3-2-1 Worksheet: Purdue Boilermakers

A look at Syracuse football's upcoming opponent.

We all had teachers that fell back on the old reliable 3-2-1 worksheet in school - You watch a video, you write down three things you learned, two things that piqued your interest, and one question you have. Because everybody likes numbers in this business (and hopefully those 3-2-1 sheets were easy enough that nobody has negative memories associated with it), I’m taking that concept and putting a spin on it for this piece. With new Purdue head coach Ryan Walters looking to get his first-ever home win on Saturday, and him making his bones as a defensive maestro at Missouri and Illinois, I decided to take a look at Purdue’s three most important defensive players, two most important offensive players, and one X-factor for the Boilermakers that could make or break the outcome of this primetime NBC matchup. Without further ado, let’s get into it. 

3 Defensive Guys to Watch

3) LEO Kydran Jenkins, #4

• This is a Purdue defense that has lots of experience and snaps in the front seven, and Jenkins is arguably the leader of this group, having started 25 games the past two seasons. He was one of only three guys last year to have at least 4 sacks for the Boilermakers, and he looks on pace to blow past that with two in the first two games. He’s a versatile chess piece for this defense who will walk up as an overhang/LEO with this three man front and also play a more traditional ILB role. He’s a thick, powerful rusher at 265 with a nice array of pass-rush moves and timely hand usage to free himself, but speed-to-power is his bread and butter. He and Nic Scourton are a formidable pass-rush duo off both sides and with Scourton tipping the scales at 280, their speed-to-size ratio can simply overwhelm tackles. This will be the first true test of how sturdy Cruz and the rest of this offensive line can and will be.

2) CB Cam Allen, #10

• This secondary lost a ton last year, and Ryan Walters did an excellent job in piecing together parts for this back half in recruiting and the omnipresent transfer portal, snapping up Marquis Wilson from Penn State to provide safety depth Markevious Brown from Ole Miss as their go-to man corner. However, Cam Allen, their two-time Honorable Mention All-Big Ten nickel, has arguably been their most consistent defensive player so far. The 5th-year senior from Virginia is third on Purdue's all-time interception list with 11 of them thangs, and he wasted no time in climbing the rankings picking off Grant Wells last week. Brown didn’t look great against VA Tech, and I believe Allen could be their best cover corner. He has great feet and you can see the work he puts in the film room with his route anticipation and ability to make plays in man or zone. If Shrader is going to throw one to the other team on Saturday, Allen will be most likely the one coming down with it.

1. SAF Dillon Thieneman, #31

• It’s a daunting task for a true freshman at any level to come and make an immediate impact, especially at the FBS level. Throw in the throng of upperclassmen in the transfer portal looking to immediately step into starting roles, and it becomes even harder. Outside of Colorado’s Dylan Edwards and USC’s Zachariah Branch, there may not be a freshman in the country making as immediate a splash as Dillon Thieneman is in the backhalf of this Purdue secondary. Week 1’s Big Ten Freshman of the Week has proved to be a playmaker on multiple levels for Purdue, coming away with two interceptions and 16 solo tackles already thus far. He’s able to play center field, off the hash in half-field zones, and flip his hips and blanket wideouts on deeper routes. However, he’s done his best work with the ball in front of him, coming downhill and being one of the main cogs in this rejuvenated Purdue run defense, along with LB OC Brothers. Thieneman has done nothing but make plays in his brief college career, and there seems no reason for him to stop Saturday.

Two Offensive Guys to Keep Your Eyes On

1. RB Devin Mockobee #45

• Purdue’s commitment and success in the run game is already drastically different from this year to last, but Mockobee has been consistently a beast. He was a non-factor in last year’s contest with seven carries for 22 yards, but Syracuse shouldn’t bank on that happening again. He’s a talented one-cut back that Purdue likes to get the ball to with off tackles runs off the edge and allow him to make people miss in space. With four 100-yard games and nine touchdowns last season, he’s a big play waiting to happen, and we’ve already seen this SU defense be vulnerable to chunk run plays so far. The Mob will need to key where 45 is every time he’s on the field.

1. QB Hudson Card, #1

• I am not that contrarian to leave the starting QB out of the rundown. Card has had an interesting college career to date, having played 20 games but only five starts in what can only be described as a fluid quarterback situation at Texas (Mullet-less Quinn Ewers seems to have calmed the waters a bit on that front). Card has been a decently good QB when given a chance, completing 69% of his attempts in his 12 games after Ewers went down last year. He doesn’t have the livest arm, but the ball gets to where it needs to go and he always seems to make the right decision (unlike Josh Allen), with only two career picks. He’s not Shrader in terms of being a threat with his legs, but he can avoid pressure and get himself out of trouble, and OC Graham Harrell drew up a few designed runs for him last week vs. Virginia Tech. This is a matchup I’m very curious to see, the contrast between what can be very high peaks and rather low valleys in the Garrett Shrader experience, and the seemingly unwavering consistency of Card. Forcing him to work with a dirty pocket could be crucial in rattling Card and coming out of West Lafayette with a win

1 X-Factor to look out for

1. WR Deion Burks, #4

• Tracy Tyrone and Max Klare both very nearly made this spot here, Tracy being their most dynamic Swiss Army-type of weapon who can get a quick six at any time, and OC Graham Harrell speaking highly of the underclassmen tight end who’s quickly becoming Card’s security blanket with 10 catches so far. And, with the way Payne Durham took over the second half last year for Purdue, the Mob would be wise to ensure that a Purdue TE doesn’t have a breakout moment for the second straight year. However, Burks is stepping into that undisputed WR1 role and I see limiting him as the biggest key to success. He was an ancillary character in last year’s matchup with three catches for 38 yards, but the Michigan native is a speed demon, clocking a 22.7 200m dash time in high school and showing it in pads with an 83-yard catch and run TD vs. Fresno State. This secondary has not seen a playmaker as explosive as Burks, and I’ll be most interested if Rocky Long sticks the quicker, shiftier Jerry Wilson on him, or if the length of Isaiah Johnson can bother him. 

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