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Express Upon Further Review: Bucket win

On3 imageby:Brian Neubert•11/25/23•

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Screenshot 2023-11-27 at 4.13.07 PM

Upon Further Review is Gold and Black Express’ detailed weekly look back at that weekend’s Purdue football game. Today, the Boilermakers’ 35-31 win over Indiana. In this series, we will do our best to examine some of the finer points of game, the strategy, scheme and such things. We will do so without intimate knowledge of game plans and terminology and without access to all-22 video, so please keep all that in mind.

Use of these video clips (credit: BTN) is intended for editorial comment only.

PDF: Purdue-Indiana statistics

THE BIG DEFENSIVE PLAY

As you are aware, Nic Scourton is a monster, a guy who could play at ay school in the country. As happens with elite pass-rushers, though, opponents often use read-option to attack them, to use their aggressiveness against them and to put them in binds.

Indiana did this with success early in the game. (There was supposed to be help behind Scourton here but the only linebacker on the field is way out of position on the would-be handoff.)

On its biggest play of the game, its last-gasp fourth down, IU went back to it, and this wasn’t defensive scheme working as much as it was Scourton making a superhero play. Instead of taking the running back or the QB, Scourton took both.

I’ve seen a lot of great defensive ends making a lot of amazing plays over the years, but not many better than this. Scourton comes at the RB with a head of steam, but instantly reads the QB and changes direction on a dime — at 280 pounds — to make a high-degree-of-difficulty tackle. This was not a normal football play.

To Clyde Washington‘s credit, he’s in position. To Scourton’s credit, the linebacker isn’t needed.

Here’s a nice little encapsulation of Scourton’s impact on games and his place in opponents’ scouting reports. Bottom of the formation.

PURDUE OFFENSE

Late in the season, Purdue did a much better job with misdirection, deception, pre-snap movement setting things up and helping the offensive line. This game was a good example. Why it took so long, I don’t know. Natural settling in between new staff and new team, perhaps. Personnel inconsistency, perhaps. Don’t know.

But the Minnesota and Indiana offenses were good, creative and well executed, and full of creative tight end and H-back use, two-back stuff, motion, etc.

This late deep ball to Deion Burks is a neat play, because Purdue not only shows run with playaction, but blocks it like a run.

Here you see Purdue stack freshmen George Burhenn and Jaron Tibbs, creating free releases at the line and some conflict of assignment for Indiana, which didn’t see any film on this because Purdue hasn’t done it much.

The natural assumption here would be that Purdue is putting a lead blocker out in front of Tibbs for a reason, and Hudson Card fakes the swing pass as Burhenn releases downfield, unaccounted for since the pass fake froze his man.

Another look. Great throw, too.

https://youtu.be/HwvHJXg5aws

Here, after Hudson Card had roasted IU on draws, they sell this to perfection and pulls off the Tebow. Again, this is blocked like a run and Card masterfully sells it.

MISC

• Great job by Devin Mockobee here in pass protection. He makes this play.

Thanks for reading these all season.

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