What Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm Said Ahead of Big Ten Matchup Against No. 21 Minnesota
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following a 28-26 victory Saturday against Florida Atlantic on Homecoming night, Purdue football returns to Big Ten play on the road against a formidable Minnesota team that now ranks No. 21 in the country.
Head coach Jeff Brohm met with the media on Monday to give his final thoughts on the team's Week 4 win against the Owls and discuss the challenges the Golden Gophers present heading into the upcoming week of practices.
Here's everything he had to say ahead of a tough road matchup, including the video from the press conference attached to this article:
Opening statement
JEFF BROHM: Well, we're definitely excited to go on the road and play a really good football team that's currently ranked and deservedly so. No one has really come close to them. They've dominated in four games. When people have scored, it's been against the backups at the end of the game, so this team is really playing efficient football right now.
Great running game, big offensive line, an experienced running back, big tight ends, sixth or seventh-year quarterback that runs their offense very, very well.
Defensively very sound, physical up front, experience in the secondary, really good linebackers. They're definitely doing a very good job. You've got to credit their team right now. Really, really solid football in Big Ten fashion with great defense and a solid running game.
We understand this is a tough match-up. We're going to have to do a lot of things right. We're going to have to find ways to get scores and take advantage of possessions, get some stops on defense, and once again, the key is can we find a way to get a lead and take them out of what they really want to do. That will be important.
But our guys will work hard. We understand the challenge, but that's Big Ten football, and our schedule and our guys will work well this week.
Q. Injury update. As you start the week, what's the status of Aidan and the other guys that missed Saturday's game?
JEFF BROHM: Well, we have a few, so you'll have to give me exact names. Aidan, we'll see later on in the week where that's at.
Q. Timetable on Jalen? Any chance this week?
JEFF BROHM: That one we'll have to see later on in the week, as well.
Q. King and Broc and Cam and Reese?
JEFF BROHM: Broc and Cam are doubtful. Reese, we'll see later in the week, and King we'll see later in the week.
Q. With Reese being out Saturday, how much stress did that put on the cornerback position?
JEFF BROHM: Well, I do think we played our corners every snap. It was a little bit much. We've got to figure out ways to get relief for them. We've asked them to do a whole lot in one-on-one coverage, which I think we're going to have to figure out ways to get better answers for that, as well, because they were getting tired.
Building depth is important. Gaining trust of your players to be put out there is important. There's a lot of things we've got to work on there.
Q. Who would be other options at cornerback?
JEFF BROHM: Well, right now, Brandon Callaway would be the next one in, and then Bryce Hampton has played a lot of positions for us. He would be next after that.
Q. Follow-up to what you said Saturday that Aidan suffered his injury in the first quarter at Syracuse, correct?
JEFF BROHM: Yes.
Q. How did he make it through the game and have the effective game that he had?
JEFF BROHM: Well, I don't want to disclose what his injury is for his safety, so a lot of times when you get injured during the game, you've got adrenaline and then you're able to play through it.
It's not until later on do you feel sore and then you get things checked and you diagnose what it is and you have to adapt.
I think that probably is more common than you think unless it's extremely, extremely severe that you can't play with.
I just think he's tough and he wanted to finish, and he did a really good job in the Syracuse game.
Q. If he can't go, if Aidan can't go this week, obviously Austin would be the guy, but would you look at getting Alaimo back in there, as well, trying to get him a series or two?
JEFF BROHM: I think so. I think that Michael has done a really good job. He's got multiple years here and we want to continue to develop him. Really two out of the three plays he did well. Just made a bad read on the first play. It was limited possessions, so you've got to take advantage of it.
Austin has had a little more experience and has played, so it'll probably be something similar where Austin will start and we'll try to get Mike Alaimo in the game, as well. But both those guys worked hard last week and we've got to try to utilize them as well as we can.
Q. Jacob Wahlberg led tackles on Saturday. As you look at the film, how well did he show up on film, and does he give you kind of a bigger presence that you were looking for with Jalen Graham being out?
JEFF BROHM: Well, Jacob did a good job in the game, and yes, he will start to play more. Kieren Douglas gives us great effort. He's a football player. He loves to compete. He's had injuries, and he's had some knees that have some issues and it's hard for him to move around at times, so we have to make sure we spell him more.
Plan accordingly to make sure we're getting those guys quality reps and in the game and we're not getting guys too tired in the fourth quarter.
Q. Tanner Morgan is someone you've seen quite a bit during your tenure here. What has made him so effective other than he just has a ton of experience? Just his accuracy and all that, what has made him the quarterback that he's become?
JEFF BROHM: Well, I think he does a great job in their system. He's very smart. He can throw an accurate football. He knows how to run their offense, which is let's be big and physical in the run game and run them against the looks that we can over and over again, and then when they start to cheat and try to play the pass, they have enough run pass RPO options and enough play actions off of it that it allows him time to make throws.
I think the key when you play that is you've got to figure out a way to make them uncomfortable, figure out a way to create pressure, you've got to figure out a way to put them in more passing situations than they would like. Because if you don't, they're in control of the game. They have been very, very effective doing that.
They're back this year with the new coordinator doing even more so what they had in the past, which has been very effective, and they've just got really big linemen and big tight ends and a sound running game.
They make you bleed. They make you bleed, and if you don't find a way to bandage it up or do something to strike back, it can be a long death.
Q. Where do you feel like the development is in getting more of a consistent pass rush, and not only getting in the backfield, but making some plays in the backfield?
JEFF BROHM: Well, I think that it's a double edged sword. We've got to figure out ways to get in there by bringing some extra people. But at the same time, we did blitz more in the Syracuse game. It was effective at times.
To be quite honest, our linebackers never got in there. They never made a guy miss. They never got off blocks. That was disappointing.
So we've got to work hard at figuring out ways to get in the backfield and get pressure without just guys winning one-on-one match-ups. There's a fine line there, but you want to be sound, you want to be able to play the pass and be effective, and not be in too many one-on-one opportunities on defense.
That's what we're trying to balance. We've probably gone to both extremes and we've got to figure out the perfect balance.
Q. I know it's one game at a time, but can you speak to the month of October, three of the four games are on the road. Is there a sense of urgency obviously to perform well given the fact that, again, three of those four guys are away from Ross-Ade Stadium?
JEFF BROHM: Well, we technically don't look at it that way. We know once the Big Ten schedule hits, it's difficult. It's challenging. We watch what's going on. There's a lot of teams playing really good football. We're not at the top of that right now.
We've got to fight our way out of the cellar and make sure that we figure out a way to win some of these games. It's going to just take efficient football. It's going to take a lot of things, a lot of guys playing well and making plays. That's how it's happened in the past. There's been a lot of times where we've had to win tough football games to get to the point where we wanted to, and it's just guys got to step up.
You've got to hang in there. You've got to be willing to fight. You've got to be able to take some blows and understand that you may lose some, but you've got to be able to step back in there and continue to swing.
What happens is you just don't want guys to lose confidence, lose the fight to go out there and compete because when you do that, then you have no chance of winning.
I do think our guys, through four games, have played hard for four quarters, and while it hasn't been perfect by any means, they have played hard, and that's what we've got to continue to understand is that's what it's going to take is that type of mentality throughout every game to have a chance.
Q. How do you slow down Mo Ibrahim? You guys did a good job against the Penn State backs and Sean Tucker. Here comes another big-time running back at you.
JEFF BROHM: Well, you have to have the perfect balance of making the right calls to get enough guys down in there. We went back and watched our game last year against them, and we did a decent job against the run, and then they hit two wide-open play action passes that crushed us off of that because we were too low with our safeties and too aggressive.
So there has to be that fine line. There has to be that fine balance. When we got them in some obvious run situations, they brought in seven linemen and multiple tight ends, and not until we loaded the box with everybody and bigger personnel did we find a way to stop them.
So that's the challenge, is you've got to give your players a chance by your calls, but yet you have to understand that the max protect play action is what they're good at, and they hit us at least three times last year, once for a touchdown and two times for 40- to 50-yard chunks that we can't allow.
Q. Charlie Jones really has never played this much. Obviously, you guys want to feature him as much as you can. Are you worried about the workload and him staying healthy and holding up?
JEFF BROHM: Well, that's with any of our big-time playmakers over the years. David Bell had to play a lot of snaps, Rondale Moore had to play a lot of snaps. If they want to play football at the highest level, that's how they're going to have to perform. I think he's adjusted.
Yes, he has gotten tired in games at times. He hasn't played this much and been depended on this much, but I think he'll continue to battle through it.
We've got to make sure we continue to try to balance this out, and while we are smart by utilizing him, other guys step up and make plays, and I think that's just something that we've got to continue to work at, and our guys are, they're working hard, and we've got to have our quarterbacks gain confidence in the rest of our guys and distributing the ball to all of them.
Q. You've had a chance to look at the film. Kind of reassess what you thought of Austin Burton.
JEFF BROHM: Well, I thought Austin for a first start for us did a really good job. Took us down right off the bat and scored a touchdown. He was able to extend some plays with his feet. E was able to buy some time.
When he had to, he made accurate throws, and he did a good job. We were proud of Austin and his effort.
Now, did we get as many plays down the field? No. Do we need to continue to work on throwing on timing and in rhythm? Yes. But as long as he's able to step up in the pocket, buy time with his feet, get some yards on the ground, that can be beneficial, as well.
So I think that you adjust to who your quarterback is and try to play to his strengths, and we've got to continue to try to adapt to that as much as we can to make sure we're doing things he feels comfortable with.
Q. Any worries about the kicker? Missed the 41-yarder at Syracuse. I know it was a long kick, 47 yards Saturday night, but any concerns with Mitchell?
JEFF BROHM: Well, he's been dinged up a little bit, and no, he hasn't performed the last two games like he normally has. A couple mis-hits he's had where he just really hasn't hit the ball solid, and that's not like him.
We've talked about it. I think while we think we give a lot of quality reps under pressure, at the same time, we probably need to practice more kicks with him with the defensive line and our offensive line protecting, maybe not necessarily full-speed live, but somewhat where there's people in his face, there's guys coming at him, and he has to be able to block that out.
Because I think sometimes you can -- even a quarterback play, if you're throwing versus air or against the scout team or just Skelly, you don't have guys in your face, it's not real life.
So I think we've talked about adapting that this week and making sure he gets more live kicks so that he feels comfortable with things and people coming across his vision off the edge and even with some push in the front, because he hasn't hit it as solid as he's had some low kicks, and that's not like him.
Q. Going back to Mohamed Ibrahim, I think he's got something like 12 or 13 straight 100-yard performances behind that Minnesota offensive line. But your defense has done a good job of stopping the run this year outside of some scrambling quarterbacks. Where have you seen that development from the front seven being able to stop the run this year, and how do you feel like they kind of match up in this upcoming game?
JEFF BROHM: Well, our guys played hard. I do think that we've loaded the box in a risky way probably a whole lot, and that helps. But it also makes you susceptible in the pass game.
That's where we're trying to find maybe possibly a better balance. You're going to have to be able to stop the run and protect your secondary some, and that's what we have not been as good at that we have to figure out a way to get better at.
As far as the running back, I think he's outstanding. He's played really, really good football before his surgery, against great teams, and for him to come back this fast and be playing at this level after just hurting it last year speaks for the type of football player he is. He's tough. He's physical. He runs hard. He understands their offense relies on him gaining 100 plus yards a game if he can, and I just think he's a tough son of a gun who plays very, very well and fits their system great.
Q. Obviously the running game is their bread and butter on offense, but for a team that's got 485 plus yards of total offense in every game this year, just what are the challenges for your defense to be able to match up against an offense that's doing well in every facet of their scheme?
JEFF BROHM: Well, this is a tremendous challenge because this team is really good. It'll be the best football team we've played to date in my opinion. They're hot. They're confident. No one has come close to them. They went to Michigan State, and it was a shut-out until the last offensive play of Michigan State's game on just a go route down the sideline versus backups. So that's pretty daggone good.
Like I said, the sound running game, once you start to want to commit more guys, they're going to get you on a deep pass over the top. If they are allowed to do that, they're just going to continue to roll.
At the same time, people underestimate their defense. Their defense has been lights out, has shut people down. I think they understand what they're being coached to do, and they've done a great job.
So I think this is a quality football team that's playing at a high level that we're going to have to really, really execute and have a few things go our way in order to kind of get ahead of the 8-ball, because we're going to have to get ahead of the 8-ball in order to win the game.
Q. You'd mentioned a while back that there was going to come a point in time this season where you were going to have to play the game more physical, bigger on defense, play more in the box. I assume that's now. What does that mean for your personnel management for your alignments, whatever it might be. How much change with the nature of the opponents now?
JEFF BROHM: Well, you are correct, so personnel-wise, we've talked about it for the last two days, we've got to probably get some bigger bodies in there at certain positions. That's for sure -- when we had Jalen Graham he was able to kind of play that dual role.
As we looked at last year's game he was outstanding in it. Got in the box, made plays, made tackles, and that's a tough spot to replace. So we've got to make sure we get better at that, we're able to match the personnel.
Then sometimes they even get bigger. When they get bigger, if you don't continue to match the personnel, they're just going to knock you back and get three to six yards every single carry.
So that's where we even talked about today, we haven't had to use that personnel a whole lot to this point, but we're going to have to get that ready, and that means more D-linemen and more linebackers in the game.
Q. How did Daniel Johnson grade out after Saturday's game?
JEFF BROHM: Well, Daniel did a good job. Having Cam Craig out gives us one less guy, one less starter. Daniel has come in here, has a great attitude. He works hard. He's had injuries in his past, so we've got to make sure we monitor that, but he's got good athleticism. He's a good teammate. He wants to do well.
Now that he's thrust in that role, we need him to do a really good job.
I do think Moussa at the third tackle spot played one of his better games, which was good. He hasn't been as consistent as we'd like but he's shown some really good things in practice, so we need that mentality to take over him and he needs to be a guy we can count on.
I thought Eric Miller, it was one of his better games, and we just need to really solidify that and those guys understand how important they are both in the running game and passing game.
Q. What's next for Devin Mockobee? He can run. Now he can catch the ball we saw Saturday night. Just talk about his continued evolution.
JEFF BROHM: Well, Devin has no fear. He's exceeded our expectations. We just want to continue to get better. I think he does run hard. We've just got to continue to get him to lower his pads and run through tackles and bounce off people which he does a really good job. He got better in the passing game which was good to see. He made a couple really good catches and Austin utilized the backs more than we had in the past, and then I think in pass protection, that's where he's struggled, as well. He was better at that.
It's just an everyday grind of him working hard, but you know what, he's been durable. He loves to compete. He loves the challenge of playing at this level, and normally when you have guys that are hungry like that, they do great things for you. So I think he'll continue to get better.
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