‘D’ provides huge assist for turnover-prone offense in rain
MADISON – To paraphrase Dean Wormer, two interceptions, a red-zone fumble and a blocked punt is no way to go through life. At least, not if you have designs on a special season.
On a day Wisconsin’s offense rolled up 494 yards but scored only 17 points and played loose with the football, the defense came to the rescue in the rain Saturday at Camp Randall.
“Certainly, we’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the football,” coach Paul Chryst said after the Badgers escaped with a 17-9 victory over Purdue. “Those (turnovers) are big. And a blocked punt. Those are huge plays. I thought our defense was sensational. They were put in some really tough situations.”
Wisconsin gifted Purdue with a short field three times and the Boilermakers came away with the grand total of three points.
Early in the second quarter, Da’Wan Hunte intercepted UW quarterback Alex Hornibrook on a miscommunication with wide receiver Danny Davis — Davis ran an outie and Hornibrook threw an innie — and returned it 42 yards to the Badgers’ 44.
But Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar misfired on three consecutive passes and the Boilermakers had to punt.
On the Badgers’ next possession, Anthony Lotti’s punt was blocked by Garrett Hudson and Race Johnson picked up the ball and returned it 18 yards to the UW 15. The Badgers then came up with two sacks of David Blough — the other half of Purdue’s QB tandem — and J.D. Dellinger missed a 42-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Hornibrook attempted an ill-advised screen pass to a blanket-covered Rachid Ibrahim; the ball glanced off his hands and Purdue’s Danny Ezechukwu picked it out of the air and ran 38 yards to the Badgers’ 28.
This time Dellinger made good on a 40-yard field goal.
But that was it. The Badgers’ defense managed to put a bow tie on a pile of ugly.
“Those are crucial moments in the game,” said linebacker Garrett Dooley. “As a defense, we need to stop the momentum that the other team has on things like turnovers or the blocked punt. We were able to do a heck of a job tonight. We did not let them in the end zone at all and we were able to hold them to a field goal or less.”
Early in the fourth quarter, with Wisconsin leading 17-9 and driving for a touchdown that would have ended the suspense, freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor — who otherwise was sensational in rushing for 219 yards — fumbled the ball away on Purdue’s 4-yard line.
“It’s a concern right now,” left tackle Michael Dieter said of the turnovers and too many penalties. “We’re better than that and we know it. Turnovers, penalties … all that stuff makes for an ugly game. It’s uphill sledding.
“It’s a concern. We’ve got to get better.”
Fittingly, the defense made the play of the game. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Badgers pressured Sindelar into an interception on second and goal from the UW 7. Flushed from the pocket by a heavy rush, Sindelar tried to force a pass to Jackson Anthrop on the right sideline but linebacker Leon Jacobs stepped in front of him and made a one-handed grab.
In the end, the Boilermakers reached the red zone four times and failed to score a touchdown. The Badgers entered the game leading the nation in opponent red zone percentage at 33.3%.
“Our defense is outstanding,” Hornibrook said. “I love having them on the other side of the ball. They bail us out. They make plays, especially that last one that Leon had. Just the whole game, to be able to hold them to nine points, three field goals, that’s huge.”
Wisconsin improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten and became bowl-eligible for the 16th consecutive season. It wasn’t pretty, unless you’re talking about the defense. Then it was a thing of beauty.
“A win is a win,” said cornerback Derrick Tindal, “no matter how many points you win by.”
Hard to argue with that logic.