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Talent When fans wonder how a team that won six games in 2012 can "all of a sudden" win only one the next season, talent doesn't seem like an issue. It has to be the same, right, only one season removed from a bowl? Well, no. Purdue had most of the players back on its defense from a trip to the Heart of Dallas Bowl to 2013, but it was a unit that hadn't produced then either. It'd allowed 406 points, the school record for most allowed until that was snapped this season. And it'd lost its biggest playmaker in tackle Kawann Short, who was drafted to the NFL in the second round. The offense was devastated: Gone were its two most recent starting quarterbacks, its best two running backs, its two leading receivers and two of the three starters on the interior of its line. And then an entirely new staff had to evaluate personnel and find which pieces worked for their schemes. With all the tweaks and personnel fluctuations that happened during the season, apparently not many did. Coaches were honest with their assessment of the linebacking corps entering the season, and it was clear Tom Campbell players never emerged that coaches could consistently count on. Purdue's defense allowed more points than any other in the program's history in 2013. It couldn't stop the run game, espeSeven players started at linebacker this season, and cially, allowing every single Big Ten opponent to have at least that doesn't include Ryan Russell as the Jack outside one 100-yard rusher this season. linebacker-type player. The offensive line seemed equally lacking, as no one It's uncertain there were enough of those work-exemerged enough to give starting tackles Justin Kitchens tra, know-everything players in the program. and Kevin Pamphile breaks during games — even for a "Going forward, everyone just has to buy in even series — and the guards were in constant flux before fifurther," senior-to-be Justin Sinz said after the finale. nally settling on redshirt freshmen Jordan Roos and Ja"Guys need to be more dedicated to raising their footson King by season's end. And Hazell even admitted he ball IQ and hitting the weights and speed workouts and didn't think King would be ready to play this season at the just every part of our program has to increase in the beginning of the year. offseason. There's certainly a lot of room for improveThere simply weren't enough pieces to even compete ment, but I think we've got the coaches here and the consistently in 2013 — Purdue lost its league games by guys here who certainly do not like this and want to an average of 26 points and had a final margin within change and want to change fast and move the program single-digits only once. in the right direction. "There's absolutely no room for complacency. If Coaching you're not getting better, you're getting worse. EveryThough there may have been deficiencies in personone should have that mindset." nel, responsibility must always start up top. Were the coaches' teaching styles being communicat– 22 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 f