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24 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED but morph it into another with quick motion. Shoop's offense has been evolving since he's been in West Lafayette. He used the quarterback primarily under center the first half of 2013 and then changed and used the QB primarily in the shotgun the last year-and-a-half. There was an emphasis last season on working the flats and perimeter, pressuring the defense with screens, quick passes and running plays to the edges. But in those versions of the offense, Purdue never could quite stretch the ball vertically, whether because of the line's struggles, the receivers' youth and lack of physicality to win one-on- one or the quarterback's inconsisten- cy. Knowing, though, it's such a cru- cial part to make the offense hum, it was a point of emphasis in the spring, executing "50-50" balls that required building trust between the receivers and quarterbacks. "I think last season we were do- ing some things that were really innova- tive, and I do think tweaking things and constantly pushing the envelope keeps everybody stimu- lated, players and coaches alike," Shoop said. "That's part of being intention- al about morale, always having a few tweaks to keep guys from getting too comfortable. But last year, we be- came pretty good at really spreading the field out laterally, horizontally, and what we really emphasized this spring was keeping that component but now also trying to push the ball vertically a little bit. So our first year, I don't think we made defenses defend 53-and-a-third. Not that our concepts have changed, but maybe some of the formations have changed. Last year, we did a good job of that. We've got to do better. "This year, we've got to keep that and also then add an element of push- ing it more vertical. Boy, we did that in the spring, anyone that watched us (saw it). We've got a lot of work to do, but I think we're doing it. I think our guys are having a blast doing it. Our morale is high." But don't be mistaken: With Pur- due's experienced, physical offensive line and a group of young, physical backs, the Boilermakers aren't going to be pass-happy, slinging the ball 70 times a game. A quick look at Marshall — Pur- due's Week 1 opponent — shows suc- cess can be achieved in the run game, too, even if an uptempo approach is used. Its top running back rushed for nearly 1,800 yards last season. That'd be sopho- more running back D.J. Knox's hope. "I want it to be defined as a brutal offense, a dangerous offense," Knox said. "One that can punch you in the mouth and shove it down your throat for 80 yards and then go over your head for the last 20 yards with deep ball receivers on the outside or quick receivers. I just want us to be dangerous in all as- pects and be uptempo with it. "I believe whole-heartedly that this could be the most dangerous offense in college football." Here are the pieces that will be charged with making that happen: QUARTERBACK Another fall, another quarterback "competition." It'll be the third consecutive year under Hazell that Purdue has a new Week 1 starter — Rob Henry's grad- uated, Danny Etling's transferred — and the race is between the incum- bent starter Austin Appleby, redshirt freshman David Blough and true freshman Elijah Sindelar. Though Sindelar is coming off ACL surgery that forced him to be limited in the spring — he didn't participate in anything live — he's gotten rave reviews from coaches about his at- titude, his arm strength and his po- tential. But it'd be surprising for him to be ready from a knowledge-of-the- offense perspective by the opening game, so the real competition likely is between Appleby and Blough. Neither lacks confidence in his ability. Neither lacks crucial leader- ship qualities, an awareness of how to motivate teammates and a built- by-work respect among them. Neither lacks accuracy and willingness to be a facilitator in Shoop's offense, which will require quick decision-making and a smooth, efficient stroke to get the ball out quickly. So how to choose? "The players will make the deci- sion in who plays, and if you keep the chains moving, if you're putting points on the board, you'll have a chance to be the guy," said Shoop, who also is quarterbacks coach. "I think it's a body-of-work position. It's not a game-to-game or series-to-se- ries position. It's a body-of-work po- sition. And if you can put together a body of work for a season, it sure Quarterbacks Junior 12 Austin Appleby* 6-5 229 Redshirt freshman 11 David Blough 6-1 202 Freshman 2 Elijah Sindelar 6-4 216 19 Aaron Banks 6-4 196 * Projected starter