Mike Carmin

mcarmin@jconline.com

WEST LAFAYETTE — Not only did Purdue's offense struggle to reach the end zone, but finding the red zone became a challenge for Purdue last season.

The Boilermakers ranked last among Big Ten teams, and near the bottom nationally, in most categories. Total offense. Rushing. Scoring. Third down conversions. The list goes on.

Although coach Darrell Hazell hasn't settled on a starting quarterback – the competition between Danny Etling, Austin Appleby and David Blough begins Monday – other positions have experience and the potential to see big plays.

Running backs Raheem Mostert and Akeem Hunt, receivers DeAngelo Yancey, Danny Anthrop and B.J. Knauf along with tight ends Gabe Holmes and Dolapo Macarthy are candidates to help increase the production.

"The No. 1 thing we wanted at the end of spring and I think we have now is confidence," Purdue offensive coordinator John Shoop said. "We've got guys that have done the work. You do the work and there's no guarantee that you get the win. It's a good first step. Our work ethic on this team and the confidence on this team are strong. I couldn't have said that last year."

Question: How do you transfer Raheem's success in track to the football field?

Answer: He's a confident young man. He carries himself well. He has better posture than he had this time last year. He's got a smile on his face. He's excited about everything. How does it transfer? He's really fast and we want to make it hard for teams to play us man-to-man because it wasn't so hard sometimes last year. We need a 5-yard run to be a 55-yard run. He gives us that capability if he can break that first line of defense. He showed he could do that in the spring. We need more of that. But Raheem also knows he needs to become a much better running back when the ball isn't in his hands and he continues to improve in protection, continues to improve as a receiver.

Q: How do you get more big plays out of this offense?

A: We have to be ready to beat tight man-to-man coverage. There's a lot of different ways to do that. Having the threat of a running back that can take it to the house in a second is one way. Having a quarterback that owns the game plan and can motion, shift and get us in and out of things that make it tough on the defense to play man-to-man against us. Change tempos, go in and out of no huddle because your quarterback has absolutely worked his tail off all offseason to command that type of presence. We have wide receivers that can, and know how, to win against tight man-to-man, where we turn something shallow into something big or whether it's getting behind a DB and throw it deep. We have to do it consistently.

Q: What are the strengths of the offensive line?

A: I think we have a good chance to be strong inside. I don't think I've seen (Robert) Kugler this entire summer where Jason King wasn't on his left and Jordan Roos wasn't on his right. Those three are inseparable. I told them they have to own the A and B gaps. Kugler's got a natural sense of leadership about him. I think that group has developed a little bit of toughness and a great deal of camaraderie. (Tackle) J.J. Prince needs to accelerate the curve he was on spring. We need guys like (Cameron) Cermin and (Jack) DeBoef to come on for us.

Q: What do you need to see in the first week from the quarterbacks that will help you decide on a starter?

A: All of the guys, all three have worked their tails off. That's good. Having competition there; nobody is getting comfortable. Whoever the starter is the first week, better play good. Nobody has to do anything special, but our guys have to show they have the mental endurance to do it every single play. When you're winning the British Open, it's not like you're shooting eagle after eagle. Sometimes, minus two can win a tournament. Heck, even can win a tournament. You've got to have the mental endurance to make every play work.