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PURDUE UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 9, 2008

Joe Tiller

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon and welcome to week two of Purdue football. We have Coach Tiller ready to answer some questions in regard to the Northern Colorado win and Oregon upcoming here.

Q. Where do you start with an offense that has averaged 592 yards a game? Where do you start to defend them?
COACH TILLER: Well, you try to see if Coach Bellotti will agree to allow us to play -- I spent nine years in Canada, playing Canadian defense, which is 12 men, versus 11. That's probably where you start.
Outside of that, I don't have any answers. They're a very explosive team with both the run game and the pass game. So they're just a handful.
What you try to do with a team like this is you try to contain 'em versus trying to stop 'em. They're just too explosive. You're not gonna stop them. They're gonna move the football. But you try to contain them.

Q. How much different are they from the team last year without Dixon at quarterback, with some new personnel?
COACH TILLER: I didn't pay that much attention to them a year ago because, of course, we didn't play them. I had a chance to see them on tape against Michigan, because we played Michigan after Oregon had played them. All I could say about that game was, wow, what a talent he was, what a big part of their offense he was.
I think that Justin Roper is an extremely talented player. He's not Dixon, but he brings his own type of talent to the field. He's taller. He can really see the field. But their offense is very, very similar, I think just as explosive, if not more explosive than it was a year ago.

Q. Defensively how do the Ducks look to you?
COACH TILLER: Fast, faster, and fastest is how I would describe their defense. I think their defense runs very well. They're very active. They remind me of comparing my old years in the PAC-10 when I was at Washington State with Coach Price, playing the Huskies the year they won the national championship. I thought that with Steve Emtman and that crowd, they had really athletic defensive ends. They weren't the biggest defensive ends in the world, but they were really fast and could really run you down from the backside, get up field and continue on the front side. Their linebackers were really good. Their secondary was exceptional, with a couple of guys that went on to become pro players.
I think the Ducks are very, very similar to that defense. I don't see a weakness in them defensively.

Q. How do you and maybe people out there in that part of the country view the PAC-10 in general this year?
COACH TILLER: Well, this is the only team we play, so I don't know. I know that there's a lot of really good football teams in the PAC-10. There always are. I don't think this is any exception to the rule.

Q. When you talk to the team this week, will a part or a lot of your message to them be about the opportunity at hand, playing a top-20 team, getting them at home?
COACH TILLER: It will be a lot about us trying to play our best football. I think we have the type team, as I said a week ago and three weeks ago, where we lost our "marquee player." I think we need to go out and demonstrate each week that we belong and that we have the opportunity to compete.
I don't think it will be any different this week. Obviously the opponent is significantly better than the one we played a week ago, but still the game's about us and about our improvement and us being competitive.

Q. When you look at it, how important is it for your team to win a game over a top-20 program? Is it maybe something your program needs, sort of a boost, a shot in the arm, if you will?
COACH TILLER: I think every game is important. Every time you can win a game, it's important. It doesn't matter whether it's top 20 or bottom 20, winning a game is what's important.
I've not placed the measuring stick on, you know, who the opponent is and how we did there. I think that all our friends in the media do a wonderful job, marvelous job, of making those comparisons. It saves me from making the comparisons.

Q. When you look at the last dozen or so of your games against ranked points, you have struggled. If you had to put your finger on it, do you think maybe you're not as confident as earlier in your career, not the same swagger?
COACH TILLER: I think our competition today is better than it's ever been. I think certainly we're playing extremely talented teams. Any time you play a talented team, whether it's the University of Oregon or whoever it may be out there on the national scene, it's always gonna be about matching up, et cetera, your athletes versus their athletes.
At Purdue we've been a blue-collar program, I guess you could call us. So what you need to do is you need to play smart, tough. You do that often enough, you'll get a chance to be in position to win one of these games and you'll win it.
But as far as talent is concerned, I don't think it's any different today than it was in 1997 or 1998, whatever. We still play against talented teams that have more talent than we do. Hey, that's the reason you play the game.

Q. Can you talk about the first game of the year for Tardy? Did his performance surprise you at all Saturday?
COACH TILLER: A little bit in that he did a better job of fielding the ball in the punting situation than he had in the past. I don't want to say it's a surprise. That's what you hope a player would do. He came through in that area. I was particularly pleased with his decision making and the way he fielded the kicks.
We would hope he would continue to perform well really throughout the entire season. I think we came into the season thinking he was going to be our return guy. Certainly nothing changes after the first game. Hopefully at the end of game 12 we'll say, hey, he still was our return guy.

Q. How hard was that transition for him, high school quarterback superstar to college wide receiver, college back?
COACH TILLER: I think Des has handled it extremely well. I think it's a challenge certainly. Any position switch is a challenge for a player. He was the kingpin, so to speak. He was the Indiana Player of the Year. To be relegated to a backup role I think is an adjustment for a guy mentally certainly, not so physically, but mentally.
I think he's handled it pretty well. Des is a smart guy. We've never, ever had an academic issue with him. He's a good student. My experience is that the smarter guys usually handle that better.

Q. Do you know any more about Jason Werner?
COACH TILLER: No. It's day to day.

Q. The Oregon quarterbacks are completing 70% of their passes. How much pressure have they been under? How key is that?
COACH TILLER: They haven't been under that much pressure. I think they have an exceptional corps of receivers. One guy is a giant wide receiver. The other is faster than a speeding bullet. So you have some guys that present some real challenges to cover. Their tight end is a guy I would describe similar to Dustin Keller. I think he's a competent blocker, but he's an exceptional receiver. So when you have those types of skills to spread around, that helps your quarterback also.
Even if he gets some pressure on him, if he can throw hot to one of those guys, come up with a catch, that's huge in terms of percentages.

Q. Their runningbacks are averaging 6.8 yards per carry. How much of that is due to the runningbacks and how strong is this offensive line?
COACH TILLER: I think Johnson is an exceptional runningback. That's the only way to describe him, is he has outstanding speed, is exceptional, has great vision, all the qualities that you see in a great back. But their offensive line is experienced.
I think they have six guys on each side of the ball that are three-or-more-year starters. This is an extremely experienced team. Their offensive line is experienced. I think that's an area of a football team, with the exception of the quarterback, where experience counts the most. I'm saying that as a former line coach myself.
But I think when you have experience in the O line, starting with their center, who is an exceptional player, but throughout the group, that's important. It's hard to get a rush on. They're skilled guys and talented players.

Q. How do you go about trying to neutralize a team's perceived speed advantage?
COACH TILLER: Start the game at noon when they're there at three. Your guys go at noon, let them go at three (laughter).
You know, you have to do what you can within your system. I think the biggest mistake, in my experience, that teams make over the years is they play an excellent opponent, and all of a sudden they change their skin, so to speak. They're not running -- they get away from their base offense, things they do the best.
I think, like I said, defensively it's a team that you want to contain, not worry about stopping them totally, not panicking over that, get ready to play a 60-minute game. Offensively I think it's stay within your system and don't grab-bag out there, try to come up with something tricky or what have you, then you end up getting thrown for big losses. You're always in long yardage situations, can't ever get in sync.
I think it's important to get in sync and stay within your system.

Q. What do you think about David Pender playing? Is this a big game for him? Probably one of those guys that can match up speed-wise.
COACH TILLER: David played well. Expect him to play well every Saturday. He's our best corner. Last Saturday he played well. Had a chance for a couple interceptions. Didn't make them, but he had a chance. He'll get his over the course of the season.

Q. Now you've had a couple of days to watch film on Joe, how do you feel like he performed?
COACH TILLER: Good. Good. First time ought. Only practiced eight days. He played good. Can he do things better? Obviously. But considering the amount of time at the position, he played very well.

Q. Pender, this is his first year starting at the beginning of the year. Could you elaborate on his strength. Is it fair or unfair to say you're looking for a breakout year for him?
COACH TILLER: Well, David's strengths, he has good foot speed, he can jump, he has good timing, and he has a short memory. I think that's really important in a DB. If a DB gets beat, you know, you're always on an island out there. A defensive lineman can stumble and fall down and nobody notices. But you stumble and fall down as a DB, the world notices it. So I think you have to have a short memory. If you get beat, you have to line up, go on to the next play, and David is good at that.

Q. Just for clarification, I notice you have Werner, Sester and Adams all listed at starters. Is that a possibility?
COACH TILLER: No. We just haven't updated that. Werner is out this game, I would say. Although, again, it's Tuesday. Don't forget, guys, I never see them until Tuesday. So I'll be anxious to talk to Jason this afternoon. But I think he's out, if nothing else, from a precautionary point of view. I think Sester will play this game. Having him in there as a starter is accurate. And Wednesday is when we find out about Adams. I talked to Kyle yesterday. He feels better. But we'll find out Wednesday.

Q. Roper, their quarterback, his style as a quarterback, is he a multi-dimensional guy? How would you describe his style?
COACH TILLER: I really like him as a quarterback. I think he's brassy. I think he's a guy that's willing to take a chance, you know. He just carries himself - and I don't know the young man - but just observing him, I think he has a lot of self-confidence and I think he's very comfortable at the position. He can throw the football. He can run with the football. He's not a Dixon, but he's very good at what he does. He's tall.
I just like the way he carries himself. I think he has a presence on the field that's very positive.

Q. Everything you read about their secondary, it's All-World, All-American. Could you break it down a little bit.
COACH TILLER: Two of them are All-World, two of them are All-American. So that's the four of them.
But they're very good. They have exceptional team speed. I was watching tape on them last night. They go nickel. Guy goes in there, looks to me like he could be starting, one of those other corners, you wouldn't know the difference. I think they have an abundance of talent in their secondary.

Q. The secondary also is pretty experienced.
COACH TILLER: It's a very experienced team. But, yes, the secondary has a lot of experience. I would say, with the exception of Ohio State, I don't think we'll play anyone with more experience than this outfit. They may be more experienced than Ohio State in terms of multiple years as starters. I know Ohio State has like 20 of their 22 back. But a lot of those guys have not been three-year starters, unlike the players at Oregon.

Q. What is the talent they have in the secondary? Do they play a lot of man?
COACH TILLER: They play anything they want to. They'll play man. Obviously any time a team blitzes you, they're going to have to play some man. If they choose to come after you pressure-wise, they'll be in man. They like to come up and press. They have a lot of confidence in their ability. Rightfully so.
You're gonna see man. You're gonna see zone. You're gonna see whatever they feel like playing.

Q. The way Curtis played last week, can you evaluate that, looking forward towards this week with that secondary, how they can mix it up? Do you feel pretty good about where Curtis is at?
COACH TILLER: Yeah, I think Curtis is on track. He'll have to play better this week than he did last week. Our receivers will have to play better. We'll have to play better as a football team. There's no big secret about that. But I look for him as the season unfolds to get progressively better as we move through the season.

Q. Josh McKinley is listed on here. Obviously he was suspended last week. Does that mean he's going to be back? And those other two guys?
COACH TILLER: Yeah, he'll play this week. I don't know how much he'll play, but he'll definitely be on the field for us.

Q. Numa?
COACH TILLER: Numa will possibly play some. Not like McKinley. McKinley will be in the rotation. Golding is still suspended.

Q. Obviously you tied for the most victories last week. Is that something you're going to probably reflect on after your career is over? Does it carry a little weight now that's kind of neat?
COACH TILLER: Yeah, I don't think you have time to think about that stuff, quite frankly. I think the season, you know, moves so fast that you don't spend much time thinking on that. I think it's something you reflect back on after you're done.

Q. How did you feel Kory Sheets held up last week? Only 16 carries, but still he was the main guy. How do you feel he did?
COACH TILLER: Yeah, he had probably one carry too many. Really going in we thought about 15 carries, touches, is what we thought. That was by design. He scored a couple of touchdowns. But, you know, he held up well.
I think he'll carry more than that this week. At least on Tuesday I think that. Might change on Saturday. Right now we think he's a 20-touch game type guy.

Q. How would you grade the protection on the offensive line's performance from last week?
COACH TILLER: I thought it was very good in light of all the games and stunts and mixes. There wasn't a play in that game where Northern Colorado didn't move their front or blitz a backer or some such thing. When you get a multiplicity of those types of stunts and blitzes, it really challenges your front.
We had one sack. That really was a coverage sack. Curtis held the ball, held the ball, held the ball, waiting for somebody to get open. We didn't get anybody open. Finally he got sacked. But the protection was even good on that.
I think it will be a lot different this week because of the speed of rush. Last week Northern Colorado tried to get at us with numbers. I think this week Oregon will try to get at us with speed. They have the foot speed to do that, of course.

Q. When your school is touting a guy for the Heisman, a nationally televised game, how important is this game for Curtis to get looked at early on?
COACH TILLER: Like I said about the possibility of winning the game, period, you know, they're all important. And for Curtis, you know, if he has aspirations beyond the collegiate level, he needs to perform well every Saturday out. He's evaluated on the season, not one game. It will be important for him to play well at all times.

Q. Could you talk about the process of getting Oregon on the schedule. Maybe a little better opponent than you normally play. Was this done in an effort to upgrade the schedule or it just happened to work out?
COACH TILLER: I don't know. You should ask the guy that scheduled the game. That would be me (laughter).
Actually, it was a weak moment, quite frankly. Bill Moos was the athletic director at Oregon. I coached Bill in college. Really a bright guy. Excellent, excellent athletic director. Was the athletic director at the University of Montana before going to Oregon. Did great things for Montana. Did great things for Oregon. He's a good friend. Every year we talk. He should have been a standup comedian. He should not have been an athletic director.
He said, We need to get together and play. I said, We don't want to play you guys. He said, Well, let's schedule the game so far out in advance, neither of us will be there. I said, No, we're not going to do that.
So I don't know. We talked a year later. He said, You know, what do you think about playing? I said, Maybe it's not that bad an idea.
I really didn't think that 'let's schedule when we're not going to be here,' that was kind of trying to be cute when we didn't need to be cute, either of us, because he's no longer at Oregon. But Oregon at that time wasn't the football team they are today. At that time they had lost I believe back-to-back road games at Michigan State and at Wisconsin, one one year and one the next year. I thought, this is a good football program. If we can get them on the road, who knows.
Coach Bellotti elevated the program a little bit higher than I anticipated. I think he should loan us at least four players. I think that should be the trade-off. Two on offense, two on defense. He can even pick the two on either side he wanted to give us. It wouldn't matter.

Q. At the beginning of the year you talked about one of the steps you wanted Curtis to take was to win big games, to lead this team to wins in key situations. How does this game kind of fit into that thinking?
COACH TILLER: Well, I would say it fits that scenario perfectly. It's a heck of a football team, a football team that was ranked as high as second last year, probably will be ranked that high again this year if they're not ranked one, unless we can find a way somehow to beat them. They've got the talent to really run the table.
So, you know, winning a game against a team like Oregon would bode well - obviously number one for us as a team, number two for him as a quarterback.

Q. When you were talking about Curtis in those terms, were you talking about his play specifically or leadership and leading the team?
COACH TILLER: All of the above. Everything that goes into being a quarterback.

Q. Is there anything in particular you're going to talk to him about this week?
COACH TILLER: I'm going to wish him luck. That will be about it. I did talk to him this morning. We talked a little bit about fly fishing.

Q. As far as the scheduling goes, what is your philosophy on the non-conference? You have two big games and two non-BCS opponents. Some Big-10 schools have four.
COACH TILLER: You're right, some outfits are playing four non-BCS or even non-major division, whatever. I think it's difficult for your team to get better based on the caliber of your competition. If you're always playing a lesser opponent, if you will, then I don't think you get a real accurate measuring stick of your own team. I think it's difficult for your team to improve, but I also think it gives you a false read.
So we've always played Notre Dame out of conference and we always will. I think it should be a lifetime contract, although I know they're going off in 18. By the way, I won't be here then anyway. I really liked the schedule before they got moved. I thought we're playing Northern Colorado, I know Scott Downing. I know his program would improve each year, and it has. They're a significantly better team today than any of the six games we watched last year. Then I thought we were going to play Central Michigan. We know they are really explosive offensively. They're a step up from Northern Colorado certainly and a very good football team. Then we're going to play Oregon. I thought, you take step one, step two, step three. We're going from step one to step six in one week. I don't like that.
But as far as playing a quality opponent, I think that's something that you need to do if you expect your own team to improve.

Q. Sean Sester missed the game last week. It stopped a pretty long streak of starts. What makes him a good lineman?
COACH TILLER: His size. His brain. His tenacity. He's a type guy that tries to finish plays. I say "try" because sometimes from an athletic point of view he gets caught in a mismatch. But it's not due to lack of effort. We like the way that he plays the game.
But, you know, he's a big guy, too, which helps. It's a long way to run around him. You can run around him, but it's a long route to get around him. And he's smart. When you look at him, he's not a guy that has many, if any, busted assignments during the course of a game.

Q. Is he the type of guy that makes the whole line better?
COACH TILLER: Well, he could make you better if it allowed you to move a guy that was there to a different position, then it would make that position stronger. Could have a domino effect. You know, I don't know how much better he makes the O line, but he makes it better because he brings a wealth of experience to the position.

Q. After looking at the game tape, how do you think Frank Duong played?
COACH TILLER: Frank played aggressively. He played well. He played reckless. He throws his body around. What you saw is when you get from Frank. Frank is another one of those smart guys. He doesn't blow the coverage or make mistakes back there very often. He'll make one, but if he makes one a game, that's a lot for him because he's very good in that area.

Q. Frank Halliburton gets special teams players of the week. I've heard you use the phrase "a program guy" before. Is that what he's like, a positive guy for your team?
COACH TILLER: Frank is a good guy. He's good for our team. He's a good morale guy. Views himself as a runningback. He's more of a fullback type. But he's a guy that's gotten better since he first showed up at Purdue. We hope that continues.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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