Entering Year 3, Darrell Hazell is making strides—really. Yes, he has yet to settle on a QB, which has masked growth elsewhere, but despite winning just four games in two years, Hazell and his staff have worked to build a roster that will mesh with a less pass-happy, more balanced scheme. Now, about the D …

Offense

How the Boilermakers beat you: Purdue’s backs created big gains if given space. Last season RBs Akeem Hunt (5.5 ypc) and Raheem Mostert (5.7 ypc) rolled up 1,887 total yards and 11 scores on 332 touches. Hunt was especially valuable as a receiver (48 catches) for junior QB Austin Appleby, who stuck mostly to dinks and dunks (5.3 yards per attempt, just 19 throws of 20-plus yards). So with the departures of Hunt and Mostert, sophomores Keyante Green and D.J. Knox and true freshman Markell Jones will need to mature quickly. Fortunately, they’ll be running behind a group of versatile linemen who have totaled 73 career starts.

How you beat the Boilermakers: Purdue wants to throw—it just doesn’t want to be forced into passing situations. Last season went south after a breakthrough win at Illinois in which the Boilermakers put up 349 rushing yards (on 45 attempts) and 551 overall, both Hazell-era highs. In the subsequent six straight losses, Purdue’s rushes outnumbered its passes only once, which was due largely to playing from behind. That need to throw disrupts a Hazell system predicated on the run setting up the pass and relieving Appleby or redshirt freshman David Blough of pressure. Purdue converted just 27.8 percent of third downs with the pass, No. 120 in the FBS.

Defense

How the Boilermakers beat you: Purdue ranked 97th in the FBS in scoring defense (31.7 ppg) last season, but there is a bright side: Seven starters return, including four of the Boilers’ top five tacklers. “The front seven has a lot of guys who are veterans—by reps, maybe not by years,” says D-coordinator Greg Hudson. On the line, junior DT Jake Replogle (team-high 10½ tackles for loss) and senior Ryan Watson (team-high 4 sacks) appear ready to make leaps, and Ja’Whaun Bentley (top returning tackler) anchors a duo of up-and-coming sophomore linebackers alongside junior Jimmy Herman.

How you beat the Boilermakers: Purdue has to generate a pass rush if it hopes to climb out of the conference cellar on defense (416 total yards per game, No. 80 in the FBS). The Boilers had only 20 sacks (tied for No. 95), and opponents converted 46.2 percent on third down (last in the Big Ten). Sophomore Gelen Robinson, who also competes in wrestling and track, and junior Evan Panfil will be tasked with attacking the edges, while senior CBs Anthony Brown and Frankie Williams (3 INTs) will need to do a much better job of containment with juniors Leroy Clark (just four career starts) and Robert Gregory (a former RB) filling the vacant safety spots.