Purdue Defense Gearing For Up-Tempo Tennessee Offense Ahead of Music City Bowl

Purdue's defense faces a fast-paced Tennessee offense that ranks eighth in the country in points per game this season in the Music City Bowl on Thursday. The Volunteers lead the nation with an average of more than 14 points scored in the first quarter.

Author:
D.J. Fezler
Publish date:
Dec 29, 2021 7:27 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Even with weeks of preparation under its belt, it’s been near impossible for the Purdue defense to simulate the quick-paced Tennessee offense in practice. But the team will adjust accordingly, as it has done all season, when the Music City Bowl kicks off Thursday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We have our hands full,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. “We're going to have to play well in all aspects of the game, do a lot of the small things right. We're going to have to defend an offense that goes very fast, which really in our conference we don't see as much.

We've worked on it a whole lot, but getting out there and doing it in the game is a different story. But I know our guys are looking forward to playing a quality opponent that has a lot of talent in their backyard, and we'll see what we're made of.”

The Volunteers are one of the fastest teams in the nation on offense, executing an average of 2.94 plays and scoring 1.61 points per minute. The scheme, operated by first-year head coach Josh Heupel, will be unlike anything the Boilermakers have matched up with this season.

“It’s the fastest I’ve ever seen,” Purdue co-defensive coordinator Ron English said of Tennessee’s fast-paced offense. “It'll be like auction football, I think a little bit in the sense that players are gonna have to get acclimated. And what they want is for you to be slightly out of position, and then bang — they make some plays.”

Heupel, whose coaching stints include stops at Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri and Central Florida, has brought a high-scoring, fast-paced offense wherever he’s gone. Tennessee introduces the latest iteration of his offensive attack, and Purdue is the next opponent attempting to stop it.

The Volunteers have averaged just under 39 points and have gained 459 yards per game. Wide splits along the front line, efficient passing and a strong rushing attack have contributed to a balanced offense that strives to get explosive athletes in space.

On the surface, it sounds simple. But Tennessee boasts the eighth-ranked scoring offense as a result of their team speed. There’s no time to zero in on any given player because there are several that can get the ball and make an impact.

“The crazy thing is how efficient they are at that rate,” Purdue junior defensive end Lawrence Johnson said. “They've got players, no matter where they get tackled, they're running up to the ball. We've been practicing the best we can at warp speed the whole time preparing for him. It's gonna be tough for us to get out there and keep up with the pace, but I feel like our coaches are doing the best they can to get us right.”

The Boilermakers’ scout-team offense has been vital in preparing for the Volunteers. They’ve prepared at a high tempo, and Purdue’s coaches have implemented more conditioning during practice.

However, it won’t quite match up to what Tennessee wants to bring on Thursday. The team knows that, and they’ll be ready to adjust within the first few series of the game.

“There's no way to really simulate until you get in the game, and so they'll get a feel for it early,” Purdue co-defensive coordinator Brad Lambert said. “But I think the biggest thing we've done is our offense has really done a good job of helping us get ready for this game.”

The Boilermakers will have to make those adjustments quickly, since the Volunteers lead the nation with an average of 14.1 points scored in the first quarter alone. They’re going to wear you down and prevent substitutions throughout the game.

It’ll be important for Purdue to not only get aligned in a hurry but maintain its composure even when Tennessee hits on a few big plays.

The defense for the Boilermakers ranked sixth in the Big Ten by allowing just 20.5 points per game and fifth with 341.5 yards per contest. The unit was a catalyst for the team in the early stages of the season, and it’ll look to repeat that success in the final game of the season.

“Whatever happens, we have to weather the storm,” English said. “I think one of the great things we've done all year is make adjustments within series and coaching poise. We have young guys that are excitable at times, and I just don't think you can be very good at this game if you don't continue to improve throughout. So our whole focus is to continue to get better as the game goes.”

JEFF BROHM, JOSH HEUPEL JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE: Purdue coach Jeff Brohm and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel met with the media Wednesday at the Opryland Hotel Convention Center. CLICK HERE
PURDUE'S RON ENGLISH TALKS MUSIC CITY BOWL: Purdue co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Ron English met with the media Tuesday to discuss the Music City Bowl and how the team is preparing for Tennessee's offense. CLICK HERE
CAM ALLEN, LAWRENCE JOHNSON TALK MUSIC CITY BOWL: Purdue football kicks off against Tennessee in the Music City Bowl in Nashville on Thursday, Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers will be without some key contributors on the defensive side of the ball. CLICK HERE
PURDUE RB COACH CHRIS BARCLAY TALKS MUSIC CITY BOWL: Purdue running backs coach Chris Barclay met with the media Monday to discuss the team's matchup with Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. He also talked about incoming players from the program's recruiting class. CLICK HERE
O'CONNELL, ANTHROP & HORVATH TALK MUSIC CITY BOWL: Purdue football kicks off against Tennessee in the Music City Bowl in Nashville on Thursday, Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers will be without some key contributors on the offensive side of the ball. CLICK HERE