Coach's corner: O'Connell bracing for first foray into riotous Camp Randall

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Aidan O’Connell never has been to Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, one of the most raucous environments in college football.

The venue is famous for its “Jump Around” routine that takes place before the fourth quarter. The fans literally jump around, causing the press box to shake. It’s is an impressive site … and feel.

“It's gonna be unlike any environment I ever have been in in my life," fessed O’Connell after practice on Tuesday. “That in itself is gonna be a challenge. I think we are doing a good job trying to simulate the noise in practice. But it's hard to simulate that many thousands of people screaming at you. … that’s why you play the game, to play in front of people like that and stadiums like that.”

No doubt, the venerable edifice that seats 80,321 will be rocking this Saturday when Purdue visits for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff vs. No. 14 Wisconsin. There is a lot on the line for both teams. Wisconsin (8-2 overall; 5-2 Big Ten) is in the thick of the race to win the Big Ten West. Purdue (4-6 overall; 3-4 Big Ten) is fighting for its bowl life, needing to win in Madison then at home vs. Indiana in the finale to become bowl eligible.

Fifth-year senior tight end Brycen Hopkins has been to Camp Randall before. Does he have any advice for O’Connell, a sophomore walk-on who will be making just his second career start?

"It's him on the field, it’s us,” said Hopkins. “It's a crazy environment. A crazy atmosphere. The 'Jump Around' thing, it's one of the best things in college football, I think. They have some energy. At the end of the day, it’s just us on the field.”

Purdue’s offense will have it challenges this week as the Boilermakers look to win their third game in a row. The Badger defense is anchored by a nice collection of linebackers led by Chris Orr, Zack Baun and Jack Sanborn. And the defensive numbers are impressive in the Big Ten rankings:

• No. 3 in scoring defense (13.4 ppg)

• No. 3 in rushing defense (103.3 ypg)

• No. 2 in passing defense (154.3 ypg)

• No. 2 in total defense (257.6 ypg)

And the defense excels at getting pressure, ranking second in the league in sacks with 37. The chaos is orchestrated by coordinator Jim Leonhard, one of the rising stars in the coaching world. No doubt, Purdue will have its work cut out for it.

"They are good against the run, they are good against the pass," said co-OC/WR coach JaMarcus Shephard. "Whatever you bring to them, they will play tremendously well.

"It’s going to be a tough task for our offense."

Adding to Wisconsin’s motivation is the fact it will be Senior Day. What has given the Badger defense—which shut out four of its first six opponents—issues?

“When you watch Wisconsin's defense throughout the course of the season, you look at Ohio State, you look at some of the things Nebraska did, pretty much when you've had a running quarterback, you spread the field, that's what's hurt them,” said Jeff Brohm. “I don't know if that's what we can do at this point, but that is what's hurt them.”

Indeed, O’Connell has some skills, including a strong right arm that is accurate. But he isn’t a top athlete who can regularly beat defenses with his feet.

In Wisconsin’s two losses, its defense has proven to be vulnerable. Illinois rushed for 141 yards and forced three turnovers in a stunning 24-23 win in Champaign on October 19 vs. the No. 6 Badgers, who were favored by over 30 points. The next week, Wisconsin fell 38-7 at Ohio State, with the Buckeyes notching 431 yards of offense with 264 coming on the ground.

Since then, the Badgers have won their last two: vs. Iowa and at Nebraska, which totaled 493 yards of offense vs. Wisconsin. After this visit from the Boilermakers, Wisconsin will finish at Minnesota in a battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe that could serve as a de facto Big Ten West championship game.

“We've got to figure out how to create some seams with maybe not exactly that type of offense at this point, but you never know,” said Brohm. “We have to be smart and intelligent and figure out what can get the ball moving, not put all the pressure on the passing game. That's what we're trying to figure out.”

On Monday, tight end Brycen Hopkins was named a semi-finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. How did he find out about the honor?

"I found out the morning of," said Hopkins. "(Tight ends) Coach (Ryan) Wallace called me. A couple people found out before me. It was on Twitter. It was a good acknowledgement and something to keep motivating me to make it to the top of the list."

Former Boiler Tim Stratton was the first ever winner of the Mackey, taking home the hardware in 2001. And Hopkins would like to be the next.

"I am trying to leave a legacy here and make my family, make this program proud," said the fifth-year senior. "Whatever way I can do that, I’m gonna try my hardest to do it."

Twice this season, Hopkins has been named the Mackey Tight End of the Week when he made six catches for 84 yards and a TD in the opener at Nevada, and then when he grabbed 10 catches for 140 yards vs. Maryland.

In the last five games, Hopkins has heated up. In that span, he has made 31 receptions for 356 yards (11.5 ypc). But he hasn’t made a TD catch since the second game of the season, when he made two vs. Vanderbilt as all three of his scoring grabs happened the first two games of 2019.

Hopkins is No. 2 on the team in catches with 45, going for 561 yards with three TDs. No tight end in the Big Ten has more catches for more yards than Hopkins. And his 45 catches are third-most in the nation among tight ends. The last Purdue tight end to put up numbers like that? You have to go back to 2007, when Dustin Keller caught 68 passes for 881 yards and seven touchdowns. Keller ended up getting selected in the first round by the New York Jets. Some mock drafts have Hopkins going in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. But for now, he is focused on closing his Purdue career well.

"I’m starting to think about (the end) and I know I probably won’t be prepared for it, to think I’ll never be in college again," said Hopkins. "But it has been a blessing to be in this program and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Aidan O'Connell is ready to continue authoring the most compelling story on the 2019 Purdue squad. His next task: Lead the Boilermakers to Wisconsin, where they must win to keep bowl hopes alive.

Why can't O'Connell do it? The sophomore walk-on began 2019 buried on the depth chart. But injury has created a path for him. And now, he's thriving.

"There is a lot of pressure," said tight end Brycen Hopkins. "He has stepped up to the call and he is here to get the job done. It is weird. He hasn’t been in the position he is in. But at the same time, he is back there just getting the calls and acting like he’s been there before. It’s crazy. And when he throws, you can tell. He just has it naturally."

O’Connell is completing 68.1 percent of his passes for 404 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He will be making his second career start this Saturday. His first came in the Boilermakers’ last game, a 24-22 win at Northwestern in which he rallied Purdue on the game-winning drive. It was the second time this season O’Connell engineered a game-winning drive. But the environment O’Connell will encounter at Camp Randall Stadium is like few others. It’s raucous, it’s crazy, it’s pandemonium.

“He's done a very good job for us,” said Jeff Brohm. “For someone to just kind of come in, learn the offense, sit behind people, continue to study, still grasp the principles and things we're doing, takes some reps along the way. I think when he's had an opportunity, he's done a very good job. We feel confident that he can continue to get better.

“We understand what his strengths and weaknesses are, so he has to continue to get better at some of those things. He gives us everything he has. He plays extremely hard. His teammates love him. He's a good leader, leads by example. I anticipate him playing hard again this week.”

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