Tag: Purdue football

Nevada Football: The Five Best Moments From The 2019 Season

Nevada Football: The Five Best Moments From The 2019 Season Five of the best moments from Nevada’s 2019 season. Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire The Five Best Moments From The 2019 Nevada Season The 2019 Nevada Wolf Pack season was one that …

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Nevada Football: The Five Best Moments From The 2019 Season

Five of the best moments from Nevada’s 2019 season.

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

The Five Best Moments From The 2019 Nevada Season

The 2019 Nevada Wolf Pack season was one that contained some incredible moments for a team that finished with a 7-6 record. With the 2019 football season over, I decided to take a complete look at some of the best moments in the 2019 Wolf Pack football campaign. After finishing my review of Nevada’s season I found five of the best moments from the Wolf Pack’s 2019 season.

Here are my five best moments of the Nevada Wolf Pack’s 2019 season.

5) Talton’s field goal at the end of the game to lift Wolf Pack past San Jose State

On October 12th with Nevada and San Jose State tied at 38 late in the game, the Wolf Pack marched down the field aided by a pair of long runs by running back Devontae Lee to put Nevada in field goal range.

The Wolf Pack turned to freshman placekicker Brandon Talton to win the game on a 40 yard field goal. Talton’s field goal was good from that distance as Nevada outlasted the very gamed San Jose State Spartans 41-38. 

Talton game winning field goal against San Jose State was his third game winning field goal of that season. The other two came against Weber State and well, you will have to  read on for when Talton connected on his other game winning field goal.

 

4) Toa Taua’s stellar performance against Fresno State

Sophomore running back Toa Taua had an up and down season but his signature game of the season came on November 23rd when the Wolf Pack took on Fresno State on the road.

Taua ran for 153 yards and scored a touchdown against the Bulldogs. That touchdown run by Taua was a three yard touchdown run with 12 seconds left in the game to push the Wolf Pack over the Bulldogs 35-28.

The road win over Fresno State was Nevada’s second straight road win after defeating San Diego State two weeks prior. Also, Nevada’s win over Fresno State knocked the Bulldogs out of bowl contention. All in all, a very good night for Nevada due to the stellar performance of Toa Taua

 

3) Nevada defeats San Diego State on the road for the Wolf Pack’s first  ever victory over an AP top 25 team on the road.

The Wolf Pack had never won a game on the road against a AP Top 25 team in program history. But then came Nevada’s contest on the road against San Diego State.

Despite being out-gained on offense by the Aztecs by a count of 309 to 226, the Wolf Pack were able to score 17 points on the usually stout Aztec defense on some big plays on offense. Wolf Pack wide receiver Elijah Cooks threw a 50 yard pass on a trick play that helped set up Devontae Lee’s one yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put Nevada up for good 17-13.

The Wolf Pack defense was stellar in containing San Diego State’s run attack as the Nevada defense limited the Aztecs run offense to under three yards per carry. The Wolf Pack defense was able to stop San Diego State’s offense in the final minutes of the game to seal Nevada’s first ever win against an AP Top 25 team on the road. 

The win over San Diego State on the road also made Nevada bowl eligible for the second straight season and gave head coach Jay Norvell a big signature win in his Wolf Pack tenure.

 

2) Brandon Talton’s 56 yard field goal caps off  Nevada’s thrilling comeback to defeat Purdue in the season opener.

In the season opener against Purdue, the Nevada Wolf Pack were down  24-7 to Purdue at the half and in the fourth quarter, the Wolf Pack were down 31-17. In the fourth quarter, the Wolf Pack scored 14 unanswered points to tie the game at 31.

In the final seconds of the game, walk on freshman Brandon Talton connected on a 56 yard field goal at the end of the game to give the Wolf Pack the 34-31 victory. The 17 point comeback was the largest comeback for Nevada since 1996. 

In his first start, quarterback Carson Strong shook off the slow start and settled in as he went 30 of 51 passing for 295 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Boilermakers.

Before that kick, Talton had been named the starting kicker the morning of the game against Purdue and Talton’s longest field goal was when he connected on a 47 yard field goal in high school back in Vacaville, California. 

Talton’s incredible game winning field goal to defeat Purdue was

2) Brandon Talton’s 56 yard field goal caps off  Nevada’s thrilling comeback to defeat Purdue in the season opener.

In the season opener against Purdue, the Nevada Wolf Pack were down  24-7 to Purdue at the half and in the fourth quarter, the Wolf Pack were down 31-17. In the fourth quarter, the Wolf Pack scored 14 unanswered points to tie the game at 31.

In the final seconds of the game, walk on freshman Brandon Talton connected on a 56 yard field goal at the end of the game to give the Wolf Pack the 34-31 victory. The 17 point comeback was the largest comeback for Nevada since 1996. 

In his first start, quarterback Carson Strong shook off the slow start and settled in as he went 30 of 51 passing for 295 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Boilermakers.

Before that kick Talton had been named the starting kicker the morning of the game against Purdue and Talton’s longest field goal was when he connected on a 47 yard field goal in high school back in Vacaville, California. 

Talton’s incredible game winning field goal to defeat Purdue was definitely a highlight however, that moment was topped by another incredible moment in the Wolf Pack locker room after the game.

 

1)  Talton being awarded a scholarship after the game winning kick against Purdue.

After the Wolf Pack’s thrilling victory over Purdue on the strength of walk-on freshmen place kicker Brandon Talton’s 56 yard field goal, Nevada head coach Jay Norvell decided to reward his young kicker with a scholarship. 

A fantastic way to cap off an incredible moment in the 2019 season for the Nevada Wolf Pack football team. 

 

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Former Notre Dame DC Reportedly Headed to Purdue

Diaco left Notre Dame to become the head coach at Connecticut in 2014, a job he spent three seasons at going 11-26 in that time.  His trip to the 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl (16-10 L vs Marshall) remains the last bowl game Connecticut played in.

I didn’t look at life a week ago and think I was going to be writing about former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco on two separate occasions but here we are.

Diaco and has Louisiana Tech squad shutout Miami (FL) 14-0 on December 26 in the Independence Bowl and four days later he’s headed to coordinate the defense of a historical Notre Dame rival.

Diaco was on Brian Kelly’s coaching staff at Notre Dame from 2010-2013 where he oversaw a defense that was responsible for the Fighting Irish going 12-0 in the 2012 regular season.

Diaco left Notre Dame to become the head coach at Connecticut in 2014, a job he spent three seasons at going 11-26 in that time.  His trip to the 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl (16-10 L vs Marshall) remains the last bowl game Connecticut played in.

The Huskies went just 3-9 the following season however and Diaco was fired from the job.

He’s since spent time at Nebraska (2017, Defensive Coordinator), Oklahoma (2018, Linebackers) and Louisiana Tech (2019, Defensive Coordinator).

Diaco won the Broyles Award at Notre Dame in 2012 as the nation’s top assistant coach when the Irish allowed one or fewer touchdowns in eight of their 12 regular season games.

I don’t know how it will ultimately go for Diaco at Purdue.  He’s spent a season in the Big Ten before as Nebraska’s D-C and had a rough go as his Cornhuskers allowed 30 or more points eight times that season.

What I do know is that life just got more interesting for those that cover Purdue football:

“Like Pavlov’s dogs – I walk through the gate and I salivate!”

I’m just mad I didn’t use that for my senior quote.

Wisconsin decade in review: Badgers vs Purdue

Wisconsin vs Purdue

As the 2019 season brings to a close another decade of college football, Badgers Wire has been engaged in a series of reflective pieces. “Record Review” is another series examining how the Badgers have fared against the rest of the Big Ten this past decade. Next up is an examination of the Badgers’ record against one of their bigger divisional opponents, Purdue. This is another series Wisconsin has dominated recently. in fact, the Badgers managed to be perfect against the Boilermakers in the 2010s. Let’s take a look at the numbers. 

Using Stassen, Badgers Wire pulled up every result against Purdue since the start of the decade. The Badgers are 10-0. They’re obviously perfect home and away. The margins for this contest are about as ugly as the overall record for Purdue. Wisconsin’s margin of victory heading into this year was 38-15 overall in the 2010s. They beat the Boilermakers by an average of 36-8 at home and 40-21 on the road. The Badgers brought the hammer on a regular basis to Purdue. 

It is worth discussing, however briefly, the idea of a team getting too comfortable in a rivalry and letting off the gas pedal. Wisconsin has this rivalry going exactly the way it wants; the Badgers just need to keep that same hunger on a year-in, year-out basis. Losing these games can often make the path to a conference or division championship that much harder. One only needs to see how Wisconsin complicated its 2019 season with the loss to Illinois.

Wisconsin simply needs to keep its goals in focus when it comes to this Big Ten West matchup. Purdue’s Jeff Brohm is a good coach. He plays an exciting brand of football, but it can be hard to get things off the ground at a lower-tier program, even in light of the way Purdue looked after him when the Louisville job came open. He’s going to improve things in West Lafayette over time, but Wisconsin owns the talent and coaching to win this game every year if the Badgers remain focused and on task.

Big Ten, big ’20s: Purdue football

Purdue football in the 2020s

The Purdue Boilermakers failed to make a bowl game in 2019, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Purdue lost its best offensive player, Rondale Moore, plus multiple quarterbacks early in the season. Yet, the Boilermakers were still able to beat Nebraska with a third-string quarterback. They won at Northwestern and capitalized on the Wildcats’ down year. They took 8-4 Indiana to double overtime before losing. Lesser teams would have gone 2-10. A 4-8 season can never be “good,” but Purdue dealt with a ton of hardships as well as one could reasonably expect.

This leads us to the big question facing Purdue football in the 2020s: If the Boilermakers can finally avoid key injuries (something they haven’t done under coach Jeff Brohm), can they cultivate a quarterback who can make the Brohm offense come alive?

Purdue is not unique in being a program which needs a quarterback to make everything else fit together. The Miami Hurricanes have been waiting for a great quarterback ever since Ken Dorsey became a pro. TCU has a quality defense and just needs a quarterback to boost the program back to national relevance under Gary Patterson. When TCU had an elite quarterback, Trevone Boykin, it won 11 or more games and was a top-10 team.

Imagine Iowa with an elite quarterback. Imagine Michigan State with an elite quarterback. Imagine California with an elite quarterback this past season. Imagine Texas A&M with a great quarterback, as opposed to Kellen Mond. Imagine Auburn with a great quarterback. Lots of programs need one. Purdue is part of that conversation.

The Boilermakers have had a problem losing season-opening (or early-season) games they ought to win, this year’s Nevada game being a prime example. That, however, is a one-game problem. The bigger issue for Purdue is finding the quarterback with high-end skills who can operate in Brohm’s offense and make the Boilermakers a hugely potent team. If Purdue can ever get its hands on a passer who dramatically expands the offense’s sense of possibility, this program is going to be a headache to deal with.

Purdue is already an annoying program, but the Boilermakers want to be an infuriating program in the 2020s. The quarterback spot is the key to the whole thing.

Jeff Brohm of Purdue sizes up Wisconsin versus Minnesota

Jeff Brohm of the Purdue Boilermakers commented on the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Jeff Brohm of the Purdue Boilermakers has now coached against both the Wisconsin Badgers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. It is true that in a 40-second audio clip, one can’t learn everything one needs to know about the Badgers and Golden Gophers, but it is nevertheless interesting to hear what Brohm had to say.

You can watch and listen to the clip and see for yourself:

What is notable in the clip:

1) “Minnesota’s a big, physical team.” The Gophers play with pace have fast receivers, but Brohm focused first on Minnesota’s physicality, and how the offensive line sets up everything for P.J. Fleck’s attack. Wisconsin and Minnesota offer two very different offensive styles, but they can both be rooted in the same principles, line play being number one. Brohm could have said that Minnesota is a fast, versatile team (and it is), but he led with its physical nature instead. That gets one’s attention.

2) “Their run-pass play-action stuff has been very effective for them, with two outstanding receivers.” Hmmm. Was this intentional? I doubt it. It was probably an innocent and perfectly earnest way of praising Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson, Minnesota’s two best receivers. I don’t think there was some deeper, hidden intent on Brohm’s part. Nevertheless, Minnesota has more than two outstanding receivers. Chris Autman-Bell has made acrobatic and important plays for the Gophers this season. He is no slouch as a third option. Brohm might be saying, though, that dealing with Bateman and Johnson clearly takes precedence in trying to contain the Minnesota passing attack, which is a reasonable-enough statement to make (or imply).

3) “Who can get out to a lead first and control the tempo will definitely help their chances of winning.” I think this is spot-on from Purdue’s head coach. Once Wisconsin established its offense against Purdue, the Boilermakers couldn’t stop it. Minnesota also scored 38 points against Purdue and was difficult for the Boilers to defend. More relevant to the upcoming game between Wisconsin and Minnesota is the simple reality that Wisconsin’s offense is not built to come back from a 14-point deficit. A one-score deficit isn’t cause for (excessive) concern, but yes, if one team gets a multi-score lead, that team has to love its chances.

This isn’t the Big 12, you know.

Twitter reactions: Wisconsin takes out Purdue in Madison, 45-21

Here are some of the most notable Twitter reactions from the Wisconsin Badgers’ 45-21 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers in Madison.

Needing a victory yesterday to set up a showdown against Minnesota next weekend for the Big Ten West title, No. 12 Wisconsin took care of business at Camp Randall and downed Purdue 45-21.

The events that took place at Camp Randall Stadium yesterday elicited a flood of reactions and takes throughout the Twitterverse, both during the game and after. Here are some of the most notable:

The final home game of the season, yesterday’s contest was the last time we will see the Badgers at Camp Randall until the 2020 season opener against Indiana next September. It was also the final opportunity for Wisconsin’s senior class to play in front of the home crowd.

After finding some success with the Wildcat formation last week against Nebraska, Paul Chryst decided to go to it on multiple occasions again yesterday. It paid off big time, as the Badgers scored two touchdowns on the play against the Boilermakers.

The first came on Wisconsin’s initial drive of the game from speedy wide receiver Aron Cruickshank, who got his team on the board with an electrifying touchdown for the second week in a row.

Garrett Groshek also got in on the Wildcat fun with his critical six-yard scamper to the end zone to stretch Wisconsin’s lead to 14 late in the third quarter.

Speaking of Groshek, it was a banner day for another former walk-on as well in wide receiver Jack Dunn, who reeled in the first touchdown reception of his career with a little over four minutes left in the first half. The score was a big one, as it capped an eight-play drive that regained the lead for Wisconsin after Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins’ backbreaking 37-yard touchdown catch earlier in the second quarter.

That was a big play from Dunn, but the most impressive highlight of the day would come a few minutes later in the second quarter when Zach Hintze came out to attempt a 62-yard field goal with seconds remaining in the half.

Collin Larsh had handled placekicking duties all season long after coming out on top of Hintze in a preseason competition for the gig, but the latter has utilized his huge leg to become a weapon as a touchback specialist on kickoffs. With his team unlikely to score a touchdown on a Hail Mary attempt, Chryst instead opted to gamble on Hintze’s leg talent, and boy did it pay off.

The senior kicker had only attempted one field goal in his career prior to yesterday, another 62-yarder that he missed against Northwestern last season. Nonetheless, Hinzte proceeded to nail the kick as time expired to provide Wisconsin with a huge momentum boost going into the locker room and send his team and the Badger faithful at Camp Randall into a frenzy. The field goal set a school record and was the second-longest in Big Ten history.

Hintze’s teammates appeared to get a little too excited as they mobbed him after the kick.

Another jaw-dropping moment came courtesy of Quintez Cephus, who has been a human highlight reel throughout his career in Madison. The junior wideout hauled in a ridiculous 29-yard touchdown reception that stretched Wisconsin’s lead over Purdue to 21 near the end of the third quarter and had some folks buzzing about a potential NFL future.

However, as usual, it was Jonathan Taylor who stole the show for the Badgers in what most assume was the junior running back’s final game at Camp Randall. Taylor racked up 222 yards on 28 carries (an average of 7.9) to go along with this 51-yard house call.

It was yet another record-setting day for the All-American back as well.

If yesterday’s contest was indeed the last opportunity for us to watch one of the greatest players in program history on the field he has made so many memories on, it’s hard to argue we could have asked for a more impressive final act from Taylor. The Wisconsin fans in attendance at Camp Randall yesterday made sure to express their gratitude for an incredible performance and pay homage to a truly special player.

Taylor even made a lap around the stadium after the win to embrace some of the fans.

While most expect Taylor to be in the NFL at this time next year, he did make an interesting comment regarding his future in the postgame presser.

Nonetheless, the chances of Taylor returning for his senior season remain very slim. While Wisconsin has a proud history of churning out elite running backs that will likely continue into the future, it’s hard to imagine we will see one more talented than Taylor come along again for quite some time, if ever.

The victory over Purdue sets up a battle of epic proportions against Minnesota in Minneapolis next weekend for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and the right to represent the West in the Big Ten Championship Game. Following the win over the Boilermakers, all eyes immediately turned toward the Golden Gophers.

As if next week’s matchup hasn’t already received enough hype, ESPN’s College GameDay announced shortly after the game that it will be headed to Minneapolis for the first time ever for the matchup between the Badgers and Gophers.

After falling to Minnesota in embarrassing fashion in the last game of the regular season last year at Camp Randall and with a trip to Indianapolis on the line, the Badgers are ready to exact some revenge.

Wisconsin creates a sense of deja vu versus Purdue

Immediate reaction to the Wisconsin Badgers’ win over the Purdue Boilermakers.

What does it mean? I don’t know. However, the pattern is clear: The Wisconsin Badgers have — to varying degrees — played the same game the past three weeks. The reason this Saturday’s game against the Purdue Boilermakers was more lopsided than the previous few weeks is that Purdue is a thinner, more banged-up team than Iowa or Nebraska. Wisconsin’s level of play has been fairly similar, with a lot of the same characteristics continuing to emerge, for better or worse:

Jonathan Taylor running wild: check. The offensive line blasting the opposing defensive front: check. Jack Coan making the necessary throws, but not being spectacular (because he didn’t really need to be): check. Wisconsin’s offense leading the team: check.

The defense being very inconsistent: check. The back seven allowing important completions at various stages of a game: check. An opponent’s speed and play design creating big gains against the Badgers: check. Wisconsin not being able to shut down an opponent’s passing game: check.

The 62-yard field goal by Zach Hintze was something entirely new — maybe the Badgers will be tied late at Minnesota next week and need a long boot — but a lot of this game against Purdue recalled the previous two weeks. I’m not going to say it’s good. I’m not going to say it’s bad. It just IS. This team has fallen into a pattern with good and bad components. That is the foremost observation to make for a team which owned a different identity in the first half of the season, played poorly in two consecutive games, and has now produced a third act in this 2019 season’s theatrical production. It began against Iowa and hasn’t ended.

Now this three-act play moves to Minneapolis for a monster game. These Badgers — the ones who have appeared the past three weeks — are smashing opponents in the mouth but playing sloppy ball just when they are on the verge of landing knockout punches. That isn’t necessarily a recipe for a loss, but it is certainly a recipe for danger. It doesn’t mean certain defeat against the Golden Gophers, but it hardly inspires confidence in a decisive victory, either. This is what Wisconsin is right now. Will we see a different iteration of the Badgers next Saturday? That’s the question everyone in Madison — and across a nation of Big Ten and college football fans — wants to know. We have to wait several days to find out.

Wisconsin knows exactly what Purdue is going through

One particular vantage point of Saturday’s game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Purdue Boilermakers is explained.

The Wisconsin Badgers and their fans would love to forget 2018, though the 2019 team’s 8-2 record has represented a concrete attempt to move past that difficult season. Yet, as the Badgers prepare for their home finale this upcoming weekend, their opponent has made it hard to forget the 2018 season. You see, the Purdue Boilermakers have followed a path Wisconsin fans know well, based largely on the 2018 season. In a very real way, 2018 Wisconsin can strongly relate to 2019 Purdue.

One part of the 2018 season which was hard to forget for Wisconsin fans — like it or not — was the tidal wave of injuries which swamped the team during the season. In early October, the Badgers were already dealing with injuries to, among many others, Travian Blaylock, Deron Harrell, Caeser Williams, Faion Hicks, and D’Cota Dixon. They had to go far deeper into their depth chart than any team or coaching staff can reasonably expect in a given season. That was one piece of a frustrating and uneven football season — not the only one, but a core component which explained why Wisconsin fell off the pace in the Big Ten.

One fundamental challenge for the Badgers this season was to take all of the snaps played by younger players in 2018 and translate those added reps into a stronger, more complete defense. That challenge was met in the first half of this season, and it helps explain why Wisconsin has bounced back to a degree in 2019. UW’s opponent this Saturday hopes this same dynamic will pay off next year.

Purdue’s injuries to centerpiece players on offense have been devastating. The Boilermakers have beaten Nebraska and Northwestern in spite of these injuries, but they won’t make a bowl game as a direct result of attrition and the erosion of their roster. Quarterback Elijah Sindelar was knocked out early in the season. Purdue likely would have been able to beat Illinois with Sindelar, and it would have a very good chance of beating Indiana with him as well. More than that, Purdue lost star receiver Rondale Moore. Backup quarterbacks and receivers have had to play a lot. The short-term pain has been considerable, but the Boilermakers hope it will become a blessing when the 2020 season starts.

The 2018 Wisconsin Badgers and the 2019 Purdue Boilermakers are staring at each other across the sands of time. These two schools will meet on Saturday, knowing where the other one stands. Paul Chryst can tell Jeff Brohm before Saturday’s game, “Hey, man. I know what you’re going through. Good luck next year… well, except against us!”

Wisconsin can restore order in one basic way against Purdue

A simple note on the meaning of this Saturday’s game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Purdue Boilermakers.

The obvious and primary point of significance for the Wisconsin Badgers in this Saturday’s game against the Purdue Boilermakers is that UW can stay in the Big Ten West race, setting up a super showdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Nov. 30. Everyone knows that. Yet, beneath the surface, this game against Purdue is important for another powerful reason. Wanna guess what it is?

Giving the seniors a win in their final home game? True, but not quite what I was looking for. Cleaning up bad habits or tendencies on defense before the Minnesota game? Well, that is accurate enough as well, but also not the response I had in mind.

Here is the larger reason why Wisconsin-Purdue is so important to the Badgers: They can go unbeaten at home this year. That’s a very big deal.

In 2015, 2016 and 2018, Wisconsin lost at Camp Randall Stadium. The 2017 season was a triumphant victory march for the Badgers, their best non-Rose Bowl-winning season in program history. (They won the Orange Bowl instead.) That team went unbeaten at home.

The 2019 Badgers can restore what the 2017 team established and the 2018 team failed to sustain. This matters as a point of pride — no visitors win in our house! — but the value of protecting Camp Randall is greater than that. As tough as the Big Ten is, being able to maintain an airtight fortress in Madison matters. Creating an expectation that no visitor will win in Camp Randall will enable this 2019 team to pass the baton to the 2020 team and give this program a chance to take a great home-field culture and make it even better.

No home-field loss from 2018 stung more than Minnesota coming into Madison and beating the Badgers. Wisconsin needs to plant its flag against the Gophers in 2020, and going unbeaten at home in 2019 is one small but real part of building back a heavyweight identity against P.J. Fleck. Minnesota has clearly announced itself as a threat to Wisconsin’s Big Ten West supremacy, so in a larger context which transcends individual seasons, the Badgers need to tell the Gophers, “No visitors celebrate here” in Madison.

Beating Purdue and sealing a perfect 2019 record in Camp Randall Stadium won’t make this year a complete success. Beating Minnesota on Nov. 30 will do that. Nevertheless, after the wobbles and struggles of 2018, achieving a perfect home record will represent one tangible and resonant way in which Wisconsin restored order this season.

Five Purdue players who Badger fans need to know

Here are five Purdue Boilermakers who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout Saturday’s matchup between Wisconsin and Purdue.

No. 12 Wisconsin will look to claim its third victory in a row on Saturday afternoon when it hosts 4-6 Purdue at Camp Randall.

This season has been a struggle for the Boilermakers, who were expected to take another step forward this year after making a surprise run to a bowl game in 2018. Unfortunately, Purdue has been held back from achieving its goals as the result of a series of devastating injuries to star players. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find any team in college football that has been bitten by the injury bug more than the Boilermakers.

Purdue gave Wisconsin one hell of a scare in last season’s triple-overtime thriller in West Lafayette, but the Badgers have won a whopping 13 games in a row against Purdue and is a heavy 25.5-point favorite to make it 14 this weekend. However, head coach Jeff Brohm still has some talented players at his disposal on both sides of the ball, and we have seen the Badgers struggle at home against far worse teams than this.

Here are five players on the opposing sideline who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout the game.

Aidan O’Connell – Quarterback

2019 stats: 67.6% passing, 402 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT

O’Connell is the third quarterback to step in as the starter for the Boilermakers this season following injuries to the original No. 1 signal-caller, Elijah Sindelar, and his replacement, freshman Jack Plummer, and will probably be forced to stay in that role the rest of the year.

A redshirt sophomore walk-on, O’Connell is seeing the first action of his college career, and for the most part, he’s performed valiantly. He led Purdue’s game-winning touchdown drive after replacing the injured Plummer against Nebraska on Nov. 2 and did the same in his first career start against Northwestern the following week.

Brohm was heavily reliant on O’Connell to move the Boilermakers down the field against the Cornhuskers; he went 34-50 for 271 yards and a couple of interceptions in the win. After struggling against Nebraska last week, this Wisconsin secondary will be tested early and often on Saturday.

David Bell – Wide Receiver

2019 stats: 65 rec, 791 yds (12.2 avg), 5 TD

Oct 26, 2019; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver David Bell (3) dives for extra yardage against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the fourth quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Bell was one of the top additions to Brohm’s impressive 2019 recruiting class as a consensus 4-star prospect and the Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana, and he has been an instant impact addition for the Boilermakers as a true freshman this season.

He was always going to be heavily involved in the offense this season, but Bell has taken on a larger than expected role with superstar wide receiver Rondale Moore out with an injured hamstring suffered in Purdue’s fourth game of the season. The Indianapolis native currently leads the Big Ten in receptions and ranks No. 4 and No. 5 in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, respectively.

Bell is coming off of an impressive performance against Northwestern in which he caught 14 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.

NEXT: Brycen Hopkins/George Karlaftis/Ben Holt

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