Madison, Wis. – In his first home game as interim head coach, Jim Leonhard and the Wisconsin Badgers (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten), who were one-and-a-half point favorites, took care of business, winning 35-24 at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Against Purdue, the Wisconsin Badgers’ defense was missing some pretty important tools from its toolbox – but in the end, it didn’t matter.
Outside linebacker Nick Herbig didn’t play, and nose tackle Keeanu Benton was on a pitch count – but the defense as a whole found a way to slow down one of the Big Ten’s best offenses.
In total, UW allowed 431 total yards on 5.5 yards per play and won the turnover battle, forcing O’Connell to throw three interceptions on the day – one of which was a pick-six returned by safety John Torchio for a touchdown.
Inside linebacker play has been a real question mark so far this season, but I thought Maema Njongmeta and Jordan Turner played one of their best games as a pairing – which made a significant difference.
The Jewelry Thief stole the show on homecoming weekend, registering 10 tackles, two interceptions, a pass deflection, and a touchdown.
Here’s a look at the five highest-graded defensive players from Wisconsin’s victory over Purdue, according to Pro Football Focus.