Observations

[BoilermakerD]

Look, if I've learned one thing since 1998; its... judge slowly. We have to see a lot more info, but so far, here it is:

1. Remove from the feel of "I didn't like this guy, so I like is guy." Brohm doesn't appear to be a guy you need to defend the way that people defended Hope because they thought Tiller was done or Hazell because they hated Hope... He and his staff appear to be professionals. With what I've seen for example, I expect #7 to appear to go into the next game as if diving on top of a pile is the kind of behavior that will "make him wish he was never born" in the words of the coach from the Program.

2. No weak link. I didnt' see a player through the first two games where I was like, "yeah, we have good players, but the talent level of THAT guy is so low that teams will know they can abuse us through him." I don't want to name names, but this has been a problem forever at Purdue.

3. Two QBs this good? Recruiting should be easier at a few positions.

4. Seeing a player with number 9 take a jet sweep and stretch the sideline brought back nice memories .

5. If I wonder if we will struggle against better competition, its because I don't see any one player being a threat offensively against top talent. Anthrop is good... I don't see "Special" when lined up against Ohio State. There is no player showing me a top tier attribute like Dorien Bryant's speed or Taylor Stubblefield's ability to find the hole in the defense consistently...

6. If I'm seeing what an easy recruiting priority should be... it's recruiting over the top of the receivers. They look decent, but not special at all (Anthrop could become special, but not the others in any way shape or form).... if the staff can sell a gamebreaker or two, that's how things could really change. And frankly, with Sindelar and Blough, it just shouldn't be a hard sell. "Come step into a spot with really good QBs throwing you the ball where you can be an instastar."

Where is the starting running back from last year? Out with injury? Didn't follow any Purdue this offseason...

 

[PaBoiler78]

Look, if I've learned one thing since 1998; its... judge slowly. We have to see a lot more info, but so far, here it is:

1. Remove from the feel of "I didn't like this guy, so I like is guy." Brohm doesn't appear to be a guy you need to defend the way that people defended Hope because they thought Tiller was done or Hazell because they hated Hope... He and his staff appear to be professionals. With what I've seen for example, I expect #7 to appear to go into the next game as if diving on top of a pile is the kind of behavior that will "make him wish he was never born" in the words of the coach from the Program.

2. No weak link. I didnt' see a player through the first two games where I was like, "yeah, we have good players, but the talent level of THAT guy is so low that teams will know they can abuse us through him." I don't want to name names, but this has been a problem forever at Purdue.

3. Two QBs this good? Recruiting should be easier at a few positions.

4. Seeing a player with number 9 take a jet sweep and stretch the sideline brought back nice memories .

5. If I wonder if we will struggle against better competition, its because I don't see any one player being a threat offensively against top talent. Anthrop is good... I don't see "Special" when lined up against Ohio State. There is no player showing me a top tier attribute like Dorien Bryant's speed or Taylor Stubblefield's ability to find the hole in the defense consistently...

6. If I'm seeing what an easy recruiting priority should be... it's recruiting over the top of the receivers. They look decent, but not special at all (Anthrop could become special, but not the others in any way shape or form).... if the staff can sell a gamebreaker or two, that's how things could really change. And frankly, with Sindelar and Blough, it just shouldn't be a hard sell. "Come step into a spot with really good QBs throwing you the ball where you can be an instastar."

Where is the starting running back from last year? Out with injury? Didn't follow any Purdue this offseason...

love our TE's, glad we are finally using them.

 

[nips18]

The speed is going to have to come from Wright and Holmes, possibly Zico until Rondale Moore comes next season.

The three mentioned should improve and get more looks with each passing week learning the offense.

 

[Bob Sienicki]

5. If I wonder if we will struggle against better competition, its because I don't see any one player being a threat offensively against top talent. Anthrop is good... I don't see "Special" when lined up against Ohio State. There is no player showing me a top tier attribute like Dorien Bryant's speed or Taylor Stubblefield's ability to find the hole in the defense consistently...

Just a few thoughts from an old timer...

It's true, speed cannot be coached. However, finding holes in the defense is not an ability; it's a matter of 3 things:

1. matching effective schematics and good play calling within those schemes to what the defense is showing - at this level, not so much a receiver's responsibility as it is the OC's and QB's,
2. awareness and recognition - a coachable skill for any receiver, such as knowing where your coverage is and how to adapt a route to the coverage, and
   
3. good route running - another coachable skill utilizing good fundamentals like knowing how to plant with the outside foot in a cut, or knowing how to make a quick double move (easier than it seems), and how to move the waist independently of the direction of movement to momentarily freeze a defender.

Indeed, there are some kids that can pick up the last two skills more readily than others in HS. But that does not mean lesser talented kids cannot become proficient at the same skills with coaching and practice. Of course, that means you need a good position coach and a kid willing to work to refine and perfect those skills.

Way back in my HS days, I remember one of our top receivers was a slow and somewhat frail kid. Heck, some of our linemen could whip him in gassers. But the kid worked unbelievably hard and was incredible at all the fundamentals. He could almost walk to his first cut, then - in the blink of an eye - make the cut and jog a couple of steps and get open every fricking time for 5 or 10 yards a clip. No one could stop him! Of course, no college wanted a kid that could barely run a 40 in under 6 seconds, and couldn't jump high enough to clear his cleats.

But he won a lot of games for us, I can tell you that!

lol

 

[stout1]

No weak link. I didnt' see a player through the first two games where I was like, "yeah, we have good players, but the talent level of THAT guy is so low that teams will know they can abuse us through him." I don't want to name names, but this has been a problem forever at Purdue.

For guy who loved naming names before I don't know what's stopping you know.

 

[ghostoffatjack]

Might I add "AND catch the darn ball when it's thrown to you!"

 

[BoilerBabyGirl]

One observation based on the eye test, we can beat anyone on our schedule.

 

[MilwaukeeBoilerFan]

One game at a time. I might be willing to upgrade the W/L but I want to see more data first. I tend to agree with your assessment though.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

Look, if I've learned one thing since 1998; its... judge slowly. We have to see a lot more info, but so far, here it is:

1. Remove from the feel of "I didn't like this guy, so I like is guy." Brohm doesn't appear to be a guy you need to defend the way that people defended Hope because they thought Tiller was done or Hazell because they hated Hope... He and his staff appear to be professionals. With what I've seen for example, I expect #7 to appear to go into the next game as if diving on top of a pile is the kind of behavior that will "make him wish he was never born" in the words of the coach from the Program.

2. No weak link. I didnt' see a player through the first two games where I was like, "yeah, we have good players, but the talent level of THAT guy is so low that teams will know they can abuse us through him." I don't want to name names, but this has been a problem forever at Purdue.

3. Two QBs this good? Recruiting should be easier at a few positions.

4. Seeing a player with number 9 take a jet sweep and stretch the sideline brought back nice memories .

5. If I wonder if we will struggle against better competition, its because I don't see any one player being a threat offensively against top talent. Anthrop is good... I don't see "Special" when lined up against Ohio State. There is no player showing me a top tier attribute like Dorien Bryant's speed or Taylor Stubblefield's ability to find the hole in the defense consistently...

6. If I'm seeing what an easy recruiting priority should be... it's recruiting over the top of the receivers. They look decent, but not special at all (Anthrop could become special, but not the others in any way shape or form).... if the staff can sell a gamebreaker or two, that's how things could really change. And frankly, with Sindelar and Blough, it just shouldn't be a hard sell. "Come step into a spot with really good QBs throwing you the ball where you can be an instastar."

Where is the starting running back from last year? Out with injury? Didn't follow any Purdue this offseason...

7. They are more entertaining to watch than the Coats.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

7. They are more entertaining to watch than the Coats.

I would have probably seen more coverage from watching my coats than the Colts defense today!