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football Edit

Gold wins in fourth quarter; spring game notes

Agame-winningtouchdowninthefourthquarterandagame-savinginterceptionprovidedsomeintriguetoPurdue'sspringgameSaturdayatRoss-AdeStadium.
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KeyanteGreendeliveredtheformerandAnthonyBrowngotthelattertosecuretheGoldteam's12-7victoryovertheBlackteam.
Inagamethatwaslargelydominatedbybothdefensiveline'sabilitytogetpressureonthequarterbacksbecauseofmix-and-matchoffensivelines,theGoldteamdidjustenoughtosustainafinaldrivetotakeit.
TheBlackteamtooktheleadonthelastplayofthethirdquarteronDavidBlough's41-yardtouchdownpasstoDannyAnthrop.
Withthestartofthefourthquartercamearunningclock,andtheGoldteamwaspreparedtodrainthewholethingandendwithascore.Whatensuedwasquiteadrive.
Greenhelpedgetthedrivestartedwith12yardsonthefirsttwoplays,andAkeemHuntaddeda14-yardruntomoveintoBlackterritory.Afteracompletion,Greenaddedsixyardsonback-to-backcarriestomovetheGoldtothe32-yardline.
Goldkeptmovingit,takingadvantageofshortpassestoHunttogain19yardsontwoplays,andhadfirst-and-goalfromthe10withabout3:22leftinthegame.
ItonlytooktwoplaysforGreentopunchitin.Afterasix-yardruninside,hecamebackwithafour-yardTDrunfora12-7lead.
"Itoldtheguyswedefinitelywantedtotrytoeatupallthetimewecouldtodrivedownthere,"Etlingsaidofwhatultimatelyturnedintoa12-play,59-yarddrivethatateup9:19."Wehadacoupleofthingswehadseenthemdoingthatwereallyliked.TherewasacoupletimesIsawthembringingpressure,soIwasabletochangeoutwhatwewantedtodowiththereceivers.WehadsomegreatrunsbyKeyante.Wehadsomegreatblockingbytheoffensiveline.
"Whenwegotdowntheretowardtheend,wedefinitelystartedtogetmoreandmoreconfidenceandIknewwecouldpunchitinifwejustflippedtheplaywejustranlasttime.Wetalkedtocoaches,itoldthemthat,andwegotitin,soitwasgood."
AftertheGoldteam'stwo-pointconversionpasswasbrokenupbyLandonFeichter,theBlackteamhadachancetowinthegamewithatouchdown.
AustinAppleby'soffensetookoverwith2:38remainingwiththeballonits36-yardline.
Afteracompletion,apenaltyandashortrush,theBlackteamhadsecond-and-7frommidfield.ApplebysentapassdownfieldtoAloyisGray,whoappearedtomakethecatchonlytohaveBrownpullitawayandsecuretheinterceptionwhilefallingtotheground.
Brownwasoneoftwoplayerslistedas"questionable"forthegamewithaninjury.
RusselldeliversRyanRussellbouncedsomebetweenleftendandrightendonSaturday,butthebulkofhissuccessfortheBlackteamcamewhenhewaslinedupontherightsideagainstJasonTretter.
Russellhad3.5sacksinthegame-someofthosewereagainstnon-liveQBs-andagame-high11tackles.Healsoforcedafumbleonpressure.
Tretterisarighttackle/guardbutwasforcedtoplayontheleftsidewhentheGoldteamdraftedbothrighttackles,andfirst-teamrighttackleJ.J.Princegottostayontherightsideforthegame.
Tretter,whohasplayedrarelythisspringontheleftside,wassimplynomatchforseniorRussell.Russell'squicknessontheedgecaughtTretteroften-ononesackitdidn'tevenappearthatTrettergotahandonRussellbeforeheranpast.
"IthinkRyan'shadagreatspring.Goingagainsthimeverysingleday,youkindofgettiredhe'salwaysinthebackfield,"saidEtling,whowasinRussell'ssightsastheGoldteamQB."Hismotorhasgoneuptwo-fold.…He'stoughtogoagainstandIfeelsorryforanyquarterbackwhohastogoagainsthimbecausewhenIwaslive,hewasalwaysonme.Heletmeknowhewasthere,too."
IfPurdue'sdefenseisgoingtoimprovein2014,Russellwillneedtobeakeypiece.Coacheshavemadeitapointallspringtopushhimtoplaymoreconsistentlywithahighmotor,andthey'velikedwhatthey'veseen.
ButnowRussellneedstoshowitwhenitcounts.
HazellsaidRussellshouldbeamismatchforeightofthe12gamestheteamplays.Russellfeelslikehe'strendinginthatdirection.
"Iwouldsayitwasagoodspringformepersonally,puttingeverythingtogether,"Russellsaid."Concentratingonthesmalldetailsformepersonallyhasbeenverygoodandhavehelpedfine-tunemygame."
MostertcapsstrongspringRaheemMostertmayhavesolidifiedhisspotastheteam'sNo.1runningbackwithastronggameafterastrongspring.
Mosterthad44yardson10carriesfortheBlackteamandcontinuedtoshowgoodvisionintheteam'szoneruns,especiallyinside,andhitholesdecisively.
Lastseason,MostertwaslargelystuckonthebenchbehindAkeemHunt,DalynDawkinsandBrandonCottomaftermakingthemovetorunningbackintrainingcamp.ButwithanopportunitythisspringtogetmostofhissnapswiththeNo.1offense,Mostertprovedsomethingtothecoachingstaff:He'sready.
"Crazythingshappen.Raheemgoesoutandhewinsthe60,hewinsthe200,andnowhe'sgotaconfidentstrutinhisstep,andIloveit,"Hazellsaid,referencingMostert'sBigTenchampionshipsintrack."That'sthewayhe'splayingfootballnow.He'splayingfast.He'sseeingthingsverywell,andhe'srunningstrong."
AlongdayPurdue'stoptwoquarterbacks,EtlingandAppleby,combinedtocompleteonly52percentoftheirpasses.
Etling,especially,wasunderconsistentpressuremostofthegame,andwas"sacked"fourtimes.(Someofthosewerewhenhewascalledsackedbutnotlive.)Hecompleted10-of-17passesfor96yardsandalsofumbledbutrecoveredit.
Appleby,playingwithfouroffensivelinemenwhohavegottenNo.1repsthisspring,managedonly7-of-16for21yards.Hehadtwointerceptions-oneofwhichMostertprobablyshouldhavecaughtbutbobbled-andfumbledtwice,losingonewhenhewashitwhilethrowing.
Thequarterbackswereaskedifit'sdifficulttoproduceconsideringthelinesdidn'tincludealltheprojectedstarters.
"Whetherornotwehavethepersonnelorthefulloffensivelineorthereceiversyouwant,attheendoftheday,wehavetomakeeveryplaywork,"Applebysaid."CoachShoopisonusthatitdoesn'tmatterwhatyouget.Ouroffenseisstructuredinawaythatsomebodyisalwaysopen.Wejusthavetoworkfasterandwehavetocontinuetopusheachotherandpushourselvesinourpreparationtobeabletoidentifywhothatopenguyis,ifinfactwehavetogetitoutearly.
"We'redevelopingthattwo-deepsoitshouldn'tmatter.Wehaveenoughguysinourlockerroomtogetthejobdone.It'sourjobasaquarterbacktocontinuetopushthoseguysandgetthatchemistry.Wehavetobereadycomeourfirstgame."
Hazellsaidit'sdifficulttoevaluatetheQBsconsideringthecircumstancesandalsosaidthattheteamhadtoomanydropsSaturday.Hazellsaidhecountedfive,butdependingonhowharshlythey'rebeingjudged,therecouldhavebeenasmanyaseight.
"Whenyou'remixingandmatchinglines,thatplaysafactorinthequarterbackplay,"Hazellsaid."Thepackagewasverylimitedwithwhattheycalled.I'msuretherewasmoreonthecallsheet.Sothere'salotthatgoesintotheproductivityofaquarterbackinagamelikethat."
WhenaskedifEtlingistheNo.1quarterbackheadingintothefall,Hazellsaid,"Iwon'tanswerthat."
AddingupInbothofthemajorfullteamscrimmagesthisspring-thejerseyscrimmageandSaturday'sgame-thedefensedidabetterjobthancollectivelyallofspringgeneratingpressureandturnovers.
Afterajerseyscrimmageinwhichthedefensewasconsistentlyinthebackfield,rackingupTFLsandsacks,theunitshadanotherbigdaySaturday.BetweentheGoldandBlacksquads,thedefensehad10tacklesforloss,includingsevensacks,forcedthreefumblesandhadtwointerceptions.
GarrettHudson,whowastradedfromtheGoldtotheBlackteamearlierintheweektoaccommodateamissingmiddlelinebacker,hadeighttackles.AntoineMilesandAnthonyBrownhadinterceptions.
"TheGolddefenseshadsomegoodthree-and-outs.Theyweren'touttheretoolong.Theydidagoodjobhelpingtolimitouroffense,"Russellsaid."OntheBlackteam,wewererunningtotheball,justgettinglinedupandplayinghard.Weneverreallyfaltered.Sometimestheywouldhavelongerdrives,butwegotsomestops,soIthinkitwasdefinitelyapositiveforbothdefensesgoingaheadintotheseason."
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