Aug. 10, 2002

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - As the temperature heated up Saturday, so did the Purdue offense.

The Boilermakers again practiced twice in shells - 7:55 to 10:15 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:40 p.m. - and by the afternoon session, temperatures had reached the upper 80s.

Offensively, the Boilermakers had their best showing of training camp in the morning. Quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Kyle Smith both were accurate, running backs Montrell Lowe, Joey Harris, Jerod Void and Brandon Jones all looked good, and the offensive line started coming together.

"That was good to see because the defense, especially the first unit, had been having its way with the offense the first couple of days," head coach Joe Tiller said. "If our offense can be successful against our defense, I think we should be all right."

Tiller was happy with the work of the two players who are playing new positions, offensive guard Nick Hardwick (from defensive tackle) and defensive tackle Brent Grover (from defensive end).

"I like Nick a lot," Tiller said. "He's a big, physical guy who I think will help us.

"Brent's an intelligent guy who we have moved from linebacker to end and now to tackle, which is a position where we are a little thin. He gotten bigger and stronger and we hope can be a contributor this fall."

Freshman tight end Nick Raben, a walkon from Evansville, Ind., left the team between practices.

The Boilermakers will practice in shells Sunday morning beginning at 7:55, then don full pads for the first time in the afternoon starting at 4:30.

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Purdue Boilermakers