Boilermakers remain confident without Robert Marve

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - As if their trip to South Bend wasn't disappointing enough. Head Coach Danny Hope received word Monday night that Robert Marve's left knee is torn. Nevertheless the Boilermakers are staying positive as they gear up for Eastern Michigan.

 “It's pretty obvious that if we can play a little better we are going to be tough to beat. Regardless of who we play, regardless of where it is at, and regardless of whether we get good calls or not,” said head coach Danny Hope.

“We are hoping that things go Robert's way from a healing process standpoint and anticipate him making an attempt to come back and play this season,” said Hope.

After a rough road trip, the gold and black are excited to return to the friendly confines of Ross Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers will play four consecutive home games and a enjoy a bye week which has the Boilermakers feeling optimistic.

“This outfit, they really want to win and there is not any selfishness on our football team and they all pull the rope in the same direction. I think they exemplify that in the way they play and stick together,” said Hope.

“All the games count and we need to win. Everything is pretty much going in our favor right now as far as other teams losing in our division, us being a better team then last year, and a lot of people recognizing us so we just have to live up to hype. We have high expectations and within our minds we know where we are trying to go with it,” said senior defensive tackle Kawann Short.

“It's a long season and when we look back on it, it's a short season and there are only 12 games and one game can set you behind pretty far. Coach Hope has always preached a one-game approach and we are going into this week and it's all about Eastern Michigan and we will worry about the future when we get there,” said senior quarterback Caleb TerBush.

And they will take it one game at a time, but it's clear the Boilermakers know just how important the next month will be.

It is still early in the 2012 season, but in the 17 categories listed by the NCAA for rankings the Boilermakers are in the upper half (sixth or higher) of the Big Ten Conference in 12 of them. Purdue ranks first in the conference in passing offense (285.0), net punting (41.6), sacks per game (3.5) and kickoff return average (33.3), third in scoring defense (13.0), fourth in rushing defense (78.5), pass defense efficiency (107.7), total defense (283.0) and pass efficiency (137.8), fifth in scoring offense (32.5) and tackles for loss per game (7.0) and sixth in total offense (417.5).

Purdue will take on Eastern Michigan for the second time in school history on Saturday. The Boilermakers won the first meeting 49-3 in 1991.