The Inaugural Deshawn Purdie Report Card

With the elusive Robby Ashford sidelined in the game far from home,  the pregame mood seemed to shift. What might have felt like a “trap game” turned into anyone’s game. The Oregon State Beavers were seeking their first win, and with Deshawn Purdie making his first start in a Demon Deacon uniform, anxiety-filled Corvallis, Oregon. Deshawn Purdie took on the challenge and led the Deacs to an outstanding win.

Up to this point, the Demon Deacons have been riding with Robby Ashford, who has himself positioned comfortably as shown below.

Now, it’s time to pick up the pen, paper, and headset and think like a coordinator. Here is a detailed breakdown of Deshawn Purdie’s first start as a Wake Forest Demon Deacon.

Film Breakdown

The first thing I noticed immediately was the substitution from read option to play action. With Ashford under center, the Deacs would usually call a triple option with a bubble out wide if Ashford chose to pass. Instead of posing a running threat like Ashford, Purdie looks to throw the ball if the gap isn’t open for Claiborne to break free. Off a play action to Claiborne, Purdie takes his two-step and waits for Chris Barnes to beat his man and fake the lone safety for a wide-open dot in the endzone. 

Though Deshawn Purdie is not as lethal a runner as Robby Ashford, defenses still have to account for his speed and ability to evade the pocket. As Purdie was forced right, he made the blitzing linebacker play too far inside. This play allowed his receiver to slip open for a wide-open touchdown. Another major detail from this game is how well the Deacons were able to space the field. Purdie showed just how dangerous he is when the defense is forced to cover the field with his red-zone attack. Running a play action, the lone safety felt forced to travel downhill for the tackle, leaving Chris Barnes with inside leverage on his man, and adding six more points for the Deacs. 

Leading by 25 in the game, Purdie and Barnes decided to show off. The first mistake the Beavers made was only rushing three linemen. This error allowed for plays to fully develop upfield. The second, most crucial error the Beavers made was running a cover-2 zone with safeties playing far underneath. Barnes’ double move to the outside completely dusted the strongside safety, and led to Deshawn Purdie dropping the ball right in the basket for another touchdown.

While Purdie’s game was beyond expectations, there are still some things that he needs to clean up. Many close calls should have been picked throughout the game. The most notable instance was early in the third quarter. Oregon State beautifully executed a design cover-6 that looked to possibly be disguised as a cover-3. Purdie, thinking he had the seam (one of the major weaknesses of a cover-3 defense), threw it right into the hands of a linebacker. While overall Purdie at the starting QB role shone, his ability to perform in short-yardage situations was also something that likely needs to be refined.

Overall, Deshawn Purdie’s report card was graded on his ability to lead the team under center and perform in the moments they needed him, resulting in a grade of: