Where have all the linemen gone?
Coming into the season, the Wisconsin D-line looked to use depth to overcome its inexperience. However, going into last weekend's matchup with Minnesota, the Badger defensive line was already suffering from injuries to sophomore end Jamal Cooper, sophomore tackle Justin Ostrowski and junior tackle Mark Gorman. During the game, junior end Joe Monty, sophomore end Kurt Ware and freshman tackle Jason Chapman all left early with injuries. Monty will probably not play, and the others will try to gut it out. With all the injuries, the Badgers no longer have the luxury of rotating players to keep them fresh. Stud recruit freshman Travis Beckum was converted from linebacker to end a few weeks ago and may be ready to contribute this week as a pass-rushing specialist.
Despite the injuries, the line has to step up. The Badgers have given up 724 rushing yards the last two weekends. Purdue uses a spread offense similar to Northwestern, and the linemen must get some pressure on the quarterback to protect the secondary. That will be tough because Purdue has a solid offensive line. They have allowed a Big Ten-low of three sacks so far this year.
Oh Chryst!
In February, Wisconsin hired Paul Chryst as tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator. Fans were thrilled at the possibility of a revamped passing game. Well, that possibility has come to fruition. The Badger aerial attack has been fantastic in recent weeks. In his last three games, junior quarterback John Stocco has passed for an average of 278.3 yards while throwing for eight touchdowns. With senior wide receivers Brandon Williams going over the middle and Jonathan Orr going deep, the passing attack has been able to consistently move the ball down the field. Orr has already doubled his yardage and touchdowns from a year ago. Junior running back Brian Calhoun has helped the passing game as well. He already has 324 yards receiving, while last year's running back Anthony Davis had just 93 on the season. A prolific passing game is uncharacteristic of Barry Alvarez's teams, but Wisconsin ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (40.7 points per game). As long as the Badgers get in the end zone, no one is complaining.
Get back in control
The Purdue defense has struggled lately. They have given up at least 30 points in their last four games and have gone 0-4 in that stretch. The Badgers would be well served to control the tempo of the game. Last week, Wisconsin lost the time of possession battle for the first time this season and just the third time in the last two seasons. Passing the ball has worked, but running the football keeps the clock moving and allows the Badgers to keep their beat-up defense off the field as much as possible. Discounting the Temple game where he played just one quarter, Calhoun averaged 38.6 carries per game over the first four weeks, but that number has dropped to just 24 carries over the past three. Purdue has given up the most first downs in the conference (155).
The Picture of
Dorien... Bryant
The Purdue offense has focused on sophomore wide receiver Dorien Bryant this season. Bryant leads the Big Ten in receptions with 68 and ranks second in yardage with 668. Purdue will look to exploit a porous Wisconsin pass defense. Bowling Green and Northwestern ran similar spread offenses and put up 458 and 361 passing yards, respectively. Freshman cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu has replaced senior Brett Bell in the starting lineup, leaving the Badgers with two freshmen starting at the cornerback spots. Ikegwuonu and Allen Langford will have to play like seasoned veterans in order to stop the Purdue passing attack.
Keep pace in the Big Ten race
Despite struggling in a few games this season, the Badgers find themselves tied on top of the Big Ten standings after seven games. The schedule looks favorable, but if they are serious about a BCS bid, they will have to bring their best every weekend. Last season, the Badgers knocked off the Boilermakers when they were undefeated and ranked fifth in the nation. Following the defeat, Purdue went into a tailspin and dropped its next three contests. Following this week, 2-4 Purdue goes to Penn State and Michigan State. With a tough road ahead, this is a must-win for the Boilermakers, who are looking for revenge and fighting to qualify for a bowl. The Badgers cannot overlook them.
