Purdue Football Preparing for Matchup With Dominant Illinois Defense
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As the old axiom goes, defense wins championships. Purdue football's upcoming opponent has taken that phrase and run with it.
Illinois leads the country in both points allowed (10.4) and total defense (232.2). Couple that with star running back Chase Brown leading the conference in rushing yards, and the Fighting Illini have thrust themselves into the national rankings for the first time since 2011.
They sit atop the Big Ten West standings ahead of Saturday's matchup with the Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. A victory for either team would provide an advantage in what has become a tight race to win the division.
"There's no doubt this team is a formidable opponent, the No. 1 defense in America," Purdue running backs coach Chris Barclay said. "They've done a great job. They win games on defense and the running back is probably, if not the best, one of the best in the country.
"So we've got a tremendous challenge ahead of us, but we can't so much focus on them. It's about us and executing our assignments."
In the last meeting between these two programs, Purdue managed just a pair of field goals in the first quarter. Those six points were all the offense could muster until Aidan O'Connell orchestrated a late, game-winning drive that pushed the Boilermakers to a 13-9 victory at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The offense went 94 yards down the field in 10 plays to take the lead, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from O'Connell to wide receiver TJ Sheffield. Illinois had the game in its hands, forcing two turnovers and dominating time of possession.
As head coach Jeff Brohm recalls, it was the first time the Fighting Illini deployed a new-look defensive scheme, one that crowds the line of scrimmage and disrupts the balance of opposing offenses.
"That was the first time they ever played it against us," Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. "They mixed it in and it was very effective. Then from there, they've taken it and it's almost all they run at this point. They're that good at it.
"So it presents challenges. It's going to cause you to have to figure out a way to run some. They're going to load the box and make you throw the football more than you like normally."
Last season against Illinois, running back Dylan Downing was the team's leading rusher. He registered only 39 yards on 10 carries. However, redshirt freshman walk-on Devin Mockobee has fueled an improved rushing game for Purdue throughout the 2022 season, and the offense has found most of its success when executing a balanced attack.
Mockobee leads the Boilermakers with 626 yards rushing and six touchdowns on 117 carries. After ranking at the bottom of the Big Ten in yards rushing each of the last four years, Purdue averages 125.6 yards on the ground this season.
Before the team's disappointing 24-3 loss to Iowa last week, Mockobee reached the end zone in four straight games and six of the last seven. He was held to 65 yards on 14 attempts against the Hawkeyes.
"Didn't get in the endzone this past week, but I still like where he is," Barclay said. "That was a tough team we played, and that's a really good defense. We've got another challenge this week, but I really like where he is, as well as the rest of the unit. As a whole, I think we've bought into our roles."
Downing returned to action last week after missing two straight games with a foot injury, helping to bolster a backfield that's been without senior running back King Doerue for the majority of the season.
After back-to-back losses, Purdue is finding renewed motivation in practice with its goals for the end of the regular season still attainable. And in front of a hostile crowd on Saturday, a fast start against a stout defense will be imperative.
"This week so far has been a lot better, guys are more into it," Purdue redshirt junior offensive lineman Spencer Holstege said. "We were kind of flat last week, we want to get our energy back up. I think it definitely was up today and hopefully to continue into Saturday."
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- What Jeff Brohm Said Ahead of Road Game Against Illinois: Purdue football coach Jeff Brohm met with the media Monday ahead of the team's road game against Illinois. The two programs are scheduled to kick off at noon ET on Saturday inside Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. 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.