GBI Magazine

Gold and Black Illustrated, Jan.-Feb. 2014

Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.

Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/232716

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 26 of 92

Tom Campbell Burke spent the final minutes on the sidelines of every football game, and rarely had much to smile about. anybody on their schedule. I thought we played Notre Dame very well. I thought there were times against Penn State we played very well. But we still have other games when we didn't. You've got to compress that. "We clearly have to be more physical. You have to, in this day and age, be able to have an honest running threat, even in the NFL. They may not be rushing for 100 yards, but you're keeping those linebackers honest. We had too many times this year where we'd get a second-and-three and we'd try to run the ball and we'd end up third-and-seven. Well, you can't do that. Second-and-three ought to be the time (to throw because) I know I can get three on third down. We f couldn't do that. In some respects, it made it hard on John (Shoop) to call the play, and we've got a young kid who's not used to seeing all the defenses. They're going to blitz him. "So I'd like to see less variability of performance. To do that, you have to have much better line play on both sides of the ball. Much better. The run has to be credible. I think if the passing game continues to materialize and grow the way I think it did during the season, it will be a true weapon for us. On the defensive side, our mantra ought to be, 'We've got to get more threeand-outs.' … The defense really has to be shored up. Some of that is going to have to come from kids existing on the roster. We need to be more physical at the linebacker spot and be able to get off the edge and create pressure. Neither one of those were consistent strengths for us this year." Gold and Black: There's something to be said for staff consistency. You've had a new defensive coordinator arrangement every year since 2007. Do you think it's important to keep this staff together? Burke: "I think so. It's up to Darrell. I'm not going to tell him he has to have a new staff. I think he likes everybody. … Best I can tell you, there's nobody looking to get off the ship." Gold and Black: With what just happened this season, does it change your timetable on when this program can be successful again? Burke: "Every turnaround you have to look at, do your analysis, do your plan, do your check, do your act, keep the cycle going, it may come faster, may come a little slower, but you waver and I'm going to tell you, it won't happen. Thirty-one coaches turned over last year. That's 25 percent of the football bowl subdivision that turned over, and they churn like this, those programs will never succeed. We invested, got the right people to help us, we found the right guy, now you've got to stay the course. Barry (Alvarez) and Kirk (Ferentz) didn't get it done in Year 2, but they started to show some things that got people excited. All of a sudden, Camp Randall was at 40,000, then 45,000 and got to 50,000. "I'm going to put pressure on us right now to get these kids stronger, physically and mentally, and make sure the coaches do an excellent job at bringing in IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 27

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of GBI Magazine - Gold and Black Illustrated, Jan.-Feb. 2014