What Jeff Brohm Said Ahead of Purdue Football's Upcoming Game Against Iowa
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue football returns to Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday for a home matchup against Iowa following a bye week. The two teams are scheduled to play at noon ET as the Boilermakers are looking to become bowl eligible for the fourth time in the last six years.
Head coach Jeff Brohm met with the media on Monday for his weekly press conference to discuss the team's off week and give his first assessment of the Hawkeyes.
Here's everything he had to say ahead of the game, including video from the press conference video attached to this article:
Opening Statement
BROHM: Our team understands they're an opponent that every year presents numerous challenges. They're very well coached, outstanding on defense. They are every year. Make you earn everything I get. Force you into making mistakes and take advantage of that.
This past week the offense played as good as they played all year long, put up good numbers, moved the ball and got points. I think if you look at their schedule, they played a very difficult schedule. Two losses to two of the top four teams in the country in Ohio State and Michigan, which no one has come close to beating; and then they had a loss by three to Illinois and another loss to their rival by three points.
So we're going to have to play efficient football, we know that, in all three segments. We're going to have to play as well as we have all year in order to get a win, and our guys need to understand that. That's how you're going to have to play to win in our conference against the opponents we have coming up, starting with Iowa.
We need to have a good week of practice and get out there and cut it loose come Game Day.
On how he judges whether the team had a productive off week...
BROHM: Well, I think that we do have some guys banged up, so you're hopeful they get out there and they're able to play and get back to at least practicing some. You know, you do your best job of that.
I think when you have an off week and you've lost it stings more, and you got to use that as fuel to get you back to understanding what it's going to take to win. Hopefully our players understand that we have to play more efficient football in order to win the game.
On the team's health in the secondary entering the week...
BROHM: Well, there is concerns. Some guys still haven't practiced, so when they practice we'll know if they'll be able to play. In the meantime, others have to get ready and be ready to go.
Definitely had to maneuver some things and try some different possibilities in order to be prepared come Game Day.
On the status of cornerbacks Jamari Brown and Cory Trice...
BROHM: They have not practiced yet.
On the status of defensive end Kydran Jenkins...
BROHM: We're hopeful he'll be able to play just because we know his background. He's played injured quite a bit, but that will be a game-time decision.
On evaluating what's gone wrong in pass coverage over the last couple of games...
BROHM: Well, I think it's a combination of a lot of things. I know we can play better. There are times that the underneath coverage should be helping a little bit more than it has. There are times that we have allowed people to run by us, which should not happen.
There are times where maybe we can possibly press on the outside to give our guys a chance to disrupt the timing and not give up easy completions. There has been times our front has allowed the quarterback to get on the edge, whether it's a designed roll-out to the field or a boot leg where there is way too much time to throw.
So, yes, we have analyzed it all. Hopeful we can put a good plan together and go out there and execute. I think that trying to get these guys back healthy and playing efficient football is important. In order for us to win, all three segments have to play well good football or we're not going to win. That's just how it's got to work.
So we need the offense to take care of the ball and not turn it over and be efficient. We need to the defense to create stops and do the best job they can to keep teams out of the end zone and not allow easy touchdowns. Special teams has to get an advantage.
That is just one of the reasons we were able to win last year, is that I thought all three segments played together and played off each other. In the end, really just played better overall in order to give us a slight chance to win.
On Tyrone Tracy and Charlie Jones playing against their former team...
BROHM: You know, I think it's probably less of a big deal than you think. I think, like you said, it's going to become more common every year. It just happens that Tyrone is from Indianapolis and this is where he at is now. He's worked really hard and gives us great effort.
Charlie we are fortunate to have him. Been a really good player. Had a relationship with Aidan O'Connell to be quite honest with you, and he's played really well. Now, getting him healthy, that's a different story. He's done a really good job.
I just think every year you're going to see players move and try to get the best opportunity for them. That's the nature of college football now. You have to take care of your players as much as you can. At the same time, if there is a better opportunity somewhere else, they need to go.
You want guys that want to be somewhere and want to make a difference, want an opportunity to showcase their skills. So we will try to do that the best we can of course.
I think both young men really represent themselves well. They're high character young men that want to make a difference, and I think they'll play extremely hard this game.
On if the bye week benefitted Charlie Jones...
BROHM: I hope so. He hasn't practiced yet. We'll see where he is at this week, but use this time to hopefully get guys healed. In the end they know they have to get out there and practice some in order to play well.
On what Iowa's offense did to be effective against Northwestern...
BROHM: When I watched them this past week they were efficient. They didn't turn the ball over. They utilize their zone running scheme very well with the jet sweeps and making some play actions off of it. They were able to get easy completions and get the ball out on time.
I just think the combination of those things and they played efficient football. So that's a credit to them. I think they know that they've always had a great defense; always been really good on special teams.
When their offense is clicking you're going to have a hard time winning, so I do think it's important, like a lot of games. We have to figure out a way to get a lead and not allow them to be able to utilize this scheme as much as they can. So that's going to be vital for us, figuring out a way to get a lead.
On remembering the last time Purdue hosted Iowa, which was during the COVID year...
BROHM: Yeah, that was evening time. No one in the stands. Luckily we found a way to win. But other than that, I don't think back on it a whole lot. I know that every year against Iowa, man, the preparation is more than important, because they're as good as anybody at forcing the other team to make mistakes and taking advantage of it.
So you have to prepare hard and make sure that you cannot allow that to happen. When we played them last year they were getting turnovers right and left. They had huge wins, on one of the reasons we were in the game is we did not turn the ball over, and that helped us get a lead and took them out of their game.
Everything is very important against them. Just have to play efficient football, or if they're driving the car and in control, you're going to be going uphill.
On what it was like being at home during the game...
BROHM: Well, I mean, that's never any fun. I try not to relive those moments. I was good enough to do what I needed to do, but there were COVID rules you had to abide by, and I do abide by rules I guess.
On if there's a chance cornerback Tee Denson and wide receiver Broc Thompson are ready to play in the near future...
BROHM: I would say there is a glimmer, but I haven't seen the glimmer yet. I think it is what it is at this time of year. I can talk about injuries, but you got to get the guys ready that are able to play. You're going to have them every year, sometimes more than others.
It's our job to figure out a way to win. Broc is doing everything he can, like we talked before. He's had a lot of stuff going on, so got to give him a lot of credit. He's working hard to get back. This is a tough, physical football game, and got to make sure he's fully healthy.
I don't anticipate that happening, but we'll see.
Tee, you know, like we talked before, double sports hernia. Had to go back and get another procedure. He's just fighting through that stuff.
On the status of tight end Paul Piferi and fullback Ben Furtney...
BROHM: Ben will be out and Paul -- hopeful he'll play.
On if he's talked to the team about what's at stake in November...
BROHM: Really not. I think that we can't concern ourselves with anything at the end of the tunnel. That's when you get caught looking down a road and don't prepare as hard as you can. There is a reason we use the one-game mantra. Fans and everyone else can talk about all the other stuff.
We got a lot of work to do. It's hard to win. You got to do a lot of things correctly. It just doesn't happen, doesn't matter who you play. We know with this opponent that, yeah, we've been able to win a few times, but you've got to play efficient football and you have to really do all the small things correctly.
Only thing on our mind is trying win this game against Iowa.
On how often he encounters Iowa on the recruiting trail...
BROHM: Iowa does a good job recruiting. They hammer the state of Indiana quite a bit and really before I got here they probably dominated the state. We've been able to do a little bit better job, but they have a lot of connections. You know, done a good job.
So our coaches are running into them some. I've ran into them a few times. They've coached football a long time. I have a lot of respect for them. They believe in discipline and hard-nosed football, winning the old fashioned way. Tremendous defense, sound run game, physical up front, and there is nothing wrong with that. That's football.
So like other teams, the recruiting battle always happens, and you just try to sell what you can do for the players and how you can help them and hope that they see the same thing and come be a part of it.
On if running backs King Doerue and Dylan Downing benefitted from the bye week...
BROHM: We're hopeful to get Dylan back this week. King is unlikely.
On Devin Mockobee and managing the players that are healthy in the backfield...
BROHM: Well, I mean, that's the part of it at this time of the year, and you're hopeful to get as many people back as you can. I think Devin has done a really good job. Dylan has worked hard to get back. We are hopeful he can get there. He's put in a lot of the time and effort.
Tyrone Tracy is ready to go, working in the position, and you just got to move guys around a little bit to make sure that all your positions are covered with a little bit of depth.
On if there are players that can move to play in the secondary...
BROHM: Well, we've moved guys around in the secondary, so there are multiple other guys playing the corner position at least to some capacity that are learning and making sure that we have backup plans ready or starting plans ready, so that has been worked on last week and on Sunday.
And, you know, at this point you just got to find a way to get it done. Yes, we have moved some guys around to be able to learn that position a little bit more and play to some in practice.
On if anyone on offense could potentially play defense...
BROHM: No. We talked about it. There might be one guy that we still might consider. But at the same time, he hasn't been over there at all and it's just not quite as easy as you think unless you just play one or two coverages and say, Hey, guard this guy.
But that person did work a day or two in the spring, but it's more than likely just going to be from the people that we have in the secondary right now.
On how the team will fill the role of fullback without Ben Furtney...
BROHM: Well, I think that there are certain plays that we could use Payne or Paul if both are up and available. There are certain plays we wouldn't want to use them.
Right now Tristan Cox has moved into that role a little bit, so getting him up to speed on just less than a handful of plays in those situations is what we worked on. So that can easily happen in a game with Tristan Cox.
On Iowa's ability to force turnovers on the defensive side of the ball and how Aidan O'Connell can avoid mistakes he made against Wisconsin...
BROHM: I think we're all disappointed in the turnovers. Aidan was disappointed. We talked about it after, and he's still angry about it. You know, it happens. You learn from it and move on.
I think he understands the importance of taking care of the football. It's one of the reasons towards the end of last year we were able to win quite a bit, because his numbers were off the charts as far as not only percentage, but touchdown to interception ratio, and that's part of the game.
So you just got to make sure. Every game presents new looks and challenges, and when the play is not open on time, you have to be able to adjust and find an outlet and occasionally run.
You know what? Maybe that means in practice we have to make him adjust and make the outlet and run more than he would like. Sometimes you can fall in a trap of guys being open a little more in practice and think it's going to happen in the game like that.
We have normally been pretty good at adapting and adjusting to that, but we'll do our best to help them prepare in week of finding the outlet, the check down, and running occasionally, because that's how it's going to happen in a game.
On what allows Iowa to be so efficient at forcing turnovers...
BROHM: Well, they're very sound. They are extremely well-coached. Coach Parker is outstanding. He's been doing it for a long time. Comes from a great background and tree of defense.
Up front they get off blocks. They're physical. They definitely get off blocks faster than other teams. Their linebackers are in great position. They know how to play inside out, wall things off, put their hands on people, stay in their zone.
They know how to play the quarterback's eyes and where he going to go if he throws it early, where he's going to go if he throws it a little later.
The secondary does a great job keeping the ball in front of him, staying inside, not giving up the big play.
I think when those three segments play together well, you got to earn your completions and earn your yardage. They're not going to give you anything cheap.
So with that, if you throw a ball near one of their guys, they catch it. It's like noticeable. I don't know how at the do it, but they catch everything that's thrown close to them. They don't drop inspections. They take advantage of it. When you do that, they win football games.
Like I said before we played them last year they were dominating teams because they were just crushing people in the turnover battle. It's just something they're really good at.
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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.