Purdue's offense has been awful this season, almost completely helpless as it's broken in young players at critical positions; been held back by a struggling (to put in nicely) offensive line; and been beaten up by turnovers, often disastrous ones.
So when that offense showed a pulse Saturday at Penn State and did something, it shined a light on what the bigger disappointment's been for Purdue this season: Defense.
You see, the offense has a reasonable excuse: Youth.
The defense has no such thing.
While Purdue is starting freshman Danny Etling at quarterback and a whole bunch of puppies for him to throw to, Purdue's starting upperclassmen all over the defense.
That defensive front that's serving as little more than a speed bump in the path of opposing running games includes linemen Bruce Gaston (fourth-year senior), Ryan Isaac (fifth-year senior), Greg Latta (senior) and Ryan Russell (fourth-year junior and third-year starter). They're flanked at linebacker by Joe Gilliam (fourth-year junior and returning starter), Will Lucas (senior) and Sean Robinson (junior and returning starter).
Yet opponents do whatever they want in the running game. This is nothing new; Purdue has been bad on defense for years in a league where if you can't stop the run, you pretty much can't win, or at least win big.
But this season's been a new low. Purdue's well on pace to go down as the worst defense in school history, depending on your perspective of such things.
In 12 games this season, it'll break the school record for points allowed, set last season in 13, though the pick-six-prone offense lays some claim to that, too. In 12 games this season, it'll approach the school record for most yards allowed, set in 2006 in 14. Purdue, the defense mostly, is allowing 38 points per game right now; the dubious school record is 33.3.
(Take out the 44 points accounted for by five touchdowns against the offense, a kick return TD and a safety and Purdue's still allowing 33.6 points.)
The result of all this has been this series of blowouts, and not just blowouts, but non-competitive games that aren't close even when the scoreboard says they are.
It was 14-7 last week against Iowa, the Hawkeyes leading, and there was no reason to think the visitors wouldn't just hand the ball off over and over again and at the very least, slow-bleed the game and win comfortably.
When Purdue reached one of its most hope-triggering moments of its eight-game losing streak with its touchdown to start the second half Saturday, a 28-21 deficit came with the asterisk of, "They still have to get stops." Wasn't going to happen and didn't.
Penn State never punted Saturday. Don't have to when you're a ridiculous 10-of-12 on third down, 8-of-9 through three quarters.
I don't have to tell you how deficient Purdue's personnel is at certain positions. You can see for yourself how it's struggled at linebacker and in effect changed its defense mid-season to take a step toward covering them up.
But if this is the best Purdue can put on the field with an older group up front, a group that includes some of the team's supposed better players, yikes.
Say what you will about the offense and a running game that can't do anything, but for Purdue to win any time soon, it's on defense where things have to change most.
Again, this isn't a one-year deal. Purdue's been bad on defense for years now under a carousel of coordinators - when Greg Hudson returns next season, it'll mark the first time since 2007 and 2008 that Purdue had the same coordinator arrangement in consecutive seasons - but as players get older, units should trend upward. This one is trending downward.
And that more than anything has been an incredible disappointment as Purdue's season has gone completely sideways.
How did it get this way?
Poor recruiting? Obviously. Poor player development? Yep. Most of these guys played as freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Who's improved?
And the jury would seem to very much remain out on the new schemes implemented mid-season, not that the old ones were working any better.
It won't be a quick fix, either. Can't be.
As old as Purdue is on defense now, it'll likely be equally young next season.
Some how, some way, this new staff took over a situation where it had to sign almost their entire next defensive line in the same recruiting class, so those three true freshmen playing now are starters - as second-year sophomores - next season.
And freshmen will have every chance in the world to play at linebacker as well.
When football teams get younger, they generally become less physical and in turn, worse.
I guess the good news for Purdue then is that it can't get much worse.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
So when that offense showed a pulse Saturday at Penn State and did something, it shined a light on what the bigger disappointment's been for Purdue this season: Defense.
You see, the offense has a reasonable excuse: Youth.
The defense has no such thing.
While Purdue is starting freshman Danny Etling at quarterback and a whole bunch of puppies for him to throw to, Purdue's starting upperclassmen all over the defense.
That defensive front that's serving as little more than a speed bump in the path of opposing running games includes linemen Bruce Gaston (fourth-year senior), Ryan Isaac (fifth-year senior), Greg Latta (senior) and Ryan Russell (fourth-year junior and third-year starter). They're flanked at linebacker by Joe Gilliam (fourth-year junior and returning starter), Will Lucas (senior) and Sean Robinson (junior and returning starter).
Yet opponents do whatever they want in the running game. This is nothing new; Purdue has been bad on defense for years in a league where if you can't stop the run, you pretty much can't win, or at least win big.
But this season's been a new low. Purdue's well on pace to go down as the worst defense in school history, depending on your perspective of such things.
In 12 games this season, it'll break the school record for points allowed, set last season in 13, though the pick-six-prone offense lays some claim to that, too. In 12 games this season, it'll approach the school record for most yards allowed, set in 2006 in 14. Purdue, the defense mostly, is allowing 38 points per game right now; the dubious school record is 33.3.
(Take out the 44 points accounted for by five touchdowns against the offense, a kick return TD and a safety and Purdue's still allowing 33.6 points.)
The result of all this has been this series of blowouts, and not just blowouts, but non-competitive games that aren't close even when the scoreboard says they are.
It was 14-7 last week against Iowa, the Hawkeyes leading, and there was no reason to think the visitors wouldn't just hand the ball off over and over again and at the very least, slow-bleed the game and win comfortably.
When Purdue reached one of its most hope-triggering moments of its eight-game losing streak with its touchdown to start the second half Saturday, a 28-21 deficit came with the asterisk of, "They still have to get stops." Wasn't going to happen and didn't.
Penn State never punted Saturday. Don't have to when you're a ridiculous 10-of-12 on third down, 8-of-9 through three quarters.
I don't have to tell you how deficient Purdue's personnel is at certain positions. You can see for yourself how it's struggled at linebacker and in effect changed its defense mid-season to take a step toward covering them up.
But if this is the best Purdue can put on the field with an older group up front, a group that includes some of the team's supposed better players, yikes.
Say what you will about the offense and a running game that can't do anything, but for Purdue to win any time soon, it's on defense where things have to change most.
Again, this isn't a one-year deal. Purdue's been bad on defense for years now under a carousel of coordinators - when Greg Hudson returns next season, it'll mark the first time since 2007 and 2008 that Purdue had the same coordinator arrangement in consecutive seasons - but as players get older, units should trend upward. This one is trending downward.
And that more than anything has been an incredible disappointment as Purdue's season has gone completely sideways.
How did it get this way?
Poor recruiting? Obviously. Poor player development? Yep. Most of these guys played as freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Who's improved?
And the jury would seem to very much remain out on the new schemes implemented mid-season, not that the old ones were working any better.
It won't be a quick fix, either. Can't be.
As old as Purdue is on defense now, it'll likely be equally young next season.
Some how, some way, this new staff took over a situation where it had to sign almost their entire next defensive line in the same recruiting class, so those three true freshmen playing now are starters - as second-year sophomores - next season.
And freshmen will have every chance in the world to play at linebacker as well.
When football teams get younger, they generally become less physical and in turn, worse.
I guess the good news for Purdue then is that it can't get much worse.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
