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| 09-15-2004 | Previous edition: 09-14-2004 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Young players boost skills during team’s bye week
Assistant Sports Editor Purdue will spend its bye week trying to develop its younger players. Rather than attempting to add plays to the Boiler offense or extra blitz packages to the defense, coach Joe Tiller would rather focus on making sure his reserves see practice repetitions. The Boilermakers practice just three days this week, including a planned scrimmage at the end of practice Thursday that will focus on the youth of the team. "One of the positives is that it does give you an opportunity particularly at this time of the year to work with your younger players," Tiller said. "A month from now or six weeks from now, some of them may be involved in a major role here. We are in, I guess you could say, the enviable position right now." Aside from a break in the Purdue momentum after two lopsided victories, Tiller thinks the most probable negative to stem from the bye week may be a decline in the timing of the Purdue offense. Senior quarterback Kyle Orton doesn’t see his timing becoming an option. "I don’t think this is going to be a week where guys are taking days off," he said. "So, I think, if we got out there and practice full speed, we can keep our timing that we’ve developed so far." Stubblefield scoring In the past, senior wide receiver Taylor Stubblefield hasn’t been a scoring threat. Far from one, in fact, as he scored just five touchdowns in his first three years at Purdue. Through two games this year, he’s already matched his previous career total. Tiller thinks the outburst is due to a combination of things — opposing defenses playing man-to-man coverage, a more aggressive Purdue offense and simple dumb luck. On one of his touchdowns against Ball State, two defenders ran into each other leaving Stubblefield open for an easy score. Whatever the reason, Tiller thinks Stubblefield is much the same player he’s been in the past, with one exception. "I think Taylor is probably a little more intense this year," Tiller said. On the year, Stubblefield has 209 yards on 10 catches to go along with his five touchdowns. After Saturday’s win, he said with a smile that the increased touchdown production was "great." "In some regards it was the way I was covered the last two weeks," Stubblefield said Tuesday. "We’ve been put in situations where it’s very beneficial for me." Baker, Bushong may redshirt With the emergence of redshirt freshman tight end Dustin Keller in the offense, Purdue could end up redshirting two of its tight ends this season. Freshman Ryan Baker and sophomore Garrett Bushong could both end up not using a year of eligibility this season. Bushong, however, is the more likely of the two to redshirt because he’s a sophomore. Tiller doesn’t want to wait until late in Bushong’s career to hold him out. Keller’s play has made both the options possible; he’s caught four passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Tiller said he expected Keller to play the way he has as a receiver. "He’s a better blocker than we’d thought he’d be this year," Tiller said. "He’s spent his whole lifetime outside being a Twinkie. Most guys that do that, it takes them a couple years to get comfortable with that." Though he’s improved quickly as a blocker, Keller’s still more comfortable running down the field in passing routes. "I like having the opportunity to know that I’m lining up against guys that probably aren’t as fast as I am," he said. "My role in the offense right now, I’m really comfortable with it." Printer-friendly version |
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