Bruce Pearl reacts to Auburn's beating of Purdue: 'You control your outcome with how you defend'

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Bruce Pearl was concerned about how difficult Auburn's non-conference schedule appeared heading into the season. Games at Houston and Duke, the Maui Invitational, plus neutral-site games against Ohio State and Purdue. It was daunting, but after No. 2 Auburn's 87-69 beating of No. 16 Purdue on Saturday afternoon, the Tigers finish the seven-game gauntlet with a 6-1 record and six Quad I wins in the first 12 games of the season. "I was concerned about the toughness of our schedule. If we couldn't handle it, we could have hurt our league by being overwhelmed by just the number of Quad I opportunities and the teams that are playing. But we didn't. We actually helped our league, and that matters to me a great deal," Pearl said. More inside from Pearl on Johni Broome's injury, his team's offensive performances and more.