Purdue Film Review: 3rd Quarter

Drive 9

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before...drive 9 (Purdue’s 1st drive of the 2nd half) starts on the 16 Purdue yard line after a booming Rutgers punt fielded by Anthrop and returned for 2 yards. Purdue’s return teams have left quite a bit to be desired.

Clock: 13:21

Field Position: Purdue 15

Down: 1/10

Personnel: 21

Formation: Shotgun, RB Pistol, FB Wing R, TE R, WR Split tight

Play: B Gap Run

Outcome: Knox 0 yard gain

Notes:

On this play, Hopkins does his job of turning out the DE, and Worship leads Knox through the hole, but Steinmetz gets easily beat to the inside and the Rutgers DT makes the tackle for no gain. I have no idea what Steinmetz was attempting, because he job was to seal the DT, but instead, he blocks his left shoulder, gets pushed off, and the play goes nowhere. instead,

Clock: 12:45

Field Position: Purdue 16

Down: 2/10

Personnel: 21

Formation: Shotgun, RB Pistol, FB Offset L, TE L, WR Twins

Play: Outside zone, B Gap run

Outcome: Knox gain of 4

Notes:

Steinmetz isn’t off to a great start. This play is designed for Knox to attack the back side B gap. Everybody blocks left, and it looks pretty good, but Steinmetz is tasked with cutting the backside DE, and he basically just falls on his belly and barely nicks the DE’s ankle and doesn’t get him on the group. Knox hits the hole and finds Steinmetz’s man waiting for him.

Clock: 12: 13

Field Position: Purdue 16

Down: 3/6

Personnel: 12

Formation: Shotgun, RB offset L, TE1 Flex L, TE2 Wing L, WR split

Play: Skinny Post to Boundary WR

Outcome: Incomplete Pass

Notes:

Sparks does a good job of beating his man to the inside, and Purdue appears to be on their way to a first down, but Sindelar delivers the pass slightly high and behind Sparks, and Sparks slips trying to adjust and the ball hits the ground. It would have been a good catch, but at some point, someone needs to make a good catch. Not a great delivery by Sindelar, but certainly a play that needs to be made by both QB and WR.

4th Down: Punt

Drive Summary:

2 Stenimetz mistakes and a poor delivery coupled with a slip and Purdue goes 3 and out. Rutgers continues to sit back, rush 4, keep their safeties deep and watch Purdue do its thing.

Drive 10

Purdue goes down 14-3 as Danny E gets burnt on a wheel route and Mosley doesn’t even attempt to tackle the Rutgers back around the 5 yard line. Purdue is now down 2 scores, and starts the drive at the Purdue 20 after another bad return, this time by Knox.

Clock: 7:55

Field Position: Purdue 19

Down: 1/10

Personnel: 12

Formation: Shotgun, RB offset R, TE1 Flex R, TE2 Flex L, WR Split tight R, TE

Play: TE Clear, WR Cross Under

Outcome: Zico 2 yard reception

Notes:

The Rutgers LB are sitting in a zone and looking to break on any of the underneath crossing routes Brohm likes to use. Zico runs the route, Sindelar delivers on target, Rutgers LB is waiting to make the tackle and wraps up. It’s easy to play defense when you can be conservative without being punished.

Clock: 7:25

Field Position: Purdue 19

Down: 2/8

Personnel: 12

Formation: Shotgun, RB Wide L, TE1 L, TE2 Wing R, Slot R

Play: RB motion R to L, Pass to RB in flat

Outcome: Jones 13 yard completion

Notes:

This is a good example of Brohm making an adjustment. Purdue ran the same play with Anthrop in the 1st quarter, and it worked, but Anthrop couldn’t beat the safety 1 on 1 and it was stopped for a short gain. On this play, Brohm puts Jones at WR, motions him across the formation, fakes the pop pass, and Sindelar hits Jones with a good pass under significant pressure. Unlike Antrhop, Jones is able to turn the ball up and pick up 13 yards. Good adjustment by Brohm, who probably circled that play in the 1st quarter.

Clock: 6:40

Field Position: Purdue 35

Down: 1/10

Personnel: 12

Formation: Shotgun, RB Wide R, TE1 Wing L, TE2 R, WR Twins L

Play: RB R to L Motion end around handoff

Outcome: Jones 5 yard run

Notes:

This is the same play run from the opposite side, but instead of faking the underneath hand off, Jones gets the ball on the end around, beats the end (his job on the play, as Purdue chose not to block the end intentionally) and then rumbles ahead for 5 yards. It could have gone for more, but Brycen Hopkins couldn’t maintain his block down the field.

Clock: 6:17

Field Position: Purdue 40

Down: 2/5

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB Offset R, TE Flex R, Slot R

Play: Outside Zone, B gap run

Outcome: Worship 35 yard run

Notes:

Purdue ran the same play on the 2nd play of the half, and Steinmetz failed to cut the end, resulting in no gain. This time the line flows left, Steinmetz gets the cut block on the back side, and Worship get into the open field. Worship does a good job picking up yards, even hitting a nice hurdle, but lacks the open field speed to take it the distance, and is pulled down by his ankles. Good run, and it’s nice to see Purdue go back to a play that should have been successful earlier in the 1/2. Again, probably a play the Brohm and Brohm circled.

Clock: 5:59

Field Position: Rutgers 35

Down: 1/10

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB offset L, TE Flex L, WR Twins R

Play: Pass to RB flat R

Outcome: Worship 10 yard completion

Notes:

Purdue goes with tempo and catches Rutgers lining up and Big10 network in a replay, so it’s hard to figure out the formation, but I think I got it pretty close. Worship gets out into the flat and makes a good catch on a ball slightly behind him, turns his shoulders, and picks up 10 yards behind the blocks of the WRs. Brohm is finally starting to get in a play calling flow. This type of tempo is what he ideally wants to run and Worship looks like the most complete back at Purdue’s disposal right now.

Clock: 5:36

Field Position: Rutgers 25

Down: 1/10

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB Offset L, TE Flex R, Trips L

Play: B Gap R Run

Outcome: Knox 5 yard run

Notes:

After attacking the A gap almost exclusively in the 1st 1/2, Purdue is hitting the B gap in the 2nd half. Knox stretches it to the right, and cuts between Steinmetz and McCann (who may or may not have been holding on the play) and picks up 5. The play may have gone for more, but Barron got his ankles clipped from behind trying to get to the 2nd level, and can’t quite get to his block, allowing the LB to make the tackle, just bad luck.

Clock: 5:03

Field Position: Rutgers 19

Down: 2/5

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, Pistol, TE Wing L, Slot L

Play:B Gap L run

Outcome: Knox 8 yard run

Notes:

Purdue continues to attack the B gap, this time to the left side as Knox finds a small crease, and pin balls through the defense for a solid 8 yard run. Purdue is going almost exclusively to the run on this drive.

Clock: 4:37

Field Position: Rutgers 11

Down: 1/10

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB offset R, TE Flex R, Slot R, WR Tight

Play: RB R B Gap run

Outcome: Jones 0 yard gain

Notes:

Purdue tries the B gap again, but this time Peyton Truitt’s man tosses him aside and Matt McCann’s man gets across his face and drives him all the way across the formation. Jones has no place to go and is dropped for no gain. Part of the problem with Brohm trying to go fast is that he simply doesn’t have the depth on the offensive line. Truitt comes in the game and gets rag dolled at the point of attack on a crucial play.

Clock: 4:04

Field Position: Rutgers 11

Down: 2/10

Personnel: 12

Formation: Shotgun, RB offset R, TE1 R, TE2 Wing R, WR twins L

Play: Roll Right, WR Flat

Outcome: Mahoungou 4 yard reception

Notes:

Brohm gets what he wants, which is his WR 1 on 1 with a safety in the open field, but Sindelar can’t get the ball out quick enough, and the safety breaks on the play and gets into Mahoungou’s legs before he can turn up field. If Sindelar gets the ball out .5 seconds earlier, Mahoungou has a chance to get in the endzone.

Clock: 3:31

Field Position: Rutgers 7

Down: 3/6

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB offset R, TEL, Slot L

Play: Boundary WR Option Route

Outcome: Incomplete Pass (drop)

Notes:

Purdue line holds up decently, with the exception of McCann getting shoved back into Sindelar’s face. Sindelar delivers a ball, high and outside (away from the defender) to Phillips, who gets both hands on the ball, but can’t bring it in. Purdue may have been a yard short, even with the reception, but you’ve got to think Brohm goes for 4th and 1 at the 2. Instead, it’s field goal time, as Purdue once again self destructs because of a poor play from the WR position.

4th Down:

Field Goal attempt good

Drive Summary:

It was good until it wasn’t. Purdue marched the ball down the field, but got stuffed on 1st and almost goal, got behind the down marker, was a .5 slow on getting the ball out on 2nd down, and dropped a 3rd down pass. So much work, so few points, as Purdue makes the score 6-14.

Drive 10:

Rutgers isn’t doing much on offense, but they are doing enough to keep Purdue pinned back on offense. The defense is playing well, but not getting any 3 and outs to help with field position. Purdue once again starts at their own 20.

Clock: 1:15

Field Position Purdue 20

Down: 1/10

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB Pistol, TE Wing R, Slot L

Play: PA, WR Quick Screen

Outcome: Wright 2 yard completion

Notes:

This play is set up beautifully, but Swingler completely wiffs attempting to do his job and pick off the DB in front of Wright, and Wright is tackled for a short game. If Swingler even gets a hand on the Rutgers DB this could go for 6, as Evans has an angle on the safety and Wright is hands down the fastest play on Purdue, but Swingler just wiffs.

Clock: 54

Field Position Purdue 22

Down: 2/8

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB Wide L, TE Flex R, Slot R

Play: WR Screen Right

Outcome: Wright 2 yard loss

Notes:

Sindelar maybe gets the ball out a tick slow because of a lowish snap (not terrible, but enough to make Sindelar gather it) and Wright inexplicably turns into the DE Purdue intentionally left unblocked who was pursing from the inside out. Wright has to catch the ball and go, but instead he hesitates and is swallowed up by the Rutgers DE. Brohm liked the look on 1st down went back to it on 2nd and this time Wright blows the play.

Clock: 54

Field Position Purdue 20

Down: 3/10

Personnel: 11

Formation: Shotgun, RB Offset R, TE Wing L, Slot L

Play: Deep Post

Outcome: Pass deflected

Notes:

Not a good drive for Swingler, as Rutgers rushes 3 and still manages to get a big hit on Sindelar as Swingler gets beat on an inside move and gets no help from Evans, who is double teaming the nose. Sindelar gets the pass away, but it’s knocked down by the DE Rutgers has hanging out in the middle of the field. Nothing much Sindelar could do on this play, as the protection didn’t give him much of a chance. If Rutgers is only going to rush 3, Purdue has to be able to block 3 defenders with 5 offensive linemen and give the QB time.

4th Down: Punt

Drive Summary:

Eric Swingler didn’t cover himself in glory on this drive, as he wiffed twice, once on a well set up screen pass on 1st down, and again on a 3 man rush on 3rd down. Throw in Wright catching the ball and freezing on 2nd down and Purdue goes 3 and out. Purdue somewhat goes away from the run, but in Brohm’s offense, the WR screen is seen as an extension of the running game.

3rd Quarter Review:

Runs: 7 for 57

Passes: 9 for 33 with one terrible drop

Overall:

This quarter is where the stat sheet says one thing and the film indicates something else. Brohm uses the short passing game as an extension of the running game. He sees a 1 yard pass as a long handoff. Purdue throws 9 passes in this quarters, but only 2 of them are designed to go farther than 5 yards in the air, with most coming at or behind the line of scrimmage. Another quarter where just a little better execution and Purdue puts more than 3 points on the board.

Note:

I’m off to Denver for the weekend. I hoped to get through all 4 quarters, but got started a day late and these things take at least 2-3 hours because Purdue is running a ton of plays. I’ll try and get the Rutgers 4th quarter up, but if not, I’ll get the entire Nebraska game next week.