Most Important Quotes From Purdue Coach Barry Odom's Week 5 Press Conference

Barry Odom addressed Purdue’s 1-3 start and the Boilermakers’ upcoming matchup with Illinois. Here are the biggest quotes and takeaways from his weekly press conference.

Sep 20, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom points to the field against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue dropped its third straight game on Saturday, giving up 49 points to Notre Dame. Another disastrous defensive performance and a 1-3 start have raised questions about where the program goes from here.

Here’s what Barry Odom had to say about Purdue’s defensive struggles and the upcoming matchup with Illinois.

Pass Rush Has Been Disappointing

Sep 4, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Indiana State Sycamores quarterback Elijah Owens (2) scrambles with the ball under pressure. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Odom was asked what the biggest area of concern has been defensively, and he gave a straightforward answer. Purdue’s edge rush has been underwhelming throughout the season, including a performance against Notre Dame that produced zero sacks.

Transfers such as Keyshawn Burgos from Virginia Tech and Elo Modozie from Georgia are both still searching for their first sacks of the season.

Odom shared his thoughts on the group.

“You know, you made a question about one disappointment, maybe one of the strongest disappointments I have. That’s one of them,” he said. “We’ve got the right players to be able to go win some more one-on-one battles. We have to continue to give them the tools to go do it.”

The individual performances have not lived up to the standard despite the talent Purdue has along the defensive front. The lack of pressure has also put more responsibility on the secondary, giving opposing quarterbacks more time to find open receivers.

If Purdue is going to start putting some wins in the column, the pass rush has to improve.

Process of a Midseason Staff Change

Purdue Boilermakers defensive coordinator Kevin Kane runs a drill during football practice, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There’s no hiding the fact that Purdue fans have been vocal about making a change at defensive coordinator. Kevin Kane’s defense has struggled to slow down opposing offenses, surrendering 46 points per game to FBS opponents through three games.

Ironically enough, Illinois just made a change at defensive coordinator of its own, parting ways with Bobby Hauck.

Odom was asked about his experience making a midseason staff change and explained some of the complexities that come with it.

“You better have some really good pieces around it,” he said. “There’s sometimes decisions that go beyond your control. Sometimes someone either steps away or you feel like a change needs to be made.”

Odom also gave credit to Illinois head coach Bret Bielema for how he handles those situations.

“Bret’s been around the block. He’s a veteran, and he’s got a lot of answers,” Odom said. “I know, and I haven’t talked to him, but my guess is, they probably hadn’t missed a beat, because he has a plan in place, like he does for everything.”

Odom did not get into whether Purdue could make a similar change, but his comments offered some insight into the challenges that come with making a midseason adjustment to a coaching staff.

Tough Losses

Sep 26, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Matt Jeffery (33) celebrates his touchdown with tight end Ty Washington (7) and wide receiver Mylan Graham (3) and wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr. (8) in the fourth quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s undoubtedly disappointing that Purdue has fallen in three of its first four games, but all three losses have come against teams off to strong starts.

Wake Forest, UCLA and Notre Dame are a combined 11-1 entering this week, with the only loss coming against No. 5 Miami.

“Our last three opponents, they’re currently 11-1. And the one loss is the number 5 Miami,” Odom said. “It’s a pretty good group. But if you sit there and you compare into the what-if game, going backwards is not worth anybody’s time.”

Moral victories are never where a program wants to be, and Odom emphasized that Purdue cannot afford to dwell on what could have happened in its first four games.

The Boilermakers now turn their attention to Illinois, which enters the matchup at 2-2. Purdue has an opportunity to put the first month of the season behind it and get back in the win column.

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