WEST LAFAYETTE — Many expected head coach Paul Chryst’s offense to be good in 2016, his second season as head coach, but perhaps nobody expected the current leaders of the Big Ten West to be that good. On Saturday, the Wisconsin offense proved once again how Chryst’s leadership has created success in Wisconsin this season.
Though the offense started off slow in West Lafayette, several adjustments in the second quarter led for overall success against the Purdue Boilermakers. While Purdue led 3-0 in the first quarter, Wisconsin would then put up 49 points the rest of the game, 35 just in the second quarter.
“I think it was once we saw how they were playing us, we made a couple different personnel groups going,” Chryst said. One of the most noticeable adjustments was the switch to senior Bart Houston at quarterback.
“It was a good change for us at the time,” Chryst said of Houston. “He was good and he gave us a couple plays with his feet. I thought he made good decisions. Bart gives himself a chance. He’s a really good teammate and works during the week.”
Houston would only play one quarter, but in that time, he completed five of six throws for 102 yards and one touchdown. He also made plays with his legs, carrying four times for 14 yards.
“There’s definitely a rhythm to myself and a rhythm to the offense. We just kept pounding the ball down the field. A couple of those drives were only run so that’s all tribute to the offensive line, the tight ends and the backs running like no others. It felt good to get into rhythm,” Houston said.
One prominent play that was successful for Houston and the offense in the second quarter was the screen route to running back Dare Ogunbowale that picked up critical third downs, something Chryst said the team struggled with in the first quarter.
“They were huge. They were big chunk plays. Coach Chryst saw the heat coming, and he beat them with the screen,” Houston said.”
The running back unit, which has seen considerable growth and development this season continued with their high offensive play that they showed last week against Illinois. Wisconsin finished with 221 net yards rushing on the day, tripling Purdue’s total of 71 rushing yards.
Redshirt freshman Bradrick Shaw had a high-performance day, finishing with eight carries for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Corey Clement finished with his sixth 100-plus rushing game this season. Clement had 27 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. He became the 17th Badger in history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
“It’s a special feeling,” teammate Alec Ingold said. “ He’s put in a lot of work in the offseason. He battled injuries last year and it’s just big time for him to break out a little bit and get some recognition he deserves. The offense is clicking when he’s clicking, so it’s big time.”
Fullback Alec Ingold certainly had a day of his own, getting both a rushing and passing touchdown against Purdue.
“I was a flashy player today, not normal for a fullback. It was big for our team. We just got the ball rolling a little bit in the second quarter,” he said of his performance.
“He certainly does [a lot] with the ball in his hand. I think he does some great stuff blocking. He’s been giving us a lot,” Chryst said.
Overall, the Wisconsin doubled Purdue in nearly all aspects of the offense with the exception of net yards passing. Purdue had 222 yards passing to Wisconsin’s 191. On first downs, however, Wisconsin led with 23 to Purdue’s 16.
That efficiency on offense was a testament to the team’s ability to work as one unit to turn the momentum, especially with the slow start today.
“I think the biggest thing with this team is we play for each other. It doesn’t really matter the situation. It doesn’t matter the team. It doesn’t matter the environment. I’m going to play for the guy to the left and the right of me, and I know the next guy is too. I think that is why we can play week to week because we’re preparing with our brothers and that will play out,” Ingold said.
Chryst and his offense turn all attention to their last game of the season against Minnesota. With a win next Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers go 10-2 in the season and head to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.
“We’ve got to keep that ax, and that’s the last thing he [Chryst] said to us, and that’s all we’re focused on now,” Alex Hornibrook said. “When we looked at our schedule, we knew there wasn’t a game we couldn’t win and we thought we’d win every one of them. We’ve done a good job of just focusing week to week.”