MADISON, Wis. – – Braedyn Locke threw for 359 yards and connected with Trech Kekahuna on two of his three touchdown passes as Wisconsin defeated Purdue 52-6 on Saturday to continue the Badgers’ control of this series.

Tawee Walker rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries as Wisconsin (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) snapped a two-game skid and defeated Purdue for the 18th straight time. Purdue (1-4, 0-2) last defeated Wisconsin in 2003.

The only Big Ten team with a longer active winning streak against a conference opponent is Ohio State, which has defeated Indiana 29 straight times.

Since defeating Football Championship Subdivision program Indiana State 49-0 in the opener, Purdue (1-4, 0-2) has lost four straight games by a combined score of 184-44.

Locke went 20 of 31 and set career single-game highs in touchdown passes and yards passing, even though Wisconsin lost wide receivers Will Pauling, Bryson Green and Tyrell Henry to upper-body injuries in the first half. He threw two interceptions in the first half, but was exceptional the rest of the time.

Locke’s first touchdown pass came when Vinny Anthony made a catch just inside Purdue’s 35 and raced into the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown. Locke’s next two scores went to Kekahuna, who finished with six catches for 134 yards.

Kekahuna’s first touchdown came when he caught a pass around the Badgers’ 43 and outpaced the Purdue defense for a 69-yard score early in the third quarter. On Wisconsin’s next drive, Locke found Kekahuna in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown.

Before Saturday, Kekahuna had totaled eight catches for 106 yards in nine career games.

Walker led Wisconsin’s 221-yard rushing attack two days after the Badgers announced that running back Chez Mellusi would leave the team at least temporarily to manage his health.

Purdue failed to reach the end zone in its first game since firing Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator this week and handing play-calling duties to Jason Simmons, who had been working as an offensive analyst.

After the Badgers took an early 14-0 lead, Purdue crawled back into the game after Kyndrich Breedlove intercepted Locke’s passes in back-to-back series. Purdue was the last remaining Football Bowl Subdivision program without a takeaway this season.

Breedlove’s first interception gave Purdue the ball at Wisconsin’s 45 and the second came at the Purdue 49. Purdue drove into Wisconsin’s 5 after each of those takeaways but couldn’t get into the end zone, settling for Spencer Porath field goals from 21 and 23 yards. .

Wisconsin then broke the game open by scoring touchdowns on each of the next five drives.

The takeaway

Purdue: The day started poorly enough when Purdue announced that cornerback Markevious Brown was no longer with the program, though he could return next year. From there it only got worse. Purdue stayed close for a while — Wisconsin led only 14-6 before reaching the end zone with nine seconds left in the second quarter — but the Boilermakers didn’t participate in the second half.

Wisconsin: The Badgers finally produced the big plays that had been missing for much of the season. Wisconsin entered Saturday with nine plays from scrimmage of more than 20 yards to tie Louisiana-Monroe for the lowest total of any Football Bowl Subdivision team. The Badgers had six gains of at least 20 yards on Saturday, even when two of their top receivers (Pauling and Green) were hurt early.

Next

Purdue: This Saturday at No. 24 Illinois.

Wisconsin: This Saturday at Rutgers.

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