Purdue QB David Blough's game maturing, expanding
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During one rep this camp, sophomore David Blough scanned through his progressions, looking first to the inside, then out, but discovering that his first three options were covered.
But then he found 4, a safety value running back waiting open in the flat.
It turned into a nine-yard gain, not necessarily significant, but to QB coach Tim Lester it was the highlight of the first three days of training camp.
“A lot of times where you’re young, you’re surviving on (reads) 1 and 2 and hoping one (of those) is open,” Lester said following Purdue’s practice Saturday. “And (at) 3, you’re running around, trying to make a play. The big thing for us is knowing where all five guys are. And that’s something that as you calm down (you can do, and) David is starting to know where his outlets are.
“That’s something that last year, I know he didn’t know. He was looking at 1 and hoping on 2 and praying on 3. Right now, we’ve gotten to 3 and sometimes 4.”
On the play, Blough hit the fourth option, who turned the first-and-10 into a second-and-one. And Lester would take that kind of first-down production every series.
“That’s really the maturation of a quarterback,” the first-year assistant said, “not so much knowing 1, 2 and 3, but when you can get to 4 and 5 now you’re really hard to stop defensively.”
Stands to reason that Blough is seeing this kind of growth. The presumed starter — Darrell Hazell hasn’t made an official announcement, although plenty of indicators point to Blough — is experienced, having started eight games last season.
But the sophomore also likes Terry Malone’s system, which eases the responsibility on the quarterbacks by allowing them a more natural pre-snap read. Blough said he feels he’s a 10 out of 10 right now in terms of mentally understanding what Malone wants.
He likely could never have said that a year ago, when he was mentally overtaxed, particularly for a rookie signal-caller.
“Last year, I don’t know that I got to three or four more than once or twice, because my instincts were to take off and run,” Blough said. “I learned a couple lessons the hard way. These guys are a lot faster and a lot stronger. … Being able to sit in there behind those linemen, who have done great so far, especially putting the pads on today, in the pocket, makes it easier, means we’re improving.”
The maturation has shown up at times for Blough during the early portion of camp, particularly in that he seems to know — decisively — where he wants to go with the ball. On a throw Friday, he caught DeAngelo Yancey as he was coming out of a sideline break, hitting the wideout on time to allow for a completion with a few extra yards.
Similar scenarios have happened often.
Yet the No. 1 passing offense isn’t fully clicking either, misfiring late in practice Saturday when it couldn’t move the ball in a two-minute drill. Then, Blough had a chance to hit Yancey deep down the left sideline, but missed long, and the offense didn’t get another chance to move the chains.
Blough’s accuracy so far hasn’t been what he — nor Lester — have wanted. Of course, the goal is high; Blough wants to be at 70 percent, after he completed at only a 57.7-percent clip in 2015.
“I know that (70) is elite status but it’s attainable, by listening to our coach and with the wideouts we have,” he said. “And getting to those check downs. That’s the difference between being 18 of 30 and 24 of 30. Those six check downs.
“These errors I’ve had the first couple days have been just accuracy issues. I haven’t hit the guys, and that’s more fixable than not knowing where I’m supposed to go with the ball and not being prepared, things like that. Now, I feel like I know it in and now and can be a coach on the field for some of the guys. I feel like a much better leader this year and guys are responding.”
Blough is being pushed too. Redshirt freshman Elijah Sindelar is competing, even if it’s only with an outside shot at unseating Blough, and he’s doing so by making gradual improvements. In the spring, Sindelar was a little late with his throws, causing him to miss or turn the ball over. But he’s anticipating better now, trying to get more comfortable with throwing before a receiver has come out of his break.
“My whole mindset is to practice like I’m the guy, whether I’m with the 2s or 1s,” said Sindelar, who has taken one series of first-team repetitions in each of the first three days. “I’m constantly being evaluated and David will tell you the same thing. He’s going to practice like he’s the guy and I’m going to practice like I’m the guy. But regardless of who starts, we’re going to support the other people. It’s been very helpful because we’re pushing each other, but it’s helping everybody else too.”
Blough has the same attitude. But he also admits that the intensity might ratchet up even more when he officially learns he’s the starter. If Hazell history serves, that’ll likely come shortly after the Aug. 20 jersey scrimmage.
“You might step on the gas even harder, guns blazing,” Blough said. “I don’t know if we can, but if the pedal goes through the floor we’re stepping on it for Eastern Kentucky.”
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