Madison - Kerry Cooks knew long before he reviewed the video Sunday that he was going to enjoy the show.

The University of Wisconsin's fourth-year secondary coach got a three-hour sneak-preview Saturday when his unit gave a solid performance for four quarters in UW's 37-0 victory over Purdue.

UW benefited from at least six drops by Purdue receivers but the secondary didn't allow any big plays - the longest pass completion was 16 yards on a bubble screen - and came up with an interception that led to a touchdown.

The most noteworthy development was the play of junior cornerback Niles Brinkley, who returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the Champs Sports Bowl last season. Brinkley, the most physically gifted of UW's cornerbacks, displayed the consistency the staff has been looking for all along.

His play, and the overall play of the secondary, bodes well for the Badgers (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten Conference) as they prepare to face Indiana (4-5, 1-4) because the Hoosiers pass the ball more effectively than they run it.

"That is the biggest thing with Niles, consistency, and I keep saying it," said Cooks, who used the bye week to re-evaluate the cornerback depth and rotation he had been using. "But you can see when he plays, if you have a keen eye for defensive backs, you can see his tools and what he's able to do.

"He was on. The thing I need to get him to understand is that you play how you practice. He had a good week of practice and he had a good game. If he can take that and bottle it up and go week to week with that, he's got a chance to be pretty dang good."

Brinkley, who started seven games last season and led the team in interceptions with four, was paired with sophomore Devin Smith for the first time. Smith and Brinkley said after the game the communication in the back end was seamless, which Cooks reiterated Sunday.

"You could see how they were communicating and talking, (anticipating) this is what's coming," Cooks said. "You could see the defensive backs talking to each other and also to the linebackers."

Smith and Brinkley recorded four tackles apiece and generally provided tight coverage. Smith had an interception to give the offense the ball at the Purdue 20, which led to UW's second touchdown.

Brinkley wasn't told until late in the week he was replacing sophomore Antonio Fenelus in the starting lineup.

"My reaction was just (to) keep working on my fundamentals," he said. "Stay focused on what I'm doing. Don't slack off."

It is somewhat ironic that Cooks settled on Brinkley and Smith as the starting cornerbacks.

Brinkley had an opportunity to secure a place in the starting lineup in the spring and again in preseason camp but his uneven play caused Cooks to drop him to the second unit.

Last spring, Fenelus was given the first chance to unseat Brinkley and struggled. His problem at the time was allowing receivers to beat him deep. Smith then was given an opportunity and capitalized. Though not as physically gifted as Brinkley, Smith's studious nature and attention to detail allowed him to take one of the starting spots. He held onto it in camp and has started every game this season.

"With the secondary it is a different level of consistency," Brinkley said when asked about his up and down play. "The front seven might be able to miss a tackle. The DBs miss a tackle and it might be a touchdown. DBs get beat deep and it might be a touchdown.

"You have to be on every play."

Smith has been the most consistent of the cornerbacks. Fenelus surrendered a crucial touchdown pass in the loss to Ohio State and remains too inconsistent, though he has improved since the opener. Sophomore Aaron Henry, who started UW's first two games, eventually lost the job because of tentative play.

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