From Gold&Black site:
Purdue o-coordinator John Shoop:
GoldandBlack.com: Michigan State is good. What do they do well?
Shoop: "They have as good a defensive line as we've seen since we've been here. They're really good and they're deep. They play a handful of guys, and this outfit is a little bit better at home too, when the crowd gets generated. Their defensive line, and I don't want to just say front four, although it's a four-man line they play with a bunch of guys, is formidable. It's going to be a real challenge for us, in the run game and in protection.
"But otherwise what they try to do is fit nine guys in the box with the safeties running what's called a J and quarters coverage and play bump man-to-man on the outside and play 9-on-9 football. We're going to have to win some of those one-on-one battles on the outside, but we're also going to have to win in those 9-on-9 concepts on the inside. I feel good about our plan, but they're a very sound and physical team, for sure."
GoldandBlack.com: Do you have to scheme for Shilique Calhoun?
Shoop: "You do. You do. Our respect for him is unbelievably deep. But you spend too much money on that and you'll get beat on the inside. Any time you've got defensive tackles wearing single-digit numbers, you know they were bad dudes in high school. Those guys have great push in the pocket. And 98 (Demetrius Cooper), sometimes with 98 and 89 (Calhoun), I can't tell the two apart sometimes watching. So there's no doubt, we're going to treat Shilique with the respect he deserves, but you've also got to be conscious that they could beat you other places as well."
Purdue o-coordinator John Shoop:
GoldandBlack.com: Michigan State is good. What do they do well?
Shoop: "They have as good a defensive line as we've seen since we've been here. They're really good and they're deep. They play a handful of guys, and this outfit is a little bit better at home too, when the crowd gets generated. Their defensive line, and I don't want to just say front four, although it's a four-man line they play with a bunch of guys, is formidable. It's going to be a real challenge for us, in the run game and in protection.
"But otherwise what they try to do is fit nine guys in the box with the safeties running what's called a J and quarters coverage and play bump man-to-man on the outside and play 9-on-9 football. We're going to have to win some of those one-on-one battles on the outside, but we're also going to have to win in those 9-on-9 concepts on the inside. I feel good about our plan, but they're a very sound and physical team, for sure."
GoldandBlack.com: Do you have to scheme for Shilique Calhoun?
Shoop: "You do. You do. Our respect for him is unbelievably deep. But you spend too much money on that and you'll get beat on the inside. Any time you've got defensive tackles wearing single-digit numbers, you know they were bad dudes in high school. Those guys have great push in the pocket. And 98 (Demetrius Cooper), sometimes with 98 and 89 (Calhoun), I can't tell the two apart sometimes watching. So there's no doubt, we're going to treat Shilique with the respect he deserves, but you've also got to be conscious that they could beat you other places as well."
