Gameday (Purdue) - Saturday, November 23, 2019 - The Daily Cardinal

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Wisconsin vs. Purdue

GAMEDAY Zack Baun leads the Badger defense against a banged up Purdue offense pg. 2 PHOTO BY WILL FELLMAN/THE DAILY CARDINAL

“…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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X’s and O’s

Goodbye, Seniors

Passing threat adds new layer to offense

By Sam Shiffman THE DAILY CARDINAL

In the No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers’ 37-21 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Badger offense looked like it finally started to modernize.

From the opening drive, Wisconsin’s offensive play calling was more aggressive than usual.

Even though the Badgers relied predominantly on Jonathan Taylor, offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph employed spread formations more than Wisconsin’s traditional under center packages. This meant the Cornhuskers couldn’t stack the box against Taylor because the Badgers had three receivers on the field who burned the Cornhuskers early for quick completions.

Spread formations and quick passes early in the game forced the Cornhuskers to play with two high safeties on most plays. This meant the Badgers had better numerical matchups on most plays; the Badgers often had six down blockers against three defensive linemen and two linebackers in the box. If the offensive line and tight ends could win one-on-one matchups against their assignments, Jonathan Taylor would only have to make one man miss to break out for at

least 10 yards. And it worked, even when an offensive lineman lost one of these matchups, Taylor always got at least a short gain.

The Badgers often motioned out of their original formation, which allowed Jack Coan to make simple reads because defensive motion can often indicate coverage. For example, if a receiver runs across the field and a cornerback follows him, it’s man coverage. If the corner doesn’t follow, it’s most likely zone. Coan recognized this on multiple occasions, allowing for easy receptions that kept the Cornhusker defense honest.

Wisconsin’s offensive success was also due to arguably the greatest determinant in whether Wisconsin’s offense will be average or great: their wide receivers. The Badgers have a notoriously strong run game, and it’s impossible to completely shut down Jonathan Taylor and Wisconsin’s rushing attack. However, the Badgers often struggle to move the ball consistently against teams that stack the box against Wisconsin’s heavy packages.

This means establishing the pass early opens up Wisconsin’s rush-

ing attack later in the game, which is extremely important. Against Nebraska, Jack Coan connected with Danny Davis and Quintez Cephus early for substantial gains, which forced the Cornhuskers to respect Wisconsin’s passing attack.

This meant Nebraska’s linebackers and safeties couldn’t be as aggressive in their run defense. Nebraska’s linebackers even hesitated in their run-pass reads which opened up gaping holes for Taylor.

Rudolph also incorporated false pulls on quick passing plays which further confused the Cornhusker defense. A false pull is when offensive linemen pulls — which linebackers usually associate with run plays — but the quarterback instead hits a receiver on a quick slant or flat. And, because Coan was mostly accurate with his quick throws, Nebraska’s linebackers couldn’t fly up into the backfield, as if they did Davis or Cephus could be one-onone with a safety.

Ultimately, Wisconsin’s offensive balance and efficiency covered a poor defensive performance. If the Badgers can maintain this balance and throw early and often, they will at least give themselves a chance against elite Big Ten teams like Minnesota or Ohio State.

BETSY OSTERBERGER/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

The Badgers will sorely miss Orr and Baun next year, as they’ll leave a hole at linebacker that the Badgers are begining to get used to.

So long, farewell: Outgoing seniors’ careers in review

By Joe Rickles THE DAILY CARDINAL CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin’s secondary recievers are starting to pop off in November, with A.J. Taylor leading the way.

Purdue Outlook

Injuries rattle Purdue’s offense, defense can’t make up huge slack

By Cole Wozniak THE DAILY CARDINAL

This has not been a great year for Purdue Football. The preseason hype around this team centered around head coach Jeff Brohm and All-American receiver Rondale Moore. Brohm, having coached the Boilermakers since 2017, has put this program back into a contending position.

However, this year, the Boilermakers have stumbled to a 4-6 record after losing Moore and stud quarterback Elijah Sindalar to injury. Currently, however, the Boilermakers are on a two-game win streak, beating Big Ten bottom feeders in the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Northwestern Wildcats.

The Badgers should expect

to face third-string sophomore quarterback Aiden O’Connell, who has played relatively well in the absence of Sindelar and backup Jack Plummer. O’Connell threw 50 passes last week against Northwestern, so the Badgers can expect him to be slinging it around on Jim Leonhard’s secondary.

Conversely, the Boilermakers have struggled to run the football, with lead back King Doerue averaging less than four yards-per-carry all season. The biggest playmaker this team has on the offensive end is receiver David Bell, who has almost 800 receiving yards on the season and over 70 catches.

Even though the offense for Purdue University has really struggled, the defensive side of the ball is not any better. The Boilermakers

allow almost 410 yards of offense to opposing teams and only have eight total turnovers on the year. This is a team in desperate need to retool over the offseason, but has a chance to be much better next year if they get healthy.

This game is likely Jonathan Taylor’s last home game as a Wisconsin Badger, and it seems to be shaping up to be pretty lopsided. Even though Purdue is on a two-game win streak, the Badgers should be able to handle this extremely injured offense, as well as put up some major points in what is likely Jonathan Taylor’s last time playing in Camp Randall as a Badger, as well as one of his last chances to ball out enough to earn him a spot in New York as a Heisman Finalist.

Chris Orr, ILB (Captain) The Desoto, Texas native is undoubtedly the emotional leader of this year’s Badger defense, which has been one of the best in the nation.

Orr suffered and persevered through a torn ACL his sophomore year; he has started in 29 total games since then. In ten games so far this year alone, Orr has tallied 55 total tackles (11 for loss), 10 sacks and two forced fumbles.

His monstrous performance against Northwestern earned him Big Ten defensive player of the week honors.

A.J. Taylor, WR Taylor has seen a decrease in receptions with the return of junior receiver Quintez Cephus this year, but nonetheless has remained a vital part of Wisconsin’s hydra of receivers. He has accrued 87 receptions in his four years as a Badger for 1,306 yards and ten touchdowns.

Taylor will be remembered for having a knack for the biggest moments. He tallied eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown in the 2017 Orange Bowl against Miami and caught

a game-winning diving touchdown pass against Iowa in 2018.

Zach Hintze, K Hintze has turned into a fan favorite this year thanks to his strength in kicking the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs. He earned national attention for rocketing a kickoff over 80 yards for a touchback against Northwestern.

Over 74% of the Fond du Lac, Wis. native’s kicks in his career have been touchbacks.

“Touchback” Hintze has also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors the last two years.

Zach Baun, OLB Baun burst onto the scene of this defense a year ago, and has emerged as yet another tough linebacker in Wisconsin’s corps this year.

The Mequon, Wisconsin native has accrued nine of his 11 career sacks this year alone along with 50 total tackles and two forced fumbles.

Like Orr, Baun fought back from a foot injury in 2017 only to return stronger than ever.

The linebacker has started every game at outside linebacker since the beginning of the 2018 season.

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Wisconsin vs. Purdue

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Player to Watch

Freshman Bell making impact for Purdue

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The Badger’s have fared well against star recievers this year, mitigating the success other teams (except Ohio State) have had passing the ball and coming away with turnovers.

By Matthew van Bastelaer THE DAILY CARDINAL

In order to shake off last week’s struggles and return to earlyseason form against yards for Bell Purdue, the Wisconsin through the defensive unit will first ten games of the have to make sure to season shut down freshman receiver David Bell.

With Purdue’s star receiver from last year, Touchdowns Rondale Moore, out Bell has on since Sept. 28 with a the year, five hamstring injury, Bell recieving and has had to adapt to a one rushing starting position and facing opponents’ No. 1 cornerback.

Bell, a four-star recruit, was the 19th ranked son,

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wide receiver in the recruiting class of 2019 according to 247 Sports and chose Purdue over other offers from highprofile football programs like Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Penn State.

He announced his commitment at the 2019 All-American Bowl in January, where he played on the East team with Wisconsin freshman quarterback Graham Mertz, who threw for a record-setting five touchdowns in the showcase game.

Just a few weeks into his true freshman seathe skills that made him

such a highly touted recruit out of high school proved transferable to the college game.

Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm noted in late October during an interview with Sports Illustrated that Bell’s game is reminiscent of one legendary receiver that would go on to enjoy enormous success in college and the NFL. “David reminds me of a young Jerry Rice for the fact that everything is smooth,” Brohm said. “He doesn’t look like he’s going to make the spectacular play, but he always makes the play.”

The 6’2”, 210 pound wide receiver brings size to the matchup with the Badgers, as he is taller and heavier than all but two of Wisconsin’s 20 cor-

nerbacks and safeties, as well as being larger than almost all of UW’s 16 receivers.

Bell’s unique size gives him an advantage on 50/50 balls, but with Purdue’s top two quarterbacks both out for the season, sophomore Aidan O’Connell has just taken the first substantial snaps of his college career, with his first start coming against Northwestern on Nov. 9 in a backup role.

Against Wisconsin’s defense, ranked fourth in the country in total statistics, O’Connell may be looking to his big-framed wideout early and often.

The true freshman has 791 yards and five touchdowns so far this season, with almost 300 more yards than Wisconsin’s top receiver, Quintez Cephus,

who has 504 to his name.

Purdue’s offense relies on the passing game much more than the Badgers’, who can rely on Jonathan Taylor and the running game to push the ball down the field.

Purdue’s entire rushing staff is 500 yards short of Taylor’s amount thus far this season.

Purdue’s running game has been so bad, in fact, the Badgers boast two backs with as many yards.

With Purdue’s reliance on getting into the red zone through the air, Bell and the rest of their receiving corps have had to carry the team’s offense so far in their 4-6 season, and will likely have to continue asserting themselves against UW this weekend.

Matchup to Watch

Purdue edge rushers Barnes, Karlaftis in for big days unless Wisconsin’s offensive line can step up to plate

By Nathan Denzin THE DAILY CARDINAL

Purdue is facing an uphill battle against the Badgers this Saturday, but if it can get huge games out of its key edge rushers, Wisconsin may be given a run for its money.

Junior Derrick Barnes and freshman George Karlaftis are Purdue’s starting defensive ends, and also the Boilermakers leaders in sacks and tackles for

loss for the defense.

Barnes has six tackles for a loss along with four sacks, while Karlaftis has shocked just about everyone in the Big Ten with 14.5 (!) tackles for a loss and 6 sacks.

The more chaos Purdue’s ends can create, the better the game will go for the Boilermakers, as Wisconsin has not shown it can handle that pressure well this year.

The combo have nearly half of Purdue’s total TFL’s and more than half of the teams 17 sacks throughout the year.

With that much pressure coming from the edges, Wisconsin’s offensive tackles junior Cole Van Lannen and sophomore Logan Bruss will have their hands full all afternoon long.

Purdue’s combo of edge rushers will be focused first on

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Cole Van Lannen has been one of the Badger’s best O-lineman for each of the previous two seasons.

stopping Badger running back Jonathan Taylor.

Wisconsin has struggled in games where the offensive line hasn’t been able to generate holes for Taylor — in games where Taylor has fewer than 100 yards the Badgers are just 4-4 since his debut in 2017.

Additionally, quarterback Jack Coan has yet to prove that he can put the team on his back when Taylor can’t get going as evidenced in the Illinois and Ohio State game this year.

If Barnes and Karlaftis can stymie Taylor, Purdue’s chances of winning will shoot up dramatically.

The duo’s second goal will be to actually get to Coan, instead of just trying to contain him.

Coan has only been sacked 17 times through the first 10 games for Wisconsin, but five of those sacks came in a loss against Ohio State.

Van Lannen had a particularly tough time against the Buckeyes, giving up five sacks to Chase Young (though he may not be a fair comparison to Karlaftis or Barnes).

However, Karlaftis had

his best game of the year at No. 12 Penn State, the best competition Purdue has faced all season.

If competition drives him, this game against the Badgers will bring out the best in his play as Wisconsin still boasts the top defense in the Big Ten. Similarly, Barnes’ best game came against the Iowa Hawkeyes, not exactly a weak team.

But, the Badgers haven’t given up much to edge rushers not named Chase Young this season, and there’s no reason to believe the tackles won’t be up to the challenge.

Purdue should be a cakewalk for Wisconsin, the Boilermakers offensive and defensive talent just doesn’t match up to the Badger.

However, if the running game can’t get going and Coan is under pressure all afternoon, it could get ugly for Wisconsin.

If the line can step up and take on the two rushers from Purdue, then Wisconsin’s job gets much easier.

Run the ball down Purdue’s throat, play-action pass when necessary, and win.

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Big Ten Outlook

Minnesota’s loss opens up Big Ten West, middle-of-the-pack teams look to become bowl eligible at end of year

By Jared Schwartz THE DAILY CARDINAL

Minnesota’s undefeated season ended just as they crossed the biggest obstacle to playing at Lucas Oil Stadium in December for the Big Ten Championship.

In perhaps the highest-stakes Big Ten matchup this season, Minnesota beat then-undefeated Penn State 31-26 in Week 11. With just Iowa and bottom-dwelling Northwestern left to play before the annual rivalry game against Wisconsin, the Gophers could have clinched the Big Ten West title before they faced the Badgers.

After handing Iowa a 24-22 loss a week prior, Wisconsin supporters became Hawkeye fans to keep their Big Ten West hopes alive.

They delivered.

Nate Stanley threw two touchdown passes to help No. 23 Iowa beat No. 7 Minnesota 23-19 for its first win over a ranked opponent this season. The Hawkeyes struck early, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions, and withstood a late Gophers comeback to hand Minnesota its ninth straight loss at Kinnick Stadium.

After No. 14 Wisconsin beat Nebraska 37-21 on the back of Jonathan Taylor’s 204 rushing yards and two touchdowns to claim the Freedom Trophy, the Badgers and Gophers matchup will likely be a play-in game for the Big Ten West title. After winning

14 in a row against Minnesota, Wisconsin fell in last year’s edition 37-15 after Alex Hornibrook threw three interceptions.

With both sides vying for a date for a trip to Indianapolis, this year’s battle for Paul Bunyan’s axe perhaps carries the higheststakes of the last decade in this historic rivalry.

In the East, Ohio State stayed perfect with a 56-21 win over Rutgers. Rutgers, who came in as 52-point underdogs, covered, which perhaps represents their biggest accomplishment to date this season.

Penn State recovered from their loss to Minnesota with a 34-27 win over the overachieving Indiana Hoosiers. Standing at 9-1, and 6-1 in the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions face Ohio State in Columbus for a chance to take back control of the Big Ten East.

The Buckeyes have cruised all season, but the Nittany Lions can shake things up dramatically in both the conference and in the College Football Playoff with an upset at Ohio Stadium.

Outside of the race for the Big Ten Championship, the race to bowl eligibility looms over several middle-of-the-pack Big Ten sides.

Nebraska, in the second year under head coach Scott Frost, has lost four straight and five of their last six. On top of that, they’ve dropped 10 in a row against Top

25 opponents.

Standing at 4-6, and 2-5 in the Big Ten, the Cornhuskers have matchups at Maryland and home against Iowa to get back to .500 for the year and become bowl eligible Indiana, who has not played postseason football since they lost to Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl in 2016, stand at 7-3 on the season and 4-3 in the conference. After taking care of business against the Big Ten bottom-dwellers, the Hoosiers are in line to play in a bowl game.

Michigan State and Purdue both stand at 4-6 for the season, needing to win their last two games to become bowl eligible.

Recently declaring he expects to be back as coach next season, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio is perhaps coaching for his job as he needs to beat Rutgers and Maryland in order to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2016.

Sparked by their 30.5-point upset over Wisconsin, Illinois has won three straight, perhaps saving coach Lovie Smith’s job. In the process, the Illini became bowl eligible, standing at 6-4 on the season and 4-3 in the Big Ten. Michigan and Iowa have both clinched bowl eligibility, but an invitation to the Rose Bowl could be on the line during the last two weeks of the regular season.

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Aron Cruickshank returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown in UW’s win over Nebraska, helping the Badgers secure the Freedom Trophy.

Big Ten West Outlook

Wisconsin-Minnesota matchup more than revenge game, will likely determine Big Ten West champions

By Dexter McCann THE DAILY CARDINAL

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the Badgers have one team in particular to be thankful for as regular season closes: the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Following No. 8 Minnesota’s (6-1 Big Ten, 9-1 overall) stunning victory over the then No.4 Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1 Big Ten, 9-1 overall), the Gophers had a chance to all but lock up a trip to Indianapolis as Big Ten West champions with a win at Iowa last Saturday.

But, as the legend goes — nine wins come into Kinnick Stadium in November, and nine wins will come out.

Playing under the lights, the No. 20 Hawkeyes played the role of spoiler as they have many times in years past, opening up a 20-3 lead over Minnesota behind inspired running from freshman Tyler Goodson, who finished with 94 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

Minnesota clawed back in

the second half, cutting the Hawkeye lead to 23-19 after a one yard touchdown carry from Rodney Smith.

However, Gopher kicker Brock Walker hooked his extra point try to the right, and with his miss Minnesota’s momentum seemed to evaporate. The Gophers got the ball back twice with chances to win, but never threatened again, even despite a heroic performance from quarterback Tanner Morgan, who finished completing 25 of 36 passes for 368 yards.

The Gopher loss was welcome news to No. 14 Wisconsin (5-2 Big Ten, 8-2 overall), who have now reclaimed their Big Ten West fate. The route is now very simple. Win out, and the Badgers will represent the division in the Big Ten Championship in December, likely setting up a rematch against No. 2 Ohio State (7-0 Big Ten, 10-0 overall).

Standing in Wisconsin’s way are their bitter rivals to the west. Minnesota, who opened

the season 9-0 for the first time since 1904, have their sights set on a Big Ten West crown as well.

The Gophers playoff hopes might have come to an end in Iowa City, but a trip to Indianapolis, and potentially the Rose Bowl, are still very real possibilities for head coach P.J. Fleck’s group.

Like Wisconsin, Minnesota simply has to win its remaining games to become Big Ten West champions for the first time in the history of the current league format.

Both Minnesota and Wisconsin are heavy favorites this Saturday, with the Badgers favored by 23 points at home against Purdue and the Gophers favored by 12 on the road at Northwestern. Should both teams handle their business, the two will play each other in a de-facto Big Ten West Championship game, which would be one of the biggest axe games in recent memory.

Memories of Minnesota’s

37-15 beatdown of Wisconsin are fresh in every Badger fans mind, and the team will certainly be intent on revenge when they travel to Minneapolis on Nov. 30, regardless of Big Ten West implications.

If both teams win this Saturday, however, the hype and tension will reach levels this rivalry hasn’t seen since 2014, when the situation was uncannily similar.

The 2014 iteration of the axe rivalry was also a de-facto Big Ten West Championship game, and it ended up being the final regular season Big Ten game for legendary Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon.

Starting to see the similarities between the two?

Gordon ran wild on the Gopher defense that day, recording 151 yards on 29 carries as Wisconsin clinched a spot in the Big Ten title game.

Minnesota opened up a 20-3 lead, but behind efficient play from quarterback Joel Stave and a career day from receiv-

er Alex Erickson, the Badgers stormed back to win 34-24.

The Gophers will attempt to flip the script next week in Minneapolis, but they’ll have to find a way to stop running back Jonathan Taylor on offense and linebacker Zach Baun on defense, in what will in all likelihood be the final axe game for both.

The Gophers had an abysmal time trying to scheme against Iowa edge rusher AJ Epsena, and the Badgers can only hope Baun will have a similar impact next Saturday.

In terms of pure drama, it doesn’t get much better than the next two weeks of Big Ten West Football. The stage is all but set for a Minnesota - Wisconsin Big Ten West Championship game, a chance for the Badgers to vindicate the embarrassing loss to the Gophers last season.

On top of that, The Badgers can set up a rematch with Ohio State, who already embarassed them 38-7 in Columbus earlier this season.

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Snapper’s Row: A year in photos

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The Badgers defense and Bradrick Shaw celebrate during their big win against Michigan.

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The field goal unit attempts kicks during warm ups early in the season.

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Zach Baun takes down Kent State quarterback Dustin Crum in Wisconsin’s blowout victory.

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Garrett Groshek has been the Badgers’ versatile weapon out of the backfield.

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The Badgers offensive line dominated against Kent State, while running back Jonathan Taylor scored five total touchdowns and accumulated 215 total yards on the afternoon.

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Jonathan Taylor had a career day against Kent State, getting pulled early in the third quarter.

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Danny Davis III and Aron Cruickshank take a photo to last a lifetime on the field.

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3 Keys to the Game

Badgers look to limit turnovers, stop Purdue offensive aerial attack l

By Michael Gillow

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Strike Early

Stop the run

The Boilermakers are heavy underdogs in this game, but striking early gives them their best chance to win.

If they can put the Badgers in a hole early, it might force Jack Coan to beat them through the air even if the Boilermakers can’t entirely stop Jonathan Taylor and the run.

The Badgers are a much worse team when they’re playing from behind, and it could force them into mistakes.

If Purdue jumps out to an early lead, it might quiet down the crowd at Camp Randall as well, which is a huge homefield advantage for Wisconsin not to have in a big game.

If the Boilermakers allow themselves to go down big early, the game will be over quickly.

However, scoring early will allow them to build momentum, and stay within striking distance to capitalize on a mistake from the Badgers.

Purdue ultimately should look to set the tone in the first quarter, or else the game might get ugly.

As we all know, the blueprint for beating the Badgers is to limit their running game, particularly Jonathan Taylor.

If you can stop Jonathan Taylor, you can force Jack Coan to beat you through the air, which he hasn’t shown he can do consistently.

In Wisconsin’s loss to Ohio State, the team ran for under 100 yards, and Taylor averaged under three yardsper-carry.

In Wisconsin’s loss to Illinois, Taylor averaged under five yards-per-carry, which is better, but still significantly less than his season average.

Purdue has one of the worst rush defenses in the Big Ten, but George Karlaftis is tied for most tackles for loss in the Big Ten with 13.

If he can consistently get into the Badger backfield, the Boilermakers might be able to considerably slow down Jonathan Taylor and Badgers run game.

1 Get after the quarterback The Badgers started off the year with a historically great defense, but haven’t been able to maintain it throughout the season. However, the pass-rush has not been at fault.

Wisconsin has two passrushers that have nearly 20 combined sacks, with Chris Orr at 10 and Zach Baun at nine and a half.

Wisconsin is also second in the Big Ten in total sacks with 37, and that number should go up against Purdue, as they’ve given up at least two sacks in each of their last three games.

Purdue is a pass-heavy team, so getting heavy pressure on Aidan O’Connell could derail the Boilermakers’ offense. The Badgers could take advantage of O’Connell’s inexperience by forcing him into bad decisions, the new starter threw two picks last week against a far inferior Northwestern defense.

It is unlikely Purdue will have a running game to rely on if the Badgers’ pass rush disrupts their passing attack, so a priority needs to be put on getting pressure all day long.

2 Help their quarterback Aidan O’Connell will make only his second career start, after first-string quarterback Jake Plummer broke his right ankle and second-string quarterback Elijah Sindelar broke his left collarbone.

While O’Connell won his first start, he only averaged a measly 5.7 yards-per-attempt, significantly lower than either Plummer or Sindelar were averaging.

Purdue relies heavily on their passing game, attempting the most passes in the Big Ten. So in order for O’Connell to have a good game, they must make avoid third-and-long plays and give him a clean pocket. If they do that, it can allow O’Connell to feed the ball to David Bell, who is leading the Big Ten in receptions with 65.

3 2 Limit turnovers Wisconsin has not been a particularly turnover prone team this season, but turning the ball over can be a crucial factor when underdogs upset top teams.

When Wisconsin has lost, they’ve turned the ball over two and three times respectively.

Jack Coan has only thrown three interceptions all year, one of them coming against Ohio State in a loss. Jonathan Taylor has cut down on his fumbles every year he’s been at Wisconsin, but the team has fumbled 10 times this year, and three of them came against Illinois in the huge upset loss.

Taylor himself coughed the ball up at the end of the game to put the final dagger in the Badgers.

If the Badgers want to maintain a steady lead throughout the game, they can’t afford to turn the ball over and let Purdue back in it. Their three turnovers cost them the game at Illinois, so there should be extra focus on ball security against Purdue.

Control the clock Wisconsin’s identity has always been to run the ball and control the clock.

Wisconsin is leading the Big Ten in time of possession, averaging over 36 minutes a game. By leaning on its workhorse Jonathan Taylor, who is second in the nation in rushing yards, the Badgers allow their defense to be fresh when they step out on the field, and wear out the other team’s defense.

If Wisconsin can run the ball effectively, and maintain long drives, it’ll force Purdue to be even more one-dimensional than they typically are.

Purdue will have to put up points in a hurry, and if they can’t, the game could get out of hand.

When you’re dominating the time of possession, it typically means that you have the lead at the point in the game.

Since it’s the last home game for the Badgers, if they’re able to maintain a lead, they can feed off the energy of the crowd at Camp Randall and ride to a win.

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The Big Ten has become a four-horse race these past weeks, with the Big Ten cannibalizing itself, Wisconsin has room to move up in polls.

B1G Power Rankings

By Nathan Denzin, Jared Schwartz and Bremen Keasey THE DAILEY CARDINAL

1. Ohio State Buckeyes This is no fun to write.

Ohio State is really good, and nobody has an answer for them, they damn well may find themselves with the championship trophy come January. The NCAA sucks for suspending Chase Young though.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions We begrudgingly put Penn State here because there is a strong feeling in the Daily Cardinal office that Penn State is a fake team.

But if their only loss is to Minnesota we can’t justify putting them any lower.

3. Wisconsin Badgers Time to get our hopes up everyone. It could happen. We could still make the Playoff.

But I’m here to tell you we should just hope to make the Rose Bowl, and be happy we have a generational quarterback in the pipes for future years.

4. Minnesota Golden Gophers Did you know gophers rarely find themselves above ground?

Weird little dirt freaks.

5. Michigan Wolverines The Wolverines aren’t as much of a dumpster fire than we thought at the beginning of the year, but that doesn’t mean they’re great.

The game against Ohio State is going to get hyped up, and flop even harder than the Badger game did earlier this season while the Buckeyes walk to another perfect regular season.

6. Iowa Hawkeyes I have many words to say about the Hawkeyes and Kirk Ferentz and they’re all positive right now.

If you look up “heroic” in a thesaurus, you’ll see most of them. Valiant as Achilles.

Greatest of them all. Thanks for beating Minnesota.

7. Indiana Hoosiers The Hoosiers really in some ways should’ve beaten Penn

State according to some fancy stats but in the end fell short.

Still, they can be on the path for a #9WINDIANA season which must be exciting. They don’t have much going normally in that state.

8. Illinois Fighting Illini ADJUST PEOPLE! The Illini beat Wisconsin in what was supposed to be a shock.

Now they’re bowl eligible.

This means it’s quality loss for the Badgers. Pay attention Playoff Committee!!!

9. Purdue Boilermakers Without their heroic super star Rondale Moore, Purdue is on a two-game win streak.

That’s exciting!

Turn that season around!

But don’t do it against Wisconsin please.

10. Nebraska Cornhuskers Happy Scott Frost Day!!!

Not only did you give your head coach who went 4-8 last season an extension before last Saturday’s game against the Badgers, but you also lost that same day. That means you still only have four wins! Yay?!

11. Michigan State Spartans The Spartans led after a quarter of play, but Mark Dantonio’s men look defeated after a 44-10 loss to rival Michigan. Standing at 4-6, and mired in a five-game losing streak, Dantonio is perhaps coaching for his job the rest of the way.

12. Maryland Terrapins The Terrapins enjoyed a bye week. After losing by a combined score of 163-31 the previous three weeks, they needed a break.

13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Only lost by 35 to Ohio State after entering as 52-point underdogs. That’s a win in their book.

14. Northwestern Wildcats Beat UMass 45-6, but somehow made it look ugly. The Wildcats are still fighting for their first win in the Big Ten.

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Rosters

Wisconsin Badgers 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 32 32 34 36 36 37 38 39 39 41

Cruickshank, Aron Hicks, Faion Pearson, Reggie Wolf, Chase Pryor, Kendric Burton, Donte Taylor, A.J. Mertz, Graham Wildgoose, Rachad Davis III, Danny Engram, Dean Lytle, Spencer Shaw, Bradrick Harrell, Deron Nelson, Scott Currens, Seth Bracey, Stephan Smith, Alexander Toler, Titus Gregoire, Mike DiBenedetto, Jordan Lotti, Anthony Vanden Boom, Danny Dunn, Jack Coan, Jack Phillips, Cam Wilder, Collin Larsh, Collin Torchio, John Guerendo, Isaac Melvin, Semar Nelson, Cooper Williams, Caesar Green. Cade Heyroth, Jacob Taylor, Jonathan Krumholz, Adam Williams, James Burrell, Eric Watson, Nakia Blaylock, Travian Volpentesta, Christian Easterling, Quan Wilcox, Blake Kollath, Jackson Schipper, Brady Mais, Tyler Wanner, Coy Cone, Madison Davis, Julius Strey, Marty Stokke, Mason Johnson, Hunter Knaak, Kobe Groshek, Garrett Caputo, Dante Grass, Tatum Hintze, Zach Burls, Noah

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

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

161 185 197 196 180 180 200 215 197 194 164 223 216 182 204 224 172 182 192 171 190 187 207 174 221 176 194 184 205 213 166 187 188 185 218 219 193 182 195 229 200 185 238 228 252 206 196 236 182 189 219 239 220 189 220 181 222 190 240

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41 42 43 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 51 52 52 54 55 56 56 57 57 58 59 59 60 61 62 63 65 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 74 75 76 77 78 81 82 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Eschenbach, Jack Franklin, Jaylan Rucci, Hayden Chenal, John Chenal. Leo Lloyd, Gabe Tiedt, Hegeman Cundiff, Clay Wiltjer, Travis Bell, Christian Brown, Logan Green-May, Izayah Bay, Adam Paez, Gio Bernhagen, Josh Pfaff, David Orr, Chris Njongmeta, Maema Baun, Zack Johnson, Rodas Balistreri, Michael Sanborn, Jack Maskalunas, Mike Johnson, Tyler Lyons, Andrew Bruss, Logan Biadasz, Tyler O’Brien, Logan Bowden, Peter Beach, Tyler Sampson, Cormac Moorman, David Vopal. Aaron Seltzner, Josh Van Lanen, Cole Fenton, Alex Furtney, Michael Roberge, Gunnar Tippmann, Joe Lyles, Kayden Smithback, Blake Erdmann, Jason Mustapha, Taj Perry, Emmet Ferguson, Jake Neuville, Zander Benzschawel, Luke Cephus, Quintez Abbott, A.J. Allen, Connor Williams, Bryson Henningsen, Matt Rand. Garrett Dietzen, Boyd Benton, Keeanu Schlichting, Conor Loudermilk, Isaiahh Goetz, C.J. Mullens, Isaiah

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

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

224 222 250 252 250 231 243 251 225 249 311 221 229 305 241 288 224 220 235 293 288 232 231 241 311 310 321 265 217 309 280 307 312 327 312 308 307 292 312 321 305 328 190 186 246 252 276 207 192 168 300 286 279 264 315 222 293 241 283

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Mackey, Dedrick Major, Kenneth Sindelar, Elijah Bell, David Moore, Rondale Hewitt, Da’Joun Karlaftis, George Graham, Jalen Rucker, Jordan Sipe, Nick Sheffield, TJ Watts, Anthony Neal, Lorenzo Rice, Mershawn Anderson, Amad Jr. Smith, Kadin Hunter, Dontay II Sparks, Jared Hamilton, Tyler Plummer, Jack Carollo, Danny Taylor, Kory O’Connell, Aidan Perkins, Byron Wright, Milton Allen, Cam Piferi, Paul Cormier, Brooks Armour, Alfred Bailey, Markus Bonner, Jordan Doerue, King Trice, Cory Beverly, Niles Fuller, Tario Grant, Marvin Long, Crishawn Mosley, Navon Collins, Zac Smiley, Simeon Royal, Brooks Zecchino, Nick Ball, Elijah Anthrop, Jackson Williams, Jonah Worship, Richie Smith, Jack Alexander, Jaylan Van Eekeren, Chris Wahlberg, Jacob Thieneman, Brennan Randall, Zach Horvath, Zander Nichols, Ashton

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

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

185 195 225 210 180 205 265 215 195 215 180 300 315 205 175 210 260 210 175 220 210 205 210 190 195 190 220 215 235 240 200 210 215 195 200 205 210 200 195 205 200 190 210 190 240 250 225 235 205 230 210 230 230 195

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42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 55 56 57 58 58 59 59 61 65 66 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Day, David Douglas, Kieran Holt, Ben Hubbard, Byron II Jones, Cornel Marks, Jeff Bilodeau, Kyle Greene, Zane Kpaka, Sulaiman Brown, Bryce Lane, Willie Barnes, Derrick Beach, Victor Chapman, Will Deen, Branson McKenna, Jimmy Monnot, Dave III Stokes, KJ Flaherty, Ryan Roland, Marc Criddle, Alex Craig, Cam Bramel, Will Loebig, Sam Garvin, Sam Jornigan, Kyle Miller, Eric Holstege, Spencer Stickford, Mark Washington, DJ Hermanns, Grant McCann, Matt Childers, Camdyn Saunders, Khali Summers, Grant Dotson, Malcolm Ellison, Noah Dellinger, J.D. MacDonald, Hunter Durham, Payne Miller, Garrett Hopkins, Brycen Johnson, Lawrence Reviere, Giovanni Faucheux, Steven McWilliams, Robert III Cravaack, Jack Schott, August Fakasiieiki, Semisi Higgins, Kai Sullivan, Jack

CB LB LB LB LB DL TE S DE OL DE DE OL LB DL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR LB WR WR WR K LS TE TE TE DL DE DT DE DE LS DE DE DL

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

190 220 225 205 235 270 245 200 255 280 265 245 305 215 265 300 285 275 285 295 305 290 295 300 295 320 295 295 295 295 295 305 195 230 180 200 190 195 230 255 250 245 300 270 285 230 250 245 250 260 270

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Game Information Kickoff: 3:00 p.m.

Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI TV: BTN Radio: Badger Sports Network

WILL FELLMEN/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin looks to carry their momentum from Nebraska into the game against Purdue.

gameday 8

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Wisconsin vs. Purdue

dailycardinal.com

What We Learned

Overreactability: Broadcasters need to have a heart, well-wishes to Tagovailoa

By Bremen Keasey THE DAILY CARDINAL

Editor’s note: College football is nothing without its fans, and its fans are nothing without their passion. In an attempt to capture that unique intensity and Overreactability, we’ve asked washed-up sports editor and Southerner Bremen Keasey to give us a weekly breakdown of college football happenings around the country like only a true fan could.

We’re getting into the stressful part of college football season and things are getting truly chaotic for some teams.

Despite a lack of huge upsets, there were some topsy-turvy things that happened this week that may change how the season turns out. Let’s recap.

Thank you Kirk Ferentz After an inexplicable loss to Illinois which I still refuse to talk about, and a more explicable loss against Ohio State that still sucked, the Badgers looked dead in the water in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, our hated rivals and boat rowers Minnesota Golden Gophers were perfect, and shocked Penn State last weekend to vault up the polls into the number 8 spot. If Minnesota won two of their last three games, they would sew up a berth in the Big Ten title game.

Then they went to Kinnick Stadium, big mistake.

The mighty, glorious, wonderful, heroic Iowa Hawkeyes upset Minnesota in Iowa City 23-19 to give the Gophers their first loss of the year, and more importantly, give Wisconsin a path back into the Big Ten title game.

How did Iowa beat Minnesota?

Well they got off to a quick start, going up 20-3 late in the second quarter, and then they kind of just let time run out.

See that’s the glorious thing about their head coach Kirk Ferentz. He doesn’t care about needing to score a lot. He just let Minnesota try while Iowa’s defense put a stop to a lot of their tries. The Gophers had over 400 yards of offense, while Iowa only had 290. Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan was allowed to pass for 368 yards. It didn’t mat-

VIA TUA TAGOVAILOA TWITTER

ter! The Hawkeyes weren’t gonna let Minnesota come back.

Kinnick Stadium is a graveyard for Big Ten teams with a lot of hopes. Especially at night. Iowa is exceptionally good at beating visiting top ten teams in recent seasons, knocking off No. 3 Michigan in 2016, throttling No. 3 Ohio State in 2017 and now handing No. 8 Minnesota their first loss this season.

Mostly though, I want to thank Iowa for letting Wisconsin back into the title chase. Minnesota plays Northwestern next week while Wisconsin plays Purdue. If both teams win, it sets up the ultimate showdown for the Axe and a Big Ten West title.

That’s kinda fun.

Sooners complete comeback against Baylor Everything was going so well for Baylor.

Another undefeated team that had really not played anyone, the No. 12 Bears hosted College Gameday and the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners as they looked to make an impression to the college football world.

And boy did they.

The Bears stormed off to a 28-3 lead with 11:02 to go in the second quarter and it looked like all they’d do is add to it.

The normally steady OU quarterback Jalen Hurts had three turnovers, and two of them lead to quick touchdowns by

Baylor as the crowd was getting amped up in Waco. Their lead was cut to 31-10 at the half, but the Bears were in control.

And then they weren’t.

Suddenly, the tide flipped and it was Oklahoma who had the game by the scruff of its neck. By the time that Oklahoma stormed all the way back against the Bears with a kick from freshman Gabe Brkic to go up 34-31, Baylor had run 10 plays all half.

Ten measly plays.

Hurts turned it around and tossed four touchdowns despite his top wide receiver CeeDee Lamb sitting on the bench with an injury. Running back Kennedy Brooks also started to gash Baylor’s defense, picking up 93 big rushing yards.

A game-sealing interception from Nik Bonitto allowed the Sooners to breathe a sigh of relief after their disaster of a first half. Meanwhile, the Baylor Bears and head coach Matt Ruhle were left wondering what went wrong in that second half.

UGA survives Auburn trying to Auburn In another edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs held off the No. 12 Auburn Tigers 21-14.

That’s about all I could say without going to the boxscore and other recap articles because I ended up falling asleep during this game.

Of course, a sleepy pace is exactly what Georgia head coach Kirby Smart wants in his offense.

251 total yards on offense was the exact amount required

by UGA, and despite only throwing for 110 yards, just 3.9 yards per attempt, but quarterback Jake Fromm tossed all three touchdowns in the win.

Luckily for me, I woke up in the fourth quarter, when it looked like something was finally going to happen in the game.

Auburn also woke up in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points in three minutes and making Dawgs fans start to sweat as Tiger fans on The Plains finally had something to cheer for.

But in the end, in a game where both teams combined for 18 punts, it seemed fitting that it once again ended in some pitiful offensive displays that almost put me back to sleep. Quarterback Bo Nix couldn’t pull a final bit of magic out of his butt and UGA clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game.

At least we know likely opponents LSU can bring some offense to Atlanta.

Injuries suck. Who cares about the Playoff ?

The Crimson Tide shook off the loss to LSU last week with a 38-7 victory on the road against Mississippi State. That could be the end of the story and everyone could just move on with their lives.

However, Bama’s star quar-

terback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury in the last couple of minutes in the first half that saw him carted off the field.

Doctors eventually diagnosed Tagovailoa with a dislocated hip, which will put him out for the season and send him down a long road to recovery for the potential first round pick.

Obviously at this point, the announcers of other games across the country were just expressing condolences and hoping that this wonderful brilliant athlete could have a speedy recovery, especially considering his high draft stock and the way he captivated almost everyone who watches college football.

Uh……..no.

Instead, so much of the commentary surrounding the injured Tagovailoa was about what this would mean for the Crimson Tide in the playoff rankings. Hell, CBS analyst Gary Danielson already started saying that maybe the Playoff Committee will end up bumping Alabama into the final four if they beat Auburn with a backup because blah blah blah blah blah.

Sure, that kind of thing will matter to Alabama in the end.

They are a football team that prides itself on winning national titles, they want to be in the Playoff conversation no doubt.

But think of what it tells players that the “grownups” calling their games don’t care about their well-being first and foremost. As soon as they go down with an injury — even if it’s one of the greatest college football players of all time in Tua — all that matters is how it affects the playoff race.

I can’t pretend when I saw the news that I started thinking about various playoff machinations and implications of his injury. But the first thing I thought was “God. That sucks.

I hope he gets healthy soon.”

I guess I’m just asking to show some compassion and sympathy before wondering how it will affect the NFL Draft class in 2020. Because we’re not just talking about a football player, we’re talking about a human.

Get well soon Tua.

Heisman Watch

Historic numbers, improved catching: Taylor for Heisman

By Alexis Shavitz THE DAILY CARDINAL

Jonathan Taylor is in the running for the Heisman Trophy, and he clearly deserves it. He is the face of the Wisconsin Badgers football team, after all.

Taylor is currently fourth on the University of Wisconsin’s all time single season rushing leaders, and has led the Badgers to many of their wins thus far this season.

So far in 2019-’20, Taylor leads the nation with the most total rushing yards, and in total touchdowns with 16.

He also has improved on his much-lauded pass-catching in the last year, trailing only Garret Groshenk in running back catches.

Taylor is said to be the best running back in the upcoming NFL draft class.

A prime example of why Taylor deserves this award is because of his unbelievable game

against the Kent State Golden Flashes in JUST the first half.

He had 17 carries for 126 yards, three rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown through the first 30 minutes.

Taylor is predicted to reach nearly 1,800 total rushing yards by the end of the season, and could also could record 29 touchdowns or more.

“Taylor is far too humble to make the case for winning the Heisman himself. But the

rest of the world isn’t,” said 247sports of Taylor.

Heisman voters are not forgetting about Jonathan Taylor, especially if he can dominate in the final two games of the Badgers season.

Currently, Taylor is listed with a pack of quarterbacks having huge seasons, and he’s lagging behind them by a fair amount. But because of the massive amount of carries and yards Taylor has racked

up, he’s still in the race with quarterbacks like Joe Burrow.

Taylor has various qualities that set him apart from every other running back in college football. He is big, fast, and sees the field with great vision. He pretty much does everything, and he does it great.

Jonathan Taylor most definitely deserves the Heisman Trophy, and come December, hopefully he gets an invite to New York.