11/27/2020 football Edit

Wanted: More touchdowns when Purdue enters the red zone

Tom Dienhart • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor

The Red Zone isn’t for the meek.

Yards are difficult to come by when an offense reaches the 20-yard line. The end zone is so close … yet so far. Defenses hunker down and bunch up with less real estate to defend.

Purdue knows.

The Boilermakers have not had an issue reaching the red zone, making 20 trips there in their four games. But Purdue (2-2) has struggled to convert those trips into touchdowns. It hopes for more success when Rutgers (1-4) visits for a game this Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium at 4 p.m. ET.

The Boilermakers rank 12th in the Big Ten in red zone conversions with a 70 percent scoring clip (14-of-20). Purdue has scored just nine TDs in those trips, a 45 percent success rate. Only one Big Ten team is worse: Nebraska (41.2 percent). The Boilers made seven trips to the red zone in last week’s 34-31 loss at Minnesota and scored points on four (three TDs and one FG) of them (57 percent).

“Well, we thought we had made some improvements this past week,” said Purdue coach Jeff Brohm. “I don't like settling for field goals, either. When you get in that area, what we're seeing is everyone packed in the box, one-on-one on the outside, it's a little harder to run it. You have everyone in there, there are really no safeties anymore. They are up at linebacker depth and you're going to get a nine-across look and two guys on your outside receivers or an eight-across look and three guys on your three outside receivers.”

Last season, Brohm’s team was No. 2 in the Big Ten in red zone conversions, scoring on 95 percent of it trips with a 70.7 percent TD percentage. The Boilermakers also were No. 2 in 2018 and No. 3 in 2017.

A big key to TD success in the red zone is being able to run the ball. And that has been an inconsistent part of the Boilermaker offense in 2020. Purdue is No. 12 in the Big Ten in rushing (70.0 ypg).

“So, it's a little tough to run the football in there,” said Brohm. “Now, we've got to have a little creativity and we've got to still mix it in there and then you know we've had some penalties, we had the one touchdown overturned. You know, we've just got to do a better job.”

The return of Rondale Moore no doubt will help the Boilermakers function with more consistency in the red zone. And the continued development of the line also should reap benefits when Purdue needs to knuckle down and get physical in tight places that often define red zone offense.

“When you get in the red zone, things happen faster,” said co-offensive coordinator Brian Brohm. “Windows are tighter. Turnovers are more costly. And, you know, throughout this year, we got a couple turnovers. We’ve missed on a few plays here and there that we normally don't miss on. So, we gotta be more efficient and make quicker decisions at quarterback. Those are things when you get in those tight areas, that’s what you got to do with at the quarterback position, for sure. Make quicker decisions, be efficient and effective with the football. Don't turn the football over. Then, you’ll have success in the red zone.”

Last week, for the first time, the Boilermakers played the same five offensive linemen for the entire game. Left tackle Grant Hermanns; left guard Spencer Holstege; center Sam Garvin; right guard Gus Hartwig; right tackle Greg Long each played all 71 offensive snaps. This, after the Boilermakers played between eight and 10 in the opening three games. Injury was a function of that tight rotation. Purdue was down two key players out with injury: guards Cam Craig and Kyle Jornigan.

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“We actually have a few guys that were out and not able to play, so that affected and minimized the rotation a little bit,” said Jeff Brohm. “When that happened, you know, there's less guys to rotate and we felt like the five in there with even the rotation being smaller, know, we're doing a decent job and they are working hard to get better and we spent a lot of time on it, and there's still plenty of work to do.

“But I do think they played hard. Now, with that said, we'll face a much more challenging defensive front this week and, you know, we'll see how far we've come after this next game because these guys are aggressive and quick and fast and play downhill and they hit and they are physical. This will be a bigger challenge for us.”

Rutgers has an active front seven led by tackle Michael Dwumfour, a transfer from Michigan. And linebackers Olakunle Fatukasi and Tyshon Fogg are hard-hitters who cover a lot of ground. That could make the sledding tough in the red zone for Purdue.

“So, yes, you know, scoring in that area, we'd like to be much more efficient,” said Jeff Brohm. “We're looking at a lot of things, and trying to figure out ways to make sure that it happens. I think, you know, sometimes in those situations, if we are calling passes and things aren't there, the quarterback has got to be active, athletic and buy us some extra time and let guys get open or buy us some extra time to get a running lane, and we've got to be able to sneak in some runs, as well.”

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