Purdue's Staff Highlights Illinois' Greatest Strengths Ahead of Rivalry Clash
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If there's one significant advantage Purdue has heading into this weekend's rivalry game against No. 22 Illinois, it's having an extra week to prepare. It sounds like the staff already has a strong understanding of what to expect from the Fighting Illini this weekend.
While Illinois spent last weekend defeating USC via a walk-off field goal, Purdue used the week as an opportunity to self-scout and put in extra work on Illini preparation. And, yes, coach Barry Odom said his staff and team took advantage of that opportunity.
“We had a great chance to jump on the game plan for Illinois. We had four really good practices, which I thought benefited our team," Odom said of Purdue's off week. “We also got a heavy dose of Illinois preparation, because we had a pretty good game plan of how we were going to attack this week.”
Purdue is looking to snap a two-game losing streak, dropping games to USC and Notre Dame. After a pair of tough losses, the bye week seemed to come at the perfect time in West Lafayette.
The bye week may also benefit the Boilermakers before this weekend's game against Illinois. Having coached against Bret Bielema before, Odom expects a tough, physical game at Ross-Ade Stadium this weekend.
“I’ve coached against him before. They’ve always had a team that is tough, they do things the right way," he said. "They play hard, they’re fundamentally sound, and I would expect us to get that from them on Saturday.”
Scherer speaks on Altmyer
Illinois' offensive success this season begins with quarterback Luke Altmyer. The senior has played at a high level through the first five games, throwing for 1,183 yards and 11 touchdowns without an interception. He's also completing 71.4% of his passes.
Purdue defensive coordinator Mike Scherer knows the Boilermakers are going to have their hands full trying to rattle Altmyer this weekend.
"He’s a great decision-maker. He runs their offense well. His feet are active; he can use them if he needs them," Scherer said. "A lot of his real ability in their offense is the decision-making part. He gets them into the right spot when they need to, understanding where to look, how to get the ball out quickly, and what run plays to check into. He’s a skilled quarterback.”
Purdue's defense has allowed several big plays through the air this season, something Altmyer is capable of using to his advantage. The Boilermakers also rank 12th in the Big Ten in pass defense and have yet to record an interception.
The Boilermakers' secondary must show improvement from the Notre Dame game on Sept. 20, because Altmyer can easily pick apart defenses when given time in the pocket.
Another good defensive front
It shouldn't be a surprise in the Big Ten, but Illinois is another team within the conference that has a solid front line on the defensive side of the football. That's been problematic for Purdue through four games, surrendering 28 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
Everyone wearing a black-and-gold uniform has to be prepared to block against an aggressive Illinois defense.
“They’re really good up front. The strength of their defense is the front and how physical and aggressive they are," Purdue offensive coordinator Josh Henson said. "They’re good against the run, good, physical pass-rushers, and they’re not afraid of contact.”
Purdue's offense really struggled against USC, the best defensive line the Boilers have seen to date. In that game, the Trojans racked up 10 tackles for loss and five sacks.
The offense can't put itself in that position again on Saturday. If so, it's going to be a long afternoon inside Ross-Ade Stadium.
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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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