WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. _ The stakes couldn't be more defined.
A victory over rival Minnesota in the regular-season finale at Camp Randall Stadium will send No. 7 Wisconsin to the Big Ten championship game and keep alive the Badgers' hopes of securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.
A loss to the Gophers would crush that dream and render meaningless the five-game winning streak that has carried Paul Chryst's team to this point.
UW set that stage with a 49-20 victory over Purdue in front of a sparse crowd Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The Badgers (8-2, 6-2 Big Ten) overcame a sluggish start on defense and offense and got contributions from players up and down the lineup to beat the Boilermakers (3-8, 1-7) for the 11th consecutive time.
Bart Houston replaced Alex Hornibrook on UW's third series and led the Badgers 87 yards for a touchdown to erase a 3-0 deficit and spark a 35-point second quarter.
Houston remained in the game and finished the first half 5-of-6 for 102 yards and a touchdown as UW built a 35-10 lead. Hornibrook returned to open the second half and directed two touchdown drives. Hornibrook finished 7-of-9 for 89 yards and a touchdown. Houston came back in for UW's final series, with the Badgers leading by 29.
Linebacker T.J. Watt returned an interception 17 yards for UW's second touchdown; fullback Alec Ingold scored on a 1-yard run and a 19-yard pass; linebacker T.J. Edwards set up Ingold's touchdown catch with an interception at the Boilermakers' 19; and tailback Bradrick Shaw scored on runs of 7 and 33 yards.
All that action came in the first half when UW scored touchdowns eight seconds apart and later two in a span of 14 seconds.
Tailback Corey Clement entered the day with 928 yards. He rushed 27 times for 112 yards and a touchdown to become the 17th UW player to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season.
Hornibrook hit two big passes on a 62-yard touchdown drive to help UW take a 42-13 lead in the third quarter. He found Dare Ogunbowale for 10 yards to the Purdue 25 on third-and-8 and three plays later hit Jazz Peavy for a 25-yard touchdown.
Blough threw three interceptions but had touchdown passes of 75 and 10 yards to DeAngelo Yancey (six catches, 155 yards).
The day did not start well for Chryst and his players.
UW's defense entered the day No. 2 in the Big Ten on third down, limiting teams to a conversion rate of just 27 percent.
The Boilermakers converted 3 of 4 third-down chances on their opening series and drove from their 34 to the UW 11. That led to a 28-yard field goal by J.D. Dellinger for a 3-0 lead with 4:56 left in the opening quarter. UW recovered, however, and Purdue finished just 3 of 10 on third-down chances.
UW's offense in the opening quarter was pitiful.
Excluding two sacks of Hornibrook, UW carried the ball 11 times for 29 yards. Three of those carries gained nothing and three lost a combined 4 yards.
Shaw and Ogunbowale combined to jump-start UW's offense in the second quarter.
The Badgers took over at their 13 after a Purdue punt and marched 87 yards in 10 plays.
Shaw gained 31 yards to the UW 45 on a sweep to the left and Ogunbowale gained 34 and 18 yards on screens to convert third-and-12 and third-and-8, respectively.
The second catch put the ball at the Purdue 3, and Ingold capped the drive with a 1-yard run to help UW take a 7-3 lead with 8:34 left in the half.
No one knew it at the time, but the rout was on.
One play after P.J. Rosowski recorded his 35th touchback on 55 kickoffs, Watt intercepted Blough's pass and rambled 17 yards for a touchdown.
UW's lead was 14-3 with 8:26 left in the half _ and about to grow.
The Badgers took over at their 46 after a Purdue punt and drove 54 yards for a touchdown and a 21-3 lead.
Houston hit both attempts on the drive _ 11 yards to Troy Fumagalli on third and 3 on the third play of the drive and 20 yards to Robert Wheelwright to the Purdue 20. Shaw capped the drive with a 7-yard run with 3:03 left.
Purdue's next drive lasted one play.
Blough tried to pass on first down but Edwards batted the ball into the air and made the interception while on the ground at the Purdue 19.
Houston executed a play-action fake on the next pay and hit Ingold, wide open in the left flat, for a touchdown.
Purdue responded with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Blough to Yancey on its next offensive play, but UW responded with a 65-yard touchdown match for a 35-10 lead at the break.
Shaw capped that drive with a 33-yard run up the middle with 51 seconds left in the half and the game was all but over.
As UW players left the field and headed to their locker room, they could turn their attention to Minnesota and clinching a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game.
