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WEST LAFAYETTE — One of the many issues hurting Purdue football during its rocky opening six games has been its inability to tackle ball carriers thoroughly.
Purdue ranks eighth-worst out of 133 FBS teams in rushing defense, allowing 5.6 yards per carry while the opposition has rushed for 1,373 yards and 19 touchdowns collectively.
The outlook once again seemed dim until the Boilermakers made 10 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, in a 50-49 loss on the road to Illinois on Saturday.
While Purdue ultimately allowed 556 yards and 7.6 yards per play, there were subtle differences in the way it battled and brought down ball carriers. The Boilermakers finished with five sacks and forced a turnover for the second consecutive game.
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Slight glimmers in a defense that has struggled to make tackles in the open field in recent weeks.
“That was just confidence and it shows that we can play with anybody when we do what we have to do,” linebacker Kydran Jenkins said.
Sep 28, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Dante Dowdell (23) jumps over Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Kydran Jenkins (4) for a touchdown during the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Sophomore linebacker Hudson Miller, who made three tackles last Saturday, believes there are better performances ahead with No. 2-ranked Oregon coming to West Lafayette on a short week.
“The effort is getting better and that’s not something you should have to coach on,” Miller said. “Coach (Ryan Walters) and (defensive coordinator Kevin Kane), these are guys we want to play for and go win for. Going out there I think the effort improved, the want to improve and we went out and played hard.”
More: Purdue football coach Ryan Walters discusses team resolve…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/successful-tackling-starts-subtle-mindset-181626025.html
Author : Journal & Courier
Publish date : 2024-10-17 18:16:26
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