The 3-2-1: Will November be a month to remember for Purdue?
Big games loom this month, but will a struggling secondary be ready? Charlie Jones vs. his former team? Yes, please. How good has Jeff Brohm been in the oh-so-pivotal month of November? All that and more in the latest … 3-2-1.
Three things learned
1. The secondary has issues, as struggles persist to defend the pass. Time and again, pretty spirals sail over the heads of Boilermaker defensive backs. How bad has it been? Purdue has allowed the most passes in the Big Ten of over 20 (33), 30 (15), 40 (8),50 (5) and 60 yards (5). But Purdue co-DC/secondary coach Ron English is willing to put the past in the past with a game vs. Iowa on deck this Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium.
“I don’t care what anybody’s done up to this point. I don’t care,” said English after practice on Wednesday. “Nobody cares. The reality is we’re right here. If you told me before the year, ‘OK, you’re going to play on November the whatever and you’re going to have a chance to win a championship and you control that. I’d take that every time.’
“I’ve coached a long time. It’s been many years out of the race by November. So, we’re in the race. I told the team–and I mean it–I don’t care what happened before. I care about now. Everybody cares about now.”
November is here. And Purdue is very much in the hunt to win the West. But time is running out on the pass defense tightening.
Exasperating issues: Depth is becoming a problem. Cornerbacks Cory Trice and Jamari Brown both left the Wisconsin game with injury. Things got so bad at cornerback in Madison that a redshirt freshman walk-on had to be used, along with a little used redshirt freshman.
The status of Trice and Brown will become more clear later this week. As for d-back Chris Jefferson, who has been out since the Maryland game dealing with mental health issues: He may have played his final game as a Boilermaker. To bolster the unit, staffers are training Cam Allen, Sanoussi Kane and Bryce Hampton at corner. Each is a safety by trade.
“I’m kind of excited to see how we play Saturday,” said English.
Stay tuned to see how this unfolds.
2. Charlie Jones vs. Iowa
This subplot has created an extra layer of intrigue to this week’s game.
Jones caused a bit of a stir when he transferred to Purdue late in the spring. He had his reasons, explaining his long-time relationship with Aidan O’Connell as well as a desire to play in a pass-oriented offense drove his move to West Lafayette.
Still, some in Hawkeye Nation are hacked off.
Iowa DB Riley Moss told HawkCentral.com he hasn’t talked to Jones in a long time. “I’m going to make sure he doesn’t catch the ball,” he said with a laugh. “No. He’s a fast kid, and he can run around. … It sounds stupid: Just literally stay on him and don’t let him catch the ball.”
And HawkCentral.com asked Iowa S Kaevon Merriweather if he’d hit Jones a little harder if given the chance this Saturday in West Lafayette. “Yeah,” he said, smiling. “A little love tap to say, ‘How ya doing?’ ”
3. Purdue hasn’t lost back-to-back games since dropping its last four to end the 2020 COVID season
The Boilermakers are coming off a 35-24 loss at Wisconsin, easily their worst effort of the season. Purdue will have had two weeks to think about the loss. Can the Boilers get back on track? The squad needs Aidan O’Connell to rediscover his mojo after he tossed three interceptions vs. the Badgers.
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Two questions
1. Will LEO Kydran Jenkins play?
He left the Wisconsin game with a knee injury in the first half. Jenkins wanted to return but was held out.
Don’t bet again No. 44 playing vs. Iowa. He’s one of the team’s toughest players, a true warrior who has played through injury often. Jenkins had a high ankle sprain against Nebraska last year and played the next week against Michigan State. Most people would have been out at least a month. He also played the majority of the Tennessee game with a torn biceps.
The big key: If his mobility laterally is questionable, Jenkins will be held out.
2. Can Jeff Brohm keep dominating Iowa?
The Boilermaker coach is 4-1 vs. the Hawkeyes, winning the last two. The only Big Ten teams Brohm has dominated in similar fashion are Indiana (3-1) and Illinois (4-1). Of course, neither of those two teams have the pedigree of Iowa.
Prior to Brohm’s arrival, the Boilermakers had gone 3-10 in the previous 13 meetings vs. Iowa. Brohm is able to unearth and exploit matchups vs. Iowa that prove to be the Hawkeyes’ undoing. Can the run of success vs. Iowa continue? If Purdue wants to win the West, it must.
Yes, Iowa is coming off a win, but it was vs. moribund Northwestern. Because of an inept offense, this Hawkeye program isn’t meeting expectations.
How bad is this attack? Iowa is last in the Big Ten in scoring offense (16.4 ppg) and total offense (248.6 ypg). And the Hawkeyes are 13th in passing offense (155.1 ypg) and rushing offense (93.5 ypg). The Hawkeyes also are last in the league in long scrimmage plays.
Still, Iowa is dangerous.
“Our team understands they’re an opponent that every year presents numerous challenges,” said Brohm. “They’re very well coached, outstanding on defense. They are every year. Make you earn everything I get. Force you into making mistakes and take advantage of that.”
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One prediction: Jeff Brohm’s November success will continue
A coaching bromide: They play the games to remember in November. And, Brohm has had success in this oh-so-pivotal month.
The Boilermakers boss has gone 10-9 in November. But three of those losses came in the screwy 2020 pandemic season. And two other defeats came in OT.
This November shapes up as the biggest yet for Brohm. Can he deliver a 4-0 mark and Big Ten West title? At the least, we can expect a winning record … and good bowl game.
