[media-credit name=’Derek Montgomery’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]After a standout performance with a team-high nine tackles, an interception and the game-winning touchdown on a 40-yard fumble return against then-No. 5 Purdue, Scott Starks has garnered national recognition.

The talented cornerback was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after holding Purdue wide-out Taylor Stubblefield to just 40 yards on three catches in Saturday’s win.

Starks has anchored the Badger defense, which continues to lead the nation in scoring defense (8.0 points per game) and currently ranks second in total defense (222.4 yards per game).

The Play: With the Boilermakers leading by three points with less than three minutes remaining in the game, Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton rolled out on a naked bootleg and was hit by Starks and safety Robert Brooks. On the tackle, Brooks’ knee jarred the ball loose. Starks picked it up and sprinted 40 yards for the winning touchdown.

“I don’t really believe in luck,” Starks said. “I pray and ask God to put me in the right spot, and He has done that a lot this season. There’s no way the ball should have just sat there like that. It should have had some kind of movement, some kind of bouncing around. I had time to lie on the ground, look around and then get back up and … I am thinking ‘Might as well scoop it up and take it to the house.'”

After Starks was flagged for a crucial pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter, the fumble recovery provided redemption for the embattled corner.

“[Football players need to have] a short-term memory, and it’s hard to do,” Starks said. “I remember I was sitting there on the sidelines and I was raising my hands, praising God, and Erasmus [James] kept grabbing me and saying, ‘It’s not over yet. It’s not over yet,’ and I was like oh yeah … I just knew someone had to make a play, and it was a great moment for me and my team.”

The play was nominated as one of four candidates for ESPN’s “Game Changing Performance.” The winner will be determined by fan voting.

If Starks’ play wins, the University of Wisconsin will receive a $5,000 contribution to the university’s general scholarship fund. The athletic department will randomly select one student season ticket holder to receive the donation if the play wins.

Scouting the Wildcats: Despite holding a mediocre 3-3 overall record, Northwestern has proved they can play with anybody. The Wildcats have played in three overtime games this season and have beaten then No. 7-ranked Ohio State at home.

Northwestern features a two-headed offensive attack with quarterback Brett Basanez and running back Noah Herron. In the last two games, Herron has rushed for 310 yards and five touchdowns, while Basanez is quickly climbing Northwestern’s career passing charts.

“Northwestern is a real good team offensively and defensively,” Starks said. “There’s no way any team should overlook them because, just like against Ohio State, they can jump on top of you quickly. Brett Basanez is a real good quarterback. He puts the ball on the money and has some pretty big, physical receivers. Not to mention that their running back Noah [Herron], he is a real good athlete and a real good football player.”

The Wildcats have defeated the Badgers in the last two meetings between the two teams, including last year’s 16-7 upset in Evanston. Starks and Badgers, however, have downplayed the role revenge will play in Saturday’s game.

“What happened in the past has no bearings on this game,” Starks said. “We lost last year, we lost to them the last couple years, it doesn’t even matter. We got different guys out there, different teams out there, and a whole different swagger.”

Avoiding a letdown: After beating Ohio State last year at Camp Randall, Wisconsin suffered a three-game losing streak, which included a loss at Northwestern. With the Wildcats next on the docket after Saturday’s emotional comeback win over Purdue, Starks and the Badgers will need to remain focused to avoid a similar fate this season.

“We just have to go into it with the same mindset we have had the last couple weeks, play everybody the same way, play like that’s the No. 1 team in the nation,” Starks said. “[Last year], we probably were [emotionally drained]. We put a lot into the Ohio State game and we had to come right back and play another hard game against Purdue. We may not have played as hard as we should have played against Northwestern and may have overlooked them. [This year], we put those other games behind us. Of course, we wanted that last couple games, but those don’t have anything to do with this week. We have to go into with a whole different mind frame and we just want to be 1-0 this week.”