Gopher Football
We get a primer on Purdue with beat reporter Mike Carmin from the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind.
GH: With Purdue off to its worst start since ’93 (four straight losses, 1-4), are they still engaged enough?
MC: The players are saying the right things and I think their actions over the last two weeks indicate they’re still into this season. That may change once they’re eliminated from postseason consideration, but for now they believe they’re close to breaking through. Purdue has a strong senior class that has put a lot into this season because it’s their only chance to play full-time.
GH: Purdue is No. 2 in the nation w/ 17 turnovers — is this by far the No. 1 reason for the poor start?
MC: That’s the No. 1 reason. Opponents have scored 41.2 percent of its points (61) as a result of turnovers. Take away half the turnovers, and the Boilermakers are sitting at 3-2 or maybe 4-1. The other issue is on defense where missed tackles have haunted the unit most of the season. But toward the end of the Notre Dame game, Purdue started to tackle better and it carried over into last week’s Northwestern game. I’ll be curious to see if that trend continues this week.
GH: Is Purdue’s record slightly misleading, considering the four losses are by a combined 18 points?
MC: Yes, but your record says who you are. Right now, Purdue is a 1-4 team because of the turnovers. I still think the Boilermakers are dangerous because they’ve played in so many close games. They’ve played well enough in spurts to break through, but they have to limit the mistakes. Opposing teams and fans shouldn’t take them lightly because they do have some firepower to remain close.
GH: Put on your defensive coordinator hat, what do you do schematically do slow down Purdue’s offense?
MC: Load up and stop the run. After Purdue had success on the ground against Toledo and Oregon, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame and Northwestern geared their defenses to slow down running back Ralph Bolden. You have to say it’s worked because the Boilermakers are averaging 2.5 yards a carry the last two games compared to 6.1 in the first three games. The other thing is Purdue’s average time of possession is 26:10, one of the worst in the nation. The Boilermakers are averaging plenty of points (30.2), but they don’t have the ball enough to get the running game going.
GH: Same question, flip-side, how do you attack Purdue’s defense?
MC: The Boilermakers have struggled to stop the run, ranking near the bottom among Big Ten Conference teams. A good sized offensive line and a solid running back can have some success. While I like Purdue’s front four with Ryan Kerrigan, Mike Neal, Gerald Gooden and Kawann Short, opposing teams have taken advantage of the linebackers with a short passing game and power runs up the middle.
GH: How has the adjustment been with two new coordinators (Offense = Gary Nord; Defense = Donn Landhom)?
MC: The offense isn’t the same one used by Joe Tiller, but there are a lot of similarities. Purdue uses multiple formations, including the I. Nord was handcuffed early because no one knew for sure that the Boilermakers had on offense. I like Nord’s approach, other than a couple of play calls, but he’s done a good job with what he’s had to work with.
Defensively, Landholm is running the same 4-3 alignment that former defensive coordinator Brock Spack used. They haven’t blitzed a lot but the front four is starting to get more and more pressure. The problem with the defense is they’re on the field for about an average of 80 plays, the worst mark in the nation.
GH: Is the Boilermakers’ secondary still solid after giving up the fewest pass yards in the Big Ten last year, and returning every starter?
MC: Lots of experience back there but the group has produced one interception. Toledo and Northwestern used a short passing game to attack the defense and it worked. The Wildcats had two 20-play drives, one that resulted in a field goal. They need to come up with more big plays in the second half of the season.
GH: How much fallout has there been from the end of the Notre Dame game when head coach Danny Hope, at least for me, inexplicably called a timeout on defense when the Irish had none?
MC: Hope has taken a lot of heat for that timeout, but he’s said he would do it again. I understand why he did it, but I didn’t think the situation called for it. It didn’t cost Purdue the game but it didn’t help them win either. The timeout will be remembered for a long time, mainly because it came against Notre Dame, the program’s biggest rival.
GH: The Gophers’ normally good rood rush defense was gashed vs. Wisconsin (295 yards allowed) … how good is Purdue’s O-line/run game?
MC: I think Purdue’s line is one of the team’s strengths. They’ve allowed a limited number of sacks and were good early in the run game. They need to control the line scrimmage moving forward if they want to break this losing streak. I don’t think Minnesota fans will see a better line than last week but I think Purdue will hold up against the Gophers’ defense.
GH: Who wins, and why?
MC: It’s interesting because Purdue can’t close out a game and the Gophers have trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season. I’m not sure what that means Saturday. I think Purdue’s defense is going to struggle dealing with the Adam Weber to Eric Decker combination. It’s hard to predict turnovers but it’s a safe bet the Boilermakers will have a couple. Minnesota wins 31-17.
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