 Tiller
has concerns about team
By Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor
It seems as though that extra day to prepare this
week will benefit the Purdue football team.
The Boilers, who play at Cincinnati on Sunday,
had their final full-contact scrimmage Friday in Ross-Ade Stadium, and
afterwards coach Joe Tiller admitted that his team is a little behind
schedule in its preparation for the season.
"But I'm not that concerned about it," said Tiller,
who closed the scrimmage to the public and media but spoke after it.
"Overall, we got our work done."
The Boilers (8-4 last season) play the Bearcats
(7-5 last season) at 1:30 p.m. EDT Sunday in Cincinnati on espn2, so
Friday's 112-play scrimmage consisted mainly of situational plays against
a scout team simulating Cincinnati's offense and defenses.
For example, the Boiler offense ran plays from
their own 1-yard line, 99 yards from the end zone. The defense ran plays
on the goal line with the scout team only a few yards from scoring.
Tiller hopes his team doesn't have to deal with
such predicaments Sunday.
Because all 112 plays were scripted for Purdue,
Tiller called the event his "least favorite scrimmage."
"The problem with a situational scrimmage
is you can’t get into a rhythm, but you put it on tape and then
you coach off the tape because we covered every situation that we think
will come up in a ball game," Tiller said.
Tiller said no individuals performed exceptionally
well but the defense, although it got scored on too many times for Tiller's
liking, did OK most of the time.
At the end of the scrimmage, the No. 1 defense
went against the No. 1 offense for two series of plays in the two-minute
drill, which challenged the offense to score from 75 yards away within
two minutes.
The defense dominated, holding the first team offense
to three first downs. The first series ended on downs, while defensive
end Shaun Phillips intercepted a batted pass to end the second.
"If your defense has practiced against your offense
for 25 straight days they ought to have a good bead on them," Tiller
said. "If you asked me which one I'd prefer to see successful, I'd rather
see the defense be successful because I know when we go out in a game
situation and we're going against strange people we'll have some success
on offense."
Phillips, linebacker Joe Odom and defensive tackle
Craig Terrill had two sacks each. Phillips also came up with a safety
on the scrimmage’s opening series. Sophomore linebacker Niko Koutovides
and redshirt freshman cornerback Antwaun Rogers had interceptions.
The offense had several outstanding moments, which
included a 40-yard pass from quarterback Brandon Hance to receiver Taylor
Stubblefield. Stubblefield finished with six catches for 92 yards.
But overall the unit did not astonish. With starting
right guard Rob Turner out, running back Montrell Lowe had nine carries
for 26 yards, but he ran for two short-yardage touchdowns. Backups Sedrick
Brown (24 yards) and Joey Harris (22 yards) did not do any better.
As a consequence, the number of offensive plays
the team uses might be significantly lowered to suit the youth of the
offense, which has just two senior starters — tight end Tim Stratton
and left guard Sean Rufolo.
"Offensively, when you go against an opponent and
they haven't seen your offense or your players, you can usually wiggle
open and get something going," Tiller said.
Change of schedule
This week is atypical for the Boilers, who are
used to playing on Saturdays. A normal game week consists of a practice
on Sunday, an off day on Monday, full-contact practices Tuesday and
Wednesday and helmets and shoulder pads Thursday, with Friday used as
a light practice day or a travel day, and a game on Saturday.
This week the team will have an additional practice
in helmets and shoulder pads on Friday. Also, Tuesday's practice will
include a special teams scrimmage.
Injury update
The first team defense was at full strength for
the first time since last spring, as right tackle Matt Mitrione returned
from a foot injury. Mitrione, whose first practice of the season was
Thursday, was in on about 20 of the first team defense's 30 plays Friday.
And while one lineman came back, another went down.
Starting right guard Rob Turner, the second-most
experienced offensive lineman on the team, pulled his right groin muscle
early in the scrimmage and did not return.
Tiller said he's worried about whether Turner will
play Sunday. The only positive about the injury was that it was nine
days before the game, so the junior might have enough time to recuperate,
Tiller added.
Aye-aye, captain
The players have voted Akin Ayodele and Gene Mruczkowski
as captains for this year's team.
"Akin and Gene are deserving guys," Tiller said.
"Everybody is eligible to be a captain on our squad, so to be one of
the top two vote-getters says a lot about the respect you have earned
from your teammates."
Ayodele, a senior, will be at midfield for the
pre-game coin flips for the second straight season. The defensive end
was captain alongside quarterback Drew Brees last season.
Ayodele ranks third on Purdue’s career sacks
list with 20 and eighth with 34 tackles for loss. Ayodele started all
24 games in 1999 and 2000 and was named second team All-Big Ten both
years.
Mruczkowski, a junior center, started all 24 games
the last two seasons at left guard before switching positions this spring.
In 2000, he was named second team Academic All-American and honorable
mention All-Big Ten. He was a second team Freshman All-American by The
sporting News in 1999.
The Boilermakers will select game captains each
week following victories.
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