Purdue Rushing Attack Making Strides in Red Zone as Offense Continues to Find Balance
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue's running backs aren't expected to be workhorses in coach Jeff Brohm's offensive system, which already leads the nation in passing attempts per game.
But they strive to bring some type of balance, especially in key situations. At times last season, the Boilermakers couldn't always turn and hand the ball off with confidence in the red zone or with one yard to go before a first down.
However, the team appears as if it's getting close to turning the corner following its 35-31 loss to Penn State in the season opener. While his stats don't exactly jump off the page, senior running back King Doerue was able to punch in two touchdown runs from inside the 5-yard line.
"It just goes to show how much work our O-line has been putting in all offseason," Doerue said. "Like I've said many times, they've been putting in a lot of work ... and once we get down there, I just feel like it's our job to punch it in."
Doerue notched 15 carries against the Nittany Lions, going for 57 yards alongside his two scoring plunges. Three of his rushing attempts during the game picked up first down for the Purdue offense, all of which came in the second quarter.
While it's beneficial to keep the chains moving on long, methodical drives, the Boilermakers can't solely rely on big plays to come from the passing game. Under running backs coach Chris Barclay, the team's ball carriers have emphasized creating explosive plays on their limited opportunities this season.
Against Penn State, there were runs in which Doerue was on the cusp of breaking away but just couldn't take advantage of one-on-one situations at the second level.
"We just got to generate more explosive plays, and that's what I was trying to do," Doerue said. "I was just one tackle away sometimes. I just got to make that last guy miss, that last defender."
Brohm alleviated some of the individual pressure from Purdue's running backs by utilizing as many as six offensive linemen on the field on any given play. With the loss of redshirt junior tight end Garrett Miller, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Marcus Mbow was deployed as an extra blocker.
On Doerue's second touchdown against Penn State — a pitch to the right side of the field — Mbow was motioned across the formation and put in a position to be a lead blocker with a full head of steam.
It worked to perfection, allowing the Boilermakers to cut their deficit down to four points early in the third quarter after trailing 21-10 at halftime.
King Doerue with his 2nd touchdown of the game for Purdue!! pic.twitter.com/kxdLKyHhg0
— Clint Brakebill (@CBrakebill) September 2, 2022
It was a play the team worked on in practice before the matchup against the Nittany Lions, and one that Doerue said he was confident would work if it was called in the game.
"Those are the things we're going to have to be good at as far as coaches," Brohm said. "Making sure that there is an element and a package with the ability to get bigger bodies in to knock people off the ball and run the football."
With a lead in hand, the Boilermakers turned away from the run game in the fourth quarter, trusting sixth-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell to move the ball and seal a victory. Doerue registered just three carries in the final period.
Penn State anticipated more handoffs to come and stacked the box, leaving one-on-one opportunities for the Purdue receivers. But the passing attack just couldn't make enough plays, and the team's overaggressiveness cost them in the end.
Brohm will need to continue looking for more balance on offense as the Boilermakers continue trudging through the 2022 season.
"I've got to be committed to it, to make sure that we want to score points and move the ball," he said. "And we've got to be able to run the ball in boxes that are not suited to run it a little bit more when we have to. So we are going to continue to work at that, and I think we can get better."
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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.