Wisconsin took care of business on Friday night, beating Purdue 38-17 in West Lafayette.

The Badgers matched their season-high in points in the win. They scored 21 of those points in the 1st half, which represents a new season-high as well.

It was also a solid night for Wisconsin’s defense, which forced 3 Purdue turnovers. It also held the Boilermakers to 5.7 yards per play on the night.

Here are 3 takeaways from Wisconsin’s win:

Offense settling in

After a somewhat slow start to the 2023 season, Wisconsin’s offense appears to be hitting its stride under offensive coordinator Phil Longo. The Badgers went 12-for-18 on 3rd down and 6-for-6 in the red zone against Purdue.

The running game was especially strong. As a team, Wisconsin rushed for 5.2 yards per carry. The Badgers produced 6 running plays of 10+ yards on the night. All 4 of Wisconsin’s touchdowns came on the ground. Tanner Mordecai and Braelon Allen rushed for 2 TD’s apiece.

Wisconsin’s passing game still has some things to iron out, however. Mordecai threw for 174 yards 27 attempts and 1 interception in the win.

Chez Mellusi injury

Chez Mellusi’s 4th quarter injury brought on a sour note to what was otherwise a very successful night for the Badgers.

Mellusi appeared to severely injure his ankle midway through the final quarter. If that does end up being the case, it would be a major loss for Wisconsin’s offense.

Entering Friday’s game, Mellusi had already accounted for 267 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns this season.

1-0 in Big Ten play

Wisconsin’s win vs. the Boilermakers means it is 1-0 in Big Ten play. The Badgers are amongst the favorites to get to the Big Ten Championship Game this season, and a win over Purdue was a must for that to be realistic.

Entering this game, ESPN’s FPI projected Wisconsin to have a 37.1% chance to win the Big Ten West. That number should increase after this victory over division-rival Purdue.

Wisconsin has now won 17 games in a row against the Boilermakers.