Braedyn Locke passed for 359 yards and connected with Trech Kekahuna for two of his three touchdown passes as Wisconsin dominated Purdue 52-6 on Saturday, continuing their strong performance in this series.
Tawee Walker ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, helping Wisconsin (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) end a two-game losing streak and defeat Purdue for the 18th consecutive time. Purdue (1-4, 0-2) last won against Wisconsin in 2003.
The only Big Ten team with a longer active winning streak against another conference opponent is Ohio State, which has beaten Indiana 29 times in a row.
Since their opening win against Indiana State, where they won 49-0, Purdue has lost four straight games with a total score of 184-44.
Locke completed 20 of 31 passes, setting new career highs in touchdown passes and passing yards, despite losing wide receivers Will Pauling, Bryson Green, and Tyrell Henry to injuries in the first half. He threw two interceptions in the first half but performed very well afterward.
Locke’s first touchdown pass was to Vinny Anthony, who caught the ball just inside Purdue’s 35-yard line and ran for a 52-yard touchdown. His next two touchdowns went to Kekahuna, who finished with six catches for 134 yards.
Kekahuna’s first touchdown came early in the third quarter when he caught a pass near the Badgers’ 43-yard line and outran the Purdue defense for a 69-yard score. On the following drive, Locke found Kekahuna again in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown.
Before Saturday, Kekahuna had only eight catches for 106 yards in nine games.
Walker led Wisconsin’s rushing effort with 221 yards just two days after the team announced that running back Chez Mellusi would be temporarily stepping away to focus on his health.
Purdue struggled to score in their first game after firing Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator this week, giving the play-calling responsibilities to Jason Simmons, who had been serving as an offensive analyst.
