Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm's Final Thoughts Before Road Game Against Illinois
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Coming off of two straight losses, Purdue football (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) looks to get back in the win column on the road Saturday against Illinois (7-2, 5-2), which sits atop the Big Ten West with three games left to play in the regular season.
The two teams are scheduled to kick off at noon ET at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. The game will be aired on ESPN2.
The Boilermakers came into the week of practice focused on revitalizing their energy levels across the board, and coach Jeff Brohm felt as though he saw that before meeting with the media Thursday afternoon ahead of the game.
"There was quite a bit of spirit, quite a bit of emotion, and that's good," said Brohm. "We've had good weeks of practice. Was this week even higher energy? Yes. I think our guys understand what it takes to win. The focus it takes, the preparation it takes, and then come game day, the execution it takes.
"I just think we've come up a little short on those things. When you have some games that you haven't played to your capability, you've gotta just refocus and go back to work and not lose your confidence. So that's really the key, making sure our guys go out and play confident against a really good team."
Purdue has struggled to stop the run in its losses to both Wisconsin and Iowa, and the defense gets another tough task in stopping Chase Brown. The junior running back leads the Big Ten with 1,344 yards rushing and has been the focal point of the Illinois offense.
Senior quarterback Tommy DeVito has been efficient in his passing attempts as well, completing 183-of-255 passes this season for 1,882 yards, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
"Well, they've had a really good year to this point led by a strong running game and a really good running back," Brohm said. "When you put up those types of numbers against these defenses, it's really good. They've got an efficient quarterback, the offensive line has played well.
"Normally, you just have to find a way to contain them a little bit and get some turnovers. That's going to be key for us. Eliminate the big plays, the big runs, and just try to get some stops."
Come Saturday morning, temperatures are expected to dip below 40 degrees. The Boilermakers have struggled outside of fair-weather matchups in recent memory. The team has been able to prepare for precipitation unlike windy or potential freezing conditions up to this point in the season.
"That's November in the Big Ten," Brohm said. "So we gotta come out and execute and play through the elements if there are, and find a way to win."
Related Stories on Purdue Football:
- Boilers Preparing for Dominant Fighting Illini Defense: Illinois boasts a stout defense that's allowing just 10.4 points and 232.2 total yards per game this season. Purdue has fallen behind early in back-to-back losses and is looking to get back on track Saturday on the road. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Football Opens as the Underdog against Illinois: Purdue (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) enters this week as a 6.5-point underdog in its upcoming road game against Illinois (7-2, 5-2). The two teams are scheduled to kick off at noon ET at Memorial Stadium, in Champaign, Ill. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Run Defense Falters in Second Straight Game: Purdue gave up 200 yards on 22 carries to Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson during a 24-3 loss on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium. He ripped off a 75-yard touchdown to put the game away early in the third quarter. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Football Buried by Iowa in 24-3 Loss: Two interceptions in the first half by sixth-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell dug a hole too deep for the Boilermakers to climb out of. Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson ran for 200 yards and a touchdown to bury Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.