Nick Holt wants everybody to understand the cushion given by his cornerbacks was a directive from him and his defensive coaches.
"It's not the kids' fault," Holt said. "We just need to tighten everything down and maybe be even a little more aggressive. We'll get it fixed."
Following Wednesday's practice, the Purdue defensive coordinator didn't go as far as his boss did a few days ago in describing his frustration with the cushion given to Michigan State receivers in the 23-13 loss Saturday. However, Holt did acknowledge that a schematic adjustment will be needed going forward that will require him to put in, as he put it, "more sticky" coverage starting with Saturday's game against No. 16 Iowa.
"We need to be more sticky," Holt said. "A lot of that (cushion) is by design but 16 points with a minute left in the game, c'mon, that's not too bad. Not too shabby. We're not giving up the explosive play over their head, which is really good. On the same token, on a second-and-nine we were giving up a soft out and that's a little frustrating."
Brohm said Monday the cushion given to Michigan State receivers bothered the Boilermakers' second-year coach "a great deal" and promised a more aggressive style of coverage from now on.
"We let them control the ball for 40 minutes and we just let them nickel-and-dime them, which I don't like," Brohm said Monday. "I want them to throw it over our head to beat us. And if they do, we'll get the ball back. We need to get that fixed."
Brohm said Wednesday night during his weekly radio show that his role in the defense is to give the defensive coaches his summary of what he wants fixed and then let Holt and his defensive coaches execute that plan.
"At the start of the week I tell them what I want to see, and I let Coach Holt and his staff get it done. They are excellent coaches and we work very well together," Brohm said Wednesday night.
Statistically, Purdue (4-4, 3-2 in Big Ten) has the worst pass defense in the conference and ranks fourth worst among the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision programs in the nation by allowing 299.1 yards per game through the air. Those numbers are influenced some by the fact Purdue has been solid against the run this season, fourth-best in a conference full of very good defenses.
Still, Purdue wants to tighten up its pass defense.
"Coach Brohm said it and we're going to get tighter on those three-step routes and tighten down our pre-snap alignment," Purdue cornerback Antonio Blackmon said. "It's frustrating because you want to bite down on those short routes and things like that but in this defense a lot of (emphasis) has been on not getting beat deep."
The Hawkeyes (6-2, 3-2) come to West Lafayette this weekend with a pass offense that has completed 30 passes of 20 yards or more this season. Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley has the conference's second-highest passing touchdown total with 16 this season.
Holt reiterated in his media session Wednesday that his cornerbacks (Blackmon and Kenneth Major) were playing fundamentally how they were being taught during practice. Holt said the blame for the cushion and for most of the 318 passing yards by Rocky Lombardi in his first college start last week lies with the coaches.
Holt also suggested that better open-field tackling will be required to limit a small to moderate gain on a short pass into a first-down play. Purdue has given up 13 pass plays of 30 yards or more this season but that puts the Boilermakers in the middle of the pack nationally in that stat category.
"In some of the coverages you can't blame the kids for allowing a field-side hitch (route to be completed)," Holt said. "The problem is when they catch it, they'd better not get 11 yards. They better get five yards. That's what we've got to do a better job of — seeing the three-step passes and going after them."
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