PURDUE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 3, 2022

Jeff Brohm

Press Conference

JEFF BROHM: As you watch Maryland, they're playing really good football, as well. They're 4-1 with their one loss being to Michigan, where they were winning late in the first half until Michigan scored on a 4th-and-1 run and then they were trailing by three early in the fourth quarter and trailing by five late in the fourth quarter. So this team has played some really good football.

They've got good skill on the outside, a really good quarterback. They like to throw the ball. Their defense has definitely improved upon last year and done a really good job, and they're a very good overall team.

So we've got our hands full. It's a different opponent than what we faced last week in a lot of different ways, so we've got to prepare accordingly and adjust some things to get us hopefully an opportunity to go out there and compete and get the game in the fourth quarter and see where it goes from there. But I do know that this will be a stern test and a tough challenge to go on the road to a team that's playing very, very well.

Q. Obviously you didn't have King Doerue, Jalen Graham this past week against Minnesota. Any update on their status? Are they closer to seeing the field this upcoming week?

JEFF BROHM: We are hopeful that Jalen Graham will be able to play this week, so we'll see how this week progresses, but there is some optimism there. King, we won't know until later in the week if he has a chance, and I would say it's doubtful at this point.

Q. Any concern with Aidan at all? Obviously played this past week; how is he holding up, heading into this week of practice?

JEFF BROHM: I think Aidan held up pretty well for the most part other than normal soreness, so I expect him to just do as much as he can this week, that he feels comfortable with, and as we get to later in the week, hopefully he continues to progress.

But I'm optimistic.

Q. These past two weeks, the offense has played with a lot more balance, maybe out of necessity, not having Aidan against Florida Atlantic and him not being entirely 100 percent against Minnesota. As this offense is able to show that it can put together a consistent run game, what's going to open up as Aidan continues to get back to full form heading into the rest of the year?

JEFF BROHM: Well, the goal on the offense is to score points and try to figure out a way to move the ball and control the football and keep our defense off the field and figure out a way to win.

In this conference, a lot of good defenses, a lot of good teams that run the football control the ball, then you get into some weather elements later in the year, you've got to be able to do what it takes to win, and that can't just be throwing the ball. I do think that we've made some progress running the ball. In the passing game, some teams have played the pass, and we have to react accordingly.

At the same time, I do want our receivers to continue to get better. I think we need to make some strides there. Charlie has played well, he's been nicked up quite a bit because he's carried the load, and our other receivers need to continue to improve and gain confidence from our quarterback so that we can spread the ball around.

But I just think, taking what the defense gives you to a certain degree and reacting to how they're playing means you have to be able to do both, and whatever it takes to score points. We've just got to continue to push through it, work hard and figure out a way to create more points.

Q. What do those other pass catchers need to do to continue to be a secondary passing option aside from Charlie Jones who's obviously had as good of a season as he had? The guys like Payne Durham or TJ Sheffield or Mershawn Rice, what's going to help them make more of an impact on a consistent basis?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I think Payne has done a good job. He can control the middle of the field. He'll catch the ball in traffic. We need to continue to utilize him. He's been our next best option to this point.

TJ Sheffield we've asked to do a lot. He's played slot receiver, outside receiver. I think he's got to continue to understand and know exactly what we're doing and find a way to get open as fast as he can and gain trust from the quarterback.

I think Tyrone Tracy has to continue to work on his get off and bursting and running as hard as he can on every play and gaining trust in our quarterback, as well. Then when you look at Mershawn, he's been nicked up here and there, and we want him to go harder and faster and come off the ball and explode.

I just think there's a lot of small things that our young receivers need to continue to work through. They work hard. They give us great effort. We expect them to be great, and sometimes that takes time. So we've just got to continue to work through it. Those guys have worked hard, and I just think that as the season goes on, they've just got to compete, practice hard and get out there, and you never know when you have a big game.

Q. I want to ask about Cory Trice. I think he had a pretty good game against Minnesota, had a pass breakup, no catches. For a guy that's coming off an injury from last year, he's missed a lot of time. He missed a lot of time in the off-season in fall camp and things like that. How is he continuing to progress and kind of return to form and even beyond the player that he was before, sustaining that injury?

JEFF BROHM: I think Cory has done a really good job. He's coming off an ACL injury that takes a little bit of time. Went a little slower than we would like and there were a few setbacks along the way, but he has continued to work through it. He practices as hard as he can. I think this past week was the first week he didn't wear his knee brace, which I thought he looked much more fluid and better. Could just be me saying that, but that's what I thought. I did.

I think this past week we did a much better job of mixing things up on defense, mixing looks up and not having our corners on an island every play, and that's going to be important moving forward, that you can't ask your corners to play every snap on an island in single coverage, so we've got to continue to do a good job of studying that and making sure that we're able to stop the run, but yet give our corners some help and a little bit of relief and let them play off.

I just think it's been a combination of all those things. But Cory works hard. He wants to win. He's a great competitor. And I think he can continue to improve as the year goes on, but he did a really good job this past game.

Q. Going into Maryland, you already mentioned it a little bit, Taulia Tagovailoa completing like 75 percent of his passes. They have several guys that are contributing in the passing game. Just what does that offense show on a week-to-week basis, and how is your defense preparing to kind of match up against what they want to do?

JEFF BROHM: Well, this will be totally different than last week. This team will throw the ball. They like to throw the ball. That's kind of what they like to do. They have a quarterback who's accurate, who can run around and make plays. He plays just like his brother. Just can escape the pocket, can make plays with his feet, can buy time, and he can throw an accurate catchable ball. He's played a lot of football, so he's got good experience. He's got quite a bit of weapons.

Their receiving attack is balanced. All those guys are catching about the same amount of balls, and they do a good job spreading that around.

We will have to prepare a little differently, without question, than for the last week, and we've got to make sure that we're able to guard and defend. If you look at some of the games in the past, you've got to figure out enough ways to get more pressure on the quarterback than what we've seen lately, but yet some zone eyes and be able to read the quarterback and get some interceptions.

I think Iowa played them the best last year when their defense was able to do a really good job of getting turnovers. So I just think there's a perfect combination there. We've got to figure it out, and we've got to go execute it.

Q. This offensive line, just talk about this line, maybe where you think it rates with some of your lines you've had at Purdue so far, and talk about how they've played. Seems like one of your more physical fronts?

JEFF BROHM: I think they've done a good job. We've worked hard on that aspect over the last couple years. It's not ever going to be perfect or a perfect science to us, but we've got a good nucleus of guys that give us great effort. They always have. They want to win.

We need to do the best job we can to put them in a position to succeed by having some balance. If you ask them to pass protect all game long, no one can do that, but I think we have a good young nucleus with a couple veterans, and they've competed well.

Even when we've had a couple injuries, even this past week, as well, other guys were able to step in there and even change positions a little bit and play hard and do a good job.

I just think you've got to practice them, you've got to work them, you've got to task them with more than just one position in case that ever happens, and at this point it already has.

I just think that it's a good group of guys, and we've just got to continue to work with it and try to get more guys ready, and that's kind of the key piece because you never know who else will go down as we proceed.

Q. Jacob Wahlberg, discuss his evolution and just his contributions to far, particularly the last two weeks.

JEFF BROHM: Well, Jacob is a really good competitor. He loves football. He comes from a football family. He's a bigger young man that when we brought him here, is he a D-end, is he a linebacker, he kind of had that thought a little bit that he could maybe do both, where were his strengths. He got hurt his first couple years. Seemed like he always had an injury that kept him out.

But he has good instincts, so he plays that middle linebacker position for us. He's got good instincts. He's got good length. He has kind of uncanny athleticism when it comes to just catching the ball and having a knack for getting your hands up and getting in the lane.

Because he gives great effort, he overcomes -- maybe he's not the fastest linebacker in the world. But he'll tackle, he'll hit, he's coachable, and I think he's done a really good job. We need him to continue to improve because Kieren Douglas had had some knee concerns and wasn't able to play as much this past week, and we've got to continue to get Jacob ready to play even more.

Q. Bryce Hampton, after not playing a snap against FAU, looked like he had a pretty good game for you guys. I think was second in tackles. I know you need more bodies back there. Talk about the importance of getting quality reps out of him and getting Reese Taylor back last week, too.

JEFF BROHM: Bryce, as well, he had been upset he didn't play in the last game. He expressed that, which I like. I like guys that want to play and want to get on the field. We obviously lost the Syracuse game that had a bad taste in everyone's mouth. We had to move forward. He's worked hard. Got out there this past week, and he made tackles, he made plays. Kind of put him in a position where that's what he's best at. He's got to continue to work in pass coverage and those things to continue to get better, but we had him in a position where a little more zone, the ability to kind of creep in the box and beat the slot receiver on blocks and make tackles. That's his strength. I do think he's a competitor. He wants to play.

We've got to utilize him the best way we can, but definitely get him on the field because you are correct, he made tackles and he made plays.

Q. Any update on Tee Denson?

JEFF BROHM: That's going to be a while. Unfortunately he had the double hernia, sports hernia, and then they had to go back in a while back, as well. I don't see that happening anytime in the near future.

Q. We've seen five Power Five head coaches already lose their job, including obviously Paul Chryst. Can you just talk to the pressure maybe some of these coaches are feeling? You're seeing more and more of these decisions made before we're even at mid-season yet.

JEFF BROHM: Well, that's college football nowadays. You feel for everybody because you know a lot of guys put a lot of hard work and time into it, and it's not easy. It's very competitive every week. You're one play away from winning or losing.

That's just why you've got to be driven to work as hard as you can and do everything possible as a head coach, as a staff, as players, to go out there and compete and win.

All you can do is put your head down and work as hard as you can and let the pieces fall where they may. But I do think that working at football year-round and studying and figuring out ways to have answers to things is just vital. We've just got to put our head down and go to work and do the best job we can.

Q. How patient do you have to be as a play caller knowing how teams have played you the last few games and knowing probably what you'll see in the future as far as sticking with the run and not trying to get too crazy with downfield passing?

JEFF BROHM: It's a challenge. It's definitely a challenge. But winning is the goal. I've got to do the best job I possibly can of making sure that you do have that patience. As the season progresses, we're going to need it even more and more. If we can get better at running the ball, it can open up some things in the passing game.

But teams are playing the pass, and I would, as well. We have really, really talented receiver on the outside, an accurate passer. We've had the ability to throw up the field, and teams are playing us deeper. They're being smart about it, and we have to be patient and we have to run the ball and we have to pass it in desirable looks and not just in every look.

That's the challenge, but we have gotten a little bit better. We've just got to continue to work through it.

Q. Just the depth now that you have in the running back room which you haven't had here in recent years and two guys that -- Dylan was a walk-on at one time; is he on scholarship now, Dylan Downing?

JEFF BROHM: Not right now.

Q. You have two walk-ons that have rushed for 100 yards the last two games. The depth now that you have in that room, just being able to turn to other options --

JEFF BROHM: Well, both Dylan and Devin have worked really hard. They give great effort. They want to win. They're hungry. Coach Barclay does a great job with them. We've had some injuries. So when you have injuries, you get an opportunity. They've been ready.

Dylan went through off-season surgery, as well, was out all spring, but in the course of it changed his body and came in in great shape. He's done a really, really good job for us.

And then Devin, he'll continue to get bigger and stronger and learn things as he goes. But he competes. He runs hard. He's got some elusiveness to him. He's slippery when he runs. He's gotten better at catching the ball. He's a competitor.

I just think that they have risen to the occasion when we've needed them, and we'll continue to push them up on that. But both guys, we're proud of what they've done to this point for us. Very proud of them.

Q. Is Devin's nickname "Crazy Legs"?

JEFF BROHM: I think that's maybe what I call him. He just kind of -- when he runs and cuts, you don't know which direction he's going. It sometimes looks like he's double jointed in a couple of those areas. But you know what? He makes guys miss. He's done a really good job.

Like I said, he can get a whole lot bigger and stronger and he will over the years, and he has a ways to go there, but it doesn't faze him. He still runs hard. He runs through people. He has no fear when he runs. I think those traits are hard to teach. It just is something that he has in him through his family and through his background and makeup, and we're working as hard as we can with him to get him up to speed. But he's done a really, really good job.

Q. Back to last week and Aidan's situation, you mentioned after the game he really didn't practice until Thursday, and that's a light day for you guys. Obviously you were willing to go up to game time whether he played or not, but was there a point in the week, it's like, well, we have to move on and we have to get Austin really ready to go for this game?

JEFF BROHM: Well, we got both Austin and Michael -- because Austin was banged up, too. We got both Austin and Michael ready to play. They got all the practice reps, and they were ready to go. Aidan just kind of continued to progress as the week went on and felt a little better on Thursday and did a few more things, even though that's not a heavy day for us. He felt like he could go.

So I give him credit. He played with courage. He played tough. It wasn't one of his better games, but he still continued to cut it loose and be aggressive and made some plays for us late in the game that helped.

I just think that we're hoping to get him even healthier this week and a little more practice time.

Q. You mentioned about the offensive line; will you have your normal starters for Saturday?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I think so. We had a couple -- Daniel Johnson went down for a while. We had to move Marcus Mbow to tackle as well as playing Moussa and Eric Miller there.

We were able to play Sione more, get him more opportunities and repetitions out there. We've got to continue to progress him and get him involved. He's got some ability that we've just got to -- he's got to get on the game field and work with it.

I think Gus has been a little nicked up, and we want to get him to the game healthy. Gus is a great leader for us. Really, really wants to win. Really cares. Will practice injured, will play injured and doesn't ever complain one ounce about it, so I give him a ton of credit, as well as a lot of our guys, but I give him a ton of credit because he's got to make all the calls, he's got to snap, he's got to block. Since the day he's got here, he's wanted to win as bad as anybody, so he's been a really good leader.

Q. Would Austin's injury prohibit him from being the backup quarterback?

JEFF BROHM: No, no.

Q. Your team is aware of everything that's going on. They can look at the Big Ten standings and see it's a pretty compact field. Do you say anything to them about the opportunity and kind of the rat race this is going to be the rest of the year?

JEFF BROHM: Not really. We just had two Big Ten games and we're 1-1, so it's not like we've done anything special to this point. It's still early in the season. There's a long ways to go. We're not going to look down the road ever. That's a no-no for us.

But we understand that every week matters. This is a really good opponent, and we'll see how we stack up. If we continue to do things well, then good things happen.

We don't look down the road. Everyone else can; that's fine. We've got to do our part. We have a lot of work to do this week.

I thought there was really good focus last week in practice. There were some people that knew we got to find a way to play better, and guys worked hard.

If you don't have that hunger every week, then you lose. That's what we tell our guys. There was hunger last week, so we'll see how hungry we are last week. But if we're not hungry then it'll be a long day on Saturday.

Q. We always talk about Maryland's offense, but defensively what specific stuff do you have to really -- what makes them unique? They've done pretty well, better than some have expected here of late.

JEFF BROHM: Well, you know what, schematically it looks different than when we played them three years ago, way different. I like their package. It's way more aggressive. There's more guys at the line of scrimmage. There's more fronts and looks you get. There's more disguise to the coverage. There's more blitzing. They're challenging routes more, but yet on 3rd down they're able to give you a whole lot of different looks that you haven't seen.

They've made great progress, so I think they've studied themselves and others, and their package is better and their guys are playing well.

I just think at this point, it's a really good overall team that's playing well together and playing complementary football.

Q. It looked like you did more two-back stuff, more offset tight end stuff in your backfield. What did you get out of that? Was that new for this opponent, and is this perhaps part of a broader running game package moving forward?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I think anything to generate yards rushing is important to us. Sometimes we feel like we need some form of elite blocker to a certain degree, and sometimes when we get in those looks, it's to create one-on-one match-ups on the outside because the other looks don't do that.

I just think it's a combination of both things. Personnel-wise, it's a challenge to put things together a little bit. We play with an extra lineman at tight end sometimes. We've just got to figure out ways to move the chains.

I think always different ways to run the ball with a couple different looks is always going to be important. It just can't be the same formation and the same look that the defense sees. Has to be some creativity to it, and we've got to give that an opportunity to work. I think that has helped us. I think if things get stale or we're getting stoned, we're able to get to something else, and we hope that that can get us a little bit of an advantage.

Q. You've had a lot of success on the road, winning at Nebraska, Iowa, Northwestern, Minnesota. Here you go again, back on the road. Do you like maybe the bunker mentality that you can foster when you go on the road or circle the wagons mentality? What's your thought on going on the road and why you've had success?

JEFF BROHM: Well, we've had some fortune that, while everyone else wants to see how we finish and how you end up, we try to do the opposite. It's not easy, but that's how we practice. That's how we play.

Everything is truly a one-game season. If things don't go well, you can't get down. You can't start pointing the finger. You can't start pointing blame. You can't start losing confidence.

It has to start from me, through our coaching staff, because it'll bleed into the players. If things aren't going well and that's bleeding into them, you're not going to play well the next week.

I think every week we try to circle the wagons, understand that whether we won or lost, you'd better get ready to play or you're going to lose the next one. That's been good for our team. They knew in this game the pressure was on Minnesota. We had a lot of work to do. We worked hard during the week. We were just going to go cut it loose come Saturday.

That was the mentality from the Saturday after the last game, that hey, this is what we're going to do, and this is how we're going to do it. It's not any harder than that.

I just think you have to figure out a way to work your tail off during the week. You've got to get their confidence up at the end of the week, and you have to be willing to just cut it loose. You can't play scared. You can't be afraid to go for the win, while at the same time being smart.

But our guys just do a pretty good job of that, and I just think that's important. When you lose, you've got to come back hungry and cut it loose. When you win, you'd better figure out a way to get that hunger again or you're going to lose the next one, and I think we've done a decent job of that, but we're always trying to do better.