Blough gets call for Purdue vs. Illinois; Monday notes
More: Purdue must work through losing streak
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For the first time this season, Purdue publicly named a quarterback at the start of a game week.
David Blough will get the nod vs. Illinois, as the junior will make his second consecutive start and his fifth of the season. At his weekly press conference on Monday, Jeff Brohm said Blough gives Purdue a “slightly, slightly better chance to succeed,” reiterating previous comments the veteran QB can do a little more — running in particular — to add an element Purdue needs right now.
“I think David is going to be our quarterback for this upcoming game,” Brohm said. “But Elijah Sindelar is going to be in the bullpen always ready to go.
“I think what we have to do is do whatever it takes to help our team win, that's what we're going to do. I don’t want to be stubborn with it. I want to make sure we go with our instincts. Those guys are very close in their ability and how far they've come. Like we said before, one gives us a little bit different element. Both will be ready to go.
“David, I think, is gaining confidence. He needs to play efficient. He needs to do all the small things to help us win. Our quarterback, whoever is in there, has to play well in order for us to win the football game.”
Brohm had not named a starter previously this season, at least publicly, doing so only in-house. It was Sindelar the first two games of the season — Blough had injured a shoulder during training camp, contributing to the edge Sindelar took into the opener — then Blough for three before Sindelar was back in for the following two.
Saturday’s game vs. Nebraska, a 25-24 loss, was the first one this season in which the quarterback — in this case Blough — went from first snap until last. And Blough was efficient, passing for 164 yards on 16-of-28 passing with a touchdown. He also rushed for 33 yards and a score.
“This past game, for the most part, he performed fairly well, took care of the ball, made some plays with his feet, had some accurate throws, had some key big throws up the field that were dropped that could have been big plays, but he was accurate with it,” Brohm said. “He gave us an opportunity for some big plays, but we just couldn't finish it. I think he managed the game fairly well for the most part. That's what he's going to need to do to help us win. I think the ability to have a little mobility, the ability to run also gives us a little bit more.”
Blough missed on at least a couple plays, throwing a bit long to Anthony Mahoungou on one of Purdue’s three deep attempts. And then he misfired to the senior receiver on the goal line.
Brohm thought Blough largely made good decisions on the read option, whether to keep or hand off, with a couple exceptions. On the goal line midway through the third quarter, Richie Worship took away the handoff from Blough, who appeared to be trying to keep it himself, and then got tackled from behind for a loss of two.
“If (Blough) pulled it, we could have easily walked into the end zone,” Brohm said. “I thought it was an easy read. The guy came crashing. Don't know if he pulled it late, couldn't get it out. We got a negative play because of it, couldn't get the touchdown.”
The other play was the second-to-last offensive one for Purdue, when Blough rolled left on a sprint, trying to pick up yardage on the edge and burn up clock (without going out of bounds, of course). But Brohm said a linebacker came through the C gap.
“(Blough) did not get to the edge,” Brohm said. “That one didn't look too well.”
Injury non-updates
Purdue will have to wait on a trio of starters who are injured to see if they’ll be available for the Saturday’s kick vs. the Fighting Illini.
Cornerback Da’Wan Hunte was sidelined for the second half against Nebraska due to a hip flexor. It’d been a previous injury, but one that Hunte had been able to practice on.
“It flared up again,” Brohm said. “I think he slipped out there on a play, then that's when he pulled it. We had a few guys slipping. But he slipped on one play, that's when he pulled it.”
Brohm said Purdue will have to see how Hunte responds this week. If he can’t go, it’d likely be Kamal Hardy as the starter, after the senior came in for the second half.
The Cornhuskers targeted the reserve, both in the passing game and running.
“He'll continue to improve,” Brohm said. “I think he'll work hard. I think it's not like he didn't try and didn't play tough. He just was out of position a few times and didn't trust his position at other times. Those things hurt us a little bit.
“I think he'll respond. He's a competitive guy. He knows he's the next man up. We've got to just work hard with him this week, get him back to believing that he can get it done, push him to be his best. I think he'll take the field and do a better job.”
Purdue will wait for word on linebacker T.J. McCollum, who has been out three straight games with an ankle injury, and tight end Cole Herdman, thought to be a toe injury, who missed the Nebraska game.
“Herdman, I think, is making progress,” Brohm said. “That one will be midweek before we know.”
Left tackle Grant Hermanns is expected out.
Fumble non-fumble
For a moment Saturday, it looked like Purdue’s defense had created a turnover by forcing a fumble and recovering it.
But officials on the field said it never happened. On a first-and-10 on Nebraska’s second possession of the second quarter, Gelen Robinson dropped QB Tanner Lee for a seven-yard loss. And the ball came loose, with it appearing to be recovered by a Boilermaker.
An official, however, immediately ruled Lee was down. Since the whistle ended the play, the aftermath wasn’t reviewable.
“I thought it was an obvious fumble (from my perspective),” Brohm said. “The referee blew his whistle because he said forward progress was down. After talking with the head of the officials, he confirmed to me what I thought should have happened.
“But it was one of those calls that didn't go your way. We recovered the fumble, they got three points on the drive, we didn't get the ball and great field position. That's the way it goes.”
Nebraska did score — Purdue would have taken over right at midfield had the play been ruled a fumble and recovery — by driving to the Boilermaker 4-yard line before settling for a field goal to cut the Huskers’ deficit to 7-6 with 7:06 left in the third.
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