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| 10-16-2003 | Previous edition: 10-15-2003 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Boilers to play at Randall Stadium among wild fansBy Steve MillerAssistant Sports Editor It's not as big as the "Big House" or as storied as "The Horseshoe." But Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium is still one of the toughest places in the Big Ten to get a road win. "It's one of the toughest places to play," junior quarterback Kyle Orton said. "I'm sure they'll be fired up." The Boilers (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) will find out just how tough this weekend, when they head to Madison, Wis., to take on Wisconsin (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten). In spite of Camp Randall Stadium's relatively small size — its seating capacity of 76,634 makes it only the fourth largest in the conference — "Mad Town" has earned a reputation as one of the most imposing destinations in the Big Ten. You can't argue with statistics. Wisconsin football is remarkably consistent in the drawing power it has over its fans; it has been ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation in attendance every year since 1972. It's a fact not lost on Purdue coach Joe Tiller, who says that the Badgers' wild fan base has earned its reputation as one of the most dedicated in the country. "It's always an exciting place to play," Tiller said. "I've been there maybe four times and it never changes. It's always a capacity crowd; it's always an excited crowd. Whether (Wisconsin) is 7-0 or 0-7, I think the crowd is still very rambunctious. "It's a lot of fun to be involved in that type of environment." Visiting teams seem to agree: It's not the sheer numbers that make Camp Randall a hostile environment as much as the fans' animated support for the Badgers. Players who've challenged Wisconsin on its own turf say that the overbearing fans' chants make it seem as if the crowd is standing on top of the visiting bench. That crowd was on hand Saturday to see Wisconsin claim its latest visiting victim, then-No. 3 Ohio State. After watching the Badgers hand the Buckeyes their first loss in over a year, the Camp Randall patrons should be as vivacious as ever. "They're on a high coming off that Ohio State win," Tiller said. "It'll take everything we can muster to hang with them." With the victory against the Buckeyes fueling its fans' already feverish dispositions — not to mention the fact that Saturday's game is Wisconsin's homecoming — you'd think Camp Randall would be the last place where opposing coaches would want to take on the Badgers. Tiller is actually looking forward to it. "I like the crazy places," Tiller said. "I like the big venues. I like Madison and Ann Arbor (Mich.). "There's only two or three places I'm not crazy about going — and the reason is because they're quieter." To better simulate the Camp Randall environment that the Boilers expect to encounter on Saturday, Purdue coaches plan to set up speakers that will blare crowd noise non-stop during this week's practice sessions. The road game will be Purdue's first since it made the trip to North Carolina to take on Wake Forest on Sept. 13. Now that the Boilers' four-game home stand has come to a close, Tiller is ready to test his team in an away game. "After you've been home for a month, you kind of look forward to going on the road," Tiller said. Orton agrees that a road game will provide a much-needed change of pace for the Boilers. "This will be a chance to go play in a hostile environment, which is actually pretty fun." Void's status improves If sophomore running back Jerod Void's ankle improves as much in the next two days as it has since Monday, he will see playing time Saturday against Wisconsin. "He practiced tonight and went through the whole practice and came out of it good," Tiller said after Wednesday's practice. Tiller wasn't sure whether Void would start, even if his condition improves. "We'd probably watch him warm up and then make a decision but I think we would definitely play him," Tiller said. According to Tiller, sophomore Brandon Jones, who rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns against Penn State, will still probably see a good amount of the carries. Printer-friendly version |
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