2010-11 Purdue Sports: Winter Sports Wrap

With the College Sports calendar running down SBNation's Hammer & Rails is looking back at what the Boilermakers accomplished in all 18 varsity sports during the 2010-11 academic year. This morning the fall sports wrap, featuring a solid NCAA run by Purdue's women's volleyball team and Ryan Kerrigan's outstanding performance, was posted:

It all started the day after the Notre Dame game, when I was trail running at Indiana Dunes State Park and I planted wrong, tearing ligaments in my ankle. That injury is still giving me trouble at times, but it was merely the first of many injuries during the 2010 Football season. When even the resident blogger is hobbled by injury you know your team is cursed. Ralph Bolden was already out from the spring, but Robert Marve, Keith Smith, Justin Siller, and several others were lost to various injuries for either part or all of the season. At one point Sean Robinson, who figured to be redshirting at fourth on the QB depth chart as a true freshman, was starting. It looked alright for awhile. We started 4-2 despite a loss to freakin' Toledo at home, but an 0-6 finish and handing the Bucket over to IU at Ross-Ade Stadium was abysmal.

Only the All-American level performance of Ryan Kerrigan was a major highlight. I cannot say enough positive things about Kerrigan. Just remember, he was double- and triple-teamed on nearly every play and still was a unanimous All-American. At Notre Dame he was held on virtually every play and still made it a miserable day for Dayne Crist. He was the one player in the country that handled Denard Robinson, sacking him four times when Michigan had given up four sacks total coming into the game. Just imagine what he would have done if offenses had not been keying on him every play.