Upon Further Review: Even with uneven performance Badgers able to thrash Purdue

The Wisconsin Badgers have been the better team than the Purdue Boilermakers over the past decade plus and Saturday was no different.

But in beating Purdue for the 14th consecutive time, this time 45-24, Wisconsin displayed both the vigor and sloppiness that has characterized the second half of its season.

The Wisconsin offense churned out over 600 yards of offense, with Jonathan Taylor rushing for 222 yards. However, the Badgers also turned the ball over four times, Taylor charged with two fumbles, and had two other fumbles which they recovered.

The Badgers were more diverse on offense than in the past as well, often running the wildcat (unofficial count nine times), throwing often on first downs (at least in the first half) and even getting a touchdown pass to Jack Dunn, who is normally in on run plays, just his fifth catch of the year and second from Jack Coan (the first Coan-to-Dunn hookup came in the season opener).

Defensively was a bit of a mish-mash as well. Missed tackles once again plagued Wisconsin, moreso in the first half, while another spread tram gave them fits – Purdue passed for 326 yards, the first time UW had allowed over 300 through the air this season and the most allowed since the Boilermakers had 366 last year.

But at the same time, after Purdue’s first three possessions – all of which resulted in scores, allowing the Boilermakers to take their first lead in Camp Randall since 2005 – its final eight possessions featured four punts, two turnovers on downs, an interception and just one touchdown (and even then Wisconsin still held a two-touchdown lead).

The uneven performance probably doesn’t fuel great optimism for Wisconsin’s season finale at Minnesota with not only Paul Bunyan’s Axe on the line but also the Big Ten West title. But the bottom line is the Badgers still have an opportunity to get to Indianapolis and at this point in the season, it’s hard to ask for more than that.

Here’s a recap of Saturday’s game:

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Despite scoring 45 points, there really wasn’t one standout player (after all, Taylor did cough up the ball twice, the pass game was efficient but not remarkable and the defense allowed 24 points). So why not give it to someone like Garrett Groshek. The junior running back lined up often in the wildcat and finished with season highs of nine carries and 55 yards along with a couple of catches for 11 yards. He also had some of the more notable plays on offense. Groshek twice picked up first downs on third-and-2 runs and had another on a third-and-1 and busted out a 22-yard scamper on a third-and-19 in the fourth quarter to help Wisconsin churn out more of the clock. Midway through the third quarter, with the Badgers up a touchdown and facing a second-and-goal from the 6, Groshek executed a read-option from the wildcat, keeping the ball and running to the right and into the end zone. The Badgers would lead by at least two scores the rest of the game.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME

Kendric Pryor has been largely forgotten in the offense in 2019. After recording 23 receptions as a sophomore last year, he entered the game with just 10 catches. In the first half, Pryor had four receptions – matching his season and career high in a game – for 47 yards, a season high. Three of the catches were on drives which resulted in two Wisconsin touchdowns (two of the receptions coming on the same drive). In the second half he didn’t have a catch, but on Wisconsin’s 95-yard drive which ended in Groshek’s TD, he accounted for 56 of those yards on back-to-back carries. Pryor busted out a 49-yard run to get to the Purdue 18 and then rushed for seven more yards on the next play. That made him Wisconsin’s second-leading rusher and gave him 103 yards of total offense on the day. Kudos for an unsung hero.

THAT MOMENT

Momentum seemed to be moving towards Purdue. Taylor fumbled, potentially costing Wisconsin points at the end of the half and the Boilermakers were to receive the kickoff to open the third quarter. But the Badgers’ defense held and UW got the ball back at its won 27 with 22 seconds remaining. A 9-yard run by Groshek, 17 by Aron Cruickshank and a quick 3-yard pass to Quintez Cephus put the ball at the Purdue 44 with a couple of seconds remaining. Kickoff specialist Zach Hintze, a senior playing in his final home game and who had missed his only other field-goal attempt, was sent out to attempt a 62-yard kick. Hintze’s boot just cleared the upright – but clear it, it did. It was the longest field goal in modern Wisconsin history, besting John Hall’s 60-yarder which was done indoors in the Metrodome in 1995 (Pat O’Dea had 62- and 60-yarders in the 19th century). It was the first 60-yard kick made in FBS since 2015 and the longest since 2008. It also was tied for the second-lonest field goal in Big Ten history. Oh, and it also provided some juice going into halftime which the team perhaps fed on in the second half as the Badgers seized control.

THIS NUMBER

Wisconsin’s penchant for turnovers has been a disturbing trend lately. For the fourth time in the last five games, the Badgers had a negative turnover differential. Since 2014, it was just the fifth time Wisconsin had a minus-3 differential or worse and this was just the first time the Badgers won such a game since beating Auburn on Jan. 1, 2015. Wisconsin was minus-3 that game. The other three instances, all losses, the Badgers were minus-4 or minus-5. But the key against Purdue was this: When the Badgers’ offense turned it over, the defense stepped up. The Boilermakers had just seven points off Wisconsin’s four miscues. Purdue turned it over just once – and the Badgers got seven points off it.

THEY SAID IT

“Offensively, obviously, we were able to score a lot of points but (we’ve) got to take care of four turnovers. That’s not really good, but they just kept going. I liked the way they responded and kept persevering. I think we were pretty good on third down and had a fourth-down conversion. Defensively, off of those four turnovers, I think they got one score off of it. That’s a pretty good response. Special teams, you got to start with Zach Hintze. That was a heck of a field goal at the end of the half and obviously you saw the energy it gave guys. And credit to Purdue. That’s a good football team, and we got tested. But proud of the way guys battled and kept fighting and to get this win. It’s big.” — head coach Paul Chryst

“Well, it was a huge play, because just like you said, they had been going. And anytime we were getting a stop, those were big and then I think we responded with — I think that was the long drive that we scored on and so I think you probably look back at that, it was a pretty important sequence.” — Chryst on Eric Burrell’s interception in the third quarter and Wisconsin’s subsequent 95-yard TD drive

“It was something special. Especially because you don’t know … if you’re gonna be here again, so that’s the biggest thing, just being appreciative of that opportunity. I didn’t know that was gonna happen, so once it was going on, you kinda start looking around at the fans like, wow, these fans packed this thing in every single Saturday just to watch us (and) see the hard work that we put in and put it on display. So you start being really appreciative.” — running back Jonathan Taylor on Chryst calling a timeout to give Taylor a chance to walk off the field to applause

“It was surreal. I can’t explain in words that moment how it felt. It was a lot of chaos, a lot of people jumping on me. It was insane.” — Zach Hintze on his reaction after making his 62-yard field goal

“For the most part it’s a pretty simple read because I’m not giving it to (fullback) Mason (Stokke).” — running back Garrett Groshek on his read-option TD run

WHAT’S NEXT

It’s the battle for the Axe and the division as Wisconsin travels to Minnesota looking to avenge last year’s blowout loss at home as well as the spoils of a trophy and trip to Indy. The Gophers are 10-1, winning in double digits in the regular season for the first time since 1905. Minnesota is 6-0 at home, including a big win over Penn State a few weeks ago. But a loss the following week at Iowa helped set up this winner-takes-all matchup. Minnesota boasts a talented wide receiver trio which could give Wisconsin fits. Oh, and the very early forecast has the possibility for snow in Minneapolis next weekend.