Purdue’s Moore impresses Badgers
MADISON – Members of Wisconsin’s defense have seen the clips of Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore leaving opponents clutching air or standing flat-footed in the open field as he darts away to the end zone.
They’ve seen how he shredded Northwestern and Ohio State, both of which field stout defenses.
“He is a baller,” UW safety D’Cota Dixon said with a smile. “A baller.
“He is a running back and a receiver – all of that in one.”
Dixon and his teammates will get their shot at Moore when UW (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) faces Purdue (5-5, 4-3) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
“It is going to be fun,” Dixon said. “That is what you want when you go and compete. I’m looking forward to it.” Good luck.
Moore, 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, has touched the ball 132 times in 10 games and is averaging 13.0 yards per touch. He has 82 catches for a team-high 909 yards, 11.1 yards per catch.
He has rushed 11 times for 163 yards, an average of 14.8 per carry.
He is averaging 19.5 yards on kickoff returns and 8.2 on punt returns.
He has 26 plays of 20 yards or more, including a 76-yard touchdown run and a 70-yard touchdown catch.
“He is a heck of a football player,” UW coach Paul Chryst said. “What also stands out is the number of different ways he impacts the game.”
Consider the numbers Moore posted against Northwestern and Ohio State.
The Boilermakers opened the season at home against Northwestern and Moore finished with 313 all-purpose yards in a 31-27 loss.
He returned five kickoffs for 125 yards (25.0 average), caught 11 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown (9.9 average) and rushed twice for 79 yards (39.5 average) to break the program record for allpurpose yards in a game.
That mark of 312 yards was set by Otis Armstrong in 1972.
Moore compiled 252 all-purpose yards in a 49-20 victory over then-No. 2 Ohio State.
Most of his yardage came as a receiver, with 12 catches for 170 yards (14.2 average) and two touchdowns.
Moore’s best play came in the fourth quarter when he caught a short pass in the flat and ran through or away from what appeared to be most of the Ohio State defense on his way to a 43-yard touchdown.
“Rondale Moore is a special player,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. “After that performance, I don’t know if you’re going to see a more spectacular guy the way he plays.
“He gets open. They put a guy right over the top of him the whole game and he still gets open.”
Moore isn’t unstoppable. Michigan State limited Moore to 74 yards on 11 catches and handed the Boilermakers a 23-13 loss.
Minnesota limited Moore to 76 yards on eight catches and beat the Boilermakers, 41-10.
UW’s defense has struggled to shut down quality offenses, however. One of the issues has been tackling in space.
“He is pretty special,” senior linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “He is a guy…we’ve got to get hats to the ball on him. You have to try to get as many guys there as possible. He has big-play ability and you have to try to contain that.”