Postgame rewind: Things to watch, Purdue vs. Wisconsin
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
I’m going back to my pregame story to see how my pregame Purdue at Wisconsin “Things to Watch” turned out. The Boilermakers fell 41-10 on Saturday. I’ll condense my pregame comments, then follow with the result.
Can Purdue maintain its momentum?
Pregame: Purdue had moments during Saturday’s 31-24 loss to Notre Dame that showed much-needed improvement in the mental toughness department.
First, Akeem Hunt plowed over a defender on the sideline on the third play of the game. That took the fight to the Irish and energized the Boilermakers and their crowd.
The second was Purdue’s response to Notre Dame’s interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Boilermakers came right back and scored to cut Notre Dame’s lead to seven.
Those kinds of plays were missing in the first two games, and the kind they will need in Wisconsin’s especially hostile environment.
Hazell said the team was “a foot off” from making several plays that would have changed things against the Irish.
“I told our football team that we need to find that foot this week,” he said. “Wherever that foot is, those 12 inches, we’ve got to go find that foot. Because that is the difference, the physical difference that makes the difference in your world.”
Finding it against Wisconsin would be a big deal. The Badgers have beaten the Boilermakers seven straight times. The past six have been by double digits, by a combined score of 226-69.
Postgame: The Boilermakers were a lot more than a foot off on Saturday, but I don’t believe it was entirely because they lacked mental toughness. I thought coming back after being behind 14-0 and drawing to within 14-10 was a positive step. Aside from that, the Boilermakers were simply overmatched.
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Can Rob Henry do it again?
Pregame: The coaching staff put Henry in position to thrive, moving him around and giving him a chance to make plays. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 256 yards against Notre Dame, all career highs.
Henry has improved as a passer, and Purdue’s coaching staff showed faith in him against Notre Dame that the previous regime didn’t. By putting the game on Henry’s shoulders (and Henry playing well), the Boilermakers took a critical step in shutting down the noise about freshmen Austin Appleby and Danny Etling. Given his gigantic leap since the opener, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he can take another one.
“He played he pretty well,” Hazell said. “He got us in and out of the huddle really fast. I thought he made good decisions with the football throwing it away, but we need for him to continue to get better.”
Postgame: Henry simply couldn’t get it going against the Badgers. The 22-yard rushing touchdown was a positive, but aside from that, there was little to get excited about, and the fans are again calling for change. Henry completed just 50 percent of his passes for 135 yards. This was a step back for him, but again, there is no guarantee that either freshman will put the program into a better place. And it’s possible that ultra-talented Purdue commit David Blough could be better than the current alternatives next fall, so Appleby and Etling could be just auditioning for a backup job if they play now.
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Can Purdue manufacture a running game?
Pregame: It seems like a strange question because Akeem Hunt did so much damage against Notre Dame. But the Boilermakers ran for just 38 yards on 21 carries against the Irish. Hunt did most of his damage in the passing game, catching nine passes for 72 yards. At some point, the Boilemakers will need to be able to move the chains on the ground.
Postgame: The Boilermakers gained 45 yards on 21 carries. Henry gained 29 yards but was thrown for 29 yards in losses. Akeem Hunt, one of the better skill players in the Big Ten, ran nine times for 31 yards and caught five passes for 16 yards. Henry couldn’t find a rhythm and Hunt couldn’t get into space. And 14 touches from scrimmage just aren’t enough for a player of this caliber.
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Can Purdue stop Wisconsin from running the ball?
Pregame: As far as the running game goes, nothing has changed under new coach Gary Andersen.
The following numbers are 3-game totals.
Melvin Gordon has 37 carries for 482 yards. I didn’t say catches. He plays running back. That’s 12.9 yards per carry. James White has 45 carries for 305 yards. Corey Clement, a freshman, has 31 carries for 251 yards. The Badgers average 337 yards rushing per game.
Then, there are the people who block for them.
Left tackle Tyler Marz is 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds. Left guard Ryan Groy is 6-5, 320. Center, normally the smallest offensive line position, is occupied by 6-6, 322-pound Dallas Levallen. Right guard Kyle Costigan is 6-5, 315 and right tackle Rob Haverstein is 6-8, 327.
Postgame: Purdue got rolled. Melvin Gordon ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns, James White ran for 145 and a score and Corey Clement ran for 86 yards and a touchdown. I felt like I was reading an Oklahoma box score, circa 1985. In all, Wisconsin rolled up 388 yards on 48 carries. The only thing that stopped Wisconsin was its stubborn insistence on throwing the forward pass. By the way, quarterback Joel Stave will need to get better if Wisconsin is going to win anything major.
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Can Wisconsin win close games?
Pregame: Purdue might be OK in a close game. Here are the Badgers’ last six games decided by seven points or less:
Sept. 29, 2012 — Nebraska, L, 27-30
Oct. 20, 2012 — Michigan State, L, 13-16
Nov. 17, 2012 — Ohio State, L, 14-21 (OT)
Nov. 24, 2012 — Penn State, L, 21-24 (OT)
Jan. 1, 2013 — Stanford, L, 14-20
Sept. 14, 2013 — Arizona State, L, 30-32
Postgame: Not applicable.
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Is Wisconsin ready to play?
Pregame: Being unable to line up for what would have been a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds of last Saturday’s 32-30 loss to Arizona State could have a dramatic effect on a football team. It depends on the makeup of the players. We will learn a lot about the Badgers this week.
“I think our kids will bounce back well,” Andersen said. “That’s life lessons that can be learned. You can only control what you can control, and that is a challenge, and that is the mindset of all of us in the football program right now.”
Postgame: Boy, did they ever bounce back. Kudos to the Wisconsin coaching staff for getting the team focused and being able to move on after the barrage of questions about the officiating error the previous week.
