Prior to the Marshall game I was worried that Purdue's offense would still be poor this year - I guess that's what happens when you watch the PSU/Temple game. I was surprised in a good way and I thought that Purdue looked like a "real" Big Ten team - nothing special, but major strides have been made in some areas. Unfortunately, our 2 biggest areas of concern reared their ugly heads - I think the pass rush can be improved when Robinson returns, however the QB play was still very concerning.
The Good
Offensive Line - The line looked as good as advertised and it wasn't just the 5 starters. Patterson and Barrons contributed heavily on a very run heavy drive and you couldn't even tell they were in the ball game. That's going to be huge for Purdue because now we have the ability to keep the line fresh and hopefully healthy. I was very impressed by Patterson - he played RG and LT during the game. King, Roos and Kugler controlled the middle of the line for the running game and were always getting a push. Cermin was steady at RT. Hedelin is still a little shakey in pass protection, but did get better. I am only calling him out because I saw him get caught with his head down and feet not set in a good pass pro stance once - but it stuck out. They also provided pretty good protection for Appleby - one of the sacks was either a coverage sack or just Appleby hanging onto the ball too long. More on him later, but the line was a huge positive for Purdue and I'd give them a B+ or an A.
Run Defense - Overall, the run defense looked a lot better this year. Yes, Marshall busted a few big runs, but that's going to happen in this day and age. Purdue isn't going to have a defense that holds anyone to 15 pts or less anytime soon. The defense even won 2 short fields and forced FG attempts. The tackles were pretty good in gap assignments and Panfil played the run pretty well. The LBs, as beat up as they were, tackled as well as Purdue has seen in 10 years. Bentley is a missile. Bailley the true FR is a real LB. He played very well and quite a bit in this game. Jimmy Herman stood up and stoned a TE - something that he couldn't have done last year. Danny E struggled a bit in this game - that wasn't a late hit on the QB, but he didn't need to hit the guy either. Marshall's QB put on a slight acting job and got then penalty flag - 1 or 2 plays later Marshall scores instead of punting. That needs to be cleaned up. Garcia held up OK as a backup, but he's definitely a drop from the 3 starters and Bailey. Overall, those guys were a solid B.
Receivers - These guys made the biggest jump - Yancy, who I wanted benched from the ND game forward last year, looks like a new guy. I don't really think Marshall had anyone who could cover him. He was eating up that DB on the slants and with a slightly better thrown ball on the deep pass, he could have scored. Thumbs up to the kid for getting it turned around (for one game). He's going to be needed going forward and needs to be targeted more in future games. Anthrop looked good while he was playing, but his knee is a concern. I think losing him was a big blow to the offense yesterday, but not as big as it could have been. I don't think he should play against ISU if possible. I know I'd yank him from the return teams. Posey looked better this game then at any point last year. He's going to get a lot of chances from the slot the next few games - there were a few times he was wide open and didn't get the ball. That can't happen - those are the plays that exist in this offense - we've got to hit those when they are available. Philips had one of the better catches of the game in the first half right before Appleby hit Anthrop on that triple option play. I think he needs to play more, or at least get a few more targets. The 2 JUCOs also looked pretty good. Mahongu pulled in a difficult catch and got a foot inbounds. Young had way more targets then I expected him to have (though I don't think half of the throws to him should have been thrown). He fights the ball a little instead of catching it, but then again he didn't have anything easy in this game. Trae Hart looked physically a lot better (yet still needs more cheeseburgers). His fumble almost fumble is going to generate a few choice words during film review - but he's going to play more with Anthrop's knee being sore this year. I was surprised that Herdman and Jurasevich were as involved in the passing game as much as they were - I think Herdman is going to get a few more targets in the non-conf season to see if he can contribute during the conference season - he looked pretty good catching the ball. Jurasevich had a TD on a better thrown ball and blocked well. I would have bet he would have been in motion more in this game instead of the slot receiver. I'm interested to see if that changes. Our slot receiver in motion is basically our triple option look and forces the defense to be assignment sound - it generally worked though it is based more on having Anthrop in that slot role then any of the other guys. Someone is going to need to step up going forward at the slot. I'm giving the receivers a B
Running backs
Knox and Jones were better then I expected, and I expected them to be pretty good. Knox isn't afraid of contact and enjoys delivering the blows, especially on DBs. Jones showed more explosiveness running then I expected out of a freshman - he didn't hesitate at all and didn't fumble - those are big things for a freshman. These guys are going to have to continue to produce because the passing game is still an issue. The only thing I'd like to see changed is I think they could benefit from a lead blocker at times - whether that's Jurasevich or David Yancey I don't know - but I think it could help sometimes. I also thought Appleby ran well with the ball. He's gotten bigger and generally wasn't afraid to keep the ball and cut it up field. I think these guys were an A running the ball.
The Bad
Quarterback Play - This is one of the 2 areas that cost Purdue the game. I don't think Shoop or the playcalling were the issue - Purdue scored 31 points on the road against a team that had won 23 games the past 2 years. Purdue threw the ball a little better then last year - the pass to Yancy for a 40 or 50 yard game was the best pass Appleby has thrown at Purdue - but he missed to many of the plays that were already available in the offense. Appleby locked onto his primary receiver almost every snap - that first INT for a TD was a killer and while Purdue responded well after that mistake - giving up defensive scores greatly reduces your chances of winning a ball game. Appleby also made some strange decisions throwing the ball - specifically to Young - leading to some difficult or even strange throws. The 2nd or 3rd options were open (to wide open) and they didn't get the ball. The 2 3rd and 2 situations and the 3rd and goal were the keys to the ball game. 3rd and 2 is a wide open situation and Marshall had started to load the box daring Purdue to throw the ball (sound familiar?) and Appleby locked onto his primary guy and threw into coverage 2 times on those 3rd and 2 situations. On at least one of those situations Posey was wide open for a huge gain. My only slight grumble was why wasn't Yancy the go to guy - he really looks like he wants the ball, he made big catches all game, why not target him. But in passing plays, you don't always have to throw to the primary option - which is a huge concern and unless Appleby gets better, get ready to see more interceptions returned for TDs. The miss on the TD pass to Jurasevich was inexcusable - that's a play that was put in for that exact situation and the receiver wasn't given a chance to make a play on the ball. Appleby also might have been able to just run the ball into the endzone on that play too, but he needs to make that play either way. QB play for the day was a D+.
Pass Rush - The lack of a pass rush was a huge reason for the loss yesterday - especially as the offense wasted 3 chances or so to put the game away and gave Marshall a 7-0 lead. Purdue was stoned by an offensive line that I don't think will be one of top 5 lines we'll see all year. Robinson cannot get back soon enough - Miles and Henley aren't starters. This lack of a pass rush really took its toll on our secondary - which was the only group that did not rotate during the game. You can't play bump and run coverage for the entire game without having a pass rush. Williams was exhausted at half time and was completely spent at the end of the game again. Purdue was doing everything it could to keep him on the field and limit Marshall by giving up the underneath stuff hoping that the pass rush could force some bad throws. It gives a bad feeling to an otherwise pretty good defensive effort. I suspect this week we should see better production in the pass rush this week, but Robinson has to be better then what we currently have at the position. Purdue just to generate a pass rush from one of the end spots without needing to blitz. We can't hang Williams and Brown on an island and win every battle. We also need to develop a 3rd CB to give those guys a break at some point during a game. D+.
Overall, Purdue had the right game plan put together, but shot themselves in the foot, missing the plays that were there to be made. 3rd and 2 situations benefit the offense greatly and asking a QB to pick up that first down isn't asking too much, especially when the defense is geared up to stop the running game giving you one on one match ups and you had receivers beating that coverage. Physically, Purdue out hit a pretty decent opponent for the first time in a long time - we won the battles in both trenches. What Purdue didn't win was the QB play battle. I don't think this is time to call for Blough, but another performance like this from Appleby against BGSU, and you'll have to think about making the switch. Plays are there to be made, not terribly difficult plays either - any Big Ten starter should be able to make those plays. Purdue can still make this a pretty decent season - this wasn't the end of the world as losses go, but it would have been a very nice to have win. And no, Hazell shouldn't be fired after year 3 if we don't make a bowl game. That makes the job toxic. This was one game - and in the loss it looks like Purdue made some big strides from 2014 to 2015. There is enough positive to build on going forward. If Purdue comes out like they should and pounds ISU instead of hanging their heads, it will be a positive sign and there are some chances for wins in the Big Ten.
The Good
Offensive Line - The line looked as good as advertised and it wasn't just the 5 starters. Patterson and Barrons contributed heavily on a very run heavy drive and you couldn't even tell they were in the ball game. That's going to be huge for Purdue because now we have the ability to keep the line fresh and hopefully healthy. I was very impressed by Patterson - he played RG and LT during the game. King, Roos and Kugler controlled the middle of the line for the running game and were always getting a push. Cermin was steady at RT. Hedelin is still a little shakey in pass protection, but did get better. I am only calling him out because I saw him get caught with his head down and feet not set in a good pass pro stance once - but it stuck out. They also provided pretty good protection for Appleby - one of the sacks was either a coverage sack or just Appleby hanging onto the ball too long. More on him later, but the line was a huge positive for Purdue and I'd give them a B+ or an A.
Run Defense - Overall, the run defense looked a lot better this year. Yes, Marshall busted a few big runs, but that's going to happen in this day and age. Purdue isn't going to have a defense that holds anyone to 15 pts or less anytime soon. The defense even won 2 short fields and forced FG attempts. The tackles were pretty good in gap assignments and Panfil played the run pretty well. The LBs, as beat up as they were, tackled as well as Purdue has seen in 10 years. Bentley is a missile. Bailley the true FR is a real LB. He played very well and quite a bit in this game. Jimmy Herman stood up and stoned a TE - something that he couldn't have done last year. Danny E struggled a bit in this game - that wasn't a late hit on the QB, but he didn't need to hit the guy either. Marshall's QB put on a slight acting job and got then penalty flag - 1 or 2 plays later Marshall scores instead of punting. That needs to be cleaned up. Garcia held up OK as a backup, but he's definitely a drop from the 3 starters and Bailey. Overall, those guys were a solid B.
Receivers - These guys made the biggest jump - Yancy, who I wanted benched from the ND game forward last year, looks like a new guy. I don't really think Marshall had anyone who could cover him. He was eating up that DB on the slants and with a slightly better thrown ball on the deep pass, he could have scored. Thumbs up to the kid for getting it turned around (for one game). He's going to be needed going forward and needs to be targeted more in future games. Anthrop looked good while he was playing, but his knee is a concern. I think losing him was a big blow to the offense yesterday, but not as big as it could have been. I don't think he should play against ISU if possible. I know I'd yank him from the return teams. Posey looked better this game then at any point last year. He's going to get a lot of chances from the slot the next few games - there were a few times he was wide open and didn't get the ball. That can't happen - those are the plays that exist in this offense - we've got to hit those when they are available. Philips had one of the better catches of the game in the first half right before Appleby hit Anthrop on that triple option play. I think he needs to play more, or at least get a few more targets. The 2 JUCOs also looked pretty good. Mahongu pulled in a difficult catch and got a foot inbounds. Young had way more targets then I expected him to have (though I don't think half of the throws to him should have been thrown). He fights the ball a little instead of catching it, but then again he didn't have anything easy in this game. Trae Hart looked physically a lot better (yet still needs more cheeseburgers). His fumble almost fumble is going to generate a few choice words during film review - but he's going to play more with Anthrop's knee being sore this year. I was surprised that Herdman and Jurasevich were as involved in the passing game as much as they were - I think Herdman is going to get a few more targets in the non-conf season to see if he can contribute during the conference season - he looked pretty good catching the ball. Jurasevich had a TD on a better thrown ball and blocked well. I would have bet he would have been in motion more in this game instead of the slot receiver. I'm interested to see if that changes. Our slot receiver in motion is basically our triple option look and forces the defense to be assignment sound - it generally worked though it is based more on having Anthrop in that slot role then any of the other guys. Someone is going to need to step up going forward at the slot. I'm giving the receivers a B
Running backs
Knox and Jones were better then I expected, and I expected them to be pretty good. Knox isn't afraid of contact and enjoys delivering the blows, especially on DBs. Jones showed more explosiveness running then I expected out of a freshman - he didn't hesitate at all and didn't fumble - those are big things for a freshman. These guys are going to have to continue to produce because the passing game is still an issue. The only thing I'd like to see changed is I think they could benefit from a lead blocker at times - whether that's Jurasevich or David Yancey I don't know - but I think it could help sometimes. I also thought Appleby ran well with the ball. He's gotten bigger and generally wasn't afraid to keep the ball and cut it up field. I think these guys were an A running the ball.
The Bad
Quarterback Play - This is one of the 2 areas that cost Purdue the game. I don't think Shoop or the playcalling were the issue - Purdue scored 31 points on the road against a team that had won 23 games the past 2 years. Purdue threw the ball a little better then last year - the pass to Yancy for a 40 or 50 yard game was the best pass Appleby has thrown at Purdue - but he missed to many of the plays that were already available in the offense. Appleby locked onto his primary receiver almost every snap - that first INT for a TD was a killer and while Purdue responded well after that mistake - giving up defensive scores greatly reduces your chances of winning a ball game. Appleby also made some strange decisions throwing the ball - specifically to Young - leading to some difficult or even strange throws. The 2nd or 3rd options were open (to wide open) and they didn't get the ball. The 2 3rd and 2 situations and the 3rd and goal were the keys to the ball game. 3rd and 2 is a wide open situation and Marshall had started to load the box daring Purdue to throw the ball (sound familiar?) and Appleby locked onto his primary guy and threw into coverage 2 times on those 3rd and 2 situations. On at least one of those situations Posey was wide open for a huge gain. My only slight grumble was why wasn't Yancy the go to guy - he really looks like he wants the ball, he made big catches all game, why not target him. But in passing plays, you don't always have to throw to the primary option - which is a huge concern and unless Appleby gets better, get ready to see more interceptions returned for TDs. The miss on the TD pass to Jurasevich was inexcusable - that's a play that was put in for that exact situation and the receiver wasn't given a chance to make a play on the ball. Appleby also might have been able to just run the ball into the endzone on that play too, but he needs to make that play either way. QB play for the day was a D+.
Pass Rush - The lack of a pass rush was a huge reason for the loss yesterday - especially as the offense wasted 3 chances or so to put the game away and gave Marshall a 7-0 lead. Purdue was stoned by an offensive line that I don't think will be one of top 5 lines we'll see all year. Robinson cannot get back soon enough - Miles and Henley aren't starters. This lack of a pass rush really took its toll on our secondary - which was the only group that did not rotate during the game. You can't play bump and run coverage for the entire game without having a pass rush. Williams was exhausted at half time and was completely spent at the end of the game again. Purdue was doing everything it could to keep him on the field and limit Marshall by giving up the underneath stuff hoping that the pass rush could force some bad throws. It gives a bad feeling to an otherwise pretty good defensive effort. I suspect this week we should see better production in the pass rush this week, but Robinson has to be better then what we currently have at the position. Purdue just to generate a pass rush from one of the end spots without needing to blitz. We can't hang Williams and Brown on an island and win every battle. We also need to develop a 3rd CB to give those guys a break at some point during a game. D+.
Overall, Purdue had the right game plan put together, but shot themselves in the foot, missing the plays that were there to be made. 3rd and 2 situations benefit the offense greatly and asking a QB to pick up that first down isn't asking too much, especially when the defense is geared up to stop the running game giving you one on one match ups and you had receivers beating that coverage. Physically, Purdue out hit a pretty decent opponent for the first time in a long time - we won the battles in both trenches. What Purdue didn't win was the QB play battle. I don't think this is time to call for Blough, but another performance like this from Appleby against BGSU, and you'll have to think about making the switch. Plays are there to be made, not terribly difficult plays either - any Big Ten starter should be able to make those plays. Purdue can still make this a pretty decent season - this wasn't the end of the world as losses go, but it would have been a very nice to have win. And no, Hazell shouldn't be fired after year 3 if we don't make a bowl game. That makes the job toxic. This was one game - and in the loss it looks like Purdue made some big strides from 2014 to 2015. There is enough positive to build on going forward. If Purdue comes out like they should and pounds ISU instead of hanging their heads, it will be a positive sign and there are some chances for wins in the Big Ten.
