games. But he’s also been erratic, as shown by the fact he has the same number of interceptions as touchdown passes (25) in 19 career starts. But Tiller was pleased by the strong-armed Painter’s play during the spring, and he remains the clear No. 1 heading into the fall. “Offensively, you’re usually as good as your quarterback is,’’ the coach said after the spring game. “Right now, our quarterback is pretty good.’’ Tiller also believes Painter will benefit from working with co-offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher — a noted quarterback guru — for a second consecutive season. Sophomore Joey Elliott, who attempted 10 passes in 2006, enters preseason camp as Painter’s backup.

Running Backs
There’s a fierce battle for the starting spot between incumbent Kory Sheets and Jaycen Taylor, who was one of Purdue’s top all-around players last season after transferring from Los Angeles Harbor College. Taylor is a tough, physical runner despite standing just 5'10" and weighing 186 pounds. Sheets is lightning-quick and responded with a strong spring when it looked like Taylor was about to pass him on the depth chart. He opened the 2006 season with a 129-yard effort against Division I-AA Indiana State, but he failed to run for more than 75 yards in the Boilermakers’ final 13 games. Keep an eye on 6'3", 251-pound Frank Halliburton as the Boilermakers try to use more two-back sets.

Receivers
This should be one of the Big Ten’s best units, especially if it gets more physical — a trait that was lacking at times last season. Bryant is elusive and slippery, but the coaches are looking for more leadership this season. As a sophomore, Bryant led the Big Ten in both catches (87) and receiving yards (1,068). He should vie for All-America honors this season. The outside duo of Lymon and Greg Orton is tall and athletic. They each had good first seasons as starters, but need to be more consistent. That should come with experience. Lymon had 238 yards receiving against Notre Dame but didn’t have more than 60 yards in a game after that. Desmond Tardy has improved greatly since the beginning of last season and will give the Boilermakers more options in the slot when they go to four- and five- receiver sets. Tardy was a star option quarterback in high school and the transition to receiver was initially slow, but it should pay dividends this season. Tight end Dustin Keller will challenge for All-Big Ten honors if he’s fully recovered from shoulder surgery.

2007 Schedule
S. 1	at Toledo	W
S. 8	Eastern Illinois	W
S. 15	Central Michigan	W
S. 22	at Minnesota	W
S. 29	Notre Dame	*
O. 6	Ohio State	L
O. 13	at Michigan	L
O. 20	Iowa	*
O. 27	Northwestern	W
N. 3	at Penn State	L
N. 10	Michigan State	W
N. 17	at Indiana	W
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
Purdue lost only two offensive starters, but both were on the left side of the line (tackle Mike Otto and guard Uche Nwaneri). Garret Miller and Jonathan Patton, the two likely replacements, missed most of spring practice because of shoulder injuries, so chemistry may be a problem early in the season. The right side should be fine, led by one of the nation’s top guards in Jordan Grimes. Center Robbie Powell is solid, and tackle Sean Sester is a tall, rangy sort that any coach would love to have at the position.

Defensive Linemen
Even with Spencer, the Boilermakers were pushed around far too often last season. Linebacker Cliff Avril moved to end on a full-time basis midway through the season and played well, but he won’t have Spencer on the other side drawing double teams. Alex Magee, a two-year starter at tackle, may play on the outside as well this season. The coaches think the 6'5", 295-pound Magee will cause some matchup nightmares for the opposition. The interior will have to improve dramatically. Players to watch include tackles Jared Zwilling and Mike Neal. Ryan Baker and Jermaine Guynn each started for part of last season.

Linebackers
Anthony Heygood was the No. 4 running back when he convinced the coaching staff to move him to defense last season. It was a very good move. Heygood had a superb spring and will be the starting weak-side linebacker. He combines with strong-side backer Stanford Keglar — whose 28 starts are the most by a current Purdue player — to form a speedy outside duo. But the problems loom on the inside. Dan Bick was the likely starter, but he missed spring practice because of a neck injury and also has a troublesome shoulder. Tiller has repeatedly called Bick one of the most instinctive players he’s coached, but it’s questionable whether he can withstand the physical pounding in the middle after playing mostly on the outside last season. Potential replacements are Josh Ferguson, Kevin Green and junior college transfer Brian Ellis.

Defensive Backs
Purdue’s four starters had never even taken part in a spring practice with the Boilermakers before last season — and all things considered, they didn’t perform too badly. Defensive coordinator Brock Spack still wishes for a lockdown corner, but the duo of Royce Adams and Terrell Vinson should be a good one. Free safety Brandon Erwin is fast and looks to have a nose for the ball. He recovered four fumbles as a freshman. Justin Scott was originally slated to be a cornerback last season, but he did an admirable job when injuries forced him to start 12 games at strong safety. Getting Williams back would help. He underwent two operations after suffering a serious knee injury in the season opener against Indiana State. He looked to be on his way back before his arrest.

Specialists
Jared Armstrong is a solid punter. Bryant and Sheets give the Boilermakers a pair of dangerous kickoff returners. But the punt-return game was ordinary at best, and kicker Chris Summers finished his freshman year by missing 11 of his last 14 field-goal attempts. Summers shows a strong leg in practice, but it doesn’t carry over to games. Don’t be shocked if Armstrong gets a look here if Summers continues to struggle.

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