Gameday (Purdue) - Saturday, October 14, 2017 - The Daily Cardinal

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Wisconsin vs. Purdue

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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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Big Ten Outlook

Wolverines’ loss alters Big Ten East division race

By Michael Parksy The Daily cardinal

Week six of Big Ten football season was filled with action as the Wisconsin Badgers broke away from the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road to win, 38-17. In other news, Iowa’s big second half downed Illinois, 45-16. No. 10 Ohio State dominated Maryland, 62-14 and No. 4 Penn State throttled Northwestern on the road 31-7. Here is a more indepth look at a few of the more exciting Big Ten games of the week.

Michigan Gets the Ax at Home, Paul Bunyan Trophy Returns to East Lansing Defense wins championships.

Defense wins big games. Defense is what propelled Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State Spartans over instate rival and No. 7 Michigan Wolverines, as the Spartans beat the Wolverines for the eighth time in the last 10 meetings.

The Wolverines came in as 12.5point favorites at home in spite of the absence of injured quarterback, Wilton Speight, but under the leadership of backup quarterback John O’Korn found themselves completely overwhelmed by the Michigan State defense.

After taking a 3-0 lead to start the game, the Wolverines never led again. Sparked by a Ty Isaac fumble caused by the Michigan State defense, the Spartans got into the flow of the game. With three minutes left in the first quarter, Spartan quarterback Brian Lewerke scrambled out of the pocket and scampered 14 yards into the end zone, putting

Michigan State on the board.

Then after a 16-yard Brian Lewerke touchdown pass to wide receiver, the Spartans took a 14-3 lead into the locker room.

The second half became a defensive struggle due to poor weather conditions as neither team could generate much offense.

A Khalil Hill goal-line rush up the middle closed the gap for the Wolverines to 14-10, but it was not enough in end.

Whenever it looked like the Michigan offense was gaining traction, the Spartans’ defense had an answer. A combination of an effective pass rush coupled with great coverage downfield frazzled O’Korn, as he threw not one, but three second half interceptions.

A last-ditch John O’Korn hailmary heave for the win was batted down by Spartan defenders, completing the improbable upset.

The takeaway? Michigan’s offense looked frail, to be diplomatic, in the absence of Wilton Speight. Head coach Jim Harbaugh needs to come up with some action-plan to revive his offense.

Harbaugh has shown over his tenure in Ann Arbor that his Wolverines do not perform in rivalry games. Michigan is 1-2 against the Spartans and 0-2 versus outof-state rival Ohio State under his command. The Wolverines are sure to drop in the polls and must look to win-out if they have any hopes of rejoining the College Football Playoff conversation.

As for Michigan State? Was last year just an anomaly, or has the

rebuilding process been accelerated in East Lansing? Now at 4-1, the Spartans look to gain traction in the Big Ten East. Most importantly, however, the Spartans reclaimed the coveted Paul Bunyan trophy and brought it back home.

Even In Extreme Weather Conditions, Purdue Pulls out Victory With heavy rain and lightning entering the West Lafayette area, the contest between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers was put on hold. After a 90-minute delay, play resumed with Boilermakers seemingly finding themselves.

The Boilermakers’ offense looked out of sync for most of the night, coughing up four turnovers.

But a 19-yard field goal by J.D. Bellinger put the Boilermakers up 16-14 before the weather delay.

A seven-minute drive by the Gophers coming out of the delay resulted in an Emmit Carpenter field goal and 17-14 lead. Purdue wasted no time responding, however. A 12-yard touchdown run by Markell Jones and successful two-point conversion put the Boilermakers up 24-17 with less than 1:30 left in the game. A Ja’Whaun Bentley pick-six iced the game at 31-17.

Purdue improves to 3-2 and has looked like a different team under first year head coach Jeff Brohm, as it was able to honor the passing of the winningest head-coach in program history, Joe Tiller. The Boilermakers head to Madison next week to play Wisconsin.

Gameday editor Bremen Keasey’s Big Ten power rankings: 1. Penn State Nittany Lions When Saquon Barkley doesn’t even have an awesome game, and you nearly shut out a decent Northwestern squad 31-7, things are going pretty well. James Franklin and PSU has a bye week next week to prepare his squad for his team’s biggest tests: Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State all in a row.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes The Buckeyes took care of a feisty Maryland Terrapins team by beating them 62-14 at home.

Points are docked though for beating Rutgers last week by less than they did the previous year (56-0 compared to 58-0).

C’mon Urban, you don’t want to give your fans a heart attack!

3. Wisconsin Badgers Again, Wisconsin won relatively easily against a decent Big Ten foe, beating Nebraska in Lincoln, 31-17. Jonathan Taylor again ran for over 200 yards.

Tanner Lee threw another picksix. Hornibrook looked sort of meh, seeing Tanner Lee’s picksix and raising his own. Typical Wisconsin performance.

4. Michigan State Spartans I didn’t think they would be here either, but the Spartans beat Michigan in its own house for seemingly the thousandth time under Mark Dantonio. Sure the game was ugly, but that’s how Dantonio likes it. Is the media disrespecting the Spartans?

Dantonio lives off your disrespect. This will look bad if they lose next week.

National Outlook

Oklahoma’s loss to Iowa State drastically alters college football playoff picture, Louisville falls in tough ACC conference game

By Morgan Spohn the Daily Cardinal

Week six of college football was a buffet for fans as it had a little bit of everything: Blowouts, a seven OT game, upsets and heartpounding last minute game-winning drives. Now that the majority of the Power Five conferences are well entrenched in their conference schedules, upsets were imminent. Here are some recaps of some of the most anticipated games of week six, including some of the biggest upsets.

No. 24 NC State Continues Impressive Season with Upset of No. 17 Louisville What was hyped up as one of the best Thursday-Friday night games ESPN had to offer this year turned out to be a snoozer in the first quarter, as both defenses shut down the opposing offenses.

Then came the second quarter and oh my was it a different story, as NC State started the scoring off with quarterback Ryan Finley completing a 48-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Harmon. Heisman winner Lamar Jackson responded

by leading Louisville on a nineplay 75-yard drive that was capped off with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Seth Dawkins.

The two sides traded scoring drives for the rest of the quarter, as the score at the end of the second quarter was NCST 17 and LOU 10.

The Wolfpack managed to score two touchdowns and one two-point conversion on two of their first three drives in the second half while the Cardinals were only able to get a field goal and a touchdown with a missed PAT. The third quarter ended with the Wolfpack sporting a 13-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter, Jackson tried to spur the Cards to a comeback win as he closed the gap by scoring a touchdown with a little over four minutes left. Then the Cards defense had a quick three and out and NC State punted it away. Jackson started off at his own 10-yard line with three minutes left. The Cards saw plenty of time for their electric quarterback to create a game-winning drive, but those hopes were dashed quickly as on the second play Jackson

threw a pick-six to Germaine Pratt for a 25-yard return. This sealed Louisville’s fate on the night, as the final score was NC State 39 and Louisville 25.

Kempt and Cyclones Storm into Norman and Upset No. 3 Oklahoma Coming in as 28-point favorites and given two weeks to prepare, the Oklahoma Sooners were expected to dominate an Iowa State team that has been on a roller coaster of a season so far. Cyclones starting quarterback Josh Parks recently left the team due to a personal medical issue and his return is unknown for the rest of the season.

In stepped journeyman redshirt-senior quarterback Kyle Kempt, making his first collegiate start. Oklahoma looked like a lock to cover the 28 point spread because by the end of the first quarter they were already ahead 14 to 3. In the second quarter, however, Iowa State found its groove on offense as the Cyclones scored 10 points while holding the Sooners to the same point total.

They entered halftime down just

11, which was a surprise to many.

Iowa State received the second half kickoff and started on its own 20-yard line. The drive was a slow and methodical one, as ISU went 50 yards on 11 plays and ended it by kicking a field goal closing the deficit to eight points.

Oklahoma on its first second half drive looked like it was going to respond with a score of its own.

The Cyclones defense proved to be stout in the red zone by forcing a Trey Sermon fumble on the Cyclones six-yard line, which was recovered by linebacker Joel Lanning.

Iowa State had its chance to drive down the field and tie the game, and it did just that by driving 94 yards on seven plays, capped off when Kempt passed to Marchie Murdock for a 28-yard touchdown.

The Cyclones would tie the game with a two-point conversion.

After Oklahoma missed a field goal on their next drive, the Cyclones would take the lead when Kempt completed a pass to Trever Ryen for a 57-yard touchdown. The Sooners would respond on their next drive

led by their redshirt senior quarterback Baker Mayfield, who drove them 75 yards and scored a touchdown to tie the game.

The Cyclones weren’t done yet, however, as they drove 75 yards on their next drive and scored on a Kempt toss to senior wideout Allen Lazard.

The Cyclone defense responded on its next drive as they locked down the Sooners offense and forced a turnover on downs to sealing the victory for ISU. This was the first ever road victory over an AP Top 5 team in Iowa State program history and only the second win against Oklahoma since 1961.

Preview for Week 7: There will be a huge SEC matchup on Friday night on ESPN as the Auburn Tigers go into Death Valley to face the revitalized LSU Tigers.

A historic Big 12 rivalry, The Red River Rivalry kicks off at 2:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN as Texas welcomes Oklahoma into the Cotton Bowl. An impactful Pac-12 matchup between the USC Trojans and the Utah Utes kicks off at 7 p.m. on ABC Saturday night.

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Feature

Becoming a ‘Bigg Dogg:’ After his father’s death, Cephus finds strength in football

By Lorin Cox THE DAILY CARDINAL

Andre Taylor was known as “Bigg Dogg,” and he called everybody he knew Bigg Dogg.

Not everybody, though, was a Bigg Dogg.

That distinction meant everything to his son, Quintez Cephus, and when Taylor was murdered in April, the Wisconsin Badgers’ wide receiver needed to be a Bigg Dogg more than ever.

“That’s just what he used,” Cephus said. “But to be a Big Dogg, he used me just making it out of our neighborhood, doing the right thing, trying to provide for our family — that’s really what he considered being a Big Dogg.”

Taylor dedicated his life to raising his son right, to help him become something bigger than his difficult upbringing and escape the streets of Macon, Georgia.

“It was special. I wanted to play well and honor him, so it was great.”

Quintez Cephus Wisconsin wide reciever

His shooting death changed Cephus’ life forever and fuels the sophomore to make something of his life. He hopes to provide for his family and to get them out of the environment that continues to cause so much pain.

“While my heart is torn I try to think about you and not worry because you always told me you got it, you Biggdogg, just

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Quintez Cephus set a career high with 99 yards on four catches against Northwestern, one day before his late father’s birthday. handle business and I got everybody else,” Cephus wrote in an Instagram tribute to his father.

“I’m gonna make them six figures one day soon and provide for momma.”

Every game seems to bring Cephus one step closer to that six-figure salary at the next level. This year was supposed to be redshirt senior Jazz Peavy’s year to headline the offense and generate NFL buzz, but it’s the sophomore from Macon who has stepped into the spotlight.

Cephus leads the Badgers in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns through five games this season. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s averaging the second-highest yards per route run among FBS wide receivers, making the most of

every time he steps on the field.

“His confidence is through the roof right now,” Peavy said.

“He’s having a lot of fun doing it and he knows what he’s doing.

So being confident in our game plan and his own abilities has allowed him to really grow.”

Cephus’ growth might have been most apparent in Wisconsin’s week five win over Northwestern. The 6-foot-1, 205pound receiver set a career-high with 99 yards on four catches, all coming on the day before his late father’s birthday.

“It was special,” Cephus said.

“I wanted to play well and honor him, so it was great.”

That Sunday, Oct. 1, would have been Bigg Dogg’s 40th birthday. Cephus wasn’t able to join his family back in Georgia,

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER (LEFT) AND BRANDON MOE (RIGHT) /THE DAILY CARDINAL

Cephus says his bonds with his teamates have made the 2017 season even more special for him.

Quintez Cephus’s Statistics: -18 receptions this season -301 recieving yards this season -Four touchdowns this season -41 career rushing yards -18.0 career yards per reception

-Third in the Big Ten in recieving touchdowns -Sixth in the Big Ten in yards per reception -Six career rushing attempts

but he was there in spirit, the same way Taylor was for his son’s big game the day before.

“His confidence is through the roof right now. He’s having a lot of fun doing it, and he knows what he’s doing.”

Jazz Peavy Wisconsin wide reciever

“It’s obviously something a lot of people can’t relate to,” redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook said. “You don’t really know exactly what he’s going through, but you just feel for him, and you’re there for him as much as you can.”

Cephus has no shortage of teammates and coaches there for him to provide support whenever he’s needed it. Wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore even traveled with him to Macon to see his father on life support before he passed away.

The love and friendship shared by this group of receivers is special, and Cephus feels like that’s what’s made this 2017 season so special for him and his undefeated Badgers.

“I think guys are playing for each other. That’s what everybody wants — guys that play for each other, do whatever they can to help the next guy,” Cephus said. “Obviously, there’s things we have to work on going forward, but I think guys are putting it together.”

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Purdue Outlook

Improved Boilermakers seek major road upset

By Cameron Lane-Flehinger the daily cardinal

Once a moderately successful program known for upsetting top-ranked opponents and producing NFL quarterbacks, Purdue football seems to have lost its way in the last few years.

The Boilermakers have never been a conference powerhouse, but their consistent competitiveness — 12 bowl game appearances in 16 years from 1997 to 2012 — stands in stark contrast to their abysmal results under head coach Darrell Hazell: 9-33 overall, with just three conference wins in four years. Suffice to say, there hasn’t been much to get excited about in West Lafayette for a while.

Enter Hazell’s replacement, former Western Kentucky head coach Jeff Brohm, who has done his best to disrupt that narrative and put Purdue back on the map of contenders in the Big Ten’s West division. In just five games, Brohm has equalled last season’s win total, given a scare to a top-20 team and reinvigorated a lost fanbase.

It started with a close game against then No. 16 Louisville, a back-andforth affair that the Boilermakers led in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing 35-28. It wasn’t a win, but it was enough to get 45,633 fans to attend the home opener the next week, Purdue’s highest attendance in four years. Those in attendance were treated to a 44-21 win, followed by a 35-3 stomping of Missouri the next week that gave the Boilermakers some momentum heading into a home clash with Michigan.

The team’s on-field performance against the Wolverines was ultimately forgettable in a 28-10 loss, but there

was a different number that mattered: 60,042, the game’s attendance and RossAde Stadium’s seating capacity. Brohm’s reinvigorated team had played in front of a sellout crowd, the Boilermakers’ first in almost 10 years. Notching a 31-17 win over Minnesota for its first conference victory made it clear: Purdue football is on its way back.

The resurgence has been led first and foremost by the defense, which has gone from last in the conference at 39.9 points per game a year ago to just 20.8 this season. Most of that improvement has come from inside the program, as senior linebackers Danny Ezechukwu and Ja’Whaun Bentley have teamed up with T.J. McCollum, a Western Kentucky transfer, to hold opposing offenses to just six rushing touchdowns through five games.

A year after then-sophomore quarterback David Blough was given full control of the offense — leading the conference with 517 pass attempts, and 21 interceptions — Brohm has taken a more balanced approach at the position.

This season Blough has split his time with sophomore Elijah Sindelar and the duo have combined for 13 touchdowns against just six interceptions.

Purdue’s 3-0 record against unranked teams this season is encouraging for the program’s present and future, but its 0-2 record against top25 opponents appears more relevant against Wisconsin. An improved rushing defense and a quarterback — or two — capable of making big plays have been keys to upsetting the Badgers before, but a win at Camp Randall seems like too much to expect from the Boilermakers in this resurgent season.

Wisconsin vs. Purdue By the Numbers:

Badgers dominant in WisconsinPurdue recent matchup history

.598

Wisconsin has posted a record of 45-29-1 leading to its overall win percentage of .598 in its all-time meetings against the Boilermakers. The team’s first meeting took place in 1892, making the Boilermakers the Wisconsin’s second oldest conference opponent.

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The Badgers have won 11 straight contests against Purdue, including a 49-20 beatdown last year in West Lafayette. Purdue quarterback David Blough threw three interceptions, with one returned by current Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt for a second quarter touchdown.

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The matchup has been featured on ESPN’s College Gameday twice since 2003. No. 13 Purdue beat No. 14 Wisconsin in Madison 26-23 in 2003. The Badgers returned the favor the following year, with a 20-17 upset over No. 5 Purdue in West Lafayette after a late scoop and score by Scott Starks.

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A LO N G W I T H

HIKES UP BASCOM Associated Press Top 25 1. Alabama (43) 1,507 2. Clemson (18) 1,481 3. Penn State 1,370 4. Georgia 1,327 5. Washington 1,284 6. TCU 1,192 7. Wisconsin 1,127 8. Washington State 1,094 9. Ohio State 1,051 10. Auburn 914 11. Miami (FL) 908 12. Oklahoma 851 13. USC 795 14. Oklahoma State 712 15. Virginia Tech 617 16. Notre Dame 583 17. Michigan 524 18. South Florida 482 19. San Diego State 465 20. NC State 421 21. Michigan State 416 22. Central Florida 274 23. Stanford 109 24. Texas Tech 105 25. Navy 74

USA Today Coaches Poll 1. Alabama (57) 1,617 2. Clemson (8) 1,568 3. Penn State 1,454 4. Washington 14,04 5. Georgia 1,380 6. Wisconsin 1,243 7. TCU 1,229 8. Ohio State 1,146 9. Washington State 1,117 10. Miami (FL) 1,003 11. Auburn 941 12. Oklahoma 919 13. USC 818 14. Oklahoma State 788 15. South Florida 622 16. Michigan 612 17. Virginia Tech 599 18. San Diego State 516 19. Notre Dame 498 20. NC State 455 21. Central Florida 273 22. Michigan State 261 23. Utah 122 24. Navy 110 25. Stanford 107

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Derrick Tindal Cornerback || 5'11'' || 181 lbs.

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3 Keys to the Game

Wisconsin pass defense must step up against upset-minded Purdue Cameron Lane-Flehinger/the daily cardinal

Story by Simon Fischer

True freshman Jonathan Taylor has led UW’s rushing attack.

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Get the Ball to Anthrop

Sling It

Freshman receiver Jackson Anthrop has quickly emerged as one of the Boilermakers’ top playmakers this year. The West Lafayette, Ind. native leads the team in receptions and touchdowns, breaking out with a seven-catch, 82 yard performance against Louisville that also included two scores.

Anthrop has been a red zone threat; all his touchdowns have been from 25 yards or shorter, and two of them have come from just five yards out. When he scores, the Boilermakes have a better chance of winning, with touchdowns in two of three wins.

Therefore, the Boilermakers should draw up more plays for the young pass-catcher inside the red zone to give Purdue a better chance of converting opportunities into touchdowns. It’s also worth noting that all of Anthrop’s touchdowns have come when Sindelar is in at quarterback, so if David Blough gets the start, Anthrop may see a decrease in red zone looks.

Jeff Brohm hasn’t announced who the starter will be Saturday, but whoever it is has to get in rhythm early throwing the football. Passing is their main method of moving the football, so the Boilermakers are not going to go anywhere if they can’t complete passes.

Junior David Blough has completed around 68 percent of his 90 throws, while sophomore Elijah Sindelar has completed just 55 percent of his passes, suggesting room for improvement. Brohm should ease the starter into the flow of the game with short, easy throws to build their confidence against the scary Badger defense.

Purdue should target its sure-handed receivers freshman Jackson Anthrop and senior Gregory Phillips early, and by getting the quarterback in rhythm early the team should be much more efficient moving the ball.

2 Be Clean with the Ball Purdue has been inconsistent this year in terms of turnovers.

The Boilermakers have had two four-turnover games against Louisville and Minnesota, but only had two total turnovers in their other three games. They’ve both won while losing the turnover battle and lost while winning the battle, so holding onto the ball more often than their opponent hasn’t always correlated to winning games.

However, having fewer turnovers than the opposing team never hurts and can go a long way toward winning the game.

Despite settling down so far this year, David Blough did throw 21 interceptions last year and has shown he can be sloppy with the ball. Forcing Wisconsin to turn the ball over and holding onto it themselves could be instrumental for Purdue in achieving victory.

Purdue is Actually Good

1 Control Air Traffic Purdue has traditionally been much more focused on the pass which is rare in the run-heavy Big Ten Conference. Its new head coach Jeff Brohm brought his air raid style from Western Kentucky, accelerating their shift to a pass-heavy attack.

Both David Blough and Elijah Sindelar have seen time as quarterback thanks to Blough’s nagging shoulder injury, and both have been dangerous for opposing secondaries. They’ve combined to throw for 995 yards and 11 touchdowns, and only Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett and Penn State QB Trace McSorley have thrown for more scores in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers threw the ball 34 times in their win over Missouri and a whopping 57 times in their loss to Louisville. The Badger secondary should be busy, and taking away Purdue’s ability to throw is the key to stopping its offense.

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2 Let Hornibrook Cook Hornibrook has proven he can be effective throwing the ball for the Badgers by leading the conference in total QBR and placing second in completion percentage, but he and the rest of the passing game have consistently taken a backseat to budding star Jonathan Taylor and the running game. The offensive imbalance was rather pronounced in last week’s win over Nebraska, as Taylor exploded for 249 yards on the ground while Hornibrook only threw 17 times.

While the Badgers are 5-0 and scoring over 40 points a game, head coach Paul Chryst should still involve Hornibrook more to show that he still has confidence in his quarterback’s ability to throw the ball. Further incorporating Hornibrook would also add balance to the Badger attack and prevent Purdue from simply loading up against the run.

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Badgers have at least an 83% chance of winning out in their next five games, and the Michigan game seems easier now after their loss against Michigan State on Saturday.

However, games aren’t played on paper. This is often a point in the season where highly-ranked teams may lose focus or overlook lowly opponents—only to be surprised come gameday. No. 3 Oklahoma showed exactly what can happen last week— as the Sooners were knocked off by unranked Iowa State at home.

And Purdue is not bottom-feeder Purdue anymore. Purdue is 3-2 and have looked good even in its losses. The Boilermakers lost to Louisville and Lamar Jackson by only a touchdown, crushed Ohio and Missouri and played competitively in a 28-10 loss at Michigan. They already have the same amount of conferences wins as they did last year. Purdue shouldn’t pose much of a problem for the Badgers, provided that they bring their best to the field when it counts.

MVP from Nebraska

Jonathan Taylor stars, rushes for 249 yards

By Nathan Denzin The Daily Cardinal

The numbers didn’t lie last Saturday night when the Badgers rushed for 353 yards en route to a 38-17 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

At one point, UW rushed on 22 straight plays, which included a 10-play, 80-yard march down the field that finally put Nebraska to bed late in the fourth quarter. The passing game wasn’t too shabby either, but there wasn’t much pressure on quarterback Alex Hornibrook to make plays with his arm all night thanks to the rushing attack. The leader of that rushing attack, true freshman Jonathan Taylor, ran for an eyepopping 249 yards on 25 carries. He punched in two touchdowns as well, pacing the game for the Badgers all night long. There is no other player that made as large of an impact on the game as Taylor, and he was easily Wisconsin’s most valuable player against the Cornhuskers.

Taylor started his night a little slow, gaining only 50 yards in the first half until he broke out late in the second quarter and torched the Cornhuskers for a momentumchanging 75-yard touchdown run.

After that, he was off to the races,

amassing 125 more yards over three Badger possessions before he was relieved of his duties in the fourth quarter on account of the Badgers’ huge lead. He had the Nebraska defense on its heels all game and was consistently able to power himself through multiple defenders and gain extra yards on every carry. Taylor averaged 10 yards a carry on the night, leading all rushers in the game by a wide margin. To put Taylor’s monster game into perspective, his 249 yards were the third most the Cornhuskers have ever given up to an opponent and the most they’ve given up since Melvin Gordon’s recordbreaking 408-yard day back in 2014.

Taylor has certainly gained the full trust of the coaching staff as well, as he has broken out this year as the Badgers’ surprise starting running back. He has improved every game, has the skill set to top his previous performance every time he takes the field and is quietly putting together a monster season. Through five games, Taylor has already run for 767 yards and nine touchdowns, numbers that won’t be ignored by the Heisman committee for much longer if he continues to tear defenses apart week in and week out.

Player to Watch: Purdue

Jones’ return gives Purdue offense much-needed jolt

By Christopher Wozniak The Daily Cardinal

When Purdue walks through the tunnel on to the field at Camp Randall Stadium, a lot of eyes will gravitate towards one player: Junior running back Markell Jones. In his second game back from injury, Jones will be looking to prove his doubters wrong and get right back on track by improving numbers.

Jones had established himself as a key cog to the Boilermakers’ offense. He led the Boilermakers in rushing yards in both of the last two seasons with 875 yards in 2015 and 616 in 2016. Jones has also been a force in the passing game, recording 454 career receiving yards on 66 catches. For the Boilermakers, Jones has been a spark plug, producing positive plays as the offense remained otherwise inept.

Back in week one, Jones’ season seemed to be over before it really started. During a first half kick return against Louisville, a defender torpedoed directly into Jones’ knee and sent him imme-

diately to the ground. There was relief among the Boilermakers, though, as they soon received news that a seemingly gruesome injury was not as severe. Jones returned to the field last weekend and has since put together a respectable stat line, rushing for 52 yards on 12 carries and adding five receptions for 12 yards.

After a dogfight of a game for the first three quarters, Jones seemingly willed the Boilermakers to put together an 18-point fourth quarter which was capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run by Jones, giving the Boilermakers the jolt they needed to come back and put Minnesota away.

Another week of practice will help Jones regain his confidence and start to put up his regular numbers. Jones will look to be the spark plug once more against the Badgers and lead the charge for Purdue’s offense. His electrifying presence could give the Badgers fits if they don’t handle him properly and could lead to a shocking upset if he is allowed to run wild.

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S WR WR OLB RB WR RB S RB QB S CB WR QB S S S P QB WR WR OLB ILB CB QB CB FB RB CB WR ILB RB CB WR S CB S K CB RB S CB FB TE CB S ILB OLB RB DE RB ILB RB WR P K FB OLB

5-11 5-11 5-11 6-3 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-3 5-11 6-0 6-4 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-5 5-7 6-1 6-4 6-2 5-11 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-2 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-2 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-2 5-10 6-3 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-2

204 185 202 246 219 186 220 195 195 202 213 208 189 215 198 201 204 191 197 180 200 234 237 195 212 186 255 219 183 185 226 214 178 201 194 181 187 232 191 219 200 192 235 247 188 202 225 245 216 275 209 237 216 162 217 182 246 230

SO FR SO SR JR FR SO SR SR FR FR JR SR SO SR JR SR SO FR FR SR JR JR SO FR FR SR JR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR SR FR JR FR JR SO FR FR FR SR FR FR SR FR SR FR FR FR FR JR SO SO FR

43 43 45 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 52 53 54 55 56 57 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 94 95 96 97 98 98 99

Connelly, Ryan Roy, Peter Ingold, Alec Tiedt, Hegeman Lloyd, Gabe Thomas, Nick Grady, Griffin Cichy, Jack Penniston, Kyle Green-May, Izayah Bay, Adam Maxwell, Jacob Pfaff, David Edwards, T.J. Orr, Chris Bell, Christian Baun, Zach Balistreri, Michael James, Alec Maskalunas, Mike Johnson. Tyler Bruss, Logan Biadasz, Tyler Kasl, Patrick Deiter, Michael Connors, Brett Beach, Tyler Benzschawel. Beau Dietzen, Jon Moorman, David Vopal, Aaron Seitzner, Josh Van Lanen, Cole Fenton, Alex Roberg, Gunnar Kapoi, Micah Lyler, Kayden Smithback, Blake Erdmann, Jason Edwards, David Fumagalli, Troy Perry, Emmet Ferguson, Jake Neuvile, Zander Benzschawel, Luke Cephus, Quintez Harrell, Deron Allen, Connor Bernhagen, Josh Rand, Garrett Henningsen, Matt Sheehy, Conor Preston, Keldric Hirschfeld, Billy Loudermilk, Isaiahh Howe, Kraig Larsh, Collin Sagapolu, Olive

ILB WR FB OLB TE ILB ILB ILB TE OLB LS OLB DE ILB ILB OLB OLB DE DE ILB OLB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DE OL OL OL NT OL OL OL OL OL TE WR TE TE TE WR WR P LS DE DE DE DE DE DE DE K NT

Wisconsin vs. Purdue

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7

Purdue Boilermakers 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-6 6-0 6-6 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-7 6-6 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-6 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-7 6-3 5-10 6-2

228 195 246 237 247 225 225 234 244 217 224 320 275 244 223 249 226 273 272 234 243 281 316 325 328 304 290 317 336 314 298 313 307 299 304 326 320 292 337 315 248 184 230 258 261 205 181 169 236 272 275 293 257 305 306 278 182 346

Game Information

JR JR JR FR FR SO SO SR SO FR FR JR SO JR SO FR SO FR SR FR SO FR FR FR JR JR FR JR SO SO FR FR FR FR SO JR FR FR SO SO SR FR FR JR FR SO FR SO FR SO FR SR FR JR FR SO FR JR

1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 13 14 14 16 17 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 31 32 33 34 34 35 36 37 38 38

Knox, D.J. Mackey, Dedrick Hunte, Da’Wan Sindelar, Elijah Edwards, D’J Hardy, Kamal Bentley, Ja’Whaun Holmes, Corey Alstott, Griffin Jallow, T.J. Hamilton, Tyler McCollum, T.J. Wilson, Eddy Zico, Isaac Jones, Markell Okonye, Josh Neal, Lorenzo Wright, Terry Little, Mike Phillips, Gregory Blough, David Miles, Antoine Sparks, Jared Evans, Spencer O’Connell, Aidan Robinson, Gelen Blackmon, Antonio Carollo, Danny Hudson, Garrett Jones, Cornel Sipe, Nick Catlett, KeyRon Northern, Cameron Banks, Aaron Franklin, Benaiah Major, Kenneth Bailey, Markus Mahoungou, Anthony Dawson, Sawyer Hayes, Josh Cason, Tim Fuller, Tario Shuman, Brandon McGinnis, Carter Parker, C.J. Mosley, Navon Abrams, Jacob Smiley, Simeon Larry, Tobias McWilliams III, Robert Schopper, Joe Wegher, Jack Anthrop, Jackson Williams, Jonah Worship, Richie Cook, Wes Ezechukwu, Danny Lankford-Johnson, Brian Collins, Zac Thieneman, Brennan

RB CB CB QB WR CB LB WR QB S WR LB DT WR RB CB DT WR CB WR QB DE QB K QB DE CB QB LB LB QB WR QB QB WR CB LB WR LB CB CB RB CB RB S S CB CB LB DE P RB WR LB RB S LB RB K S

5-7 5-11 5-9 6-4 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-2 5-9 6-3 6-4 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-4 5-10 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-4 6-0 5-10 5-11 6-3 6-0 5-10 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1

210 175 190 230 190 185 260 190 205 200 175 235 295 190 200 200 325 180 195 200 205 250 205 200 190 280 195 205 245 240 200 180 215 200 195 190 235 210 235 185 195 190 170 205 205 190 195 205 210 210 210 205 185 235 260 190 250 190 180 200

JR FR SR SO FR SR SR JR FR JR FR SR JR JR JR GS SO JR SO SR JR SR RS FR JR FR SR JR RS FR SR FR FR FR FR JR RS FR FR SO SR SO SO JR SO SO FR SR SO FR RS FR FR FR JR SO RS FR FR SO SR SR SO FR RS FR

39 40 40 41 42 42 43 43 44 45 45 46 47 48 48 49 50 50 51 52 53 54 55 55 56 57 58 60 64 65 66 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 91 92 94 96 96 97 98

Randall, Zach Hill, Ronnie Horvath, Alexander Thienenman, Jacob Bravo, Brian Day, David Chelf, Andy Homan, Myles Watts, Anthony Beeler, Lane Larkin, Austin Johnson, Race Makowski, Ben Sadkowski, Ryan Simmons, Rob Johnson, Dennis Jones, Keiwan Yacoobi, Bearooz Brown, Bryce Hawthorne, Tanner Barron, Kirk Zeigler, Mike Barnes, Derrick Mendez, Michael Beach, Viktor Fakasiieiki, Semisi Flaherty, Ryan Swingler, Eric Ferguson, Eric Roland, Marc Criddle, Alex Truitt, Peyton Steinmetz, David Loebig, Sam Jackson, Jalen Smart, Ethan Keller, Graham Evans, Shane Stickford, Mark Washington, D.J. Hermanns, Grant McCann, Matt Burgess, Jarrett Pittman, Darius Buckman, Wade Dotson, Malcolm Trussell, Jess Dellinger, J.D. Ellison, Noah James, Ryan Herdman, Cole Hopkins, Brycen Turner, Chazmyn Reviere, Giovanni Daniels, Allen Ellis, Ray Herr, Jake Royal, Brooks Higgins, Kai

LB S RB S K CB S K DT RB DE CB LS LS LB S DT OL OL OT C DE LB OL OL LB OL OL OL OL DT OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR TE TE WR TE K WR WR TE TE DE DE DT DT P LS DE

6-0 6-0 6-3 6-1 6-2 5-9 6-0 6-1 6-4 5-10 6-3 5-11 6-2 5-11 6-5 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-1 6-6 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-8 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-7 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-2 6-6 6-2 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-2 6-4 6-5 6-2 6-4

200 200 220 210 195 185 190 220 295 230 255 185 250 225 230 180 280 300 280 290 305 260 250 295 310 255 280 305 295 275 310 285 310 315 265 310 270 310 265 285 295 315 220 250 235 200 245 195 190 200 240 240 260 260 305 305 230 170 240

FR SO FR JR JR SO SO SO RS FR JR SR SR JR JR JR FR JR JR RS FR RS FR JR JR FR SO FR RS FR RS FR JR RS FR FR SO SO GS RS FR FR JR FR JR FR FR RS FR SO JR FR RS FR SO SO SO FR FR JR SO SO FR FR JR SO FR SO

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.

Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI TV: BTN Radio: Badger Sports Network CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Leon Jacobs has emerged as one of Wisconsin’s most important defensive players this season.

gameday 8

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Wisconsin vs. Purdue

Games to watch No. 10 Auburn at LSU Oct. 14, 2:30 p.m.

Texas A&M at Florida Oct.14 , 6:00 p.m.

No. 12 Oklahoma vs. Texas Oct. 14, 2:30 p.m.

Texas Tech at West Virginia Oct. 14, 11:00 a.m.

Utah at No. 13 USC Oct. 14, 7:00 p.m.

Georgia Tech at No. 11 Miami Oct. 14, 2:30 p.m.

Missouri at No. 4 Georgia Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m.