Fearless Bryant back to lead Boilermakers

Joe Tiller doesn't mince words when discussing senior Dorien Bryant.

"I think Bryant is, quite frankly, the most talented of all the receivers we've ever had at Purdue in our 10 years," Tiller said.

Considering that run has spawned college football's all-time receptions leader (Taylor Stubblefield) and the Big Ten's single-season catch king (Chris Daniels), Bryant must be something special.

But the loquacious Boilermaker, who led the league in catches and yardage last year, says it's easy to stop him.

"I don't really have too much fear about anything," Bryant said. "The only things that I'm scared of are clowns and midgets."

Then the 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior from North Philly, who claims he'll never grow up, laughed uproariously.

"So if you line up a midget across from me, the game's over," Bryant said. "I quit."

Bryant's game-breaking ability has been so obvious during his years in West Lafayette (205 catches, 3,098 all-purpose yards, 20 touchdowns), it might be worth it for other Big Ten schools to burn scholarships on clowns just to slow him down.

Or, perhaps, opponents can hope he hurts himself while he pursues an X Games lifestyle off the field.

Bryant loves to ride and skate -- his skateboard used to serve as his mode of transportation to class -- but his ardor has cooled after multiple accidents.

While maintaining the same infectious laugh he used while talking of clowns, Bryant described an ill-fated teenage riding maneuver (something about a 360 tailwhip off a gyro) that caused a painful injury to a personal part of his body.

"I came down on the side of the bike, on the pedal," Bryant said. "And I couldn't move. I was bleeding a little."

Now he saves his daredevil moments for his forays into opposing defenses.

With Bryant and all-Big Ten tight end Dustin Keller probing the middle -- and all-conference caliber wideouts Greg Orton and Selwyn Lymon handling the outside -- junior quarterback Curtis Painter has endless options.

Now it's up to him to use them wisely.

Painter set the Big Ten's single-season record for passing yards last year -- his 3,985 yards in 14 games surpassed Drew Brees' mark set in 1988 -- but he also coughed up 19 interceptions to go with 22 touchdowns.

That's not how things are supposed to be in Tiller's high-percentage passing attack. If Painter improves that ratio to 2 touchdowns per interception, the Boilers will be headed to a bowl game.

"Curtis is starting to come into his own," Tiller said. "I don't think he's as talented, naturally speaking, as certainly Drew was nor Kyle (Orton) was. But I think as he continues to grow and mature, he's beginning to approach an efficiency level and productivity level where these guys could really make some hay this year."

Painter needed to force some things last year because Purdue's inexperienced defense, particularly its secondary, surrendered 32.8 points per game in the first half of the season. As the defense learned on the job, it gave up an average of 22.1 points over the last eight games.

Purdue retains nine starters from that crew, though All-American defensive end Anthony Spencer went in the first round to the Dallas Cowboys.

Converted linebacker Cliff Avril, who checks in at 251 pounds, hopes to be the latest in a string of undersized Purdue pass rushers who dominates in college and goes on to a nice pro career.

"Last year, I was freestyling," Avril said. "Now I watch a lot of film on Spence, I watch a lot on Shaun Phillips."

Purdue

Coach: Joe Tiller (11th year at Purdue, 75-49; 17th year overall, 114-79-1)

2006 record: 8-5, 5-3 (tied for 4th); lost to Maryland 24-7 in Champs Sports Bowl

Last bowl miss: 2005

All-Big Ten candidates: WR Dorien Bryant, TE Dustin Keller, RG Jordan Grimes, P Jared Armstrong

The Boilermakers will go to a bowl if … they've improved their strength and toughness enough to withstand their grueling midseason stretch (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa).

BCS finish the last five years (2006 listed first*): 46th, 46th, 31st, 14th, 53rd.

*Ratings (courtesy of CollegeBCS.com) are pre-bowls

-- Lindsey Willhite

Schedule

Sept. 1 at Toledo 6 p.m.

Sept. 8 E. ILLINOIS 11 a.m.

Sept. 15 C. MICHIGAN 11 a.m.

Sept. 22 at Minnesota 8 p.m.

Sept. 29 NOTRE DAME TBA

Oct. 6 OHIO STATE 7 p.m..

Oct. 13 at Michigan 11 a.m.

Oct. 20 IOWA TBA

Oct. 27 NORTHWESTERN 11 a.m.

Nov. 3 at Penn State TBA

Nov. 10 MICHIGAN ST. TBA

Nov. 17 at Indiana TBA