Happy Halloween

Wisconsin’s Halloween 37-0 victory displayed a revived Badger squad eager to finish the season on a high note…or a pathetic Purdue performance which was one of the worst offensive displays I have seen by a Big 10 team in a long, long time. Reality was probably a combination of the two.
Perhaps most impressive was Wisconsin opening the game with 11 straight running plays culminating in a John Clay touchdown. The physical drive set the tone for the rest of the game. The Badgers are best when they run first…Tolzien is an excellent play-action passer who struggles when put into must-throw situations. Montee Ball and John Clay make a physical running tandem, and the use of Lance Kendricks as a runner provided a unique way to get the ball to one of the team’s best athletes. Kudos to Paul Chryst.
Defensively, the Badgers continue to impress with their front seven. The secondary still struggles, and if Purdue didn’t drop a half dozen catchable passes in the first half the game may have been much more competitive. David Gilbert’s blocked punt was tremendous…it was interesting to note that the three players involved in the blocked punt for a touchdown (Aaron Henry, Antonio Fenelus, and Gilbert) all hail from Florida. Wisconsin’s recruiting efforts in Florida have been far more successful than their efforts in Texas.
Wisconsin is young and improving. Indiana, losers of two very winnable games after blowing 4th quarter leads, are next on the schedule. The Hoosier’s offense is talented, while their defense struggles. Avoid the turnover, Bucky, and I see their record improving to 7-2 with a 38-17 win.