Road To Week 1: Simulating Week 6 of the Badgers 2024 Season in CFB 25
Week 6: Wisconsin (2-2) vs Purdue (2-2)
After halting the Badgers opening drive, Purdue went to work on offense, marching deep into Wisconsin territory with six consecutive runs. On 2nd and 7 from the Badgers' 21 yard line, Purdue quarterback Hudson Card was flushed out of the pocket and forced to throw the ball away, leaving 3rd and long for the Boilermakers.
The Badgers couldn't keep Purdue from moving the sticks, yielding a 13-yard pass and just three plays later, Card snuck into the endzone for the game's first score.
Late in the first quarter, Wisconsin finally found their footing offensively, with a 15-yard completion to Bryson Green and a six-yard rush by Chez Mellusi placing the Badgers near midfield entering the second period.
Still, Wisconsin punted the ball away empty handed, with a hard hit from Purdue's Nyland Green knocking a would-be 3rd down completion out of the hands of Will Pauling.
With a chance to go up multiple scores in the first half of a conference game on the road, Purdue stayed loyal to the ground game with plenty of success. A 13-yard run by Devin Mockobee was compounded by a 22-yard scamper by Andrew Sowinski, putting the Boilermakers in field goal range and setting up an eventual play-action pass to Max Klare for a touchdown.
Desperate for points, Nate White gave the Badgers momentum to start their next drive, breaking loose for a 21-yard gain on the very first play. After pushing into field goal range with a handful of short rushes, Tyler Van Dyke went over the top of the Boilermakers defense to Pauling for a 23-yard touchdown.
The scoring burst subsided until after the two-minute warning, when Van Dyke found Vinny Anthony on 3rd and 7 running a deep cross, putting the ball right on Anthony's chest. Juking out a defender and shedding a tackle, Anthony sprinted up the sideline with nothing but grass ahead of him, tying the game at 14-14 with a 62-yard touchdown.
Wisconsin would shut down Purdue's ensuing drive, entering the break knotted up at 14.
After trading punts on their first respective drives of the second half, it was the Boilermakers who broke the stalemate. Card picked apart the Badgers secondary, completing passes of 12 yards and 22 yards, while drawing a pass interference penalty in between.
Despite letting Purdue march from their own three all the way into Badger territory, the Wisconsin defense stuffed back-to-back run plays, leaving Card with 3rd and 13 from the 26-yard line. Ignoring the down and distance, Card looked to the end zone, finding CJ Smith for a toe-tap touchdown to reclaim the lead 21-14.
On Wisconsin's next offensive play, Van Dyke had the ball stripped on a QB keeper, with the football falling into the hands of Nyland Green and setting up Purdue at Wisconsin's 25 yard line. However, the defense held strong, with Sebastian Cheeks sacking Card on second down and keeping the Boilermakers to a field goal.
With the momentum swinging in favor of Purdue, Van Dyke took a sack on first down. Facing an eventual 3rd and 16, the Badgers turned to the draw play, but once again the ball was punched out of White's hands and the Boilermakers took over at the Badgers' 41.
Yet, Wisconsin forced a punt, keeping the score 24-14 entering the final period.
In desperate need of points, the Badgers offense couldn't get anything going to start the fourth quarter, punting the ball away. The punt was returned 36 yards, all the way into Wisconsin territory, with the Boilermakers setting up shop at the Badgers' 43.
After a pair of run plays, Purdue faced a 3rd and 3. Sending the house on a blitz, John Pius got in the face of Card, who was forced to throw the ball away. Kicker Spencer Porath jogged onto the field to attempt a 53-yard field goal, which was pushed wide right.
Going three-and-out on their very next possession, Wisconsin wouldn't get the ball back until there was less than seven minutes to play. With a pair of defensive penalties and chunk plays from Van Dyke to Anthony, Wisconsin was set up with first and goal from the nine.
Van Dyke capped off the touchdown drive himself, rushing into the endzone from the six yard line and bringing the Badgers to within three, 24-21, with 3:13 to play.
With the Boilermakers going three-and-out on their next drive, Van Dyke had the opportunity to play hero for a second consecutive game after delivering a game-winning drive against USC last week.
A 15-yard punt return by CJ Willimas brought the Badgers out to midfield. On the very next play Van Dyke found Anthony on a crosser, who broke a tackle and got out of bounds after gaining 30 yards, putting Wisconsin at the 20-yard line. Van Dyke got the ball to Anthony again, this time for nine yards and a couple plays later completed a pass to Riley Nowakowski for seven yards.
With 52 seconds left, White punched in the go-ahead touchdown, and with a Nathanial Vakos extra point, the Badgers led 28-24.
On the ensuing kickoff, running back Tawee Walker delivered a booming hit on the Purdue returner, jarring the ball loose for Jake Chaney to pick up and run back for a score. Though the Badgers would surrender a 72-yard touchdown pass from Card to Mockobee in the closing seconds, Wisconsin hung on to win and advance to 2-0 in Big 10 play.
Van Dyke went 15-for-22 with 290 yards and three total TDs, Mellusi turned in 58 yards on 13 carries and Anthony caught six passes for 127 yards and a score.
Final: Wisconsin 35, Purdue 32
Stat Leaders After Six Weeks
Passing - Van Dyke: 78/114 (68%) for 1009 yards and 11/0
Rushing - Mellusi: 83 rushes for 378 yards (4.6 ypc) and 1 TD
Receiving - Anthony: 24 receptions for 388 yards and 4 TD
Tackles - Thomas: 48
Sacks - Pius: 5.5
Interceptions - RJ Delancy: 2