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
18 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED self, be in the right gap, make the other team earn all the yards they get," junior starting defensive tackle Jake Replogle said. "That's something that we kind of strug- gled with last year, just getting out of gaps and just giving up free yardage, basically, because we're not in our gaps. "We have some guys that defi- nitely have been playing for awhile, and I think we feel really good about where we're at. But we need to keep getting better and better. I think we feel confident and we're ready to take that next step as a defense, being better every single day." IN LINE Without two key pieces on the right side of the line in the spring, there was a bit of concern entering camp how it would shake out. But from Day 1, return- ing starters Jordan Roos and Cameron Cermin were mainstays at guard and tackle, solidifying a unit that's overloaded with experience and fueled by chemistry. Roos, whose 18 career starts are second to only Kugler's consecutive 31, was supposed to be chal- lenged by redshirt freshman Martesse Patterson on the inside, but Roos' offseason transformation that had him lose fat and gain lean muscle and flexibility had him seemingly locking down that spot for Week 1. Roos, who played tackle some in the spring and during camp, wouldn't say he's the best option for Purdue at right guard, but he certainly worked like he wanted to be. "It's the best five, so whatever that is," Roos said in the middle of camp. "I can tell you I'm going to do everything in my power to be in that group, and I'm going to compete my tail off every day in prac- tice and prove it to my team- mates. We talk about trust as an offensive line, that's a huge thing. The more trust we can get from one another, the bet- ter we're going to play." Cermin, who started games at left and right tackle last sea- son, looked steady and solid in camp, getting nearly all of his reps at right tackle, though he spent a bit of one prac- tice getting a quick refresher at left tackle. It seems as though right tackle is Cermin's spot to lose, especially with J.J. Prince slow to return from offseason shoul- der surgeries. Cermin likes the idea of sticking at one spot. "That makes a huge difference because even if you know everything, it still takes that half-second longer to process going back left vs. right. Mentally, it's a big difference; you can do everything faster, there's no hesitation," he said. "But being out here is way better than being on the sidelines. I'll tell you that much. You get pretty sick of that. I'm just glad to be back out here doing something useful." There was no budging in the other three starters: Kugler is entrenched at center, Jason King at left guard and David Hedelin at left tackle. With that considerable experience — Kugler, King and Roos are all multi-year starters — there's consid- erable expectations for the group. "We want to be the most physical group in the Big Ten," line coach Jim Bridge said. "We want to be able to control the game when we have to be one-dimensional, meaning we've got to be better run blockers when they know we've got to run it. We've got to be better pass blockers when they know we've got to pass it. So we've got to be better in that regard. We showed a propensity to be able to run block and be able to pass block last year, and we've got to do it better now when a stadium 2015 Football Schedule Sept. 6 at Marshall, 3 p.m. Sept. 12 Indiana State, Noon Sept. 19 Va. Tech, 3:30 p.m. Sept. 26 Bowling Green, TBD Oct. 3 at Michigan St., Noon Oct. 10 Minnesota, TBD Oct. 17 at Wisconsin, Noon Oct. 31 Nebraska, TBD Nov. 7 Illinois, Noon Nov. 14 at Northwestern, TBD Nov. 21 at Iowa, TBD Nov. 28 Indiana, TBD