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volume 23, eX 6 • oct. 10, 2012 Inside | A look at Wisconsin 7-11 | QB feature 18-19 Recruiting 35-36 | Basketball notes 37-38 PUSHING FORWARD SClardie@GoldandBlack.com BY STACY CLARDIE Pretenders to dark horse to contenders evolution of expectations for his Purdue football team this season. Does one lopsided loss change that down with Wisconsin in Ross-Ade Stadi- um this weekend could restore the Boiler- makers' confidence and get them back in the national talk again. "Everything we do from here on out progression? Nope, according to Hope and his players. A victory in a Leaders Division show- is going to be independent of that (Michi- gan) game, Crosby Wright said. "The only way that game is going to affect us is motivation to get better. We didn't let the loss to Notre Dame linger, as disappointing as that was. Obviously (Saturday) didn't go the way we wanted. But at the same time, we still can accomplish everything we want this sea- son. If we beat Wisconsin, we're right back on track of where we want to be. " senior tight end and captain to favorites. Danny Hope said he's followed that have short memo- ries in a positive way. We obviously know what hap- pened and know it can't happen again, but I think we're going to use that and just push on forward now. "I think we terback Caleb Ter- Bush called the Michigan game a "wake-up call. Starting quar- " Purdue may have been able to make mistakes and miss assignments earli- er in the season that didn't cost them, but now it knows how small the margin for er- ror against is against Big Ten teams. "We have to fix those little things if we want to be the team we want to be," " Boilermaker coach Danny Hope doesn't feel like his team will allow its one-sided loss to Michigan to linger and affect its performance this weekend against Wisconsin. Tom Campbell he said. Now is the time. a Leaders Division opponent, and many think it could go a long way in determin- ing which team represents that division in the Big Ten championship game. The Badgers (4-2 overall, 1-1 in the Big The matchup is Purdue's first against Ten) already have a divisional victory over Illinois and get their two toughest oppo- THE NUMBERS 1.2 20.8 210 against either Notre Dame or Michigan, as a long kickoff return and two fumble recoveries set up short fields. 65.4 36.3 has had a pick-six against it. gaudy 7.5 yards per carry. ofense this season. Yards per rush that the Boilermakers gained on first down against Michigan. Purdue's winning per- centage (5-19) in the last 20 years when it Number of yards Michigan gained on the ground on first down, averaging a The average distance covered by Purdue's 22 touchdown drives on The average distance covered by Purdue's three touchdown drives nents at home after playing Purdue (3-2, 0-1), with Michigan State and Ohio State in Weeks 9 and 12. The Boilermakers, though, head on the road after this week for back-to-back games. They'll play unbeaten Ohio State in Columbus, a place they haven't won since 1988, on Oct. 20 and at Minnesota (4-1) on Oct. 27. the frustration or disappointment from the Michigan loss to linger this week — that'd be "weak-minded. Hope said he doesn't expect any of Instead, he wants his team to focus in GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • volume 23, express 6 • 1 "