Purdue Boilermakers

Series History Since 1950

Overall Series Record: Wisconsin leads 21-16-3
Longest Wisconsin winning streak: 5 (1950-1955)
Longest Purdue winning streak: 3 (1964-66, 1987-1991)
Best Wisconsin "run": Wisconsin was 9-1-1 against Purdue from 1950-1963.
Best Purdue "run"Purdue was 9-3 against Wisconsin from 1964-1977 .
Wisconsin record when favored: 14-0-1
Purdue record when favored: 11-2-2
Tossup games: Series is deadlocked 5-5.
Biggest Wisconsin upset: #66 Wisconsin defeats #44 Purdue 24-13 in 1960.
Biggest Purdue upset:Technically never. #51 Purdue did tie #24 Wisconsin in 1994 though.
Most important game: #4 Wisconsin defeats #18 Purdue, 31-24, on their way to the Rose Bowl in 1998.
Least meaningful game: #86 Purdue edges #100 Wisconsin 9-6 in a 1988 yawner.
Biggest Wisconsin blowout:30-13 in 1984.
Biggest Purdue blowout: 45-7 in 1965.

October 18, 2003

Purdue Season Preview
Purdue Depth Chart
Purdue Stats

Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game

Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
Bingo!
Setting up the Pass
They didn't run the ball as well as I thought/hoped, and pass protection problems made an efficient passing game very difficult.
Offensive Assignments
Purdue did not blitz as much as I thought, though when they did it caused the Badgers problems. The backs again had trouble picking up pass rushers, though the tackles also had problems with Purdue's speed at defensive end.
Hurried Throws
Wisconsin actually put quite a bit of pressure on Orton at times and blitzed a lot more than I expected. They did a decent job of forcing Orton to make quicker reads, though it only came after they spotted the Boilers a 14 point lead. They also had trouble wrapping up Orton, who used his feet to make a number of key plays.
Maximizing Chances The turnovers were key here. They did not lead to easy Purdue scores, but two of them stopped drives around the Purdue 30 yard line and one stopped a drive around mid-field. Tack on one TD and 2 FGs on these three drives and you have a different game.

Analysis of Badgermaniac's Prediction

About what I expected, though if you told me that they would be -3 in turnovers, I would have thought the game would not have been as close as it was.

Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game

Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
Wisconsin has not consistently won the turnover battle this year. Purdue has. Wisconsin must not only break even, but I believe they must be at least +1 or +2 to beat the Boilers. I believe the onus falls on the defense to create some Purdue miscues.
Setting up the Pass
Wisconsin had some success running the ball against OSU, but I believe they need to be a bit more balanced to defeat a strong Purdue defense. They still need to be run first, but they need to be efficient in the passing game to keep the chains moving.
Offensive Assignments
Purdue is going to attack, attack, and attack on defense. Expect Purdue to follow a UNLV like gameplan with extensive blitzing from all angles. Wisconsin must play assignment sure blitz-pickup in order to give Sorgi a chance to make some plays.
Hurried Throws
Wisconsin will probably play conservatively on defense in order to play straight up against the run and still give support in the secondary. Since we won't see a ton of blitzing and since I don't expect many sacks, I think Wisconsin needs to at least force some rushed throws by pressuring Orton with their front four.
Maximizing Chances Purdue is a balanced experienced teams that is going to be tough to make plays against. They run the ball well and match up well with Wisconsin while on defense. Wisconsin will get their chances, but they need to turn them into 7 points as often as possible when they are in the red zone.

Badgermaniac's Prediction

After picking the moderate upset last week, I have to follow the numbers this week. I think the game will be hotly contested and feel the Badgers will have their chances. However, I simply think that Purdue is the premier team in the Big Ten this year and I see a narrow Badger loss after a nip and tuck game. Purdue 27, Wisconsin 20.

Unit matchups:

WISCONSIN'S TOTAL OFFENSE VS PURDUE'S TOTAL DEFENSE:
Wisconsin is 3rd at 405 YPG while Purdue is 1st at 261 YPG.

For the second straight week, we have the irresistible force against the immovable object. I doubt very highly that Wisconsin is going to be able to put up big numbers against Purdue's experienced defense, but I also think Wisconsin could be the best offense Purdue has faced this year to this point. Advantage: PUSH.

PURDUE'S TOTAL OFFENSE VS. WISCONSIN'S TOTAL DEFENSE
Purdue is 4th at 397 YPG while Wisconsin is 6th at 328 YPG.

Unlike OSU, Purdue actually has a solid and balanced offense. Wisconsin's defense has been playing very well lately, but...

Advantage: VERY SLIGHT TO PURDUE.

PURDUE'S RUSHING OFFENSE VS. WISCONSIN'S RUSHING DEFENSE
Purdue is 3rd in the conference at 190 YPG while Wisconsin is 5th at 101 YPG.

This is not your "chuck and duck" Purdue team of year's past. They will not abandon the run. Wisconsin needs to win this category to win the game IMO. Advantage: SLIGHT TO PURDUE.

WISCONSIN'S RUSHING OFFENSE VS. PURDUE'S RUSHING DEFENSE
Wisconsin is 2nd at 211 YPG while Purdue is 2nd at 61 YPG allowed.

I am not convinced that anyone will be able to totally shut down Wisconsin's ground game, but Purdue is strong enough up front to force the Badgers to be multi-dimensional. Advantage: PUSH.

PURDUE'S PASSING OFFENSE VS. WISCONSIN'S PASSING DEFENSE
Purdue is 3rd in efficiency with a rating of 138 and 4th in yardage at 208 YPG while Wisconsin is 8th in efficiency defense with an opposing rating of 116 and 7th in yardage allowed with 227 YPG.

Purdue doesn't have to throw, but they certainly can and will. This is still the bugaboo for the Badgers defense. Advantage: PURDUE.

WISCONSIN'S PASSING OFFENSE VS. PURDUE'S PASSING DEFENSE
Wisconsin is 5th in efficiency with a rating of 133 and 6th in yardage at 194 YPG while Purdue is 2nd in efficiency defense with an opposing rating of 91 and is 4th in yardage allowed with 200 YPG.

Purdue's defense has been terrific against the pass. However, if Wisconsin can run the ball, it should open some things up through the air. Advantage: SLIGHT TO PURDUE.

PURDUE'S SCORING OFFENSE VS. WISCONSIN'S SCORING DEFENSE
Purdue is 3rd in scoring at 33 PG while Wisconsin is allowing 22 PG, which is 8th.

I expect Purdue to score "only" around 24 points (due to home field advantage).

Advantage: PURDUE.

WISCONSIN'S SCORING OFFENSE VS. PURDUE'S SCORING DEFENSE
Wisconsin is 6th at 29 PG while Purdue is 1st with 13 points allowed per game.

Give the Badgers a little home field boost, but still, getting to the low 20's is about what I would expect. Advantage: PURDUE.

PURDUE'S PUNTING VS. WISCONSIN PUNT RETURNING
Purdue is 7th in gross average at 41 yards per punt, and 4th in net yardage at 37 yards per punt while Wisconsin is 1st in punt returns at 15 yards per return.

Both units are solid. Advantage: SLIGHT TO WISCONSIN.

WISCONSIN PUNTING VS PURDUE'S PUNT RETURNING
Wisconsin's gross average is 6th in the conference at 41 yards per punt with a net is of 37 which is 5th. Purdue ranks 5th in punt returns at 12 yards per return.

Both units are solid. Advantage: PUSH.

WISCONSIN KICK RETURNS VS. PURDUE'S KICK COVERAGE
Wisconsin is 10th at 17 yards per return while Purdue is 5th allowing 18 yards per return.

Advantage: PURDUE.

PURDUE'S KICK RETURNS VS. WISCONSIN'S KICK COVERAGE
Purdue is 4th at 22 yards per return while Wisconsin is 11th allowing 25 per return.

Advantage: PURDUE.

WISCONSIN'S 3RD DOWN CONVERSIONS VS. PURDUE'S 3RD DOWN DEFENSE
Wisconsin is 3rd in the conference at 44% while Purdue ranks 1st at 26% allowed.

Both teams have been very strong due to their rushing attack/rushing defense. Advantage: PUSH.

PURDUE'S 3RD DOWN CONVERSIONS VS. WISCONSIN'S 3RD DOWN DEFENSE
Purdue is 5th at 43% while Wisconsin ranks 4th at 32% allowed.

I am actually surprised that Purdue isn't stronger here. Advantage: PUSH.

TURNOVER MARGIN
Wisconsin is 6th at +0 while Purdue is 2nd at +9

This is where much of the difference in the two teams lies. This could be the key to the game. Advantage: PURDUE.

WISCONSIN PASS RUSH VS. PURDUE'S PASS PROTECTION
Wisconsin is 5th in the conference with 16 sacks while Purdue ranks 2nd with 7 sacks allowed.

Wisconsin has done a reasonable job of pressuring the passer despite generally only rushing their front four. Still, Purdue is traditionally one of the better protection teams in the league due to their quick hitting passes. Advantage: PURDUE.

PURDUE'S PASS RUSH VS. WISCONSIN'S PASS PROTECTION
Purdue is 10th with 12 sacks while Wisconsin ranks 9th in sacks allowed with 18.

Purdue, despite a very fast defense, has not been very good at rushing the passer. Wisconsin cannot get into a lot of obvious passing downs though as they haven't been great in protection. Advantage: PUSH.

FG KICKING
Wisconsin is 8 for 12 for 67% while Purdue is 11 for 13 for 85%.

The edge isn't as great with Allen kicking, but still...Advantage: PURDUE.

PENALTIES
Wisconsin is 3rd in fewest penalties with 40 yards per game. Purdue is 9th with 53 yards in penalty yardage per game.

Advantage: SLIGHT TO WISCONSIN.

TIME OF POSSESSION
Wisconsin ranks 3rd at 33+ minutes per game while Purdue is 1st at 34+ minutes per game.

One of the few times that Wisconsin does not have a clear edge here. Advantage: PUSH.

WISCONSIN'S RED ZONE OFFENSE VS. PURDUE'S RED ZONE DEFENSE.
Wisconsin is 11th in red zone efficiency at 81% (58% TDs) while Purdue is 4th allowing scores 75% of the time (42% TDs).

Wisconsin has been mediocre in the red zone, but Purdue has been exceptional at keeping teams out of the end zone. Advantage: PURDUE.

PURDUE'S RED ZONE OFFENSE VS. WISCONSIN'S RED ZONE OFFENSE.
Purdue is 6th at 83% (55% TDs) while Wisconsin is 7th, allowing scores 80% of the time (52% TDs).

Purdue has had to kick a fair number of field goals, while Wisconsin has done a nice job of forcing field goals. Advantage: SLIGHT TO WISCONSIN.

The Line Says...

Sagarin has the game as a pick em. Howell has the Badgers as a 4.5 favorite with a 57% chance of victory and a projected score of 26-22.

NCAA Stat Rankings

Here is how the two teams rank in terms of NCAA stats:

Rushing Offense: WIS 13, PUR 22
Passing Offense: WIS 75, PUR 67
Passing Efficiency: WIS 43, PUR 34
Total Offense: WIS 41, PUR 46
Scoring Offense: WIS 49, PUR 26
Rushing Defense: WIS 23, PUR 2
Passing Defense: WIS 72, PUR 38
Passing Efficiency Defense: WIS 46, PUR 7
Total Defense: WIS 33, PUR 5
Scoring Defense: WIS 50, PUR 6
Turnover Margin: WIS 59, PUR 5
Net Punting: WIS 51 , PUR 49
Punt Returns: WIS 13 , PUR 29
Kickoff Returns: WIS 105 , PUR 54

October 21, 2000

Here are the game grades for the Purdue game.

QB: A-
An impressive performance out of Jim Sorgi to say the least. He didn't throw down the field too much, but did a nice job of taking advantage of the underneath routes, particularly on some of the blitzes. He showed a lot of poise in the pocket and did a nice job of finding his secondary receivers. What was also encouraging is that he didn't throw too many balls that had any hope of being intercepted. On the downside, he did not escape the rush very well. When the protection was good (which is was for much of the game), Sorgi had a lot of success. But when the pressure came, he was helpless. Still, a solid overall effort with good production.

RB: B+
Bennett did a nice job of finding the holes on the perimeter of the line and/or getting around the corner for good yardage. However, his blitz pickups were marginal at best and he dropped a nice swing pass from Sorgi that could have gone for big yards.

Kuhns wasn't bad, but wasn't blowing guys up like we have seen in the past. He also missed on an inside stunt by Mitrione that led to a sack.

WR:B+
It was apparent that we finally saw the real Chris Chambers on Saturday, as he ran crisp routes and showed the ability to turn the corner after the catch, though he did lose his footing a few times. The receivers also bailed out Sorgi more than once with nice grabs on so-so throws, though they returned the favor with a key Nick Davis drop on a nice deep ball by Sorgi. Still, pretty good production.

TE: B
One of the better games from the tight ends this year. Anelli and Sigmund both made some nice catches, including a big 4th quarter TD. The blocking was pretty consistent as well, as Bennett found some big yards on the corner, in part because of the success of the TE blocking.

OL: B-
Yes, 7 sacks is too many, but I thought the line played better than they have gotten credit for. For most of the game, Sorgi had a lot of time to set his feet and step into his throws, much more than the Badger QBs have had for most of the year. Of the 7 sacks, one or two were when Sorgi ran into the defensive lineman, and at least 2 were at least partially the responsiblity of the running backs. The OL also did a pretty decent job of getting Michael Bennett some room to turn the corner against a decent rushing defense.

DL: C+
The battered unit did a serviceable job against a tough opponent. Other than one long run by Lowe (LB responsibility?), they controlled the run up front. They didn't generate much of a pass rush but did a reasonable job of keeping Brees in the pocket (other than the TD scramble. They also defleted a handful of passes.

LB: B
Both Nick Greisen and Roger Knight did a nice job of handling space (a key in the nickel package) as well as limiting the big plays in the short zone, specifically to Tim Stratton. Greisen's solid play was magnified when Purdue exploded for a big run immediately following his injury, a play in which it appeared that Jeff Mack did not read the play correctly.

DB: C+
The corners were excellent, not only Fletch and Ech, but nickelback Michael Broussard as well. Purdue had some completions (as they are going to always get), but the corners did not give up the big play. Jason Doering however seemed to have some trouble in this regard, perhaps still hampered by his nagging injuries, as twice he was beaten for long TDs when he allowed receivers to get behind him in the deep zone. No picks or near picks was also key.

Special Teams: D+
Stemke was again solid, including a clutch booming punt in the last minute of regulation. Pisetsky also connected on his early FG attempt and Nick Davis finally unleashed a pretty decent kick return. However, Pisetsky's inconsistent kickoffs also continued with another one out of bounds. The kick return also put the offense in a big hole with penalities on the opening kick, and once again the gunners violated the halo rule on a punt return (though the call was marginal). Finally, on the key play of the game, Solwold had a high snap and Rabach and Solwold completely broke down inside to allow the game-losing blocked kick.