MADISON - When I stood across from safety Kamo'i Latu a week ago, I was amazed at the confidence he exuded. The defense once again had some blown coverages, missed tackles and wasn't the dominant Wisconsin unit against Michigan State.

Yet, he was clear with his sentiment. Latu insisted the team was "special."

"I feel like with everyone doing their job we can succeed as a defense," Latu said. "I truly believe, even though people wrote us off - I truly believe being here on this defense and coming from a different university, I truly believe that this team is something special. I do."

When speaking with players coming off double-overtime loss to Michigan State, part of my objective was to figure out where the group was mentally. The team had gone through an emotional coaching change and had to pick itself up once again after a loss. The answers came with some resounding confidence.

Junior captain Nick Herbig, who is just as passionate as Latu, had an answer that was just as telling.

"We're a young team, inexperienced team, but that's no excuse," Herbig said a week ago. "We're capable of a lot. I've seen what this team can do. We're very talented but we just haven't put it all together yet, to be honest. When that day comes, I'm excited because it's going to be scary."

Saturday's performance against a Purdue team that came in tied for first place in the Big Ten West was exactly what the two referred to.

A mere 13 minutes into the game, Wisconsin jumped out to a 21-0 lead. From there, the Badgers were in control the rest of the way. In what has been a rare sight this season, UW found the marriage between effort and execution.

"Northwestern, it was effort and execution. Last week it was a lot of effort, but we missed some details and missed some execution," quarterback Graham Mertz said after the win. "Tonight I think we did a good job of effort and execution. You have to have both of those to be efficient and win."

Part of the picture that led to a coaching change had been a flat response from UW in multiple instances. Against Washington State, leaders Keeanu Benton and Herbig felt the team essentially gave up after falling behind. In the final game with Paul Chryst on the sidelines, the team was shut out and looked flat in the second half against Illinois.

That hasn't been the case the past three weeks. Point to the messaging from Jim Leonhard or the team not wanting to close out the season on a poor not, but the effort has been apparent.

"They’re playing extremely hard. We went three-for-three," Leonhard said in terms of effort the past three weeks. "My goal was how fast can we get this thing turned around and have some success hopefully going into the bye week, and we’ve done that.

"We felt like we let one slip last week but guys are playing extremely hard and I think you’re starting to see a little bit more detail. You’re seeing more consistency and guys trusting doing their job and finishing plays."

The talent on paper was there. The potential of Jordan Turner, Skyler Bell, Rodas Johnson and Darry Peterson, just to name a few key young players, was all promising. But UW had to replace eight starters on defense while the skill position groups on offense were all made up of youth or inexperience. Often both.

"We’re seeing a lot of growth," Leonhard said on Saturday. "We have a young, inexperienced team. A lot of guys are stepping up into different roles or transitioning into the program from other places. I knew we had to learn a lot about this group early in the season and we found out a ton.

"It’s good to see the response. We’re getting better."

Mertz and the offense set the tone with a decisive six-play drive down the field to open the game, a series capped by a throw from Mertz to Bell in the end zone.

On the other side of the ball, the Badgers looked like the force they were a season ago. It got the day started with a pick-six from safety John Torchio and opened the second half with another interception from the fifth-year senior.

Purdue's first nine drives of the game led to two interceptions, a turnover on downs and just three points. The Boilermakers ended the afternoon with 431 total yards and 24 points, but 170 yards and 14 of those points came while staring at a 35-10 deficit, not to mention a questionable touchdown.

"That defense out there today, that’s how I felt watching Leo (Chenal) and Jack (Sanborn) and Noah Burks and Scottie (Nelson) and Colin (Wilder), watching them play," Jake Chaney said. "That’s a good feeling, that’s what I came here for, just great defense."

The offensive line needs some guys to continue knock rust off but is fully loaded after the return of right tackle Riley Mahlman this week. In the secondary, Alex Smith was available at full capacity for the first time this season and saw 73 snaps against the Boilermakers.

"We knew we have all the guys in the room to make the plays" wide receiver Chimere Dike said. "It's just a matter of execution."

"We have a young defense, so there has been turbulence. But this is what it should be and hopefully going forward this is what we are the rest of the way," Torchio added. "That’s what we look like when we do our job and execute.

"I hit it but kind of the young team we are there was turbulence, but to see us go out and execute and do that against a really good Purdue team was fun to see."

Under normal circumstances, a resounding win like the one this past weekend wouldn't mean much eight games into the season. This is different. With a young core scattered throughout the depth chart along with the response from players to Leonhard through three games, the effort should leave fans optimistic.

"We have a great team," senior offensive lineman Tyler Beach said. "Like I said last week, we just haven’t put everything together I felt like. Today I felt like we’re playing off the defense’s energy. They get a pick and then we come in and we score in the red zone.

"That’s kind of what I always envisioned Wisconsin football and for as long as I’ve been here, that’s kind of how we’ve always thrived is living off of each other’s energy and big plays."

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