3-2-1: Wisconsin enters Axe Week

After Wisconsin defeated Purdue on Saturday inside Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Paul Chryst's program now looks ahead to its annual battle against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

This season, more than Paul Bunyan's Axe is on the line, as a trip to the Big Ten Championship game and potentially a New Year's Six bowl game is up for grabs.

BadgerBlitz.com brings you our weekly "3-2-1" series, honing in on "AXE WEEK."

I started working on the site's personnel breakdowns a day early, and I counted eight different groupings Wisconsin used. It was not just the different number of running backs, tight ends and wide receivers utilized, but the various formations out of those personnel looks as well that likely gave Purdue trouble. Looking at potential future implications, Minnesota will need to prepare for each look next week.

Wisconsin utilized Wildcat looks with Garrett Groshek and Aron Cruickshank to success on Saturday, as both players scored touchdowns against the Boilermakers. Groshek's was used more for short yardage situations with Mason Stokke as the blocking fullback, while Cruickshank was used out of a couple of different personnel.

The use of jet sweeps also gained significant yards on Saturday while also forcing defenders to keep honest. That diversity within the run game has served the Badgers well since the bye week, and could make a huge impact on Saturday. The only thing to watch are the fumbles, as UW coughed up the ball five times against Purdue, losing three.