The Badgers started fast and it proved to be enough off of a cushion to keep Purdue at bay late as Wisconsin won their first Big Ten contest 38-17 under new head coach Luke Fickell.
The Badgers improved to 3-1 (1-0 BIG) behind Tanner Mordecai’s miraculous first quarter where the Wisconsin quarterback rushed for a pair of scores, caught a pass, and had everything clicking.
Leading 21-3 at halftime, Wisconsin was in cruise control before the Boilermakers scored 14 points in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 27-17.
The fourth quarter was smooth sailing for the Badgers, who clinched the game on a strange fumble by Hudson Card midway through the fourth. The night was marred with the loss of running back Chez Mellusi, who went down in the fourth quarter with what looks like a very serious leg injury.
Here are five takeaways from Wisconsin’s win at Purdue: