Etling to operate slightly different offense
Purdue'soffensewilltrytotakeadvantageoffreshmanquarterbackDannyEtling'sphysicaltools:Anabilitytothrowtheballwithzip,spreadthefieldverticallyandslingitfromsidelinetosideline.
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SoexpecttoseeadifferentlookwhenEtlingmakeshisfirststartSaturdayagainstNebraska.
TheBoilermakershadidentifiedthemselvesaprostyleoffense-aschemethatutilizestwobacks,atightend,play-actionpassesoffbaserunplaysandaquickpassinggame,asDarrellHazelldescribed.
WithEtlingatquarterback,though,Purduewon'tbedefinedinsuchaway,Hazellsaid.
"Slightlybutnotdrastically,"Hazellsaidwhenasked,then,ifthere'dbeenachangeinphilosophy."We'restilldoingsomethingsoutoftheprostyleoffense,butthat'snotwhereweareexclusively."
Andthat'sbecauseofEtling,whowillbemakingthefirststartbyatruefreshmanquarterbackforPurduesinceSeanRobinsonin2010.
Havingarrivedlastspringandbeingamainstayoverthesummer,EtlingquicklybuiltarapportwithPurdue'salso-youngreceivers,namelyfellowtruefreshmanDeAngeloYanceyandDanMonteroso.Lastweek,Yanceyhadacareer-highsevencatchesfor117yards,andfiveofthosereceptionswereonEtlingpasses.MonterosowillmakehisdebutagainsttheCornhuskersaftermissingthefirstfivegameswhilerecoveringfromabrokencollarbone.He'sexpectedtoplaysignificantsnaps,partlybecauseB.J.Knaufwillservethefirstofhistwo-gamesuspensionandalsobecausePurdueisexpectedtoplaymorereceivers,HazellsaidTuesday.
"Hecanthroweveryball,"HazellsaidofEtling."Hecanthrowthedeepball.Iwatchedhimtheotherdaythrowanoutcutacrossthefieldfromthelefthashtotherightsidelineonaline.Thatmakesyoucoverthewholefielddefensively.Whenyoustartplayingfromsidelinetosidelineandgoallinetogoalline,youstartinvolvingyourwidereceivers,thatcreatesanotherissuefordefenses.That'swhatweweren'tdoing.Wewereplayingbetweenthehashesbefore,andnowwegetachancetousethewholefield.…Now,allofasudden,youcanputanotherwideoutonthefieldandspreadthefieldalittlebitmore."
Certainly,Etlingiseagertogettheballdistributedtohisreceivers,backsandtightendsandpassasmanytimesasnecessary.
Hesaidhethinkstheoffenseis"meanttobebuiltaroundanicepassinggame,"whichhe'sreadytoshow.
Coacheshavelaudedhisarmstrengthsincehesteppedoncampus,andheshowcasedsomeofthattalentagainstNorthernIllinois,throwingdartsondeepoutroutesaswellasquicklystickingthrowstothesideline.
ButEtling'ssuccesswon'tbeallbasedonhisphysicaltools.
Andhe'scountingonthat.
Herealizeshecandevelopanedgeoveropponentsmentally,bypreparingforeveryscenario.
Sohedoes.
Etlingoftenisinearly-Hazellsaidhe'sseenhimat6a.m.-towatchfilmandstudy.Heknowswhatandhowtowatchnow,hesays,becausequarterbackscoachJohnShoophastaughthimwhat'scritical.
Etlingwilldrawupplaysontheboard,saythemoutloud,watchfilmofhimself,ofopposingdefensesandsometimesevenofNFLquarterbacksandoffenses.Hetakesmeticulousnotes,alreadyhavingfilledonenotebookthisseason,withobservationsandwaystoattackdefenses.He'llessentiallymakehisowngameplanwithinPurdue'sgameplan,aftertrackingtendenciesofdefense'sagainstcertainformations.
"It'sjustsomethingyoucangetinthereandfocusonandbeworkingatallthetime,"Etlingsaid."IthinkwhenIrealizedhowmuchithelpsyou,that'swhenIstarted(thinking),'Thisishowyoubecomegreat'becausetalentiscommon,butthatmentalaspectofthegame,that'swherepeoplebecomegreat.
"Imightbedoingalittlemorenowjustbecausenowyouknowyou'regoingtobeplaying,soyoukindofobsessaboutitalittlemore.It'salittletoughbecauseallyouthinkaboutallthetime,it'salwaysinyourmind,soyou'llbesittingthereeatingandyou'llbelike,'Ishouldbewatchingsomefilm,Icouldbestudyingmygameplanrightnow.'"
ThatkindofapproachhaswowedHazell,whowentasfarassayingEtlingprepareslikea"nine-yearvetintheleague."
"Ifhecancontinuetodothosethings,you'regoingtolovewatchinghimplay,"Hazellsaid.
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