10 Observations from Wisconsin loss

MADISON, Wis. — This is what has us talking after Purdue’s numbing 52-6 loss at Wisconsin on Saturday in Camp Randall Stadium.

1 – If this isn’t rock bottom, it can’t be far away. Just a brutal loss for the program, one of the worst in recent Boilermaker annals. Even feels worse in some ways than the 66-7 debacle vs. Notre Dame.

What’s disconcerting: Things don’t seem to be getting any better. And Purdue still has to play the three best teams in the Big Ten: Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State. Will the Boilermakers win another game?

Ryan Walters summed the day up succinctly: “We got a lot to fix.”

Can it be fixed?

“The most disappointing thing is, if I’m being completely honest, that we’re a bad football team right now,” said Walters. “We’re undisciplined when it gets tight. We play with poor technique when it’s our turn to make a play. We get sloppy when we have to do things to make up ground.

“So, I got a lot to think about on Sunday.”

2 – The start had some promise for Purdue, as it exchanged punts with Wisconsin. Then, it happened: Dillon Thieneman muffed a punt. (Thieneman had mishandled the previous punt, too, but managed to recover.)

The Badgers recovered on the Boilermaker 12-yard line and subsequently scored on the next play to take a 7-0 lead. A gift-wrapped TD. That was a portend of things to come on another long day for Purdue.

3 – New play-caller, same offense. Jason Simmons had no magic to sprinkle on this listless offense. He tried. Simmons could have had Bill Walsh’s playbook and Andy Reid on the headset … it wouldn’t have mattered. No one was saving this ship on this day.

The line struggles to protect. The receivers can’t get open. Even the return of purported No. 1 WR Jahmal Edrine, who had missed two games with injury, had no impact. Hudson Card is shell-shocked and confused. We’ve seen this movie before.

What did Purdue add that was new?

“Different personnel groupings, different types of run actions, trying to get the ball out on the perimeter, some movement, moving the pocket, calling some shot plays, just for whatever reason, didn’t really take the shot, whether it was protection or misread,” said Walters.

On and on it went on another dreary Saturday vs. a Wisconsin team that was struggling coming into this game. Purdue cured what ailed the Badgers.

4 – Penalties were an issue–again. The Boilermakers finished with six for 55 yards on this day. Last week, Purdue was flagged 13 times for 165 yards.

5 – We all wondered: Would the passing game be better? The answer: No.

Card was largely ineffective, hitting only 11 of 21 attempts for 111 yards. He got pressure at times, and he also held the ball too long on other occasions–as wideouts struggled to get open. There is just no explosion to the offense. The long pass play? It was 22 yards.

“Obviously, got to go back to the table then,” said Walters. “1 of 11 on third downs. You can’t win that way. I thought we had a chance to make plays downfield. We just didn’t make them. So, go back and look at the tape and evaluate them.”

Walters said in the postgame that he spent more time with the offense this week, turning the defense over to Kevin Kane as a new offensive play-caller was worked in.

“We let go of our coordinator, so I didn’t want to do that and just say, ‘Hey, you guys got to figure it out,’ said Walters. “And so I helped on that side as much as I could. Obviously, it wasn’t enough.”

Purdue had just 216 yards of offense, 117 passing and 99 rushing.

6 – Slow starts continue to confound Purdue. The team went scoreless in the first quarter for a fourth game in a row. For the season, the Boilermakers have been out scored 35-7 in the opening 15 minutes. The lone TD came in the opener vs. FCS Indiana State.

Are Purdue’s problems a matter of scheme or personnel?

“Well, if it’s not working right now, we got to do things to tweak it, because if we just do the same thing and it doesn’t work, that’s crazy, right?” said Walters. “So, I got a lot of stuff to evaluate.”

7 – Purdue announced Saturday morning that starting CB Markevioius Brown was no longer with the team. Botros Alisandro took his starting slot opposite Nyland Green.

Wisconsin had its way passing the ball on this day. Doubtful Brown would have made nary a difference. Purdue made No. 2 Wisconsin QB Braedyn Locke look like Dan Marino, as Locke hit 20-of-31 passes for 359 yards and three TDs.

Purdue allowed a whopping 589 yards. What did Walters’ think of his team’s effort?

“The effort hasn’t been a something that I’ve had to harp on,” said Walters. “It’s the technique, it’s the panic, it’s the violence, the strain.”

8 – Purdue began the day as the only FBS school without a takeaway. The drought ended in the first half with two interceptions by Kyndrich Breedlove.

The offense turned the first INT in a field goal; the second pick turned into a field goal to make it Wisconsin 14, Purdue 6 late in the first half. The offense really needed to come up with at least one TD off the two picks.

9 – So, the streak continues. That’s 18 victories in a row for Wisconsin vs. Purdue, which last won in the series in 2003. When will it end? The Badgers are off the 2025 schedule and visit West Lafayette in 2026.

10 – That’s four losses in a row for Purdue. Is there an end in sight? Next up: A trip to Illinois, which lost to Purdue last year. It’ll be Bret Bielema vs. Walters, who as Bielema’s DC in 2021-22. Gonna be interesting next Saturday in Champaign.