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able to go back and forth. You look at the top defenses around the country and look at the rush defense and scoring defense and it is probably a mixed bag of whether they are a 3-4 or 4-3." Gold and Black: What do you think is your biggest need from a personnel point of view going forward? Hudson: "Probably our biggest need is really at linebacker, because a linebacker can affect both parts of the game: the run and the pass. They can help stop the spread offense more than anything. If they are getting blocked, can't get off blocks, they're not fast enough or strong enough to make plays, then you have a void in the middle. That is like taking your shortstop out of the lineup. You can have a great outfielder and Tom Campbell a great catcher, but if Derek Jeter is on the Hudson says veterans like Ryan Russell, who moved from D-end to Jack sidelines then you're going to have a hole. linebacker midseason, need to show more productivity. "We have got to get better at linebacker that. That position has to make plays and be relentless and play better at linebacker and the next thing is that our big guys have to play better up front and fanatical." Gold and Black: It has been a couple years now and be more effective. When we do that, that is going to that Purdue hasn't had high sack numbers. With take care a lot of things that you say is the biggest worry some of those young defensive linemen, do you feel in the secondary. "If the big guys in the front seven are doing their job like you have some personnel who can get to the at a high level that changes everything in the back end. quarterback? Hudson: "We think we do. We went through a group Affecting the quarterback, stopping the run without having to use a DB all the time. This is the Big Ten, and we of young guys for a reason. You hope you can redshirt need bigger guys to play big and make more big plays." those guys, but they were ready to play for one and they Gold and Black: You used a lot of linebackers this needed to play for two, so we put them out there. Those year, is that sign that you were searching for some young guys are like cinder blocks, they are the foundation of the building, but the older guys have to crank it of that? Hudson: "Absolutely. It is a productivity sport. When up and I think they will. They work hard. We don't have a you cross that white line, no matter what, you have to problem with guys that when the ball is snapped, (it) is produce. Usually the leading tacklers are the lineback- going hard, working hard, practicing. We have to carry it ers and if they aren't, then they aren't producing. I have over to Saturday." Gold and Black: How quickly do you think you to get them producing better." Gold and Black: The two things you probably can get a defense that you feel pretty comfortably wanted to do the most, stopping the run and affect- with? Hudson: "Shoot, I don't know. I guess as a coach, you ing the quarterback, you just didn't do a whole lot are never comfortable. If you get comfortable, you get of this year, right? Hudson: "Yeah, that isn't the secondary's job. That beat. We better do it a lot faster than we did this year, is the guys up front. Too many one-on-one blocks that because what we did was not acceptable for Purdue footwere getting blocked on and we have to do a better job at ball in my opinion." 44 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 f