It took the Wisconsin Badgers awhile to figure out how to put the ball in to the end zone, but when they finally did it, it ended any doubt about this one. After just a three-point lead at the half, Wisconsin (5-2, 2-1 B1G) blew things open in the second half en route a 24-7 victory over Purdue (1-6, 0-3 B1G) on Homecoming.
The win was Wisconsin’s 10th straight over the Boilermakers, and the Badgers have senior quarterback Joel Stave to thank for most of it.
Stave moved in to second place on the UW completions chart, going 30 of 39 for 322 yards and one interception on the day. While he didn’t get in the end zone himself, he set up all three of UW’s touchdowns with his arm to say the least.
UW’s run game did little to help, producing just 96 yards as a team. Freshman Alec Ingold punched in two touchdowns, and leading rusher Dare Ogunbowale had another en route to the win. He finished the day with 56 yards on 18 carries, averaging 3.1 yards per carry.
Stave throwing more than the Badgers ran the ball (39 attempts passing to 30 rushing attempts)? That’s not exactly how the Badgers coaching staff drew it up, but winning is winning and it is clear head coach Paul Chryst has plenty of confidence in his quarterback.
“Yeah, I’ve got confidence; had it for a long time in Joel,” said Chryst. “I still think that it’s not necessarily how you want to keep playing the game but if that’s what the game dictates, then got to be able to do it and we’ve got to be good at it. And I think we are doing some things in the throw game to give ourselves a chance and yet I still think we can get a lot better there and certainly get better in the run game, and I think we need to.”
Wisconsin has owned Purdue over the last nine contests, and it appeared it would do so again on Saturday after its opening possession. After opting to take the opening kick, Wisconsin marched 81 yards over 10 plays for a touchdown.
If you looked only at the stat sheet, that assumption would’ve been correct in the first half. Wisconsin outgained Purdue 272-61 in total offense, had a 207 to 16 advantage in the passing game and a 65-45 advantage on the ground.
Wisconsin also had a 20:16 to 9:44 advantage in time of possession and put up 41 offensive plays to Purdue’s 21.
So, how did the first half end with Wisconsin up just 10-7?
After that first drive, where UW did what it wanted, when it wanted it was all about missed timing and inopportune penalties.
Wisconsin’s opening drive was capped off by a 4-yard Alec Ingold touchdown run, but Junior running back Dare Ogunbowale did good work on the drive gaining 25 yards of total offense and 21 of that on the ground.
Stave also did major damage, going 3 of 3 for 39 yards before Ingold did the work inside the 10-yard line.
Despite the gaudy numbers and ease of the first drive, things went much different after that when the Badgers had the football.
UW marched right back deep in to Purdue territory, but an ill-timed holding call put the Badgers behind the eight ball and facing a third-and-long situation. Stave had to throw, and a bit of pressure up the middle changed everything.
Stave’s throw became an ill-timed and ill-conceived one, sailing over an open Rob Wheelwright and in to the arms of Purdue’s Leroy Clark inside the Purdue 10-yard line. He returned it to UW’s 29-yard line and the Boilers went to work.
Purdue made the Badgers pay for the turnover, as quarterback David Blough walked in a 4-yard naked bootleg run off the right side. It made the scoreline 7-7 with just under 13 minutes to go in the first half.
Wisconsin continued to have no issues going deep in to Purdue territory, putting the ball inside the Boilers 20-yard line on every drive in the first half.
Instead of converting touchdowns, the Badgers suffered from self-inflicted wounds to keep them from busting the game open. Wisconsin had a personal foul wipe out one drive, and a sack and fumble of Stave wipe out a chance for a TD and a Gaglianone miss ended the half on a sour note.
Despite the one miscue, Stave picked apart one of the statistically best passing defenses in the Big Ten during the first half. He finished the half of 17 of 21 for 207 yards and the one interception.
Rob Wheelwright finished the half with a team-high five receptions and 56 yards.
However, none of that mattered, as UW put the ball inside the Purdue 20-yard line on every drive of the first half and came away with just 10 points.
It was more of the same from the Badgers in the second half, as the run game failed to produce anything major and Stave was able to hit just about anything and everything he wanted to. It was also more of the same defensively, as Aranda’s bunch continued to step up to the plate.
Wisconsin has given up just 20 points and two touchdowns to opponents at Camp Randall Stadium so far this season. The biggest reason for just seven points given up this time was redshirt freshman inside linebacker T.J. Edwards.
He had a career day, recording 16 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He also had a critical play in the second half, as he hauled down a receiver on the outside who was going for a big gain and caused a fumble that was recovered by safety Tanner McEvoy.
Wisconsin’s defense got after Purdue quarterback David Blough early and often, and didn’t let up late either. UW recorded 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and four quarterback hurries on the day. Yet, it was the efficiency of the offense in the second stanza that stood out most.
Wisconsin had two drives go inside Purdue’s red zone in the second hald, and unlike the first half, both ended with the Badgers in the end zone.
After punting on the opening two possessions of the half, Dare Ogunbowale plowed his way to a tough 4-yard touchdown run as time expired on the third quarter.
The Badgers defense stepped up quickly, forcing a three-and-out and UW’s offense carried over that momentum with an 11-play, 66-yard drive that was capped off by perhaps the niftiest 2-yard touchdown run you’ll ever see.
Ingold appeared stuffed behind the line of scrimmage on 4th and goal, but used power and a nice spin move to eek his way over the goal line for his second touchdown of the game.
“I wasn’t really thinking much, it was all instincts at that point,” said Ingold. “I just had to do what the coaches trusted me to do on that fourth down and get in the end zone.”
Getting in the end zone mattered more than any of the stats Stave, the run game or the defense put up on Saturday.
Most importantly, the Badgers stayed within striking distance of Iowa in the Big Ten West division race. Putting pressure on the Hawkeyes is about all that the Badgers can control.
Next up on the menu is a roadtrip to Champaign, Ill. and a meeting with the Bill Cubit-led Illinois Fighting Illini. Kick is set for 2:30p.m. CT and will be televised by BTN.
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