Purdue finally has a Big Ten win in the books, and Barry Odom made it clear Monday that the job now is to turn that into something bigger.
After the Boilermakers’ win over Illinois, Odom spent his Week 6 press conference looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup with Minnesota while also revisiting what changed on defense. Purdue held Illinois to seven points through the first three quarters, giving Ryan Browne and the offense enough breathing room to play from in front.
A big part of that defensive turnaround has centered on Kevin Kane, who took plenty of heat during Purdue’s 1-3 start. Odom, though, said his confidence in Kane never wavered.
“He's got a great personality. The players enjoy being coached by him and taught by him, a terrific leader,” Odom said. “He's got a really good staff around him, works harder than anybody in the building, and I believe when you've got those things that you continue to pour into it, then eventually, you get some breaks going your way.”
That win also brought something Purdue’s locker room badly needed: belief. Odom said the mood is upbeat, but not in a way that suggests the job is done.
“You know, just like this team has been, there's hunger, there's, you know, excitement for what's next,” he said. “I wouldn't say it's a relief.
Certainly glad we got it. Everyone needed it.
And then, okay, what's next? Let's go get the next one.”
The Boilermakers have already shown more fight this season than they did a year ago, and the Illinois game was another sign they can stay afloat instead of falling apart. Now the challenge is making that performance count as a springboard.
One area where Purdue has been quietly solid is the red zone. The Boilermakers are 50th in the nation in red zone scoring and have converted 88.89% of their chances this fall. Against Illinois, they went 4-for-4 inside the red zone.
Still, Odom wants more than points - he wants touchdowns.
“Red zone scores the other day were four for four. Now, unfortunately, they weren't all touchdowns," he said. "So if we can get to the point that we're scoring touchdowns, then just, like, you know, this game and one before, we would have broken the thing open earlier.”
That efficiency will matter even more as Purdue moves into tougher tests like Minnesota and Washington. Settling for field goals won’t be enough if the Boilermakers want to keep stacking wins.
Odom also spent part of his session on Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, who has been in the spotlight for more than just football lately. Even so, Odom was quick to note the résumé Fleck has built in Minneapolis, where the Gophers have posted winning seasons in four of the last five years.
“P.J. has had a lot of success,” he said. “He's got a formula. He's got a style that works for him, and for Minnesota, and much respect for what he does.”
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