GAME NOTES: Wisconsin 30, No. 25 Purdue 13

Game Notes are courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department

TEAM NOTES

• Today’s captains: senior TE Jake Ferguson, senior CB Faion Hicks and senior ILB Jack Sanborn.
• Paul Chryst improved to 60-22 (.732) in his seventh season as Wisconsin’s head coach, ranking fourth on UW’s all-time wins list and becoming the fourth coach in school history to win 60 games:

WINS AS WISCONSIN COACH, ALL-TIME

Coach (Years) Wins

1. Barry Alvarez (1990-2005)* 119

2. Bret Bielema (2006-12) 68

3. Phil King (1896-1902, ‘05) 65

4. Paul Chryst (2015-present) 60

5. Milt Bruhn (1956-66) 52

* Also served as coach in two bowl games (2012, 2014)

Under Chryst, Wisconsin is:

• 6-0 (1.000) vs. Purdue
• 29-7 (.806) vs. the Big Ten West Division
• 39-15 (.722) in Big Ten Conference play
• 22-8 (.733) in road games
• Wisconsin scored its 15th consecutive win over Purdue, dating to 2004, extending the longest streak by either team in the history of the series
• The Badgers’ run of 15 straight wins over Purdue is their longest win streak vs. a Big Ten opponent:

UW WIN STREAKS VS. BIG TEN OPPONENTS

Streak Opponent Years

15 Purdue 2004-present

14 Minnesota 2004-17

13 Northwestern 1972-84

10 Indiana 2005-19

• The Badgers won their ninth consecutive meeting with Purdue in West Lafayette, a streak that dates to 1999.
• Junior RB Chez Mellusi (149 yards) and freshman RB Braelon Allen (140) each topped the 100-yard rushing mark in the same game for the second time this season (also at Illinois on Oct. 9).

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

• Wisconsin out-rushed Purdue 290 to -13 yards, the third time the Badgers have held a margin of at least 300 yards this season. UW also outrushed Eastern Michigan by 336 and Illinois by 365.
• The Badgers held Purdue to -13 yards rushing, marking the first time a UW opponent had negative rushing yards since Miami (Ohio) ran for -3 yards on Sept. 12, 2015.
• UW has now held an opponent to negative rushing yards five times since 2000, but Purdue is the only Big Ten team among that list.
• UW forced five turnovers on the day, the team’s most since turning Miami over five times in the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl.
• Wisconsin’s three interceptions are its most since grabbing four picks vs. Wake Forest in the 2020 Duke’s Mayo Bowl and its most in a Big Ten game since tallying three INTs each in back-to-back games vs. Illinois (Oct. 20) and Northwestern (Oct. 27) in 2018.

• Wisconsin matched a season-high with six QB sacks, equaling the team’s total vs. Notre Dame.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Freshman RB Braelon Allen posted his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game and the first multi-touchdown game of his career finishing with 140 yards on 12 carries with a career-high two TDs.
• Allen scored a rushing touchdown for the third consecutive game, opening the scoring with a four-yard TD run in the first quarter.
• Allen broke loose on a career-long 70-yard run in the third quarter to set up UW’s go-ahead touchdown run by teammate Chez Mellusi.

• Allen also caught his first-career pass, a nine-yard connection.
• Junior RB Chez Mellusi topped the 100-yard mark for the 4th time this season, rushing for a career-high high 149 yards on 27 carries with 1 TD.
• Senior TE Jake Ferguson had 2 catches for 23 yards.
• Ferguson has caught at least one pass in each of his 41 career games, a school record that surpassed WR Lee Evans’ mark for consecutive games with a catch (38, 1999-2003) and extending the nation’s 2nd-longest active streak:

CONSEC. GAMES WITH RECEPTION, FBS (ACTIVE)

1. Justin Hall, Ball State *50

2. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin *41

3. JD Spielman, TCU *40

4. Emeka Emezie, NC State (WR) 38

5. Jahan Dotson, Penn State (WR) 35

* Every game played in career

• Ferguson’s 1,370 receiving yards place him 20th on UW’s career list, and fifth among tight ends all-time at Wisconsin:

CAREER RECEIVING YARDS, TIGHT ENDS (UW)

Rk. Player Years Yards

5. Travis Beckum 2006-08 2,149

13. Troy Fumagalli 2014-17 1,627

16. Garrett Graham 2006-09 1,492

19. Jacob Pedersen 2010-13 1,394

22. Jake Ferguson 2017-pres. 1,370

25. Lance Kendricks 2007-10 1,160

• Senior DE Isaiah Mullens posted his first full sack of the season, giving him 1.5 on the year.
• Junior NT Keeanu Benton matched his season high with three tackles, including a TFL.
• Senior OLB Noah Burks posted two tackles, including a sack in the fourth quarter.
• Junior ILB Leo Chenal led UW with nine tackles, setting career highs with both 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
• Chenal leads the Badgers in tackles (51), sacks (5.0) and tackles for loss (9.5).
• Senior S Collin Wilder picked off his first pass of the season and the third of his career. He also racked up seven tackles and his first career forced fumble and fumble recovery.

• Senior ILB Jack Sanborn finished with eight tackles, including 1.5 TFLs and 0.5 sacks. For the season, Sanborn has 7.5 tackles for loss.
• Senior CB Caesar Williams made his first interception since the Badgers’ win over Minnesota on Nov. 30, 2019, when he had a career-high five passes defended.
• Junior S John Torchio nabbed his second-career INT, returning it 37 yards to the Purdue one-yard line in the second quarter.
• Senior K Collin Larsh connected on all three of his field goal attempts, improving to 10-for-12 on the season. He 37-yarder and a 23-yard kick in the second quarter before matching his career long with a 43-yard boot in the fourth quarter.