WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A 35-point scoring storm in the second quarter helped No. 6 Wisconsin earn it's fifth straight win overall with a 49-20 victory against Purdue Saturday.
Wisconsin can clinch the West Division title and earn a spot in the Dec. 3 conference championship game with a victory next weekend at home against Minnesota. A victory against the Gophers would also earn the Badgers a 13th-consecutive year of keeping the Paul Bunyan Axe in the Big Ten's historic rivalry.
T.J. Watt returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown, while Alec Ingold and Bradrick Shaw each scored twice during the dynamic stanza. The win also increases the Badgers (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP) streak to 11 in a row in the series against the Boilermakers.
Purdue (3-8, 1-7) closed out its home schedule with a sixth straight loss, five under interim coach Gerad Parker.
Backup quarterback Bart Houston sparked the Badgers' big scoring run midway through the second quarter. The UW senior piloted an 87-yard drive that was capped by Ingold's 1-yard plunge for a 7-3 lead. Watt picked off Purdue quarterback David Blough on the next offensive play.
The interception return for a touchdown was the Badgers' first pick-six since Marcus Cromartie had a 29-yard INT return for a score vs. Nebraska in the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 1, 2012. With three interceptions vs. Purdue, Wisconsin now has 17 INTs on the season, its most since recording 22 picks in 2002.
The final three minutes of the half saw Shaw score on a 7-yard run, before the Badgers picked off another Blough interception. Houston then hooked up with a wide-open Ingold on a 19-yard TD pass and Shaw added a 33-yard TD run in the last minute of the half.
The Boilermakers (3-8, 1-7) collected a 75-yard TD pass from Blough to DeAngelo Yancey during the first half. They never seriously challenged again.
Wisconsin's Corey Clement rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown en route to breaking his 1,000-yard season rushing mark. He's the 17th Badger in school history to earn this honor. This is Clement's sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season (and fifth in the last six games).
The AP contributed to this article.
