More Nevada coverage: Key pieces could be missing Saturday | Coordinator's corner: Terry Malone ($) | Better focus helps Fuller

Last week during Purdue’s bye, Terry Malone had a group of clips strung together for David Blough to watch.

Blough was captivated.

The viewing included one of his “idols” in the NFL — a guy who just so happened to also play at Purdue and also on another of Malone’s teams: Saints QB Drew Brees.

“(The clips were) running plays that we run, of him doing something a little bit differently than what I did in the game vs. Cincinnati,” Blough said.

Blough threw five interceptions in Week 2, but the bye week was put to good use, not just watching that clip tape of Brees but also in key lessons taught by QB coach Tim Lester.

Two of Blough’s interceptions came on throws deep down the middle of the field, one intended for Cameron Posey that receivers coach Gerad Parker said Posey could have either caught or done a better job of fighting off defenders and the other toward receiver Domonique Young on a pass that was a touch high and then deflected for a pick. Two other interceptions were in the end zone.

Blough admitted he “pushed the envelope” probably too many times and needs to make better decisions on certain throws. But he doesn’t intend to stop looking for teammates down the field. He just may need to be more selective — something that clicked for him after talking to Lester.

“(Lester) said, ‘I feel like every time you check down, you take it as a loss.’ That stuck out to me this week,” Blough said after Wednesday’s practice. “I’m finding the backs a little bit better, and my mindset has just changed it a little bit.

“I’m going to pull the trigger when our shot is there. That’s how I am. That’s how you have to be playing quarterback. You have to forget good or bad whatever has happened recently. What’s given to us, I’ve got to take. If it’s not there, my reaction has to be quicker to the check downs or quicker to run and pick up three (yards).”

With Nevada expected to mostly play Cover 1 — using one deep safety to help on vertical routes with the rest of the underneath DBs playing man — Blough thinks there will be opportunities for Purdue’s passing game to have a big week. The Wolf Pack’s cornerbacks likely won’t play press-man coverage, potentially leaving DeAngelo Yancey and Young a chance to break off routes short for quick catches, among other things.

“Should be a big week for Domo and DeAngelo,” Blough said of the pair, who combined for 200-plus yards against the Bearcats. “Even if it’s not the home runs, it’ll be singles and doubles.”

Or Purdue can change it up and feed the ball to Markell Jones and the running backs.

Nevada ranks No. 124 in FBS in rushing defense, including allowing 231 yards to Buffalo last week.

“Teams have been able to run the ball pretty well, so we’re hoping to get the running game going a little bit,” Blough said. “They don’t give up many big plays, so we’ve got to be accurate and execute the stuff we should.”

Despite that five-turnover performance two weeks ago, Purdue’s offense hasn’t had trouble moving the ball down the field: It has back-to-back weeks with 500-plus yards of offense.

“You give credit to Coach Malone and the plan they put in place, but, shoot, 400 yards passing (in Week 1) and the game before, running the ball like we did, I think there’s a good balance on our offense. If we’ve got to throw it, we can throw. If we’ve got to run, we can run it,” Blough said.

• Nevada has shown to run the ball pretty effectively, too, and with Purdue’s defense continuing to struggle to stop the run, it could be the key matchup of the game.

The Boilermakers allowed 176 yards rushing to FCS Eastern Kentucky in Week 1 and 262 to Cincinnati in Week 2. Wolf Pack leading rusher James Butler averages 5.3 yards per carry, rushing for 358 yards and five TDs over three games. Shifty true freshman back Jaxson Kincaide nearly had 100 yards rushing last week and likely will see significant snaps Saturday.

So what does Purdue have to do better to slow the run?

Maybe it’s a matter of bringing one of its safeties down into the box more in the nickel defense. And it could be someone new.

After using senior Leroy Clark and freshman Navon Mosley as starters the first two games, the Boilermakers have rotated safeties during practice this week.

“Just trying to get the look of who’s going to come downhill and fill the best and be in the right position to make the plays we need to have,” Darrell Hazell said Wednesday.

But the D-line needs to do its work, too, especially in Purdue’s new primary two-gap system. Last season, it played a one-gap scheme, tackle Eddy Wilson said.

“You still, with a two-gap system, are striking a guy, but then making a decision based on the running back,” Wilson said. “It’s a fundamental technique thing — you see us with the bags (in practice), punching it then shedding off. It’s as simple as that, getting back to perfecting what we did in the first week and all through camp.”

Nevada’s run game offers another wrinkle, though. Cincinnati had success running the zone read — its QB had a rushing TD on a fourth down in the second half, for one — and the Wolf Pack will rotate in two other quarterbacks who run the option and triple option. Nevada will motion players on nearly every play and shift formations. So there will be considerable opportunities for Purdue's defenders to fall victim to missed assignments.

But there can't be many if Purdue wants to succeed.

“(Nevada coach Brian Polian) said in his press conference, he’s trying to get the safeties to misfit and that’s what it’s all about," Hazell said. "So we can’t — we’ve got to keep the integrity of the box where it is and we’ll handle (it) with other people.”

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