8/10/2019 football Edit

Scrimmage No. 1 verdict: Defense improving. Offense needs work

Tom Dienhart • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor

PODCAST: 5 observations from first scrimmage

Purdue’s first scrimmage of the 2019 training camp is in the books. The verdict? Jeff Brohm isn’t pleased with the offense.

Oh, there were some positives from the nearly three-hour closed scrimmage in Ross-Ade Stadium on a hot, sunny Saturday. The defense is making progress. Several freshmen look ready to help. But the inconsistent play of the offense--especially the line--seemed to be the big takeaway from today's scrimmage. The team will scrimmage again next Saturday.

“I thought our defense did some really good things early,” said Brohm. “Kept us out of the end zone. Played hard. Kept the ball in front of us. Offensively, I didn't think it was a very good day for us. I thought we struggled up front, which we have to get better at. And I think we struggled at the quarterback position. A lot of room for improvement.”

When asked who did well on offense, Brohm paused and thought for several seconds.

“Let me try to think here,” he said. “I think (senior tight end) Brycen (Hopkins) was solid. (Freshman receiver) Milton Wright did some things for us. Other than that, I didn’t see much.”

The line really had struggles. No shock. When camp opened on August 1, the front was perhaps the top question for the team. And now, seven practices and one scrimmage into camp, that continues to be the case.

“I do not love our lineup right now,” said Brohm. “We are mixing things around. We aren’t playing good enough to win right now. That is saying nothing negative about our guys. They are working hard. I think they are getting better. We have to improve. We will look at the film and continue to evaluate things and make sure we have what we think is our first five."

Brohm says there will be three or four guys who can easily come in immediately if others aren't performing. In camp, the front typically has featured junior Grant Hermanns at left tackle, senior Alex Criddle at left guard, sophomore Viktor Beach at center, senior Matt McCann at right guard and redshirt freshman Will Bramel at right tackle. At other times, McCann has been the right tackle with sophomore DJ Washington the right guard.

“We mixed it up,” said Brohm. “We mixed up the order a little bit and made sure everyone got to play. I think we will evaluate the film and go from there.”

Brohm also wasn't pleased with his quarterbacks.

“The quarterback has to be able to make plays occasionally when the design isn't wide open,” said Brohm. “That means you have to hold onto the balll a little longer and you have to find a little room in the pocket to step up. And I don’t think we did a very good job of that at all. Not one of our better days.”

As for the running backs.

“It wasn't one of their better days,” said Brohm. “We ran hard at times. Didn’t know our assignments always. Didn’t do a very good job in two-back situations on the lead block.”

The good news: The defense is coming on after struggling in 2018.

“If our defense is doing everything at full speed, lined up and communicating, we have a chance to stop some people,” said Brohm. “I feel like we need to be a good team on defense this year. We have quite a few players. And offensively, we have to get better fast. It wasn’t what it needs to be to beat anyone on our schedule.”

But the news on defense wasn’t all good. Brohm said senior defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal, who has missed all of camp as he comes back from offseason knee surgery, could be out a while.

“Lorenzo is probably gonna be a game-time decision,” said Brohm, whose team opens at Nevada on August 30. “Whether he goes or not, it will be up to the doctors. I am not optimistic.”

NOTES

• Sophomore wideout Rondale Moore took part in the scrimmage but had no contact as he nurses a nagging injury.

“He did a little bit the few times it was not live tackle,” said Brohm. “We still need to get him fully healthy. We think he will get back and be able to go full go and get himself ready.”

• Freshman wide receiver David Bell didn’t take part.

“Doing some individual work,” Brohm said of Bell. “It’s progress. We wanna get him out here, but we have to get him healed. We wanna get him out here so we can get him some work.”

• No. 2 center Sam Garvin, a sophomore, was out (concussion). So, the No. 2 center was redshirt freshman Will Bramel followed by true freshman Spencer Holstege.

• Kicker J.D. Dellinger is looking good.

“I think J.D. has done a really good job,” Brohm said of the junior who redshirted last season. “He has been very consistent in camp. His leg seems stronger. He is good on kickoffs. He was accurate today on field goals.”

• Depth on defense is better.

“We have a lot of guys we can rotate in there,” said Brohm. “Certain guys are consistently good. (Senior linebacker) Markus) Bailey, (senior linebacker Ben) Holt, (Freshman end) George (Karlaftis), (senior safety Navon) Mosley, (sophomore cornerback) Kenneth Major has done some good things. We can play more. There can be more competition.

"If guys aren’t giving us what we need to get on a consistent basis, we have others to rotate in there. We can keep guys fresh. I think that’s important on defense, to have some depth. There are definitely more bodies and more guys we are comfortable putting in.”

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