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14 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 5 f a lot to be said about that. No turnovers, which I'm not sure I've ever heard of. There are a lot of things he can do better — a lot — constantly talking to him about the operation of the game and those things, but if he can take care of the ball, we'll always have chances to win. "But the other guy (Appleby) did a great job, too. Austin performed well." Etling didn't realize he was going through the spring without committing a turnover, he was focused more on the daily grind and pro- ducing in each practice. He did fumble a snap but didn't lose it, and he did have a couple passes that should have been picked off bounce off DBs. Ultimately, though, those plays didn't count against him. "If I can do that this season, we might be in good shape," Etling said of not having a turn- over. "It's a lot different in a game when you're live. So practice isn't necessarily completely true with the yellow jersey on, but it's a step forward. But I have to keep working. "I did a lot better than last spring, definitely. I made a lot of strides as far as protecting the football and trying to understand the parame- ters of the offense and understanding what can be done on a play and what shouldn't be done on a play and just trying to make plays. There's still a ton to work on, obviously, and that's a lot to motivate me during the summer." Appleby working just as hard will keep Etling pressing, too. When asked early on during spring ball whether he thought he was Purdue's best quar- terback, Appleby flat-out said, "Yes." He showed he's legitimately in the race with an array of accurate and impressive throws in spring ball, whether to the deep sideline or on deep balls, and a seeming strong grasp of the offense. Both quarterbacks seem to have emerged as leaders, as well, from being quick to pull aside teammates to correct mistakes or rush down the field and celebrate with them after victories. The demand for perfection in their own play is expected of others. "I think there needs to be a lot of competition," said Etling, after admitting he wasn't surprised Hazell is wait- ing to make a call on the starter. "There's still three more months until camp even starts. If you can keep fostering Tom Campbell Though there's still room to grow — defensive coordinator Greg Hudson talked about packing two years' worth of improvement into one spring — senior defensive end Ryan Russell gave a level of indication this spring that he may be able to make some plays in the fall.