Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/383512
GoldanDBlack express • volume 25, express 4 • 20 BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com D anny Etling took a step for- ward against the Fighting Irish on Saturday, throwing for a couple touchdowns in the first half of the Boilermakers' eventual 30-14 loss. And although he threw a cou- ple interceptions in the second — and missed on a couple oppor- tunities — the feeling is that the sophomore had his best game of the season. "We did a good job getting guys open and he did a good job of staying ahead of the chains and not having to make some dif- ficult throws," offensive coordina- tor John Shoop said Tuesday, as Purdue was getting set to host Southern Illinois. "I think Dan is an accurate passer and I think it's going to show the more he plays. He's a good passer, a real good passer, and people are going to start to see that more and more." Etling completed 27-of-40 passes for 234 yards in the loss in Lucas Oil Stadium. But like has been the tendency early this sea - son, Etling has been looking short more often than not, with 31 of his 40 attempts unofficially traveling five or less yards through the air. He hit on 23 of those. But Etling was better on the deep ball, too. Four times, he threw passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air, completing three. One of those was his touch- down pass to DeAngelo Yancey in the second quarter; a second was to Yancey down the left sideline in the fourth. "He hit a few (deep) balls that were thrown as well, and we just missed some," Shoop said. "But we've got to get better at throwing inter- mediate and deep balls. To have as many comple- tions as we had — if you have 27 or 30 completions — you need 350 yards, in that area. We've got to get more chunks in the pass- ing game. It's not any one thing. That involves protec- tion, that involves getting open, that involves hitting them. We took some shots, but we've left the ball on the ground on some deep balls. We're going to keep practicing it until we get them." Not 'LoafiNg' Defensive coordinator Greg Hudson tracks "loafs," plays in which defenders aren't playing at their full speed. And against Notre Dame, Purdue graded out well. "We've got a couple guys who seem to get the most of them and they're getting better at it," he said Wednesday. "But our loafs are down, so our effort in running to the football is better. But inten- sity is about having an attitude. You've got to have it every snap in the Big Ten." That improvement includes the front, which created disrup- tion in the backfield but also chased down plays from behind. Purdue had season-highs of nine tackles for loss and four sacks, a positive sign going forward. "Our big men have to be run- ning, and then when they're run- ning and leaving their feet, that's when you know that they're in," Hudson said. "Big guys don't like to leave their feet and bounce around all the time." a Big Miss For the most part, Purdue played sound defense against the Irish, limiting a big-play offense's ability to hit big plays. But one miscue hurt. On the Fighting Irish drive just before the end of the first half, quarterback Everett Golson broke contain- ment, racing 15 yards untouched for a go-ahead score. f o ot ba l l Offensive Coordinator John Shoop Defensive Coordinator Greg Hudson Etling Takes Step Forward Tom Campbell Although he cooled in the second half, Danny Etling was the best he's been all season in the first vs. Notre Dame, and that's something to build on, says John Shoop.