Purdue offense vs. UW defense
The way the Badger defense has been playing the last few weeks, it would be interesting to see how many points the Temple Owls could put up if they came into Camp Randall again and played against this defense. OK, it might not be that bad, but it is a major area of concern. Last week in Minnesota, Wisconsin was lucky the Gopher passing game was non-existent. This week that will not be the case. Boilermaker senior quarterback Brandon Kirsch averages 270 passing yards per game, and combined with the running duo of sophomore Kory Sheets and senior Jerod Void, both of whom have six touchdowns, fans could easily see another 40-plus point effort by the opposing team, even if Purdue coach Joe Tiller splits the quarterback duties between Kirsch and backup Curtis Painter, as he said he may do. Stopping the run has been virtually impossible for the Badgers, but look for them to try to contain the Boilermakers there first. If Purdue is successful running the ball, however, it will open up one-on-one situations in the secondary, where the Badgers have already shown their weaknesses.
Advantage: Purdue
UW offense vs. Purdue defense
The Boilermaker defense was hailed as one of the best in the Big Ten coming into this season, but has shown that they were vastly overrated. The defense has surrendered 34.5 points a game and an average of 502 yards per game. Look for Purdue to follow the blueprints left by Indiana, Northwestern, and Minnesota: Throw eight or nine players in the box to shut down the Wisconsin running game and force junior quarterback John Stocco to beat them. So far Stocco has done a good job of keeping the Badgers in the game when junior running back Brian Calhoun has been stopped. The Wisconsin offense is averaging 40.7 points and 406.4 yards per game-look for those trends to continue against the inconsistent Boilermakers.
Advantage: Wisconsin
Special teams
Wisconsin has the best special teams in the Big Ten, and they proved their worth again last week with the blocked punt and touchdown in the final minutes against Minnesota. Sophomore punter Ken DeBauche is having a career year, and opposing teams will not kick to senior punt and kick returner Brandon Williams. Last week, Purdue's return man Dorien Bryant returned a kick 95 yards for a touchdown, but on punts the Boilermakers are only averaging 8.2 yards per return, while the Badgers have a 26.8 yard average. Expect Purdue to sacrifice field position by kicking away from Williams to stop the big play. If DeBauche keeps pinning the Boilermakers deep in their own zone, it could help spark the battered Badger defense.
Advantage: Wisconsin
Coaching/Overall
Purdue head coach Joe Tiller seems to be losing the focus of his team, which has now dropped four games in a row, including all three of its Big Ten contests. UW head coach Barry Alvarez is struggling to get the defense to come up with big plays, but the offense and special teams have made great strides this season. The Badgers are looking for their 11th straight home victory, and the homecoming crowd should help pump up the defense to make a few big third- and fourth-down stops. Camp Randall has proved to be a huge advantage for this team the last two years and should propel the Badgers to a big homecoming victory.
Advantage: Wisconsin
