Purdue 'gaining confidence' after two solid performances to start season

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Purdue hasn't won back-to-back games since 2012.

But it wasn't uncommon on the front end of those opportunities — the win, in other word — to hear about an increase in confidence.

Jeff Brohm said it Monday during his weekly press conference, how he thinks Purdue is "gaining confidence."

Brohm, though, hopes it's much more than talk in 2017. He hopes the Boilermakers feel a true sense of momentum heading into their first true road game of the season Saturday at Missouri. He hopes going what he called "2-for-2" on effort in the first two weeks of the season produces more fruit: In the form of another victory for the underdog.

"We want them when they take the field to not only have confidence, but you’ve got to tell yourself that you’re the best daggone player at that position every time you step on the field, whether it’s 100 percent true or not, that has to be the mindset," Brohm said. "I still think we need to improve upon that, but we’re getting better. While we want to motivate and push our guys and demand the best for them, they need to understand that they need to take the field every game (and believe) that they are the best and they’re out to prove it and they’re going to find a way to get it done. While we’re going to make some mistakes along the way, when they make it, I want them to move onto the next (play) and challenge themselves.

"The mindset is vital to success. Regardless of what’s happened in the past, you’ve got to block that out. Every week is a new week. You’ve got to be up for the challenge. I think our guys to this point have had a great attitude."

Purdue (1-1) has won only two road games in the last four years, both in conference at Illinois. It hasn't beaten a non-conference team on the road since 2007 against Toledo. Its last road victory against a Power Five team was in 2005 at Arizona. Granted, the opportunities have been slim: Since 2006, Purdue has played only nine non-conference teams on the road. And four times, that opponent was Notre Dame. Still, the chances were there against Marshall in 2015 and Cincinnati in 2013.

And there'd seem to be a chance against the Tigers, too, who are about a touchdown favorite but just fired their defensive coordinator coming off a loss to South Carolina.

Brohm said he wants his team to have a certain mentality on the road, a mindset that's focused and intent on finishing.

"I think our guys understand there’s not a whole lot of margin for error, but you can overcome some mistakes if you’re playing hard and playing to the end and you’re showing fight and you’re trying to finish everything you do. I think our guys have seen that to a certain degree," he said. "We’ve found a way against a good Louisville team to get some turnovers where, if we didn’t, we’re probably not in the game at halftime. So they’ve done everything effort-wise and finishing and playing hard, and while it gets monotonous to say it, those things are very, very important to going on the road.

"But every week is a new week. We try to emphasize that it’s a one-game season. You have to re-prove yourself. No one cares what you did last week. You have to try to raise your level of play. You have to make sure you’re elevating your game every week. If not, you’re cheating yourself and your teammates. We try to say the right things. We try to challenge our guys. But you’ve got to go out every week and prove it. To do it consistently throughout the season, that’s the challenge. But I’m happy with being able to have that effort 2-for-2 so far. Now we’ve got one on the road that we’re going to have to find a way to make it even better."

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