Will Aidan O'Connell start at quarterback this week? Or will Jack Plummer retain his starting job?
That's the big story line hanging over Purdue after O'Connell relieved Plummer last Saturday and rallied the Boilermakers to a 13-9 comeback victory vs. Illinois, hitting 12-of-19 passes for 182 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
"Right now, we will internally name a starting quarterback tomorrow when we talk to our guys as we proceed forward through the week of practice," said Jeff Brohm at his Monday press conference as the Boilermakers (3-1) prepare to play host to Minnesota (2-2) on Saturday at noon ET in a homecoming clash.
Plummer won the starting job in training camp and started the first four games of 2021. And, the redshirt junior looked good in engineering victories vs. Oregon State and at UConn. But at Notre Dame, the offense bogged down and O'Connell relieved Plummer late. O'Connell moved the ball but was unable to pull out a win. He did so vs. Illinois, however.
Quarterback changes are nothing new under Brohm. In his five seasons at Purdue, he has yet to start the same quarterback in each game for an entire season. Often, it has been because of injury. But if a change is made for this week's game, it will be based on performance.
O'Connell won the starting job entering 2020, leading Purdue to a 2-1 start before suffering a season-ending foot injury. In 2019, he assumed command from an injured Plummer vs. Nebraska and led the Boilermakers to a comeback win. O'Connell then started the final three games. He is 3-3 as a starter.
O'Connell is regarded as the best passer among the Boilermaker signal-callers. While he lacks mobility, O'Connell has good pocket presence. And his ability to make intermediate throws vs. defenses that have been set up to deny the long pass has been an asset.
"Aidan has great poise in the pocket and great command of the offense," said Brohm. "We've faced the last two weeks two defenses that have adjusted quite a bit of what they've done on film for us to take away the pass, to take away the deep play-action shots, to force us to do some different things.
"So, really, in some of those looks, you've got to be able to make the intermediate throws, and it's important that you do that. Aidan is really good at the intermediate throws because he'll stand in there, he'll anticipate, he'll throw on time. Anything that flashes in front of him won't get him out of the pocket. He'll stay in there to the last minute, and that's what you have to do to play quarterback at a high level and make big-time throws, which he made really big-time throws on a couple of those. You have to be able to do that, and that is his strength."
With Purdue trailing Illinois, 9-6, midway through the fourth quarter, O'Connell marched Purdue 94 yards in 10 plays, capping the drive with a 14-yard touchdown toss to TJ Sheffield with 5:44 left in the game.
"It shows you all the guys that caught the ball and all the guys that were out there, it's an amazing team sport," O'Connell said after the win vs. the Fighting Illini on Saturday. "We needed everybody. We can't do anything without our offensive line and for the receivers to make plays. Even with some of our best playmakers out, we're blessed with a lot of great players. My job is to get the ball in space and let them do what they do."
It was the fourth time O'Connell had led the Boilermakers to a comeback win, also doing so in the aforementioned Nebraska game in 2019, at Northwestern that same season and vs. Iowa last year.
O'Connell drove Purdue to paydirt after throwing interceptions on his first two drives in relief of Plummer.
"He's got great command under pressure," said Brohm. "He doesn't allow anything to bother him. Normally, if you came in, you throw two interceptions your first two series, it's going to bother a lot of quarterbacks, but it does not bother him, so he's got great confidence."
Is there an intangible that the 6-3, 210-pound O'Connell possesses that makes the fifth-year senior special?
"I think it's due to he's a young man of great faith who treats people right and does things the right way, is a great teammate, supports all of our guys on the team, including all the other quarterbacks, Jack included, and just is ready when his opportunity comes," said Brohm. "So, that's a credit to him, his family, his upbringing and his work ethic."
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