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    • How Purdue football is fixing problems ahead of Oregon showdown
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    How Purdue football is fixing problems ahead of Oregon showdown

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    WEST LAFAYETTE — One of the many problems that plagued Purdue football through its difficult first six games was its inability to thoroughly tackle ball carriers.

    Purdue ranks eighth-worst out of 133 FBS teams in rushing defense, allowing 5.6 yards per carry while opponents have totaled 1,373 yards and 19 touchdowns.

    The outlook seemed bleak again until the Boilermakers managed 10 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks, in a 50-49 loss on Saturday on the road to Illinois.

    While Purdue ultimately allowed 556 yards and 7.6 yards per play, there were subtle differences in the way it battled and brought down ball carriers. The Boilermakers finished the game with five sacks and forced a turnover for the second straight game.

    More: Purdue's new QB-play-caller combo woke up the Boilermakers' offense. Will they stick with it?

    There are slight signs in a defense that has struggled to make tackles in the open field in recent weeks.

    “It was just confidence and it shows that if we do what we need to do, we can play with anyone,” linebacker Kydran Jenkins said.

    Sophomore linebacker Hudson Miller, who made three tackles last Saturday, believes better performances are in store for him with No. 2-ranked Oregon coming to West Lafayette on a short week.

    “The effort just gets better and better and it’s not something you should train for,” Miller said. “Coach (Ryan Walters) and (defensive coordinator Kevin Kane), these are guys we want to play for and win. I think the effort has improved, we want to improve, and we went out and played hard.”

    More: Purdue football coach Ryan Walters discusses the team's determination before the game against Oregon

    Whether Purdue's defense can make a big leap remains to be seen against an Oregon team that is averaging 34.5 points and 305 passing yards per game with quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Additionally, 48.5% of third-down conversions were converted.

    The scene is set for an explosive offense against a defense trying to figure out its identity to begin a climb toward bowl eligibility Friday night at Ross-Ade Stadium.

    Ethan Hanson is a sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected]on Twitter at Ethan A Hanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.

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    Kathleen William
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