MORE: Inside the numbers-Offense
This is the second of a three-part series examining Purdue's strengths and weaknesses from a statistical standpoint. We are taking a look at the Boilermakers' 2018 statistics on offense, defense and special teams in an effort to examine what the team should do well and what it needs to improve on in 2019.
Purdue's defense remains a work-in-progress, like much of the program does as Jeff Brohm enters his third season in West Lafayette. The good news: The defense is trending up ... or so it appears.
The unit took a step back in 2018. A BIG step back. In 2017, the defense had per game averages of 375.5 total yards, 20.5 points, 132.9 rushing yards and 242.5 passing yards. All of those numbers were up in 2018. (452.6 total yards pg; 30.0 points ppg; 167.9 rushing ypg; 284.7 passing ypg).
It wasn't a shock to see the defense take a step back after it lost key personnel like Gelen Robinson, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Da'Wan Hunte, T.J. McCollum, Eddy Wilson, Josh Okonye and Danny Ezechukwu.
While youth was served--and injuries took their toll--in 2018, improvement is expected. The defense should be stronger this season, as depth and talent have been bolstered.
The following numbers paint a picture of what specifically the Boilermakers need to improve in 2019.
There is no way to sugar coat this: The pass defense floundered in 2018. How generous was Purdue? It ranked 128th out of 130 schools in passing yards allowed per game (284.7 ypg). Opponents completed a whopping 62.3 percent of their passes (98th in the nation).
The defense also scored poorly in another bellwether stat: average yards per attempt, ranking 92nd in the nation (7.7). The unit also yielded 51 pass plays of 20 yards or more. That ranked 114th in America.
It's not like Purdue's secondary was littered with youth in 2018. It wasn't. A big issue for the poor numbers: Lack of a pass rush. The Boilermakers ranked seventh in the Big Ten in sacks, averaging 1.9 per game (25 in 13 games) with the line generating just 10 sacks. As a point of reference, Penn State led the Big Ten with 47 sacks. Get the picture?
With an improved push up front that could be sparked by a guy like uber freshman George Karlaftis, Purdue's pass defense numbers could improve this fall. At least that's the hope. Who else is gonna push the pocket? Defensive coordinator Nick Holt doesn't want to have to blitz to get a consistent rush. Fingers are crossed. A relatively young secondary filled with potential needs all of the help it can get.
Like the pass defense numbers, the rush defense numbers will make any Boilermaker fan blush. It's this simple: If a defense can't at least slow down a rushing attack, it has little chance for success. And too often in 2018, opponents ran with ease.
To wit: The Wisconsin game, when the Badgers churned out a whopping 385 yards rushing. And Minnesota had its way with Purdue, running for 265 yards in a lopsided Boilermaker loss. No wonder this defense ranked 71st in the nation vs. the run (167.9 ypg). This has to stop if Purdue wants to win the West one day. It all begins up front.
Lorenzo Neal is a legit tackle, but is he OK coming off knee surgery? His healthy return can't be overstated. If for some reason Neal isn't 100 percent or goes down again, it probably will be bad news for a defense that needs more playmakers after ranking 110th in the nation in tackles for loss.
The good news: The program has depth at tackle with players like Jeff Marks, Giovanni Reviere and Anthony Watts. And Western Kentucky grad transfer Ben Holt is the quintessential downhill linebacker who should form a nice tandem with Markus Bailey to help vs. the run.
Purdue also needs freshman George Karlaftis to be the real deal, and Derrick Barnes must be a force at "Leo." The defense doesn't have to be a shutdown unit vs. the run. It just needs to be at least solid and limit big plays.
Big plays. Explosive plays. Whatever you wanna call them, Purdue allowed too many last season. It's vital to make opponents earn their yards--and points--by having to executed 10-, 11-, 12-play drives if they wanna score touchdowns. Too often, the Boilermakers made it too easy for foes.
The defense yielded 67 plays of 20 yards or more (95th in the nation). That number must be trimmed. And allowing 5.9 yards per play is way too much. Something else that would help the defense improve in 2019: Generating more turnovers. The Boilers had just 14 takeaways last season, barely more than one per game. It's a bit mind-numbing to think Purdue recovered just three fumbles all season. Luck is a part of gathering turnovers. But a bigger part is playing aggressively and forcing offenses into making hasty decisions. Bottom line: Purdue needs more playmakers.
Who are those guys? Linebacker Markus Bailey is proven. Fellow linebacker Cornel Jones has shown he can "get after it" but needs to play smarter. Tackle Lorenzo Neal is active and productive, and "Leo" Derrick Barnes has had his moments. Who else will emerge? Stay tuned. Keep an eye on freshmen like end George Karlaftis and safety Jalen Graham. Grad transfer linebacker Ben Holt also could be a key player.
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