September 7, 2012

Kelly Kitchel
GoldandBlack.com

The topic of the week is starting quarterback. It seems that the only thing I have been asked is "Why in the world would Coach Danny Hope Start Caleb TerBush?" I mean, he only started 13 games last season, led the Boilers back into postseason play and by all accounts from the staff outplayed Robert Marve and Rob Henry in spring, summer, and fall camp. So why in the world would Danny Hope and the staff think it's a good idea to start the best quarterback on the road against a ranked team … CRAZY! I hope you are getting my sarcasm because I am laying it on pretty thick (Tommy Boy reference). I am as big of a Robert Marve fan as anyone because I see the raw talent he displays and I think he played really well against Eastern Kentucky, but after interviewing Hope and hearing his comments this week, he believes that Caleb is the guy who will make less mistakes and has an the best opportunity to start the game well in South Bend. Having played at Notre Dame Stadium twice, it is in the middle of the pack as far as great/intimidating places to play. The atmosphere is pretty average until the opponent makes a mistake and then it seems to pile on. Each time I played there we were in pretty good shape and then we make a mistake with a turnover or bad penalty. That's when it seemed to snowball and the place can get pretty loud. Growing up I always played up a grade level or two in all my summer sports, so there were some instances when I didn't start and my dad always told me "It doesn't matter who starts the game, it matters who finishes the game and who the coach has the faith in when it's crunch time." I understand that many Boilermaker fans are disappointed in Caleb Terbush and whatever he did to put himself in a position to be suspended for the first game. I also understand that this is not the first time for Caleb. What I think that we all need to understand is that Danny Hope is going to give his players more opportunities to prove themselves than some other coaches would. That is in his DNA and he will not waiver from that. There may be some of you that will disagree, believe that college student-athletes should be beacons of light and righteousness; if they waiver they should be swiftly and severely punished. You will not get that from Hope. He will lay the hammer down as far as internal punishment, but he will also give his players chances to find the right path. If you believe that off-field decisions always directly affect on field actions then you are way off the mark. The actions of players off the field may have some impact, but it is not a blanket truth and this is proven to me every time I get together with my old teammates. I was fortunate enough to play in one of the greatest stretches of Purdue football and when we get together now we start telling stories over cold beverages. The stories are 99 percent about the stuff we did off the field and the things we did were just stupid as we look back. We were by no means saints off the field. We had guys making awful decisions after a game that made some of the most memorable moments in Purdue football history just hours before. I think my point is that Caleb Terbush made a mistake, and it wasn't his first, however he has done enough to have his teammates trust him enough to name him captain and his coaches trust him enough to start a game off right against a ranked team on the road. I think that our fan base likes to compare all of our QBs to the greatest QB to walk on campus. Do I wish that all of our quarterbacks had the character of Drew Brees? Yes of course, but there is only one Drew. Follow me on Twitter during every game as I will let you in on what I see from the sideline @kelly_kitchel Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2012. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc. GoldandBlack.com Mobile for your iPhone | GoldandBlack.com Mobile for your Android Check out GoldandBlack.com on | | gold30 ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial

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