The Hawkeyes play host to a Purdue team that has struggled under Darrell Hazell. But, the Boilermakers were able to get a little momentum a couple of weeks ago with an upset win over Nebraska and last week they played a tight contest against Northwestern. We go Behind Enemy Lines with Brian Neubert from GoldandBlack.com to get the latest scoop on the Boilers.
1. Quite a bit of a talk about the future of Darrell Hazell in the past week. Was that a distraction to the team and has it had any impact on them since it was announced that he will be back next season?
Neubert: Well, from an outsider's perspective, I see no reason to believe that the issue weighed on the team before and I didn't see a much reason to believe that it mattered in their performance this past weekend at Northwestern, but I'm no mind-reader.
I personally really don't think the issue had any bearing on anything you have seen on the field or will see from here on out.
2. David Blough took over at quarterback earlier this season. How has he performed and what are his strengths and weaknesses?
Neubert: It's very much been a mixed bag, alternating between times where he looks pretty good and the offense moves the ball, or at least capitalizes on turnover-driven opportunities, and times when he looks like the freshman that he is. Poise in the pocket remains an issue, but I think you can probably say that of a lot of young quarterbacks.
As for his strengths, he's always been known as kind of a playmaker, a guy who can do some things on the move, whether it be in the rollout passing game or designed QB runs, and you've seen flashes of that this season, but you've also seen a lot of times where the offense is just stagnant. There are games where Purdue seems more aggressive than others offensively and that's mattered some and there have been games where Blough's protection is better than others. That obviously matters, too.
3. Overall, how has the offense performed this season? Who are some of the other key players and will leading rusher Markell Jones be able to play?
Neubert: Jones is playing, yes, and he's had a great year for a true freshman playing for what's often been a middling offense. He's been a revelation, quite honestly, and he's gotten better as the season's gone on, and as games have gone on. He's certainly been one of the bright spots of this season for Purdue.
Another would be wide receiver DeAngelo Yancey, a guy who showed a lot of promise in 2013 as a freshman, then almost seemed to phone in last season. He's bounced back in a big way this year and has given the offense a legitimate big-play threat down the field.
4. On the defensive side of the ball, how have the Boilermakers performed, what has worked and what hasn't, and did they gain some confidence last week against Northwestern?
Neubert: Purdue really struggles against the run, but that's not a new problem for this program. But it's more of the same there and Purdue's been really vulnerable to quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs, too, and it's a concern with C.J. Beathard.
Purdue is decimated at linebacker right now, and that's part of it, but this is not a particularly good tackling team and that's the biggest issue, to me at least.
They haven't been great against the pass, either, but they have made some plays in that phase of the game. When Purdue has had success in Big Ten play, turnovers have loomed large and the secondary has made a number of big plays on interceptions that have given the Boilermakers opportunities at times.
5. Who are some of the key players on the defensive side of the ball that Iowa fans need to be aware of on Saturday?
Neubert: Well, the secondary has made a lot of plays, with its corners Anthony Brown and Frankie Williams having combined for seven interceptions this season, which of course is still one fewer than Iowa's guy has.
Purdue likes the way the defensive linemen Ra'Zahn Howard and Jake Replogle are playing right now, but I don't know how many plays, per se, those guys are going to make.
6. A few weeks ago, Purdue pulled off an upset of Nebraska. What would have to happen to for them to repeat that against Iowa? How do you see this game playing out on Saturday?
Neubert: History this season says that turnovers give Purdue a chance. Purdue won that game against Nebraska because a backup quarterback turned the ball over five times, leading to four Boilermaker touchdowns. You have to give Purdue credit for capitalizing, obviously, which they could not do last weekend after Northwestern gave Purdue a bunch of opportunities with turnovers also. When the Boilermakers put a scare in Michigan State in East Lansing, its rally started with the Spartans fumbling a punt snap, setting up the touchdown that got the ball rolling.
Moral of the story: Don't turn the ball wholesale against Purdue.
1. Quite a bit of a talk about the future of Darrell Hazell in the past week. Was that a distraction to the team and has it had any impact on them since it was announced that he will be back next season?
Neubert: Well, from an outsider's perspective, I see no reason to believe that the issue weighed on the team before and I didn't see a much reason to believe that it mattered in their performance this past weekend at Northwestern, but I'm no mind-reader.
I personally really don't think the issue had any bearing on anything you have seen on the field or will see from here on out.
2. David Blough took over at quarterback earlier this season. How has he performed and what are his strengths and weaknesses?
Neubert: It's very much been a mixed bag, alternating between times where he looks pretty good and the offense moves the ball, or at least capitalizes on turnover-driven opportunities, and times when he looks like the freshman that he is. Poise in the pocket remains an issue, but I think you can probably say that of a lot of young quarterbacks.
As for his strengths, he's always been known as kind of a playmaker, a guy who can do some things on the move, whether it be in the rollout passing game or designed QB runs, and you've seen flashes of that this season, but you've also seen a lot of times where the offense is just stagnant. There are games where Purdue seems more aggressive than others offensively and that's mattered some and there have been games where Blough's protection is better than others. That obviously matters, too.
3. Overall, how has the offense performed this season? Who are some of the other key players and will leading rusher Markell Jones be able to play?
Neubert: Jones is playing, yes, and he's had a great year for a true freshman playing for what's often been a middling offense. He's been a revelation, quite honestly, and he's gotten better as the season's gone on, and as games have gone on. He's certainly been one of the bright spots of this season for Purdue.
Another would be wide receiver DeAngelo Yancey, a guy who showed a lot of promise in 2013 as a freshman, then almost seemed to phone in last season. He's bounced back in a big way this year and has given the offense a legitimate big-play threat down the field.
4. On the defensive side of the ball, how have the Boilermakers performed, what has worked and what hasn't, and did they gain some confidence last week against Northwestern?
Neubert: Purdue really struggles against the run, but that's not a new problem for this program. But it's more of the same there and Purdue's been really vulnerable to quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs, too, and it's a concern with C.J. Beathard.
Purdue is decimated at linebacker right now, and that's part of it, but this is not a particularly good tackling team and that's the biggest issue, to me at least.
They haven't been great against the pass, either, but they have made some plays in that phase of the game. When Purdue has had success in Big Ten play, turnovers have loomed large and the secondary has made a number of big plays on interceptions that have given the Boilermakers opportunities at times.
5. Who are some of the key players on the defensive side of the ball that Iowa fans need to be aware of on Saturday?
Neubert: Well, the secondary has made a lot of plays, with its corners Anthony Brown and Frankie Williams having combined for seven interceptions this season, which of course is still one fewer than Iowa's guy has.
Purdue likes the way the defensive linemen Ra'Zahn Howard and Jake Replogle are playing right now, but I don't know how many plays, per se, those guys are going to make.
6. A few weeks ago, Purdue pulled off an upset of Nebraska. What would have to happen to for them to repeat that against Iowa? How do you see this game playing out on Saturday?
Neubert: History this season says that turnovers give Purdue a chance. Purdue won that game against Nebraska because a backup quarterback turned the ball over five times, leading to four Boilermaker touchdowns. You have to give Purdue credit for capitalizing, obviously, which they could not do last weekend after Northwestern gave Purdue a bunch of opportunities with turnovers also. When the Boilermakers put a scare in Michigan State in East Lansing, its rally started with the Spartans fumbling a punt snap, setting up the touchdown that got the ball rolling.
Moral of the story: Don't turn the ball wholesale against Purdue.
