Purdue run game hasn't been forsaken or forgotten
Purdue's offensive plan on Saturday night illuminated the difference in the words can't and didn't.
Jeff Brohm convinced himself, his coaches and his players throughout the week that throwing the football was the best path to an upset win and his commitment to this strategy had very little to do with a lack of confidence in the running game. Simply put, Purdue can run the football, but just didn't Saturday in a 40-37 loss to Missouri.
"I feel good about our running game and what we have the ability to do," Brohm said Monday. "It just a matter of what we choose to do against certain teams."
Purdue (0-3) tossed the ball around for a school-record 572 yards and only called nine designed run plays Saturday, against a Missouri defense ready for a run game, to set up a play-action passing attack. However, the Tigers immediately had to change their plan with David Blough attempting 25 passes over 10 yards after attempting just two in his first four quarters of action over the first two weeks of the 2018 season.
"I think he knew that we were going to be aggressive and wanting to take shots and standing there and making throws," Brohm said. "I have all the confidence in the world in David, and whether he gets pulled or not, has nothing to do with that."
A week after being asked to earn 341 yards on the ground, Purdue found itself in a passing shootout in which tailbacks D.J. Knox and Markell Jones were asked to keep Blough upright in the pass game instead of tote the football up the field.
"The running backs did a great job Saturday (in protection) because they weren't getting the touches and I'm sitting there thinking, 'Wow, this is what they can be in terms of being selfless,'" Blough said.
XXXXXXXXXX The attitude in Chris Barclay's running back meeting room is sacrifice isn't the right word for what occurred Saturday because Jones said Tuesday following a practice session that having one game where they're allowed to exert some physicality in the pass-blocking scheme isn't the worst result for a tailback. XXXXXXXXXXX
"Each game may vary slightly and in a game like Saturday where we're trying to air it out a bunch, that's fine for us," Jones said. "You saw D.J. have a great block and put somebody down on it. I had a great chip block and we enjoy that physicality and that can allow us to showcase another skill set, too."
Boston College (3-0) will arrive at Ross-Ade Stadium with the nation's eighth-best rushing attack and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in sophomore tailback AJ Dillon.
Dillon had 184 yards and a touchdown in a 41-34 win at Wake Forest last week but his 34 carries alone were nearly twice as many as the entire Purdue team Saturday night when counting David Blough's six attempts for 18 yards.
However, Purdue remains in the top half nationally in rushing offense despite having one of the lowest attempt numbers in the country. When Knox and Jones have been given opportunities, they've typically made the most of their carries as both players average nearly seven yards a touch.
"I don't think (Brohm) feels uncomfortable with the run and that's not an issue in our minds," Jones said. "The pressure we're feeling about our 0-3 start is external and we can deal with that but I don't think anything has changed internally with how we've handled things."
Barclay has reminded his duo that Saturday's matchup with No. 23 Boston College (Noon, ESPN2) represents an opportunity to have either Knox or Jones leave Ross-Ade Stadium as the best tailback on the field on that particular afternoon.
"Even though it's not a 1-on-1 matchup, it is somewhat of a competition and yeah, I think the kids were really locked in today," Barclay said. "They're chomping at the bit because yes, Dillon is coming in here with a lot of hype and it is well deserved but I think our kids can play well too."
