The Wisconsin Badgers had entered Big Ten play with a promising 2-1 record, but had an evolving pattern that needed to be broken: their propensity for slow starts.
They finally broke the trend at the perfect time, starting strong to begin Big Ten play against Purdue, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives, leading to an early 21-3 lead.
In doing so, the Badgers efficiently utilized the quarterback run, an area that Purdue had struggled to defend all season, leading to two early Tanner Mordecai rushing touchdowns, one via design and another via scramble, in the first half.