PURDUE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 29, 2022

Jeff Brohm

Press Conference

JEFF BROHM: Well, we're excited to get this season started off. This upcoming Thursday at home against an outstanding opponent with a lot of history and tradition in Penn State. We definitely realize we'll have our hands full. This is a very talented team, well coached, a lot of athletes, they're big.

As I said before, we played them three years ago, and it was 21-0 before we blinked, and we had to fight and scrap just to not get blown off the field. This will really test us and see where we really stand right off the bat, but that's why we play the game.

I do know our guys have worked hard between the time of last season and this upcoming game. Our coaches have put in a lot of time, but so has every team across the country. So we've got to go out and play at a high level.

I know on defense they have six or seven guys back. They didn't have their best player on the D-line in the bowl game, No. 97, who is definitely a force. He's somebody we're going to have to account for at all times because he's one of the best in the country, in our opinion.

They have a veteran secondary. Safety played a lot of football, is instinctive, makes a lot of plays, No. 16. He's all over the field.

Two corners that have experience, No. 9, No. 4. No. 9 is big, long, can play football, and the other one does a very good job as well.

As you even just watch the last football game they played, the bowl game, really Arkansas didn't do anything in the passing game. It was a bunch of quarterback run stuff they were able to succeed with. That's how they found a way to win.

On offense, they have really good tight ends, really good running backs, and the quarterback has a ton of experience, and a couple good receivers. We're going to have our hands full there and really play a good solid brand of football in order to win.

Luckily it's at home in front of our fans, which is great. We expect a great turnout. I know our players appreciate that and look forward to a great atmosphere, and hopefully we can go out there and play well.

Q. Do you like opening with a Big Ten game?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I think if you can open with someone nonconference that you feel good, you have a good chance to possibly win, that's always a comfort zone, but at the same time, we know we have a great schedule. It's like that every year. At some point you're going to play really talented football teams. We're going to do it right off the bat.

I think what it does do is it helps you focus more in the off-season in fall camp and understand that, as coaches and players, you've got to get ready to go or it's going to be a long day.

So I do think we put in a lot of hard work. Now you've got to go out and execute against guys you haven't played against in a while, do all the small things correctly, and our guys are going to have to perform at a high level in order to win.

Q. Just the importance of this game, I know everybody takes it one game at a time, but still, national television, blackout. You got a blue blood program coming in. Just a great opportunity, I guess, not just to open the year with a win, but maybe to make a statement nationally.

JEFF BROHM: Well, that's one of our strengths. Our guys have a chip on their shoulder. They all think they've been overlooked to a certain degree. They're out to prove themselves. They're willing to put in the work to get it done. They love playing great opponents.

So we've had a couple of good games where we've risen to the challenge. At the same time, Penn State is going to be hungry. I know last year didn't go exactly the way they wanted, but they're very talented and they're very physical and they're fast.

So they present challenges to us that you're normally going to face one or two, maybe three teams of this caliber every year. Right off the bat, it just means we've got to be able to do that Game 1.

We have some experience. I hope that will help us get going, but at the same time, it's a new team, new year, and new players have to step up and emerge.

Q. You've talked in glowing terms about Nic Caraway, and you expect him to contribute. I guess that's still going to be the case Thursday night, Jeff. Are there any other true freshmen you anticipate playing a fairly significant role?

JEFF BROHM: No, I think right now Nic has been able to practice and stay healthy all camp. He's a big physical player that really is instinctive, he's got quickness, he's got toughness.

At the same time, it's his first game, so you've got to be careful that you don't put him in positions where he can't have success, but he has shown that he can make plays for us. So we're going to have to make sure we get him in the game as certain times and see how he's doing, how he's feeling, and go from there.

Q. In the tight end spot, you seemed to have some concerns after the scrimmage a couple of weeks ago. Just talk about that spot without Garrett Miller and maybe how ready do you think Paul Piferi is maybe to help and if he's still going to have a willingness to still deploy those two tight end sets.

JEFF BROHM: Losing Garrett was a blow. He was a very talented tight end. He could run. He had really good size, and he blocked really, really well. He came into his own last year. It's unfortunate that he hurt his knee. He was having a great camp and could really stretch the field for us and provide a blocking element because of his toughness and tenacity. So he's going to be missed.

Payne Durham, we had to make sure we kept him healthy all camp, so he's been limited just to make sure we get him to the game. Paul Piferi will be his backup. He's a converted quarterback.

Paul has worked hard to get better. The passing game comes more natural to him, blocking at the point of attack and doing those things is a little bit harder. So we've just got to make sure, when he's in there, we're asking him to do things he's capable of. So we've got to be really conscious of that.

We're working to get the backup tight ends ready, but they've still got a ways to go, and a couple of them have been out in camp. So that presents a little bit of a dilemma. At the same time, you've got to put your best 11 guys on the field, figure out a way to get them the ball, create some plays, and get some points. We've just got to be somewhat strategic and smart with it.

Q. Just some personnel guys with Jalen Graham, Branson Deen, will they be good to go for Thursday?

JEFF BROHM: They should be ready to play, yes.

Q. Tee Denson?

JEFF BROHM: Tee Denson is going to be out for an extended period of time with his injury. He hasn't come around as fast as we all would like. That's going to take quite a bit more time.

Q. Can this be one of your best special team units across the board? And if so, why?

JEFF BROHM: We'll see. I don't know if I'd go that far yet. I do know we have experience with our specialists, so our kickers, our punter, our snappers. We do have better returners right now.

So we've got to piece it together. We've prepared and planned hard for it. We have a new special teams coordinator that has done a really good job and understands what we're trying to do and adds his element on things on a couple of teams that we have.

Really it's about getting your best athletes on the field, making sure you cover, don't give up big plays, and then figure out ways to get a couple of returns that can help us. I just think gaining an advantage in special teams in every game is going to be important. Sometimes it doesn't have to be a drastic advantage, but we can't lose that battle. Some of the teams we play are too tough that offense, defense, and special teams have to figure out a way to gain at least a slight advantage or it's not going to help us win.

Q. Where's your comfort level with Charlie Jones returning punts? He says he doesn't like the fair catch, and that's something you value field position during your tenure here, in that area. Where's your balance and comfort level with him and letting him kind of make plays?

JEFF BROHM: Well, we're going to do that for sure. I think he gives us an element we haven't had. He's very natural in catching the football. He's very natural at making guys miss initially, which is really important in the punt return game because you're going to have one or two guys flying at you that you've got to be able to react quickly.

He's a good runner with the ball in his hand, and we've just got to create some lanes for him to do that. I think in the punt return game he can go catch the ball and go field them, which is half the battle, making sure it doesn't bounce and roll. And I think he can cover ground and get yards.

I think in the kick return game he wants to be probably more aggressive than we want as far as return the ball out of the end zone, but we do want to allow him the ability to be aggressive because he has a ton of experience there and he gives us an element that we need to take advantage of.

Q. With your transfers, Charlie and Tyrone and Reese are guys that are going to play for sure on Thursday. Just where are your transfers at as far as having an impact in this opener beyond those three?

JEFF BROHM: I think our transfers will have a huge impact, and that's why we brought them in. So when you look at offense, Charlie Jones and Tyrone Tracy have been very productive in camp. They've got to make plays for us and be some of our difference makers for us to win.

On the offensive line, Sione at guard and Daniel Johnson provide us depth and will be in the rotation. They've done a good job this camp. So I think at that position as well, that has helped us.

When you move to defense, Reese Taylor has done an outstanding job at corner for us. We've been able to keep him healthy through camp. He's instinctive. He makes plays. He's played a lot of football. We really like what he brings to the table.

Scotty Humpich at the defensive position has got skill and size and athleticism. He needs to be a playmaker for us on defense.

And Bryce Hampton is going to play in the secondary. We're not super deep in the secondary. We're working hard to get better at that, but those will be the main ones that stand out. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. But those guys are going to play for us.

Q. What's it like to have three quarterbacks in your secondary with Jalen and Reese and Cam?

JEFF BROHM: Well, it honestly gives them an advantage. When you play in a position, you can understand route concepts, look at a quarterback's eyes, shoulder, all the things that give you indicators of how to break on the ball, make plays.

Jalen Graham had a really tremendous year last year. We hope he builds upon that. He needs to be a leader for us. He needs to play as hard as he can in between the whistles and make plays.

Cam Allen, I think, keeps getting better and better. Needs to just do his thing, be in position, and then make tackles when he needs to.

And Reese Taylor definitely has great instincts. It's hard for us to get open on him. So I'm hoping that's because he's really good, not because we're not able to get open. But he's done really good. I think their background of just playing football and understanding the game is very beneficial.

Q. How many offensive linemen do you feel comfortable with going Thursday?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I could see us probably playing around eight offensive linemen. If it goes up to nine, it wouldn't shock me. Keeping guys healthy and fresh is going to be important as well. But we do feel like, at this point, there is some more depth and guys that are getting closer to get on the field.

Once again, in that position as well as the others, who are going to be the difference makers? Who can we count on? Who can make plays? Who can be dominant in every game? Those are guys you like to see.

Even Greg Long stepped up last year in some games and was a really great force for us in that position. So we just have to get difference makers to emerge, and sometimes you don't know until you get them on the field. That's where we're a little young at right now. These first couple games will tell us who those guys will be.

Q. Is Mark Hagen going to get his dream of having three teams Toro Tate in there on the defensive line?

JEFF BROHM: Well, we are going Toro Tate in. He probably likes rotating more than I do because I want our best guys on the field. But we do have a lot of depth at that position, and I think we will play quite a few guys.

But you want your best guys to be in the game more than the others and get a feel. Sometimes the more you're in there, you understand what's going on, you can hear cadences, you can understand who's blocking you, and you can know who you're going against. So it's got to be a perfect balance.

So keeping guys fresh is always important, but I do feel like at that position we have built some depth to provide competition and to play more young men.

Q. Obviously, that game against Penn State in 2019, it's a ways away from where you guys are right now. There's a lot of personnel differences from back then, but how much can you really look back at that game, kind of reflect on it a little bit as you head into this matchup in week 1?

JEFF BROHM: We've looked back on it a lot because it wasn't a good showing for us. We got beat up front quite a bit. They were really fast. They were physical. It's hard for us to get open as much. They have veteran guys in the secondary, and they're athletic.

Like I said, even when you look at the Arkansas game where they lost in the bowl game, Arkansas didn't throw the ball on them. That didn't happen. The quarterback had to run around and make plays, which that's not our strength right now. So we have to play to our strength. But that's their strength as well.

I think offensively they were able to do whatever they wanted. Ran the ball on us, threw the ball on us, ran nakeds, threw it to the tight end, utilized the running back, the quarterback run game.

So it's a tough matchup. We've worked hard to get prepared for it, but we're going to have to play well, and we're going to have to see how we match up against a really good football team that has quite a bit of experience at certain positions. The physicality of it, the speed of it, we'll just see right away where we're at after Game 1.

Q. Obviously there were some veteran guys on this team that were part of that loss, guys that will play some bigger roles this season, guys like a den, Payne Durham. Have you seen them kind of taking it on upon themselves a little bit more, add some extra motivation they were part of that loss and kind of want to flip the script as you guys start the season?

JEFF BROHM: A den and Payne have been great leaders all season. They've been more vocal. They understand they have to play well in order for us to win.

Our guys know we're going against a really good opponent that's played a lot of really good football, and we did not have a good showing against the last time.

We understand that that's football in the Big Ten, and we're fortunate enough to have the game at home, which we've got to give our fans something to cheer about early on and gain some momentum and try to ride that to help us win.

Fighting and playing to the end is going to be important no matter what the score is. That's what we've got to do. That's been a strength of ours as I do think we play to the end when we played them three years ago. If we didn't do that, we would have gotten blown out really bad.

So I do think we should have the fight that we need in order to play 60 minutes and give us a chance to win, but we're going to have to execute.

Q. You mentioned Sean Clifford a little bit. Obviously his experience is something that jumps off the page for Penn State. Just from what you can recall a couple years ago and what you have seen from him the past few years, how has he evolved as a quarterback, and how do you feel your defense, I guess, kind of challenges command of that offensive scheme this year?

JEFF BROHM: I think he'll be the second year in this offensive system, which will help him be more comfortable. He's played a lot of football. He can run around and make plays. He can distribute the ball to his play makers. He understands what the team is built on. They don't want to turn it over. They want to create a few big plays in the play action game, but other than that, they want to utilize the tight ends and running backs and even his ability to run the football.

That's where you have to account for him and his experience level. We have to figure out a way to give him some things he hasn't seen before. We have to figure out a way to get after the quarterback more than quarterbacks like to be hit. We have to figure out a way to disguise some things, but we've got to stop the run, and we've got to make sure that we stop the quarterback run as well or they will score a lot of points.

Q. New defensive coordinator in State College, Manny Diaz, former Miami head coach. What have you been able to decipher from maybe what he wants to try to do or what he likes to do from a defensive standpoint?

JEFF BROHM: Well, Coach Diaz has a lot of experience. He's coached a lot of football at a lot of different conferences. So we've watched, definitely, a ton of Miami film and then some at Penn State, but at the same time, I'm sure it's going to be Coach Diaz's defense.

It's an aggressive style defense. They're going to be more attacking. They're going to guard things tighter. They're going to, on third down, get creative in blitzes and disguising things and come after the quarterback. They're going to utilize the athletes. They're going to move with the front, which is always tough on an offense when things are moving and going in different directions.

So that's what you have to prepare for. We've looked at it. We've studied it, but at the same time, getting it done in the speed of the game is going to be the test.

I think it definitely provides an element of he will have more creativity and do more things that we'll have to prepare for.

Q. Just on the front, Broc Thompson, Jamari Brown, and Cory Trice were handed with a lot of prudence in camp just to keep them healthy. Are they going to be ready to go on Thursday night?

JEFF BROHM: I think all three will be ready to go. Yes, we still have to be somewhat cautious with all three, but that's the cards we're dealt with. They sustained injuries, and we've got to get them back healthy, and we've got to get them back in the flow, and we've got to make sure that we're not wasting all their good reps in practice and not being able to utilize them in the game.

But at the same time, they have to get enough reps to make sure they're ready. So that's the balance you have. There's certain guys like those three that we need on the field. We definitely need them on the field. When they're not, we're not as good a football team.

So it's going to be important that they play well, we keep them healthy, and we try to continue that throughout the entire year because it's going to be more than one game we need these guys. We need them the entire season.

Q. Have there been any other significant injuries within the last week?

JEFF BROHM: No, I don't think so. We had a little bit of bad luck early on in camp with some key guys. Other than normal Nicks and bruises, I don't think -- and a couple hamstrings here and there, I don't think anything that severe.

Q. Obviously last year you could rely on George to create quite a bit of pressure. Do you have the personnel to do that organically again, or does it have to be more schematic in terms of what you did defensively, calling a lot of blitzes?

JEFF BROHM: We've had some long discussions about that, even this past weekend after a lot of games were played on Thursday through Saturday, about making sure we have ways to make sure we stop the run, get after the quarterback, and not allow teams to run it down our throat, not allow teams to gain momentum by doing the easy thing.

So we've worked on it, we've prepped it, we've revisited it, and there has to be answers if we're not able to create pressure the way we were last year because of a dominant player like George Karlaftis, even DaMarcus Mitchell made plays for us at key times. In the bowl game he got a strip sack and got us the ball at the end of the half and got us points.

Those are the types of points you need. You need one-on-one battles to be won by our players. We'll have the fight. Our guys will go out and play hard, but certain guys have to emerge as guys that can get that done, that demand double-teams and that demand help.

So that's what we have to prepare for is the ability to spice that up, if we're not able to get that done in a lot of one-on-one matchups.