Locke throws for 359 yards and 3 TDs as Wisconsin steamrolls slumping Purdue
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Braedyn Locke threw for 359 yards and connected with Trech Kekahuna on two of his three touchdown passes as Wisconsin trounced Purdue 52-6 on Saturday to continue the Badgers’ mastery of this series.
Tawee Walker rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries as Wisconsin (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) snapped a two-game skid and beat Purdue for an 18th straight time. Purdue (1-4, 0-2) last defeated Wisconsin in 2003.
The only Big Ten team with a longer active winning streak over a conference opponent is Ohio State, which has beaten Indiana 29 consecutive times.
“They really did what we had expected and wanted them to do more than anything – and they did it together,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said.
Since beating Football Championship Subdivision program Indiana State 49-0 in its opener, Purdue (1-4, 0-2) has lost four straight games by a combined score of 184-44.
Locke went 20 of 31 and set single-game career highs in touchdown passes and yards passing, even though Wisconsin lost wide receivers Will Pauling, Bryson Green and Tyrell Henry to upper-body injuries in the first half. He threw two first-half interceptions but was exceptional the rest of the way.
Locke’s first touchdown pass came when Vinny Anthony made a catch just inside Purdue’s 35 and raced into the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown. Locke’s next two scores went to Kekahuna, who ended up with six catches for 134 yards.
Kekahuna’s first touchdown came when he caught a pass around the Badgers’ 43 and outran the Purdue defense for a 69-yard score early in the third quarter. On Wisconsin’s next drive, Locke found Kekahuna in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown.
Before Saturday, Kekahuna had totaled eight catches for 106 yards in nine career games.
Walker led Wisconsin’s 221-yard rushing attack two days after the Badgers announced running back Chez Mellusi was leaving the team at least temporarily to work on his health.
Purdue failed to reach the end zone in its first game since firing Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator this week and handing the play-calling duties to Jason Simmons, who had been working as an offensive analyst.
“Obviously it’s frustrating,” said Purdue quarterback Hudson Card, who went 11 of 21 for 111 yards. “It’s super frustrating.”
After the Badgers took an early 14-0 lead, Purdue crept back into the game after Kyndrich Breedlove intercepted Locke passes on back-to-back series. Purdue had been the last remaining Football Bowl Subdivision program without a takeaway this season.
Breedlove’s first interception gave Purdue the ball at Wisconsin’s 45 and the second occurred at the Purdue 49. Purdue drove inside Wisconsin’s 5 after each of those takeaways but couldn’t get into the end zone and settled for Spencer Porath field goals of 21 and 23 yards.
Wisconsin then broke the game open by scoring touchdowns on each of its next five drives.
The takeaway
Purdue: The day started out bad enough with Purdue announcing cornerback Markevious Brown was no longer with the program, though he could return next year. It only got worse from there. Purdue stayed close for a while — Wisconsin only led 14-6 before reaching the end zone with nine seconds left in the second quarter — but the Boilermakers didn’t compete in the second half.
Wisconsin: The Badgers finally produced the big plays that had been missing for much of the season. Wisconsin entered Saturday with nine plays from scrimmage of 20-plus yards to match Louisiana-Monroe for the lowest total of any Football Bowl Subdivision team. The Badgers had six gains of at least 20 yards Saturday, even with two of their top receivers (Pauling and Green) getting hurt early.
Up next
Purdue: At No. 24 Illinois next Saturday.
Wisconsin: At Rutgers next Saturday.