A step back

MADISON,Wis.-Themomentumisgone.

No.24Wisconsinmadesureofthat.

Newcoachingstaff,newoffense,newdefense,newleaders,noneofitmattered.

TheBadgerscontinuedtheirdominanceoverPurdueinsimilarfashion:TheyranoverandthroughtheBoilermakers.

Wisconsinrackedup388yardsrushing,hadapairofbacksgoover100yardsforthesecondconsecutiveseason,andcruisedtoa41-10victorythatleftPurduecoachDarrellHazellstunned.

Especiallyconsideringthefirst-yearcoachthoughthisteammadeprogresslastweek,takingrivaland21st-rankedNotreDametothefinalquarter.

ButtheBoilermakers(1-3)tookastepbackintheirBigTenopener.

"Rightnowwehavetodoagoodjobasafootballteamofsoulsearching,"Hazellsaid."Obviouslythat'snotthewayPurduefootballwantstoplay,andweneedtogetalotbetter.Itwasaprettycloseballgameearly,missedsometackles,didn'tconvertthirddownsandwhenyouplayagoodfootballteamlikeWisconsin,thosethingsseemtospiralonyou.Itgotoutofhandinthethirdquarterprettyquickly.

"Obviouslywehavetotakealonglookatourselves,coachesandplayers,andmakesurewe'retakingthecorrectstepstomakesurePurduefootballgetsbetter."

Pickanareaforimprovementafterthisone-fewunitsperformedwell.

Thedefenseknewit'dbechallenged,facingthenation'sfifth-bestrushingoffensewithalinethatwasfilledwithphysical,300-plus-poundersandexplosivebacks.

Itdidnotrespond.

Wisconsin(3-1)had214rushingyardsbyhalftimeandaccomplisheditbysimplybeingmorephysicalandmoreassignment-sound.

TheBadgers'offensivelinemendidagreatjobpullingandreachingPurdue'slinebackersandofteneithersmotheredthemorpushedthemoutofaplay.

AndwhentheBoilermakerswereintherightplace,theycouldn'tdeliver.

OnWisconsin'sfirsttouchdowndrive-a95-yardone-WillLucasandSeanRobinsonmissedtacklesononeplay;TaylorRichardswhiffedtwoplayslater;ArmsteadWilliamsgotjuked;LucasandAnthonyBrowncameupemptyonthenext;and,onMelvinGordon'sfive-yardtouchdownrun,JoeGilliamwastherebutgotbeatonacutbackandwasleftwithaweakarmtackleattempt.

SophomoresuperstarGordonandstarterJamesWhitearen'tgoingtobetakendownbyarmtackles.

Andtheyweren't.

Ever.

Gordonrushedfor147yardsandthreeTDson16carries-awhoppingaverageof9.2yards.Whitehada70-yardtouchdownrunandfinishedwith145yardson16carries,a9.1-yardaverage.

Purdue'sdefenseknewexactlywhatitwasinforandstillcouldn'tstopit.

Richardscalledtheunit'sperformance"minimal,"asWisconsinpiledup546yardsandhadscoringdrivesthatcovered95,79,75,33,68,69and61yards.

BruceGastonsaidthedefenseisstilltryingtofinditsidentity,butitwantstobe"dominant,"physicalandfast.Itwasn'tanyofthemonSaturday.

"Sometimeswedidn'tstaypoisedlikeweweresupposedto,"Gastonsaid."Wewereinpositiontomakeplays.WewereinpositiontogetTFLsandtackles,butwedidn't.Weknowthatwe'redefinitelycapableofdoingthat,sowehavetojustgetbetter.

"Weallhavetostepup,practicebetter,playbetter,playfaster,playharderandwhenwe'reinpositiontomakeplays,wehavetomakethem.Sometimesthat'swhatseparatesthescore.Whenyou'reinpositiontomakeplays,youhavetomakethem."

SamecouldbesaidforPurdue'soffense.

TheBoilermakerswerewithin14-7andhadtheballfirst-and-goalfromthe10-yardlineafterRicardoAllen'sinterceptioninthesecondquarter.

Buttheirinabilitytoproduceintheredzonereareditsheadagain.

AkeemHuntgotfiveyardsonafirst-downpitchbutthenwasburiedforalossoftwoonsecond,tryingtorunwidebutfindingnoplacetocutupfield.Onthirddownfromtheseven,RobHenrytriedathree-stepdropanddeliveredapassintotheendzone.Theclosest"receiver"wasaWisconsinplayerwhodroppedaninterception.

Purduehadtosettlefora24-yardfieldgoal.

ThenWisconsinrippedoffa75-yarddriveforaTD,Purdue'soffensewentthree-and-outandtheBadgersdrained5:09offtheclocktoendadrivewithafieldgoaljustbeforehalftimefora24-10lead.

Purdue'sfourseriesinthesecondhalf:41yards.

"Wedidn'tgooutandexecuteaswellinthosecriticalmomentswhenwecouldhavegottenourselvesbackinthegameandkeepbattling,"saidHenry,whowas18-for-36foronly135yardsandaninterception."That'ssomethingwehavetodoisexecutewhenthegamegetstightandwhenweneedto."

That'llbeonefocusnextweek,whenPurduehasabriefrespitefromconferenceplaywhenMid-AmericanConferencechampionNorthernIllinoiscomestoRoss-AdeStadium.

Butitwon'tbetheonlyone.

"Lackofexecutiononoffenseandlackof(tackling)ondefensewereprobablythetwobiggestculpritsoftheday,"Hazellsaid."You'relookingata14-10footballgame,andtheydriveitdownthefieldonusandscoreagain,andtheoffensecan'tstayonthefield.We'rethree-and-out,three-and-out,Idon'tknowhowmanythree-and-outserieswehad.Sothatputsmorepressureonthedefense.Soit'sawholeteamthingthatwe'vegottogetfixed."

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