More: Defense wins
Purdue’s defense dominated the spring game on Saturday, more even than the final score of 45-30 would indicate.
It got to the QB — frequently — and turned the offense over a couple times, plus allowed only three touchdowns, two by the first-team offense, in 23 drives.
Following are our observations for the two-hour scrimmage — Purdue played 1s vs. 1s, 2s vs. 2s, rather than a normal game — in Ross-Ade Stadium:
• This is no great revelation, but the offense has a long, long way to go, mainly for the reasons we’ve said before: It can’t protect with consistency in its front, and that became extremely apparent with the second-teamers, but on the first, too; and Purdue is without playmakers, although Gregory Phillips had a solid Saturday, part of a good — and much-needed — final week of practice.
Both relevant (first-team) touchdowns were due largely to defensive breakdowns in the secondary — and if there was a concern about the defense, it was that there seemed to be confusion, at times, in the back half.
On the 1s’ second drive of the day, after a promising first ended in a field goal, David Blough hit Jackson Anthrop for a 69-yard catch-and-run, with linebacker Danny Ezechukwu chasing the receiver down from behind. (Anthrop is a solid prospect due to his shiftiness, but he doesn’t have the break-away speed of his older brother, at least right now).
But Anthrop was open because he was uncovered. No one was there. And given the huge break — or taking advantage of one, depending on your perspective — Purdue scored after back-to-back Richie Worship runs, the second from two yards out.
Purdue’s defense screwed up coverage on Anthrop on the second TD drive, as well. On a second-and-three from the 15 to open the second quarter, the redshirt freshman receiver was lined up in the left slot, with Ezechukwu covering. But the linebacker jumped into the flat in a zone scheme, which appeared to be the right move. But T.J. Jallow should have come over to pick up the receiver when he entered the safety’s territory, but he didn’t. And the result was a 15-yard scoring pass from Blough.
So, good for the offense, again, of taking advantage. But will top-flight competition in the fall be so generous in the secondary? Perhaps at times; perhaps not.
The big offensive plays can be counted on about a hand: The two Anthrop plays, the 69-yarder and the TD; Phillips’ battle with Kamal Hardy up the right sideline, with the senior receiver winning the ball, probably the catch-of-the-day; the fake flea flicker, which I’ve never seen before (nor has Jeff Brohm apparently), that resulted in a 13-yard Tario Fuller run on the scrimmage’s third play; and the third TD, a dart by fourth-string QB Aaron Banks to Malik Kimbrough on the second-to-last drive vs. a mix of 2s/3s.
Otherwise, the game was largely dominated by the defense.
It got two turnovers, one on a bad exchange between center and Elijah Sindelar and one an interception by Simeon Smiley of Jared Sparks.
• But let’s talk about the biggest storyline: The sacks. Eleven of them.
And this was the Boilermakers’ defense being “vanilla,” per Brohm.
Louisville won’t be.
Purdue was unable to keep Purdue’s defensive front out of the backfield, particularly with its second-team offensive tackles, as Jalen Neal, Ethan Smart and Tanner Hawthorne getting beaten regularly.
But right guard Bearooz Yacoobi also struggled in his matchup with Gelen Robinson, twice beating beaten by the senior defensive lineman.
Eric Swingler played center late, getting in for Bryce Brown — it might have been Brown who had the bad snap to Sindelar — and was slow to react to a Fred Brown inside move. And Fred Brown ran straight by Swingler for a sack.
That was written often on Saturday: Defender A “runs straight by” offensive lineman B for a sack. Kai Higgins finished with three, fittingly ending the game with his last. On one, he came around the edge on Hawthorne, who split time as the backup LT with Smart. Hawthorne, who only started getting team reps about halfway through spring due to a previous injury, was beaten by the speedy Tim Faison, as well, with the defensive end going around the edge untouched.
On Higgins’ second, he split tight end Brandon Prince and right tackle Neal — just ran right between both of them — to get to Sindelar.
Linebacker Rob Simmons, who can gets to QBs in about two giant steps, beat Neal on a third down with the 2s. Neal was benched, then sat on the sideline bench by himself.
Then, two plays later, Simmons smoked Smart.
Tackle Anthony Watts took advantage when left guard Peyton Truitt disengaged from the block. Watts, unencumbered, chased down the QB. Reserve end Mike Zeigler was also credit with a sack, when he ran straight by the right tackle.
Ezechukwu could have had another sack — probably would have had QBs been live — when moved around left tackle Grant Hermanns and forced Blough from the pocket.
Now, most of the issues (but not all) were with the second-team tackles, players who likely won’t have a major role in the fall. But Yacoobi’s inability to slow up Robinson was a liability; Purdue needs to find another body on the starting line. Matt McCann will help, either at that right guard spot himself or at right tackle, allowing Swingler to shift inside.
• Many want Sindelar to compete to be Purdue’s starter.
He didn’t in the spring.
He’s probably farther away now than at the start of the spring, as the sophomore QB suffered through a difficult 15 practices.
And the spring game was no different. Although Sindelar finished 14-of-25 for 177 yards, he seemed more scattered than that, missing on throws that should be completed. Or missing because he threw to the wrong location. Twice on a long drive that ended with a field goal in the redzone, Sindelar forced the ball into the endzone. On the second, a PBU by Smiley, he had a man open shorter, which would have been enough to turn the sticks on a third-and-three from the 11.
Twice, he was nearly intercepted — should have been really — when Simmons and cornerback Antonio Blackmon dropped picks. Plus, the fumbled exchange, although that wasn’t necessarily on Sindelar. Purdue also put the ball on the ground on a toss to Markell Jones, but hard to tell who was at fault there.
• There’s a lot to like about Jallow, particularly that he’s a fierce and more-than-willing hitter.
A few times in the last week, he’s ripped a pass away from a receiver, like he did Saturday. He also got Anthrop and Cole Herdman on Wednesday, reaching in and pulling out would-be receptions.
But the J.C. safety doesn’t seem to have much idea of the coverage schemes … yet?
After Anthrop scored his TD, secondary coach Anthony Poindexter had Jallow on the sideline, showing him something — probably scheme-related — on a play sheet. If he’s going to be as good as he seemingly could be, then he’s going to have to be able to execute well, not just hunt heads, (although that’s fun, too).
• Only saw a couple drops, which was an offensive positive: One by Phillips and another by Benaiah Franklin.
• Jones looked a little fresher in the last week of practice, after he had gotten in following his back injury.
He must have lobbied his way onto the field Saturday, because it seemed questionable, at least from Jeff Brohm’s point of view on Wednesday. Jones had 26 yards on 12 carries, nothing special but at least he gave Brohm and Co., a look.
But then, as happens too often, Jones ended up on the training table getting stretched out by game’s end.
• Like Sparks as a utility player.
The redshirt freshman is one of Purdue’s more smooth receivers and had a couple catches for 15 yards.
But a package with him as the QB this fall might be worthwhile, especially if he can beat out Sindelar as the 2.
Sparks isn’t a finished product by any means; he missed passes that are open, down the field especially But his athleticism brings a Wildcat-type element, and for an offense short on playmakers, his change-of-pace might be a welcomed addition in 2017.
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