8/4/2019 football Edit

Healthy, hungry and honed-in, Sindelar isn't looking over his shoulder

Tom Dienhart • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor

Elijah Sindelar talks fast.

Following a recent training camp practice under the blazing mid-North Indiana sun, the fifth-year senior quarterback is on a roll, rambling on about how many playmakers will surround him in this year’s offense. The words fall fast from his mouth.

“It makes it a whole lot easier,” he said. “You can relax, and be comfortable in the pocket knowing if the outside receiver isn’t there and Rondale (Moore) is running in the slot a short route, a bubble, or screen, I know I can check down to him and he can potentially make someone miss. It makes it a lot more enjoyable, you can relax and know they are gonna do some crazy things.”

Just get them the ball, guys like Moore, Jared Sparks, Amad Anderson, David Bell, Milton Wright and Jackson Anthrop, among others. And don’t forget about the collection of tight end talent led by Brycen Hopkins.

That’s a lot of weaponry for Sindlear. Now, can he make it all go? He’ll need protection from the line, which is still under construction. Still, success is largely in his hands. He knows it. That’s why he wants to become a more efficient signal-caller in 2019, so he can maximize the talent around him. How efficient? He wants to hit 70 percent of his passes. That’s ambitious for a guy with a career 59.1-percent completion percentage. The key to reaching his goal: Better decision-making.

“Last season, I tried to force some plays,” said Sindelar. “Knowing when to check the ball down or just pull it down and take a sack, it’s not the end of the world. Your offensive line doesn’t like it, and I don’t like it either (taking a sack). But it’s better than throwing an interception. We are working on always staying positive and we are moving the ball.”

Sindelar tossed three costly picks in the season-opener last year in a 31-27 home loss to Northwestern. And he got benched for David Blough. Subsequently, Sindelar hurt an oblique and his surgically repaired knee acted up. Just like that, Sindelar saw his season of promise go up in smoke, as he played just the first two games of the campaign. He sat and watched Blough shine.

Now, Blough is gone, off trying to make the Cleveland Browns roster. For all intents and purposes, the job belongs to Sindelar after he had to battle Blough for the No. 1 spot each of the last two season. None of the other signal-callers on the roster are equipped to challenge Sindelar's alpha role in the quarterback room. No. 2 is the No. 1 man. Period.

Now, the question begs: How will the dynamic of not having to look over his shoulder at Blough impact the 6-4, 225-pound Sindelar?

“That competition was a lot of fun,” said Sindelar. “It brought David and I together. And it definitely pushed you to be better. Now that I am older and I don't have that, it has been a change of pace. But I think I have the same mentality as when David was here.”

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Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm knows.

“I think there is some comfort in knowing maybe he doesn’t have to stress … you wanna get better with each mistake,” said Brohm. “But when you make one, you don’t want to have to stress that, hey, I might be coming out, I might be replaced. Sometimes there is comfort knowing that’s not gonna be the case.”

Brohm also points out that if you look at the two quarterbacks over the last two years, each one of them actually played a little bit better when the other one was out. In 2017, Sindelar was inefficient and was replaced by Blough, who did well before suffering a season-ending ankle injury vs. Illinois. Re-enter Sindelar, who went on to guide Purdue to a bowl with wins in its final two regular-season games playing heroically on an injured knee while not having to look over his shoulder.

Last season, Blough assumed command after Sindelar’s ineffectiveness in the opener and then injury cost him the job, allowing Blough to roll the Boilermakers to another bowl while not having to look over his shoulder.

“I think that has something to do with it,” said Sindelar, who beat Blough for the starting job in each of the last two training camps. “When you have a guy over your shoulder … you are kind of hesitant. You don’t want to take as many chances and risks because you want to be able to stay in the game.”

But, rest assured: If Sindelar isn’t effective, he’ll still pulled—even though the backup is redshirt freshman Jack Plummer.

“Yes, we aren’t afraid to play multiple guys,” said Brohm. “And there is no saying that we won’t play multiple guys just to even get a backup quarterback’s feet wet, to get him in the game, to get into the flow, just to get him that experience. We definitely have done that in the past, as well.”

But Sindelar isn’t worried. And even better news: He says his surgically repaired knee that caused issues last year is feeling good.

“It takes me like 30 minutes (to warm it up before practices)” said Sindelar. “It’s kind of annoying and monotonous, but it has to be done.

“Everything is A-OK. We haven’t had a problem since before spring ball (when he hyper-extended it). We are doing a lot of good stuff to be proactive. Last camp, Day One, I felt it (hurt). I am pretty happy with where I am at. I am ready to go.”

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