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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 24, ISSUE 6 49 f more interested in what they're willing to give up." Gold and Black: What are the keys for this defense to being able to stop the run? Hudson: "We need a physically strong and pene- trating front. There's a reason Michigan State went out west, you turn the film on and your eyes go to those front four guys. I know who those guys are. But I think we've got guys who can grow into that and are starting to. A guy like Jake Replogle and (Evan) Panfil, they look like those guys except we've got to get a little bigger. And at Purdue, if it doesn't have to do with talent, we should be the national champions. Why can't we have the best training ta- ble? They might be able to recruit a better player, but we can feed them better." Gold and Black: Let's talk some positions. You like the defensive line, but it's pretty young, es- pecially a few of them. Are guys like Ra'Zahn Howard and Replogle ready? Hudson: "When you have Jake and Ra'Zahn to- gether, you've got two guys together who are the epitome of cinder blocks. You don't see them when you go by a house, but they're holding the whole thing up and they're strong as 10 men. And you go around them and you've got guys like Evan, who is right there with them. The good thing is that we've still got two guys in Russell and Phillips, they could have great years and have a complete ripple effect on this year. With one swing of the bat, one year. Those two outside guys will be critical for us." Gold and Black: Are you better at linebacker? It's a lot of the same returning personnel there. Hudson: "Well, (Will) Lucas is no longer there so that will need to be replaced. We've finally solidified Joe and Sean to spots, they're really cemented in there. And we've played some other guys. And Jim- my Herman was a fish out of water in the middle (last year). That may be as big a plus as we've had, him at the (strongside) position, doing what he did. He looked really, really good there. He was good this spring." Gold and Black: And two of your more high- ly regarded newcomers arrive, in Gelen Robin- son and Ja'Whaun Bentley. Where do those two freshmen linebackers fit in the picture? Hudson: "Right there. Just like at the county DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR GREG HUDSON For the first time since the 2007-08 seasons, Purdue will have the same defensive coordina- tor for consecutive years. That the group has Greg Hudson for consec- utive seasons — starting with Brock Spack's final season in 2008, Purdue had different coordinator combinations through 2012 — is beneficial. "You develop a knack and feel for the defense," lineback- er Sean Robinson said. "And the things that didn't give us a good look at linebacker, we've looked at it and worked those kinks out." It's a system that Hudson has implemented with great suc- cess at his various coaching stops, including at Minnesota and East Carolina, programs he served as defensive coordi- nator. Although Purdue's defensive numbers weren't up to his standard in Year 1 in West Lafayette, his players believe they're heading in the right direction. "What I've learned from Coach Hudson is that by any means, we have to get the job done," cornerback Frankie Wil- liams said. "Personally, I have bought into that, and our de- fense has bought into that. Coach Hudson is one of the best coaches I've had in my life." Prior to joining Darrell Hazell's staff in 2013, Hudson served three seasons as linebackers coach at Florida State. There, he helped turn the Seminoles' defense around. After it ranked 108th in total defense the year before he arrived, it moved to second nationally in 2012. In the five seasons prior, he was the D-coordinator at East Carolina, which ranked as one of the top teams in the nation in takeaways during that stretch, totaling 145. Hudson, a Cincinnati native, was Minnesota's defensive coordinator from 2001-04, and also has had coaching stops in Cincinnati and Notre Dame. "He's the guy that's in our ear all the time in practice," Robinson said. "You know that if you get a compliment from Hudson you're doing something good. You're doing all right. That's his role and he's obviously a good coach and has been to a lot of good places and had success." A Notre Dame graduate in 1990, Hudson, 47, played line- backer for Lou Holtz's Fighting Irish including the 1988 na- tional championship squad. — Kyle Charters