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Hill powers Wisconsin past Purdue

Oct 21, 2006 - 7:08 PM WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (Ticker) -- P.J. Hill and Wisconsin took advantage of a matchup against one of the nation's weakest defenses.

Hill rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries as the 21st-ranked Badgers pulled away from Purdue, 24-3, in a Big Ten Conference matchup.

John Stocco completed 13-of-21 passes for 201 yards with an interception for Wisconsin (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten), which has won four straight games after a 27-13 loss at Michigan on September 23.

A redshirt freshman who entered the contest ranked fifth in the nation in rushing at 144.43 yards per game, Hill helped the Badgers rush for 241 yards and collect 442 total yards against the Boilermakers, who ranked 111th in the country in total defense (412.43).

Wisconsin trailed, 3-0, before Hill scored on a one-yard run with 8:13 to play in the second quarter. Hill added a three-yard run with 4:38 left in the third quarter for a comfortable 17-3 advantage.

Backup tailback Lance Smith capped the scoring with an eight-yard run with 5:11 to play.

Curtis Painter went 20-of-40 for 187 yards with an interception for the Boilermakers (5-3, 2-2), who lost for the third time in four games. They also dropped their third straight meeting with the Badgers.

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to look at the fronts and say, 'Hey, we're not going to match up with these guys,'" Purdue coach Joe Tiller said. "You're going to have to put your guys on the move. You've got to try to do some things with numbers, but you have to watch that you're not really vulnerable behind you.

"We faced a good quarterback in Stocco, and that's the problem."

Purdue's Chris Summers opened the scoring with a career-long 47-yard field goal with 5:16 left in the first quarter.

But it turned out to be all the Boilermakers could produce against the Badgers en route to their lowest point total since a 31-3 loss to Michigan on October 25, 2003.