Montee Ball breaks Big Ten touchdown record against Purdue

Montee Ball's slow start – by his own recent standard – can be tied back to a trio of factors.

The first was the concussion he suffered in August during an off-field altercation. According to the police report, Ball was attacked close to Wisconsin's campus by five individuals, three of whom are set to stand trial in October.

The second was Wisconsin's shuffling cast of assistant coaches. The Badgers hired six new assistants during the offseason, including a new offensive line coach, Mike Markuson, who replaced Bob Bostad. Markuson was relieved of his duties two games into the year, replaced by Bart Miller, a graduate assistant.

The third was a second concussion, one suffered during the Badgers' win against UTEP on Sept. 22.

The end result: Ball, the Badgers' reigning Heisman finalist, entered today's game against Purdue with 566 yards and eight touchdowns on 3.93 yards per carry. That's fine elsewhere; for Ball, that's well below average.

The Montee Ball we knew, the one who had one of the finest seasons by a back in NCAA history last fall, has resurfaced against Purdue.

At the midway point of the third quarter, Ball had 221 yards and two scores on 21 carries. This 67-yard touchdown run early in the second half was vintage:

That touchdown, his second of the game, was the 71st of Ball's career, tying him with former Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne for the most in Big Ten history. It also left him two shy of former Miami (Ohio) back Travis Prentice's FBS record.

A later touchdown, in the fourth quarter, gave Ball sole possession of the Big Ten record.

He finished with 247 yards on 29 carries.

One takeaway from Ball's strong start is that he's finally healthy, which is likely true. Another is that the Badgers' offensive line, so maligned early, has grown into its shoes over the year's first half. A third is that Miller has done a nice job with this group, perhaps cementing a role as the program's full-time line coach in 2013.

A fourth is that Purdue's defense is atrocious, which is also true. But Wisconsin needed a laugher – and Ball needed a breakout afternoon. He, and his team, are finding some rhythm at the Boilermakers' expense.