Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/563396
VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 15 nator John Shoop has stressed and what the quarterbacks and receivers have worked on since 2014's season ended. Appleby saw Domonique Young with single coverage on the outside. He audibled immediately, intent to take advantage of the matchup, even if it was against top-shelf starting cornerback Anthony Brown. Young was blanketed on the entire route, but Appleby threw it anyway, trusting his new receiver to make a play, and JUCO transfer Young did. He leaped and snatched the ball near its apex — Brown never appeared to see the ball — and came down inside the front corner of the end zone for the 17-yard TD. "The way we run the football, it's going to be very tough not to stack the box and give us those one-on- ones, (and) if we make plays like that, we're going to be really tough to beat," Appleby said soon after the scrimmage, the final camp practice on Aug. 22, about two weeks before Purdue's opener at Marshall. The drive exhibited trust at every turn. Listening to the fifth-year senior captain and his burly, physical offen- sive line mates to shoulder the load — and believing they could. Listening to the inexperienced but eager running backs to find the holes and hit them — and believing they could. Surprise movers With a bulk of its starters returning from last season, Pur- due didn't have much movement on its depth chart during camp. But there were a handful of players whose rises sur- prised. Fr. RB Markell Jones: With Keyante Green the only running back with game experience in the backfield, the sophomore figured to compete for the No. 1 job in camp. But that didn't materialize with D.J. Knox's consistent effort car- rying from the offseason into camp and rise of Jones, a true freshman. He spent the summer studying the playbook, an absolute must after a shaky spring, no surprise for a rookie, and combined that increased knowledge with an impressive skill set to seize the No. 2 role. R-Fr. Safety Brandon Roberts: After Robert Greg- ory handled the lion's share of the work with the first-team defense in the spring, the assumption was the hard-hit- ting junior would be the No. 1 throughout camp. Not so, as recently converted cornerback Roberts used a steady, few-mistakes approach to share snaps with the 1s. Roberts' savvy at the position just could land him significant playing time in 2015. So. WR Anthony Mahoungou: Hampered last spring with an injury as an early enrollee, Mahoungou made a healthy camp count. After starting off a bit slowly, the Frenchman ratcheted up his play in the final week, con- sistently making plays with his length and athleticism near the sidelines and on deep balls. He's not the fast- est guy in the corps, but if he can continue to catch the ball consistently, he could be an asset as a No. 2 outside receiver. — Stacy Clardie