Purdue will plan to play two quarterbacks against Eastern Michigan this weekend.

Second-year Boilermaker head coach Jeff Brohm stated in his Monday media conference "both quarterbacks are going to play" when his team takes the field for the noon kickoff Saturday. Brohm didn't name a starter and said that determination between Elijah Sindelar and David Blough will be made later in the week.

"Both quarterbacks will play and play meaningful minutes," Brohm said.

After evaluating the film of Sindelar's first-half performance, Brohm said his one big note was obviously the junior's decisions with the football in only the second multi-interception game of his college career.

"Really, it's just forcing plays," Brohm said. "Sometimes he really threw the ball well and he does give us a vertical threat. He just has to understand that when things are covered, you can't throw it. I think if he does that, his play could really be outstanding and be effective."

Purdue could be without its starting nickel defensive back for at least this weekend and potentially more.

Brohm said Monday it's his "assumption" that Simeon Smiley will be inactive after a deep laceration near his eye and a possible concussion suffered near the end of the first half of the opener.

With less than three minutes to go in the first half, Smiley collided with cornerback Tim Cason on a throw over the middle. After the violent hit, Smiley immediately ripped his helmet off and laid on the turf for several minutes. Purdue trainers and medical staff appeared to be immediately concerned with the bleeding on the left side of his face and elected to have the sophomore defensive back carted off the field.

Brohm said Smiley needed several stitches to close the laceration near his eye.

Based on the rotation pattern in the second half of the opener following Smiley's injury, the playing time at nickel will likely be occupied by redshirt freshman Kenneth Major and 220-pound linebacker Tobias Larry but also could lead to freshman Elijah Ball getting his first action in a Purdue uniform. Brohm also mentioned starting corner Antonio Blackmon.

- Brohm expressed his supreme frustration with the defensive line play and specifically pointed to the lack of speed and intensity showed by the defensive ends Thursday night. "They can play better than that but not at that pace," Brohm said Monday.

- Despite the new redshirt rule, Brohm said only a few more freshmen will likely see action this weekend against Eastern Michigan because "they're not ready".

- Brohm expressed some further frustration with the personal foul penalty on Lorenzo Neal that essentially clinched the win for Northwestern. Brohm said the referee told him Neal executed a body slam on Northwestern tailback Jeremy Larkin but after seeing the film, the Boilermaker coach disagreed with that assessment.

"I did not see a body slam so if that's what he's calling, I don't agree with that," Brohm said. "I can see why it was called. That doesn't mean I agree with it."

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