Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/141859
teams to score when we were close to stopping them. Red-zone scoring, we need to fix that area. "You know, that's an interesting question. They played well against Notre Dame and Ohio State, but still it was a moral victory. (But) it's not about how you played, it's why didn't you finish the job? What two or three things stopped that 20-17 score being the other way? That's what we need to fix." Gold and Black: You're talking about those redzone stops, how do you improve that? Hudson: "First of all, you need to eliminate self-inflicted wounds. Where did we make a mistake? (No.) 1, it didn't have to do with talent, and (No.) 2, all we had to do was line up right and be close. You know it's not a bad thing when an offense runs eight or nine straight plays because mathematically, they are due to screw up. And when they do, you better be ready to take the ball." Gold and Black: Where do you think your strength will lie in this defense? Will it be a personnel group or the ability to learn? Hudson: "I think our strength will lie in toughness, togetherness, because right now there is no separation from the pack. Do you know what I mean? (South Carolina defensive end and NFL top-ranked prospect) Jadeveon Clowney is not running out of the locker room. Our identity needs to be in the oneness. We will preach this as a staff. The 11 guys together on defense can't be wrong because even if we play the wrong defense but all 11 guys are on the same page, we can still get a stop and we've got to get the kids to believe that." Gold and Black: How do you generate chemistry and that sort of attitude? Hudson: "You can develop it. You put them in situations where they have to rely on each other. You make accountability and discipline a main focus. The one thing that we say to them is 'The only right that you have on this defense — there's no rights and privileges — but there is one right you have and that is to expect the very best from your teammate. "'Well, I want this many snaps.' Well, that's not your right, but the guy next to you is going to give you his best. The thing I like, getting to know Coach (Darrell Hazell), moving here and why I wanted this job was that this is such an intangible place: Purdue, the staff. We're not just stockpiling talent and throwing our hat on the field and saying, 'Go get them, boys.' We've got GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com some things we've got to work on. You know what? For the kids, it's a lot of fun to be the unexpected. The kids sometimes keep getting beat and once in a while, if you flick a Cocker Spaniel on the nose enough basically it's going to bite you." Gold and Black: How hard do you push them to get that? Hudson: "Everybody wants to find out how fast he can run, how far he can go, how high he can jump, how much he can take. Tom Campbell Hudson likes defensive tackle Bruce Gaston's upside, particularly considering he can help clog up the middle for opposing offenses. Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 • 47