Nov. 29th Media Availability: Purdue Football Embracing Underdog Role

Purdue co-offensive coordinator Brian Brohm, tight end Payne Durham and running back Devin Mockobee met with the media ahead of Purdue’s Big Ten Championship Game matchup with Michigan.

- This opportunity is hard to put into words for someone that is getting his first big role within the program.

- He said it feels really special to have the chance to do something never done at Purdue before.

- A lot of work at practice and in the off-season has helped him become a reliable pass-catching option out of the backfield.

- Shared the message of the locker room is that the pressure is on them. Purdue doesn't have any pressure on them, which will allow them to play free.

- If someone would have told him where he'd be today as a freshman in high school he wouldn't have believed them.

- Brohm says Michigan is the best defense they will play this year. They are good on all three levels; defensive line, linebackers and secondary.

- Their front four is especially impressive and they rotate a lot of guys in so they are fresh throughout the game.

- Aidan O'Connell is still back home, but should return to the team following his brother's death.

- Against the tough Michigan defense, they are going to have to do "some different" things to make sure they have time to do what they want to do.

- The receiving group is doing a good job and will be asked to step up on this stage.

- Making it to this point is "what you play the game for."

- Coming into the game as a large underdog will allow them to be looser than they might be otherwise.

- Making it to the Big Ten Championship was something Jeff Brohm said would happen when recruiting Durham. It was also one of Durham's goals when he got to Purdue.

- He expects the fans to be 50/50 and is excited to play in such an intense environment.

- Durham said the rest of the offense feeds off of Devin Mockobee's success running the game.

- When he got to Purdue, Big Ten Championships weren't on the table. The discussion was making it to a good bowl game. The narrative of Purdue has changed in his five years in West Lafayette.

- He said this team embraces what a Boilermaker is. Hard working, blue collar and fights through adversity. This opportunity means a lot to the older guys that have had to fight through adversity during their college careers.

- Purdue is reaping the benefits of older guys that bought into the program through tough times.

- Something they thrive on is being a team that nobody outside of the facility believes can win this game.