The Badgers got a major 52-6 victory over the weekend against Purdue
The Wisconsin Badgers pulled off a massive 52-6 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, improving to 3-2 on the season and notching their first conference win of the year.
It was a much-needed victory for Wisconsin, as noted by the coaches, as the Badgers had come off back-to-back double-digit losses against top 15 opponents, and were searching for some momentum to get them back on track.
They found that in a blowout win over Purdue, where the Badgers dominated all three facets of the game in their best performance of the year.
With the win fresh on our minds, let’s get to this week’s roundtable.
What does the win change about your perspective of the Badgers?
Rohan: While the blowout win came against arguably the worst team in the Big Ten, this performance told me a few things about Wisconsin that changed my mind. They battled through adversity in this one, dealing with a pair of turnovers, and found a way to come out stronger, which hadn’t been the case thus far this season. More importantly, quarterback Braedyn Locke had the best half of his career, showing true progress with his decision-making and a glimpse of what the future could look like for him.
Wisconsin still has a ways to go to prove themselves, but this win showed the highest of the highs, as well as what a sound gameplan from offensive coordinator Phil Longo and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel looked like when executed at a high level.
Scary: While I think it’s folly to give too much credence to a big win over a bad team, the fact is the Badgers proved they could dominate a game, and that’s worth something. As putrid as Purdue is, they still present at least as stout a challenge as Western Michigan did, and by boat racing them, Wisconsin checked a box that teams need to check (but they hadn’t previously), namely outclassing a lesser opponent.
Unfortunately, there are no teams left on the 2024 slate as bad as the Boilermakers, but this doesn’t mean the guys (and fans) shouldn’t savor what happened at Camp Randall on Saturday. It was a truly enjoyable afternoon in the sun.
Connor: This win doesn’t necessarily change my perspective as much as it reaffirms it. This Wisconsin Badgers team is extremely talented and has the ability to compete as well as score a lot. It was clear today that they can put points up on the board and also take care of business on the defensive side of the ball.
One thing that did impress me was how prepared Wisconsin looked. Despite suffering injuries to both of their top wide receivers, they still found a way to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers (Trech Kekahuna and Vinny Anthony) and make a lot of noise. It was an impressive showing from the entire coaching staff, which is a great thing to see in conference games.
Thoughts on Locke’s performance?
Rohan: I thought it was a tale of two halves for Locke. The early portion of the first half was alarming, as almost everything was going right for the Badgers except for their quarterback play. Locke made a few poor decisions, which were capped off by his second interception. But, he had an amazing second half that really opened my eyes, as it was definitely the best football he’s played at Wisconsin.
The second drive of the second half was especially beautiful, as Locke put together good decision after good decision, hanging in the pocket to make a number of throws before checking out of a run play into what ended up being a slot fade touchdown to Trech Kekahuna where he eyed off the single-high safety before making a nice throw.
There’s obviously room for improvement from his first half, but going 15/18 for 279 yards and two touchdowns after the interceptions is pretty dang impressive.
Scary: It was a mostly positive day for Locke. I’ll start with the good. He showed that he could settle into a groove and also made some throws that were legit Big Ten starter-type tosses. Additionally, he was able to exploit matchups to the Badgers’ advantage—namely Trech Kekahuna’s. Finally, he shook off two early picks and played a mostly clean game afterward. Those were all encouraging signs for a guy who needed a confidence boost.
On the flip side, his decision-making was still suspect at times and his feet looked a bit happier than they should. He’s going to have to keep improving if the Badgers’ offense is going to succeed the rest of the way. But there were definitely some green chutes from the sidewalk cracks here, and it’s hard to imagine Locke’s confidence isn’t higher now than it was heading into the game.
Connor: Braedyn Locke’s first half left a lot to be desired. He had a very solid touchdown pass to Vinny Anthony to put the Badgers up 14-0. However, he also had two costly interceptions which set up the Boilermakers in position to score. Luckily, the defense limited the possible damage and held Purdue to a field goal on both drives.
In the second half, Braedyn Locke looked incredible. I want to highlight two of those throws. His pass to CJ Williams on the right side of the field was a great read and proved that he is feeling more confident and collected in the pocket. The second throw was his touchdown pass to Trech Kekahuna, which we later found out was an audible from Locke. Those two plays prove to me at least that he has found his rhythm as the Badgers starter and gives them a chance to win a good amount of games down the stretch and keep the bowl streak alive.
One takeaway from the game
Rohan: This future is bright. Saturday showed why it’s important to be patient when undergoing a “rebuild” and why Luke Fickell was hired as the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.
The blowout allowed Wisconsin to get snaps for a number of their younger players, and a lot of them shined when given their opportunities. Offensively, true freshmen running backs Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones both had their moments, making explosive plays through the air and on the ground. Additionally, Kevin Heywood was thrown in at left tackle, playing 35 snaps after Jack Nelson suffered an injury, and held his own for the most part in his first extensive action.
Defensively, Xavier Lucas led the way at cornerback for Wisconsin, earning 28 snaps, which was the most of any player at the position. And overall, there was a significant number of true freshman who finally got their chance to suit up on the field, showcasing an early outlook of the future.
Scary: The kids are alright. With the departure of Chez Mellusi and injuries to Bryson Green and Will Pauling, this game provided an opportunity for more meaningful reps than usual for several young Badgers on offense. And a few definitely answered the bell. Kekahuna was sublime, and there were some very nice moments from Vinny Anthony (but hold onto those kicks, please), Dilin Jones, and Darrion Dupree.
Yes, this was a suspect Purdue defense, but these kids all looked like they belong and will hopefully be a robust part of the Badgers’ game plan moving forward because they’re all uniquely talented. On defense, there were some nice moments from Christian Allegrio, Tackett Curtis, and Xavier Lucas. It’s hard not to be excited about the upside of Wisconsin’s young guys moving forward.
Connor: The biggest and most important takeaway from this game to me was the strength of the running back room. It is really unfortunate that Chez Mellusi had to step away due to injuries, but it was clear from the start that Mellusi was not playing as well as he had in the past. He clearly wasn’t playing with as much explosiveness as before and definitely is feeling the impact of countless injuries.
Mellusi’s break from the program is mutually beneficial for both sides considering he can continue to rehab while giving the other Badgers running backs like Tawee Walker, Darrion Dupree, and Dilin Jones the opportunity to shine and contribute to the team.
Walker was especially key today because he did a great job scoring in the red zone which was one of Wisconsin’s biggest issues in the past two seasons. He had two 10+ yard runs for a touchdown when in the red zone, and was a clear difference maker in this game.