During a rainy practice in West Lafayette on Tuesday morning, the first thing Purdue head coach Ryan Walters said to the media was that it was "football weather". The Boilermakers continue to inch closer to the fall as anticipation grows for the season opener against Fresno State on September 2nd.

At the beginning of camp, Walters and the coaching staff were focused on installing the new schemes on both sides of the ball and building chemistry around the roster. That objective has was successfully accomplished, leaving Walters pleased with how his team has come together over the last several weeks.

"We added a lot of guys and to their credit, they've gelled really well with the guys that were already here. So, they've gotten chemistry, gotten camaraderie and I'm just very, very pleased with the guys we took and the guys we kept," Walters said Tuesday.

As both sides of the ball continue to round into form, the improvements have made for a fairly even battle between the Purdue offense and defense throughout fall camp.

"I mean, just back and forth every day. You know, one day the offensive will seem like they have the upper hand but they're still back and forth. And then the next day the defense might have the upper hand, but still back and forth. Which is what you want to see. That means guys are competing," Walters said.

A group with the most question marks coming into fall camp has emerged as one of the top improvements early on, the offensive line. The Boilermakers added several transfers over the off-season to supplement returning starters Marcus Mbow, Mahamane Moussa and Gus Hartwig. The battles in the trenches have helped Hudson Card's protection gel together.

"[Offensive] line has improved tremendously. Coach Johnson has done awesome job with those guys. We obviously added a couple of faces and the guys that were here did a great job in the offseason with Coach Ro," Walters said. "What we do defensively kind of puts pressure on that group in particular, just with the one-on-one blocks and different twist schemes that we do. So those guys are getting inundated fast with communication and playing with each other."

One of the offensive linemen set to have a large role this fall, Josh Kaltenberger, went down last week with what appeared to be a severe leg injury. Walters shared that the redshirt junior "got dinged up, but should be fine", but did not disclose a timeline for his return.

Aside from wide receiver Jahmal Edrine tearing his ACL two weeks ago, Walters also reported that Purdue has steered clear of the injury bug for the most part. A number of players are dealing with soft tissue ailments, but they are expected to be back in time for the regular season.

Now that Purdue has a strong foundation, with all of the pieces in place, taking the cohesion to another level is next up on the docket for Ryan Walters and company.

"Like I said at the start of camp; We've got veteran guys, but not a whole lot of guys that have had experience with each other. So just putting them in those adverse moments. We try to put as much pressure on him as possible now so that when we get to game day, they've done it before, they seen it before, they've felt it before. They can rely on these preparations," Walters said.

One of the main focuses down the stretch for Walters and the coaching staff will be staying true to the techniques and fundamentals they've preached when the going gets tough. Walters shared that the practices have been grueling at some points for the players, but it is in an effort to ensure the Boilermakers are fully prepared for any scenario the season may throw at them.

"Technique and fundamentals especially when you're tired. We always do scenarios at the end of practice, much like it will be at the end of the game. You're the most tired and that's when you know the details, fundamentals and techniques matter the most, to put you in position to win tight games," Walters said. "You know, with our schedule, it's gonna come down to the fourth quarter most of the time so I think that's just where we got to fine tune. What we're doing when we're tired and when the game matters most."

The players have embraced the tough practice sessions throughout the first half of training camp. It is something that Walters has been most pleased with during his first fall camp as a head coach.

"I think I'm most pleased with the buy in and the want to, guys are enjoying going to work, their enjoying practice. We're making practice hard. It's difficult. We're asking them to do things they've never done before. So just their willingness and commitment to striving to get better every day," Walters said.

While the players are learning a new system on the field, Walters is learning about being a head coach as well. As his first test approaches in September, the Boilermakers' leader shared that the biggest thing he's learned on the job thus far is learning to trust his assistant coaches. That group has excelled in their boss's eyes, and Walters hopes that turns into wins this fall.

Purdue will conducted its second and final intra-squad scrimmage on Thursday, which Walters shared will help him and the coaching staff determine where the team is in terms of fitting the pieces together heading into the regular season.

"There's a lot of scenarios that come up that you've kind of got to work through offensively, defensively, and special teams. So you know, kind of get an idea of depth chart wise where guys are, who we can count on. This last scrimmage will be critical in finalizing some of those details," Walters said.

The weather is starting to feel more like fall, the depth chart is slowly being finalized, and Purdue is getting all of their ducks in a row as the first year of the Ryan Walters is officially set to kick off in just a few weeks' time.