Old National Presents: 3-2-1
Three things learned. Two questions. One bold statement. It’s time for the 3-2-1, a look at Purdue football.
Three things learned
1 – Don’t panic
It’s a natural feeling after Saturday’s historic 66-7 beat down. Purdue was whipped in every way, shape and form. It was X-rated.
“They came out and played better and harder than us today,” QB Hudson Card said.
How could Purdue let Notre Dame play harder on a day that could have meant so much for a program looking for traction in Ryan Walters‘ second season? A packed house, national TV audience, ND in town … and this game was essentially over in the first quarter.
What?
The most bone-jarring statement uttered after the epic defeat: “They were the more physical football team and it wasn’t even close,” said Walters.
The good news–if you squint your eyes and look really close–is this: It’s just one game and counts as only one loss. That’s called “spin.” And that’s all Purdue can cling to until the next time it kicks off.
Purdue is 1-1 with 10 games to play. It’s still 0-0 in the Big Ten. Hey, if might not be much of a salve to apply following the beating administered by Notre Dame. But it’s something to hang hope on. And Purdue needs any sliver of light and positivity at this critical early season juncture.
“We’ve got a choice right now,” said Walters. “On Saturday, we can either be 2-1 or we can be 1-2. That’s the reality of where we’re at.”
2 – Let’s get physical
From Pop Warner to the NFL, football is the same, a simple sport boiled down to two things: blocking and tackling.
And–dating to the leather helmet days–it’s a game won in the trenches. That’s where Purdue was whipped. And that’s concerning for a program that supposedly upgraded the lines in the offseason and spent the last nine months hoisting weights, bonding on fishing ponds and chugging protein shakes.
So, the question begs: How can a team get more physical is six days? Learning to play physical typically takes place from December to August, when players–in classic football parlance–GRIND. Oh, we always hear and see about how everyone is “grinding.”
“It’s hard for any team, high school college or pro in this era of football to become more physical because it’s not a grind anymore,” a 1990s Boilermaker told me. “These kids physical practices are what we used to do for prep practice or walk-throughs. Physicality, to me, is from within and that kid or unit or team is that based on style of play.
“You have to recruit that type of kid or play that type of scheme. I honestly haven’t watched enough of the scheme to know if that’s the case.”
3 – Reality
What we saw vs. ND was not reality … at least that’s the hope.
“I don’t know what to say other than it’s one game,” the ex-player said. “It was, in my opinion, a great opportunity to win and I think (Walters) knew that. I just think the offense has to carry the team until he gets more defensive help. I’m more interested in the response and being competitive. Sadly, the folks jumping ship will always be that way. The best thing we can do is keep supporting. This week for us is like last week was for ND. Gotta show up.”
The Irish are good but not 59 points better than Purdue. The truth? It’s in there somewhere. Can the staff bring it out? Even more to the point: Can the leaders on this team bring it out?
“Offensively, we just have to be more creative,” the former player told me. “No way we can’t have a scheme that doesn’t give Hudson one outlet option vs. running around hoping a guy is open. I can’t figure that out at all. That plays into the non-physical aspect. The offensive is a passing offense.”
And does not practicing vs. a physical offense impact the physicality of the Purdue defense? When Walters was DC at Illinois, his unit practiced vs. a physical running attack.
“Illinois with Bret (Bielema) was running a heavy scheme that matched what he did at Wisconsin,” the player said. “So, their practices probably reflected that and helped the defense be more prepared for a physical game.”
Two questions
1 – How will Purdue respond at Oregon State?
So, here we are. Purdue will travel over 2,200 miles to find itself. Maybe that’s a good thing. Get out of town … far out of town, away from the scene of last Saturday’s crime. Away from the critics and skeptics and cynics.
It is going to be fascinating to see how this team responds. Oddsmakers have installed the Beavers as roughly a six-point favorite, a week after the Oregon thumped Oregon State 49-14 in Corvallis in the Civil War rivalry game.
Oregon State was left behind with Washington State in the Pac-12, left to lesser status and the unknown. You know the program–which even saw ex-star QB and head coach Jonathan Smith ditch ’em and escape to Michigan State–would love nothing more than to knock off a Big Ten squad to “show ’em.” Wazzu did it last week to Washington.
“As far as the noise, it’s easy to have an opinion that is without consequence on social media,” said Walters. “You know what I mean? Our guys have to do a good job of blocking that type of noise out. The only way you fix that and quiet that is you’ve got to go perform well.”
MORE PURDUE-OREGON STATE: First and 10 | First Look | Purdue’s Ryan Walters: ‘Fully expect us to respond the right way’
2 – Big recruiting weekend impacted?
The staff welcomed over 50 recruits for Saturday’s game. And the list of invitees included some top targets.
Perhaps the most intriguing visitor was 2025 DL Kyler Garcia, who is committed to Indiana. Can Purdue flip the Nashville product? He’s listening.
People ask me: Did the Notre Dame loss hurt Purdue’s chances with all of those recruits? I always have thought one game–good or bad–won’t impact a recruit’s decision. It’s just one piece of information. And if a player is that easily influenced, do you want him?
One bold statement: Card will pass for 300 yards
He’s done it only once at Purdue–in a loss at home to Syracuse last year. But he’ll air it out vs. an Oregon State defense that is known for playing loose coverage. Card and his fleet of pass-catchers will enjoy a big day in the Willamette Valley.
