Barry Odom Believes Purdue Needs to Improve in One Key Area After Week 1
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After the clock hit zero on the scoreboard at Ross-Ade Stadium, Purdue coach Barry Odom was quick to point out that his team's tackling needed some improvement. It's hard to imagine that being the case in a 31-0 win over Ball State, but the new Boilermakers coach called the effort "average at best" in the postgame interview.
In the days after the game, Odom had a chance to re-evaluate his team's tackling ability. He found a common trend throughout the contest, which comes down to a fundamental concept.
"We tackled well early, we had a lull a little bit in the second quarter," Odom said. "I think some of it, fundamentally, we have to take another step or two and close down the space between when we're lunging for tackles and running our feet. So, I think there are some things fundamentally we can do better."
Statistically, Purdue's defense finished the game with respectable numbers. Ball State totaled just 203 yards of offense and the Boilermakers had four sacks and seven tackles for loss in the win.
Odom understands, though, that Purdue's competition is going to get tougher as the season goes along. Tackling better is a key component to the Boilers' success in 2025.
"It's also swarming the ball. There were points in the game where I thought we played hard and did a great job of pursuing the football, and then there are other times we missed tackles," Odom said. "We have to be a great tackling team as the season goes on."
Mike Scherer agrees with Odom's assessment
The head coach and defensive coordinator are on the same page at Purdue, always a good sign. When asked about the team's tackling struggles, Mike Scherer echoed Odom's thoughts on the situation.
"We have a lot of work to do, but it's simple things like taking an extra step instead of reaching and diving for tackles," Scherer said. "It was great to see our pursuit of the ball ... but we have to work on taking an extra step to the ball."
Tackling may be a talking point this week in practice as Purdue prepares for Southern Illinois, but the coaching staff spoke confidently about the ability to improve in that area.
That's the beauty of Week 1 — there's always room for improvement. Both Scherer and Odom expect to see it happen over time.
"We have to get better at tackling," Scherer said. "All it is is us stressing tackling in our individual drills in practice and continuing to stress pursuit."
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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