In 2009, Ryan Kerrigan earned plenty of attention, leading the Big Ten in sacks and establishing himself as one of the top defensive ends in the nation.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Purdue standout enters 2010 squarely in the spotlight.

Kerrigan is on five watch lists for postseason awards entering his senior campaign with the Boilermakers. The latest is the Chuck Bednarik Award. Kerrigan is among the 60 players named to the watch list for the award that goes to the top defensive player in college football.

Along with the Bednarik Award, Kerrigan also is on the watch list for the Lott Trophy, the Lombardi Award, the Ted Hendricks Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

Kerrigan ranks tied for fifth in Purdue history with 21 sacks, 13 coming in 2009 to lead the Big Ten and rank third in the nation. He tied a school record by forcing seven fumbles in 2009.

Purdue begins its season Sept. 4 at Notre Dame.

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Izzo is doing a nice job of trying to deflect some of the high expectations and pressure on his team off onto Purdue.

He said that he knows a lot of people are picking his Spartans to win the conference, but he thinks Purdue is the best team.

The Boilermarkers are coming off a terrible disappointing season that was ruined by a knee injury to Robbie Hummel.

With Hummel and their two other big stars back, Purdue has some unfinished business to take care of this upcoming season.

E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson have announced that they will return to school for next season.

Both players declared themselves for the NBA Draft but never seemed serious about actually turning pro.

Moore and Johnson were simply interested in received feedback from scouts about what they need to do to get better.

Moore was first-team All Big Ten last year while Johnson has been on the league’s first-team All Defensive team the past two years.

Midway through the second half of Friday’s South Regional semifinal, the Purdue Boilermakers were down just three points to Duke.

But from that point on, the Boilermakers ran out of gas. Duke and their big three scorers took advantage, pulling away as Purdue saw its season come to an end in a 70-57 defeat to the Blue Devils in Houston in the NCAA Tournament.

JaJuan Johnson scored a team-high 23 points and led Purdue (29-6) with five rebounds. Certainly the absence of Robbie Hummel, who has been out since last month, was noticed on this night against the talented Blue Devils, the No. 1 seed in the South.

Still, the Boilermakers hung tough. Purdue trailed only by three points at halftime and kept the game tight for the first 30 minutes. But down 42-39 at the midpoint of the second half, Purdue couldn’t keep Duke in check any longer, getting outscored 28-18 the rest of the way.

Purdue shot just 37 percent and struggled inside against the bigger Blue Devils. Purdue came in having won 15 out of its past 17 games.

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Friday night, the Purdue Boilermakers aim for their 30th victory of the season. A win, though, would mean so much more.

Purdue takes on Duke in the South Regional semifinals in Houston. A win would send the Boilermakers to the Elite Eight, where Purdue would play Sunday for a trip to the Final Four in Indianapolis next weekend.

While Duke, the top seed in the South and a prohibitive favorite to make it to Indy, is the favorite in may eyes, Purdue has more than a puncher’s chance. The Boilermakers are one of the hottest teams in the nation coming into this one, having won 15 of their past 17. In NCAA Tournament victories over Siena and Texas A&M (in overtime), Purdue has shown time and time again it can make the big plays in the pressure-cooker of March.

Both teams are allowing just 61.0 points per game. That’s the key for Purdue, to keep Duke’s offense from getting on track. Should Purdue do that, the Boilermakers have a chance to win game No. 30 …

And get a shot at winning No. 31. Two more wins, and Purdue reaches the Final Four for just the third time in program history (1969, 1980).

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Chris Kramer decided he would take things into his own hands Sunday afternoon. Good thing for Purdue the standout was so assertive.

Kramer drove the lane and scored with 4.2 seconds left in overtime, sending Purdue past Texas A&M 63-61 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash.

Purdue (29-5) advanced to the Midwest Regional semifinals Friday in Houston against Duke. The Blue Devils best bring their physicality with them, as the Boilermakers left bruises all over Texas A&M.

Down 11 in the second half, Purdue rallied to pull even at 55-55. The Aggies had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but B.J. Holmes couldn’t convert at the buzzer to force overtime.

Kramer led Purdue with 17 points and seven rebounds. JaJuan Johnson scored 11 points and D.J. Byrd added 10. The Boilermakers held Texas A&M to just 35.4 percent shooting from the floor.

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Purdue used their stingy defense to jump out to a 13-point lead by halftime and never looked back.

Playing without injured star Robbie Hummel for the second straight game, Indiana was a little easier on them than Michigan State was.

E’Twaun Moore led the Boilermakers with 21 points and has quickly become their main scoring threat.

Chris Kramer added 18 points, six assists and three bounds and JaJuan Johnson finished with 14 points.

Not only was it a tough win on the road for a team that now seems to have a target on its back, but they were without one of their players.

Robbie Hummel injured his knee in the first half and spent the rest of the game on the bench with crutches at his side.

Trailing by five at halftime, Purdue came out in the second half and picked up the slack for their injured teammate.

JaJuan Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds while Hummel and E’Twaun Moore each added 11.

The Boilermakers actually trailed by three heading into halftime against an Illinois team that has played well on the road.

Purdue picked up the pace in the second half, especially on the offensive end of the floor.

Defensive star Robbie Hummel led the team with 22 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

With the win, Purdue keeps pace with the Big 10 leaders and also looks to close in on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Purdue got off to a quick start and went into halftime holding onto a comfortable 13-point lead.

JaJuan Johnson led the way with 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists and blocked a shot.

Even the stingy Purdue defense couldn’t hold down Evan Turner, but they did do a nice job on the rest of the Buckeyes.

They gave up just two three-pointers to Jon Diebler, and only two players beside Turner finished in double figures.