Washington (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) hosts Purdue (2-8, 0-7 Big Ten) at Husky Stadium in a game that matters for very different reasons. The Huskies need a bounce-back after a disappointing loss at Wisconsin
last week dashed UW’s hopes to be a CFP dark horse contender. On the opposite side, Purdue is fighting for one of its first conference win under Barry Odom, who is facing an uphill battle to rebuild a Purdue team that regressed towards it’s historic mean under former Purdue head coach, and current UW defensive coordinator, Ryan Walters. This meeting is the first between the two programs in more than two decades. Purdue won the last match up in 2002 Sun Bowl, but Huskies fans will likely better remember the match up before that when a Tuiasosopo-lead Huskies squad beat Purdue’s Drew Brees-led team in the 2001 Rose Bowl. This weekend’s game won’t have nearly the same stakes as either of the last two match ups, but there will still be a few key things to keep an eye on.
The Scheme & Personnel
Defensively, the Boilermakers have adopted an aggressive philosophy that hasn’t been all that productive in practice. In theory, the defensive strategy has been to force one-dimensional down and distance situations by loading up against the run or to use compressed fronts on early downs so that they can unleash exotic pressure looks with press coverage on passing downs. The problem has been forcing opponents into those situations. Purdue is 91st in scoring defense (27.7 points per game) and more importantly 92nd in rushing yards allowed per game (161.5 yards). Their leaky scoring defense, especially when paired with their 115th ranked scoring offense, have allowed their opponents to control the pace of the game, and their run defense hasn’t been good enough to force the issue on 3rd downs.
If Purdue is to flip the script this weekend, they’ll need their front seven, led by LB Myles Powell, to both contain Demond Williams on the ground and control the line of scrimmage against a depleted Husky offensive line. Injuries to key starters against Wisconsin, as well as an injury to the Huskies’ star RB Jonah Coleman, may be enough to force UW’s play calling towards the air. If Williams and his receiving corps are forced to shoulder the load, they’ll have to contend with a secondary that wants to play physically and has some talent. A key match up will be Purdue’s Tony Grimes, a former top 50 recruit and 5th ranked CB, versus whomever the Huskies play on the perimeter. The 6-2 corner is a good physical match up against Denzel Boston, but the Huskies’ lead WR was also dinged up against last week against Wisconsin.
Keys to the Game
To a large extent, the game will be won or lost in the trenches. With as many injuries up front as Washington’s sustained in conference play, it’s tough to imagine that we’ll be able to impose our will on the line and in the run game like many other offenses have against Purdue. It’s also going to be tough scheming around that many weak points on the line while also finding ways to scheme up a run game that doesn’t have Jonah Coleman 100%. If the run game is going to be limited and Purdue focuses their attention on Demond’s run threat, Fisch may need to lean on the passing game to flex our remaining depth of talent on the perimeter.
If Boston is limited, the next man up would likely either be Dezmen Roebuck (5-11) or Raiden Vines-Bright (6-1). Neither have the physical presence to consistently go toe-to-toe with Grimes in press coverage or jump ball situations, so we may be forced to scheme the WRs open. Screens and Jet Sweeps would be a good way to get our WRs involved as an extension to the run game. Motion and formations that negate Purdue’s press coverage, such as Bunch formations, should be used to get guys off the line on vertical passing concepts. Finally, the TE passing game, featuring Decker DeGraaf, should see an uptick in usage. This could be a game where Roebuck gets the majority of the target share, but DeGraaf is our best remaining, nominally healthy threat over the middle and underneath. As the passing game goes, so too may our offense and the overall game.
