Big Ten Daily (Nov. 18): Running Game Woes Turn Into Major Issue For Purdue
Purdue has only lost one game so far this season, and that was a 27-20 defeat against unbeaten Northwestern last Saturday. You'd think there wouldn't be any reason to panic just yet, but there are glaring concerns that have Boilermakers fans worried going forward.
Purdue's running backs had just 12 carries for 26 yards in that Northwestern loss, and the running game was practically abandoned. Quarterback Aiden O'Connell threw the ball a whopping 51 times. Balance was thrown out the window, and even for a pass-happy program like Purdue's, success isn't sustainable in a one-dimensional offense, especially when the quarterback play hasn't earned A-plus grades, either.
That can't happen going forward, and everyone knows it.
"I think we have a better plan moving forward to make sure that we stay a little more committed and we use a wide arsenal of different type of plays to help our guys be able to block and move people off the ball,'' Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. "We had some struggles last year in a few games, and then we were able to get a little bit better at it.
"I think we'll have a good week of practice. We've already mapped out a lot of things we want to do and we'll be very aggressive in using that attack to be more balanced and efficient.''
Zander Horvath had 129 yards rushing in the opener against Iowa and then rolled up 102 yards in the win against Illiniois, so it was a bit of a surprise that he was a non-factor, with just 21 yards on 10 carries. He had gone three straight games with 100-plus, going for 164 in last year's final game against Indiana.
Purdue hopes to change that Friday night when it travels to Minnesota for an early game. Kickoff is Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Brohm said he needs to remain more committed to the running game in his play-calling, even when things aren't going well.
"I just have to do a better job of it,'' Brohm said. "We've got a lot of coaches. And they know that that's kind of what I've been telling them all offseason and all season, that we've got to make sure we have a commitment to the run. But at the same time, when it gets to game time and things aren't going well, you have to be able to adjust and do what works.
"A lot of things can come up. You have to hang on to your experience, hang on to what you know what's going on and feel for the game. But I feel confident that we'll learn from this past game and we'll get better. That's what you're going to have to do, just figure out ways to improve each week. Yes, we need to run the ball better. The stats speak for itself. But I need to make sure that I'm committed to it as well.''
Minnesota won 11 games last year but has struggled out of the gate this season, posting a 1-3 record that included a bad home loss last Friday night. The Gophers lost to rival Iowa 35-7.
Spartans 'expecting to play' on Saturday
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker is preparing the play on Saturday when the Spartans take on Maryland, but there's still no guarantee that the game with Maryland will come off. The Terps couldn't play last week against Ohio State because of a rash of positive COVID-19 tests within the program.
"They're trying to play, so we're preparing to play. And I know that they want to play. I talked to Locks (Michael Locksley) this morning for a long time," Tucker said Tuesday. "We had a good talk."
He's also not concerned with the virus spreading due to the scare Maryland had because of the Big Ten's medical protocols. Maryland didn't practice either Monday or Tuesday.
"We do antigen testing six days a week – we've been doing that since Sept. 30," said Tucker. "So, myself, our medical staff, and doctors, we're not going to put ourselves in a situation that we think is unsafe.
"If in fact we are able to play and travel, that means that we feel like we're going into a safe environment. We're not even thinking about that," Tucker said. "We're watching the tape, meeting, installing, and getting ready to practice in a couple of hours. We're getting ready to go."
Maryland won back-to-back games over Minnesota and Penn State before last week's cancelation, so the Terps are excited to get back on the field. Michigan State has struggled since upsetting in-state rival Michigan, losing in blowouts to Iowa and Indiana.
We should know more later on Wednesday about whether this game will happen. That's the date they announced the cancelation last week.
Nebraska defenders tackle Penn State quarterback Will Levis (7) during the Cornhuskers' win last Saturday. (Bruce Thorson/USA TODAY Sports)
Penn State still undecided at QB
Penn State coach James Franklin yanked veteran quarterback Sean Clifford after two early turnovers last week at Nebraska, handing the reins to Will Levis. Is that permanent? Franklin isn't saying.
He thinks Levis had "earned" an opportunity to challenge for the starting role, but he's not ready to make a decision. Clifford has started the past 16 games for the Nittany Lions, but so far this season, he's had eight turnovers, including six interceptions.
"We have not made that decision or announced that decision yet," Franklin said Tuesday. "Obviously we had some conversations about it this week, with not only the coaching staff, but also with Sean and with Will based on what we're going to do in practice this week. We'll evaluate that as the week goes on."
Penn State is 0-4, and the Nittany Lions have never started a season with five straight losses. They have a tough matchup Saturday when they host 2-2 Iowa, a team that's looked great lately in blowout wins over Michigan State and Minnesota.
Franklin said Levis played well in spurts against Nebraska.
"He played hard, he played with passion and did some things," Franklin said.
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- BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS: Here's how the 14 conference teams line up in Tom Brew's weekly Big Ten power rankings. It's Showdown Saturday this week, with the top four teams all playing each other. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA OPENS AS BIG UNDERDOGS AT COLUMBUS: Despite it being a top-10 matchup on Saturday, Indiana opens as quite a large underdog. CLICK HERE
Big Ten football standings through Nov. 18
