In the end, it came down to momentum. Penn State had it. Wisconsin didn't.
At least they didn't have it long enough to pull out a win in Saturday's game, as time ran out and the Badgers (0-1 Big Ten, 5-1 overall) suffered their first loss of the season.
If it came down to one possession, it would be with 13:05 left in the game. It seemed momentum had finally shifted in the Badgers' favor and a possible upset within reach. Down 28-23, Wisconsin had the ball on its 47-yard line, but after only a two-yard gain and then two incomplete passes, the Badgers were forced to punt. They then suffered a holding penalty which seemed to shift the game back toward Penn State (1-1 Big Ten, 4-1 overall), where momentum remained for the remainder of the game.
Looking back, Head Coach Barry Alverez said that drive seemed to be the game breaker.
\I really thought we were in good shape right there,"" Alverez said. ""[Leonhard] gave us field position. We had all the momentum and if we were going to have a chance to win the football game that was when we had to do it. You have to make plays, particularly in crunch time. That was huge.""
The Badger defense struggled against a powerful PSU offense lead by sophomore quarterback Zack Mills. The Nittany Lions out-gained UW 436-309 and the Badgers never really found the answer to stifle Mills.
Wisconsin had difficulties on both sides of the ball in the first half as the team tried to find some sort of rhythm and came out slow, even after a two-week break since its last game. Mills could not be contained as he threw for 287 yards to the Bollinger's 217.
""I need to do a better job of finding a way to make a play, just to get us another first down,"" senior quarterback Brooks Bollinger said. ""We have the momentum and we have to keep it and make something happen, especially late in the game.""
Mills was not the only problem for Wisconsin as the Johnsons (Larry, Tony and Bryant) made up for 64 percent of Penn State's yards. The catch by junior wide receiver Gerald Smith in the first quarter was the first Penn State completion to a receiver other than Bryant or Tony Johnson in 11 games.
Fundamental errors further hindered the Badgers, especially in crucial situations during the game. While both teams had five penalties, Wisconsin's added up to 99 yards while Penn State's cost them only 36.
""We're getting too many penalties in situations where we don't need it,"" senior defensive back B.J. Tucker said. ""We're getting third and longs, we need to focus on concentration.""
Senior wide receiver Lee Evans remained on the bench in the game he had hoped would mark his return. Evans practiced this week, but is still experiencing some soreness and neither he nor Alverez were comfortable with him coming back before he was ready, leaving his return date up in the air.
""The way he practiced on Tuesday I thought he was going to play,"" Alverez said. ""But he had some soreness and it didn't go away. He practiced on Thursday and it didn't clear up the way we wanted. He didn't feel comfortable, so that was it.""
Bollinger, who is one win away from becoming Wisconsin's all-time winningest quarterback, will have to wait another week to receive his honors. Wisconsin looks at this game as a bump in the road.
""It's a hurdle,"" Bollinger said. ""A lot of crazy things happen in the Big Ten. We need to keep plugging away and string some wins together.\
