More coverage from Practice 2: Herdman expects to be a "weapon" | Analysis ($) | "The Point After" ($)

In Terry Malone’s office inside Mollenkopf, there’s a sign on the wall that perfectly describes what he envisions for Purdue’s offense: It explicitly says taking care of the football is the priority of the program.

So when Malone talks about “identity” for the Boilermakers’ offense in his first season as coordinator — and what he’s hoping to see now that the team has begun training camp practices — he isn’t necessarily looking for a group that runs at a fast tempo or one that’s defined by its bevy of formations or one that’s eager to keep the defense on its heels by being unafraid to take deep shots in the passing game.

Malone wants Purdue’s offense to be tough, sure. He wants it to be disciplined, yes. He wants to accentuate playmakers, especially at what he considers a talented and deep receiving corps.

But his label of “identity” may be quite different than any of those things.

“It starts with securing the football because the whole game is about the ball and if you don’t secure the football, you don’t have a chance of winning,” Malone said Friday after Purdue’s second camp practice. “We want to be an offense that does not beat themselves. There’s a lot of offenses out there that defenses look at and they say, ‘Listen, we’re just going to let them play their game and eventually they’re going to make a mistake and give us the ball or kill themselves.’ We don’t want to be one of those. We want to be an offense that forces a defense to be able to stop some of our stuff and then be able to counter.”

Malone hopes to help players do that by scaling back the system — “simplified” is a common phrase coaches have used since the spring — and, in turn, running an offense that is easier to execute. A better grasp on what’s possible for the current personnel and then relaying what’s required and what’s expected should lead to more efficiency, fewer turnovers and scoring at a higher clip.

At least that’s what Malone and the players he’s charged with leading hope.

So as Purdue continues to re-install the offense this camp — it’ll be the fourth time, Malone said, including winter, spring and summer — he’ll continue to expect more and more production.

To get it, Purdue will need its offensive line to firm up and its quarterback — whoever it ultimately is — to be accurate and quickly deliver the ball. Malone is holding out truly evaluating the O-line after two days because Purdue has yet to wear pads in practice, and Malone thinks it’s especially difficult for the linemen to be judged vs. D-linemen without pads. The QBs, though? He says he likes what he’s seen early with how “attentive” those players have been.

Sophomore David Blough has a “lead” on the competition because of his experience and leadership ability, Malone said, but he also said it could be an “interesting” battle over the next several weeks.

“(Blough) is an outstanding leader to have on the team. He leads by example. He’s vocal. He’s everything you want in a leader,” Malone said. “In that way, certainly he has an edge. But I’m real happy with the other guys.”

Once those two groups settle — the line and the QB — it could open up things on the perimeter and down the field, considering Malone’s excitement about the receivers. And that includes his tight end group, which will frequently detach.

“You can really get imaginative with your formations and what you do,” Malone said of the experience at receiver. “Certainly it brings more speed on the field and that’s always a weapon to have. The faster team you can put on the field, the more explosive you can be.”

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