Tiller expresses disgust with penalties, execution

By Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor

Coach Joe Tiller has joked about using extreme measures, such as baseball bats or hand grenades, to deter players from committing penalties.

But with a serious timbre, the fifth-year coach cited penalties, a lack of leadership and the play of the offense as the top problems for No. 24 Purdue (4-1, 2-1 Big Ten) as it focuses on improving itself during a bye week.

Earlier this season, Tiller said he wouldn't be able to fully critique his team until it was approximately halfway through the season. Saturday's game against Michigan was the fifth of 11 regular-season games, so Tiller fulfilled his promise Tuesday at his weekly luncheon/teleconference.

Purdue had 15 penalties — 13 on offense — for 105 yards in a 24-10 loss to Michigan Saturday.

The 13 penalties cost Purdue 90 yards in penalty yards and 131 in total yards, counting the positive yardage plays that were negated by penalties.

"I don't want anyone anymore making reference to our football team being young," Tiller said. "And the reason I don't is because of our seven penalties that we had offensively in the first half, five were committed by fifth-year seniors. Is that an indication of a young team? I think not.

"I think you have a team that's struggling with focus and attention and the way they approach the game, and we need to address those issues."

Tiller said he wishes the Boilers were stronger mentally and able to resist penalties and chastise teammates who commit them.

"I think this is a team that genuinely likes each other and they enjoy being around each other, but I don't think we're real strong on leadership because we just don't have that personality on our football team," Tiller said. "That's something that you can develop, but it takes time to do it."

Another thing that is taking time is the development of the offense, which went from heroes in Purdue's come-from-behind 35-28 overtime win over Minnesota Sept. 29, to bystanders in the Boilers' 23-14 win over Iowa Oct. 6, to the flops of the Michigan game.

Tiller said redshirt freshman Brandon Hance has grown each game, and Hance said the offense needs to become more of an asset to the team.

"I still think we can have some breakout games," Hance said. "We can't keep putting the defense in a bind like that (against Michigan)."

Hance, who has run for 163 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns so far this season, grades his performance as deserving of a 'C.'

"I have had an average performance, but I haven't lived up to my own personal expectation," he said.

Tiller said he's been disappointed by the offense and has come to the realization that it isn't going to consistently score 35 or 36 points per game.

Tiller admitted that his comments about the offense's ineptitude are harsher than they would be during any given week strictly because the Boiler offense is coming off a poor performance at Michigan. The 10 points scored were a low for the Tiller era at Purdue.

"There's a lot of things we don't do well, and I'm dead serious about that," Tiller said. "About the only thing we didn't do well is we didn't turn the ball over. Outside of that, we have no reason to cancel any practices."

The Boilers don't play this week, but they will practice.

"Maybe (the bye week) is coming at a good time because we can address a few areas on our football team and hopefully we'll improve before we hit the field once again against Northwestern in two weeks."

The Boilers and Wildcats (4-1, 2-1) meet at 11:10 a.m. Oct. 27 in Ross-Ade Stadium.

"We just need to face the music and move on and get used to it that we're going to win games on defense and in the kicking game," Tiller said. "Offensively, we need to play it pretty close to the best and score enough points to win."

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Sports editor:
Paul Trembacki

Assistant sports editor:
Doug Healey

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