In perhaps the greatest homecoming game in recent history, the 14th-ranked Badgers will be taking on the 12th-ranked Boilermakers of Purdue. As if the excitement of a recent home victory over the Buckeyes wasn’t enough to excite Badger fans, ESPN has decided to take its heralded road show “College GameDay” to Madison for the weekend, adding even more excitement to the weekend. This game promises to be another hard-fought battle, but if the Badgers are to win, they need to keep these five elements in their game plan.

Defend early and often

This adage usually applies to offense, but in the case of the Badgers the defense needs to step up. The Boilermakers have outscored their opponents 54-3 in the first quarter this season. While the Badgers are no slouches when it comes to first quarter offense, outscoring opponents 59-33, the defense will be looked upon to set the tone early and carry it throughout the game.

Purdue uses a committee approach at the running back position. Look for Purdue’s offense to mix up their backs in an attempt to exploit the Badger-front seven and discover their best viable option early. Also look for Purdue to try and establish the passing attack to the tight end early. The Badgers have been burned by tight ends running routes up the middle of the field the last two weeks. Never mind that no Purdue tight end has caught more than two passes all season, they’ve seen the film. Penn State’s Matt Kranchick had only caught four balls all year before he lit up the Badgers for 4 catches, 136 yards and a touchdown.

Keep pounding the Rock

For the second week in a row, the Badgers face an elite rushing defense. Purdue allows only 60 yards a game on the ground, second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State. The only team to break 100 yards rushing against them this year was Penn State last week. Like the Buckeyes, the Boilermakers have yet to face a team with the running prowess of the Badgers. The trio of Anthony Davis, Dwayne Smith and Booker Stanley should allow the Badgers to rotate in fresh backs all day and wear down Purdue.

Running the ball is also key to the Badgers’ passing attack. If UW is unable to establish the run, the Boilermakers will not have to bring an eighth man up to stop the run. Senior free safety Stuart Schweigert, who already has 3 interceptions this year, will be able to sit on the routes of the Badger receivers and create problems for quarterback Jim Sorgi.

Smother the Purdue receivers

Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton is having another solid year. His veteran receivers catch almost anything, and Orton rarely misses his spots. Badger corners Scott Starks and Levonne Rowan have played impressively in recent weeks and need to continue their dominance this week. Purdue receivers John Standeford and Taylor Stubblefield have accounted for nearly 60 percent of Orton’s completions this season. If the Badgers can hold them in check, it will force Orton to either look for some of his less established receivers, or force the ball into Standeford and Stubblefield, where the Badgers could make their plays.

Protect the pocket

Purdue’s front four on defense has 12 sacks in six games this year. Their front four is experienced and may create problems for a young Badger line that has already allowed 18 sacks in the same number of games. The Boilermakers have two outstanding pass rushers on their defensive line in seniors Shaun Phillips and Craig Terrill, who have a combined eight and a half sacks between them this year. If the Badger line is unable to hold the pocket, expect the Boilermakers to bring the heat and force quarterback Jim Sorgi into bad throws and sacks.

Avoid the hangover

Coming off of a huge victory over Ohio State this past weekend, the Badgers must remain focused and not allow themselves to be swept up in the hoopla that accompanies such a win. This veteran Purdue team does not make many mistakes and is very good at creating them, as evidenced by their +9 turnover margin. If the Badgers come out flat early, look for Niko Koutouvides and the rest of the Boilermaker defense to make a big play. When Oregon beat Michigan earlier this year, they came out flat and fell to rival Washington State the next week 55-16. The Badgers must avoid a similar letdown Saturday.