Deep Dive: Purdue training camp practice No. 6
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It’s informative, it’s analytical, it’s opinionated, it’s the Deep Dive, a look at today’s football practice–the first in full pads!
• With the fellas all padded up–and the heat rising along Northwestern Avenue opposite Kappa Delta Rho–things got chippy today. At one point, RB Reggie Love and DB Salim Turner-Muhammad scrapped. A classic camp scuffle-scrum, with shoving, jostling, grabbing and yipping.
DB Kyndrich Breedlove also was seen running the perimeter of the practice fields for a transgression, yapping at the offense as he passed by the bench area.
On another occasion, Ryan Walters raced in to ask an official if what an overly physical CB Derrick “Duda” Rogers had done on a play merited a penalty. It did. And Rogers was sent running.
“There were a couple scuffles early,” said DC Kevin Kane. “But, you know, we got to be disciplined. … It’s good to get out there. Day One in pads. Guys were flying around having fun. At the end of the day, it’s a physical game. So, we got to be physical.”
• What does the D need to do to improve?
“If we can eliminate explosive plays, I think that obviously was one of our Achilles’ heels from last year,” said Kane. “We had guys in positions to make plays. Now, we just got to make them. That’s going to be our key to success. If we make teams earn it down the field here, then nine times out of 10, they’re going to screw it up before we do.”
• Players squared off in an Oklahoma-type drill pitting a blocker vs. a defender with a ballcarrier behind the blocker. I watched the big fellas, offense vs. defense. And the offense won every battle. Yes, the drill is probably set up to give the offense an edge. But I didn’t see one D-lineman get off a block and stop a ballcarrier. The matchups I saw:
Spider Dinkins vs. Mahamane Moussa
Damarjhe Lewis vs. Luke Griffin
Demeco Kennedy vs. John Randle
Joe Strickland vs. Ethan Trent
• Still inactive today: CB Tarrion Grant, WR Kam Brown, DL Joe Anderson, OL Rod Green, RE CJ Madden, OLs Corey Stewart and Joshua Sales. I did not see S Anthony Brown, who backs up Dillon Thieneman, and TE George Burhenn. Charlie Jones‘ brother, Luke Jones, has been out all camp as he comes off an injury. He was seen fielding punts after practice. The staff likes Luke. Not sure if I saw WR CJ Smith or S D’Mon Marable.
Kane said today that Anderson will “be back here in a week or so.” It’s thought Anderson is expected to start at DT opposite M’Ba, who Kane says has “taken up great strides and is becoming a better, more consistent football player.”
And Kane said Grant, a 5-star CB signee in 2024, is “getting healed up right now, so he should be back out here next week.”
• DL Damarjhe Lewis was back to full-go after missing the last three practices.
• Got to watch punter Keelan Crimmins. He has some nice pop to his kicks. It will be interesting to see how ST coach Chris Petrilli deploys the Aussie.
• For the second day in a row, Ryan Browne was the next QB up today after Hudson Card. Marcos Davila was No. 3. Browne is good with his feet and says he’s improved as a passer. Davila can look a little indecisive at times. At 244, he’s a load. Davila has a nice arm and instincts, but he’s still adjusting. Could he win the No. 2 job? I’m not counting him out.
• Scout for the LA Rams was here. Arizona Cardinal scout was here yesterday.
• The squad was treated to Kona Ice today. Perfect timing as West Lafayette baked in the August heat on this Tuesday morning. I hope they all got “Tiger’s Blood” flavor. I expected a game of Four Square to break out next.
Kona Ice! When does the pool open?
• Two AC/DC songs were played today: Hells Bells and Rock N Roll Train. It was a beautiful thing.
• No. 1 OL today, left to right: Wingfield, Moussa, Gus Hartwig, Grant, Mbow.
• No. 1 DL today: Sillah, M’Ba, Cole Brevard, Lewis, Heldt.
• CB coach Sam Carter gets after it!! That’s all I’ll say about that. If he was paid by the word, he’d be rich. Who am I kidding? He already is rich! : )
Thanks for reading. Team is off on Wednesday, good time to shop for college boy mini-fridges. Back at it on Thursday.
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