Upon Further Review: Purdue’s loss to Wisconsin

Upon Further Review is GoldandBlack.com’s detailed weekly look back at that weekend’s Purdue football game. Today, the Boilermakers’ loss to Wisconsin. In this series, we will do our best to examine some of the finer points of game, the strategy, scheme and such things. We will do so without intimate knowledge of game plans and terminology and without access to all-22 video, so please keep all that in mind.

Use of these video clips (credit: FOX) is intended for editorial comment only.

PURDUE DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS

So after the game Ryan Walters said he didn’t think his defense and the scheme was “aggressive” enough. Part of what he was likely talking about came on these back-to-back snaps during Wisconsin’s first scoring drive.

On both, Purdue drops edges Nic Scourton and Kydran Jenkins into short zone. This might have been a counter somewhat to its read option issues, but it leaves the Boilermakers with a bite-less pass rush and Wisconsin with both time and space on its side.

First, Purdue’s zone coverage takes away Tanner Mordecai‘s passing options, but the wide berth he’s given allows the Badger QB to just beat Purdue to the sticks with his legs.

Next play, the edges drop again and Mordecai has ample time to hit an easy out sort of route in front of safety Cam Allen.

Here, Purdue rushes just three again, floods the end zone, but gets beat to the sticks. Part of the appeal of zone, too, is having back-end defenders facing the football should the quarterback run, but open-field taking isn’t a strength for the Boilermakers’ edge rushers. Kydran Jenkins misplays this.

Now, something to mention here, too, and again, this is not meant as a call-out thread, but Purdue does need Jenkins and Scourton to be a bit better, a bit more sound and a bit more disciplined. Purdue wants and needs them being aggressive, but that’s been a two-way street.

A reason you drop into zone: If the opponent is going to complete passes on third down, you need the ball kept in front of the sticks and the tackle made.

Give him some leeway here since coverage is a challenge for any 280-pounder, but this is the second time this season on a third down that Scourton’s met a receiver immediately, but didn’t wrap up and was thus bounced off for a conversion.

Purdue’s problems against the read option have not been their issue (or at least solely their issue; I don’t know Purdue’s scheme in that regard), because the nature of option is someone has to pick somebody to hit and the QB’s job is to choose correctly who that poor sap will be.

So when the ends bite hard on the inside handoff, you’re flipping a coin, I think, but there’s got to be someone coming in behind them to account for the other potential ball-carrier. Assignment football, as they call it.

Here, you see Wisconsin’s play-side trips set occupies Allen. Linebacker OC Brothers gets caught blitzing away from the play. Safety Dillon Thieneman leans left as the play goes right. So when Jenkins hits the RB, Mordecai is unaccounted for. Very reminiscent of Syracuse and perhaps a fundamental vulnerability in these 4-2-5 alignments so many coaches are going to nowadays. You can really isolate those edge guys.

This is how it’s done. Nice job here by Jenkins and Brothers.

The other issue that shouldn’t be ignored is that Wisconsin is still Wisconsin. Its shift offensively lied more in its formations and tempo on Friday night than its approach.

Here’s classic Wisconsin pulling-tackle, edge-dominating Hulk Smashery against Purdue. The running back runs right; Purdue’s entire defensive front is pushed left. Same as it ever was.

Here, Scourton gets caught in what looks like a stunt and Wisconsin both runs the perfect play but again caves Purdue in.

Wisconsin’s been running this stuff since Barry Alvarez. Reports of Wisconsin “changing” have been a bit exaggerated, I suspect. They still have the linemen and they still have an NFL running back running behind them.

WHAT CHANGED IN SECOND HALF?

Purdue did a nice job with up-tempo offense in the second half. That’s what got the running game going. On Tyrone Tracy‘s touchdown, Purdue snapped the ball with 25 on the play clock. On his second big run, it was 24 seconds. On his third, it was 20-something, too. A lot of Purdue’s plays initiated with between 16 and 25 seconds on the play clock. It worked. Quick throws hit, the running game sprung open and the Boilermakers moved the ball.

It should be noted that while Wisconsin wasn’t in a “prevent,” it did prioritize disallowing quick scores and thus gave Purdue some light fronts. That didn’t hurt, either.

On defense, Purdue, as Walters said, just wasn’t as passive. They brought more blitzes, against the run and pass, and especially in the red zone, and third downs were often met with all-out, bring-everybody sort of stuff.

One of the biggest adjustments to my untrained eye: Purdue brought a lot of safety blitzes. Sanoussi Kane was basically an outside linebacker in the second half, and was too quick for Wisconsin to block.

Next play …

POSITIVES

• Jenkins and Scourton don’t give up on plays. You’d prefer your edge guys to not be making tackles way down the field, but that Purdue’s do speaks to their effort.

• Josh Kaltenberger did some good things at guard. He did get crossed up once or twice on stunts, but with Gus Hartwig on the field, Kaltenberg gave Purdue some solid play at guard, which is not this team’s strength.

Not a call-out platform here, but Purdue had multiple offensive linemen who just weren’t up to the job in this game. I’m gonna stick to my feeling that something is wrong with Mahamane Moussa health-wise. On the two relevant Purdue turnovers, pressure came from his jurisdiction.

• Botros Alisandro not only had the pick, but got off a block to snuff out a swing pass for Purdue’s first third-down stop of the game 28 minutes in and another highlight-worthy tackle on a short Wisconsin completion.

• Hudson Card never had a chance in this game, but when he had actual time, he made some NFL throws. The results for Purdue haven’t been there yet, but they’ve got their quarterback, without question.

Big-time quarterback play right here.

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