9/21/2013 football Edit

No break for Purdue offense; notes from Wisconsin

Kyle Charters

Publisher

MADISON,Wis.-Onthefirstplayofthefourthquarter,Purduehadeightreservedefensiveplayersonthefield,includingafewwhoaren'teveninthetwo-deep.

Buttheoffenseneverdidanysuchsubstituting,keepingitsstartersandtopreservesinthegametothefinish,saltingawaytheminutesofa41-10tolosstoNo.24Wisconsin.

QuarterbackRobHenry,whohadstruggledsomeoftheday,playedfromstarttofinish,asdidthestartingoffensiveline,whichhadequalproblems.

Hazellwasaskedwhyaftertheloss,Purdue'sthirdinfourgamesthisseason,particularlyatQB.

"We'rejusttryingtogetbetteronoffense,tryingtomovetheball,tryingtogetsomefirstdowns,"thefirst-yearcoachsaid."Alltheworkwecangetisgoingtobebeneficialforus.That'swhyweleftthoseguysinthere.

"Plus,wewerebeatupondefense.Weweremovingguysleftandrightondefense,thatwaspartofthedeal."

Purdue'soffensestruggledmostoftheafternoon,generatingonly180yardsofoffenseandconvertingonly2-of-14thirddowns.Ithadtheballmorethan10minutesinthesecondhalf,whentheBoilerswereoutscored20-0.

ButHazellneverwenttothebackups.JordanRooswastheonlyreserveoffensivelinementoplay,buthedidsointhefirstquarterbeforeleavingduetoinjury.

Purdue'sskillpositionplayersattheendwerethesameastheonesatthebeginning.

Ondefense,however,itwasadifferentstory.Onthefirstplayofthesecondhalf,PurduehadonlystartersAnthonyBrown,TaylorRichardsandWillLucasin,joinedbyreserves.

Butthetrio'sstaywasalsoshort-lived.Later,walk-onsafetiesEvanFeichterandAshkanMizaniplayed,asdidlinebackerAndyJamesGarcia.

Injuryreport

RicardoAllenandRoosdidn'tfinishthegamefortheBoilermakers.

Allenwasinjuredat6:08ofthethird,whenteammateGregLattarolledoverhislegswhiletheduowastryingtogetbackintoaplay.Allenhobbledoff,andremovedhisrightshoe,perhapsindicatingafootinjury.

Roos,abackuprightguard,playedaseriesinthefirsthalf,butwasinjured.Inthesecondhalf,hewasinstreetclothesonthesideline,withabootonhisleftfoot.

"Ihavenomedicalreportrightnow,"Hazellafterthegame.

CornerbackFrankieWilliamswasalsobrieflyshakenup,buthereturnedtoplayinthesecondhalf.

Third-quarterwoes

Ineachofthefourthirdquartersthisseason,Purduehasgivenuppointsonitsopponents'firstpossession.

It'sadisturbingtrendfortheBoilermakers,asthey'vewatchedteamseitherpullaway,orgetbackintogames.

Saturday,itwastheBadgers'turn,astheymarched68yardsinonlysixplaystoturnatwo-touchdownhalftimeleadintothree.

Lastweek,NotreDamescoredonitsopeningdrive,tyingthegameat10;itwasIndianaStatetheweekbefore,helpingtheSycamoresmakeagameofitinthesecondhalf;andinWeek1,Cincinnatihelda14-7leadatthebreakbeforescoringtostartthesecondandwinningby35.

"Weneedtofindawaytowin,"Richardssaid."Wewereinthegameinthefirsthalf.Secondhalfcame,weneedtofindawaytowin.Wecameoutalittlebitslow.Theygangeduponusinthethirdquarter.That'showit'sbeenforthepastcouplegameswe'velost.We'vegottocomeoutinthesecondhalfandfindawaytowin."

First-and-goal?

TwicemoreonSaturday,Purduecouldn'tscoreatouchdownafterhavingfirst-and-goalsituations.

Ithappenedpreviouslythisseasonvs.IndianaState,withtheSycamoresholdingtheBoilerstoonlythreepointsontwodrives.AndPurdueletthesameopportunityslipatCincinnati.

AgainsttheBadgers,Purduehadtosettleforasecond-quarterfieldgoalafterAllen'sinterceptionsettheBoilersupwithafirst-and-goalfromthe10.TheBoilersrushedforonlythreeyardsonthefirsttwodowns,beforeHenrywasoffonathrowtoJustinSinz.

ThenagainstWisconsibreservesinthefourth,offensivepassinterferencewascalledontightendSterlingCarteronPurdue'sfirst-downpass,creatingafirst-and-goalfromthe15.Afterthreepasses,Henry'sfourth-downattemptwaspickedoff.

Thelackofrushing-Purduehad45yardson21carries-iskillingtheBoilers,especiallyinclose.

"We'vegottobeabletorunthefootballbetter,"Hazellsaid."Soyeah,Ithinkitdoes(helpintheredzone).Ifwemixitupalittlebitmore,orbetter,it'sprobablygoingtohelpourpercentagesgettingintotheendzonefromthatpoint."

TheonlyTD

Purdue'sonlytouchdownvs.Wisconsincameonabustedplay.

Onafirstdown,HenryfakedahandofftoB.J.Knauf,whomhebumpedinto,onasweep,thenturnedtowardAkeemHunt,buttherunningbackwasn'tthere.Henrythenlookedtowardtheendzone,andtookoffthroughtheleftsideoftheline,followingcenterRobertKugler'sblock.

The22-yardrunwasPurdue'slongestplayofthedayanditslongestrunningplayoftheseason.

"Executionwasn'tperfect,"Henrysaid."Butluckilytheoffensivelineblockeditwell.Justhadtoimprovisealittlebit."

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