WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.-Down 17-14 with 2:49 to go in the game, No. 10 Wisconsin faced a third down and two on defense when senior cornerback Scott Starks made the play of the season.
With their backs against the wall and two starters out with injury, the Badgers' defense was forced to stop Purdue on a third and short, with the game on the line. That is exactly what they did, in addition to a little something extra.
After senior defensive back Robert Brooks knocked the ball out of Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton's hands on the third-down play, Starks picked up the forced fumble and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown and the decisive score in UW's 20-17 win over No. 5 Purdue.
Starks' play, combined with a little bit of luck on a missed 42-yard field goal from Purdue's senior kicker Ben Jones in the waning seconds, the Badgers were able to remain undefeated and atop the Big Ten standings with a stunning come-from-behind win on the road.
\Wow ... I don't know if I've ever been in a game like that,"" Head Coach Barry Alvarez said. ""We played against a great football team-I was very proud of how my team showed resolve. We were very effective in the first half on defense primarily because we were able to get pressure with our two defensive ends. They get knocked out of the game, we're playing guys that we haven't hardly played much this year and they found a way, the kids found a way to get the job done.""
Considering much of the pregame hype surrounding the match up between the Boilermakers and the Badgers involved UW's' defense versus the Purdue offense, it was only fitting that one of the two determined the outcome of the game.
Although it was the play of the Badger defense that notched the go-ahead touchdown of the game, it was the UW offense that showed up when most needed to set up the remarkable come-from-behind win.
Down 10 points with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Badgers rallied behind sophomore quarterback John Stocco in generating a 73-yard drive in just 2:31. The drive culminated in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Stocco to sophomore running back Booker Stanley, who stepped in for injured senior running back Anthony Davis. Davis left the game in the third quarter after suffering a tight quadriceps muscle.
The pass from Stocco to Stanley, however, was the momentum builder UW needed to set up the defense, and was reminiscent of a page taken out of the Purdue offensive playbook. The Badgers passed on all seven plays in the drive and Stocco completed six of seven balls for the 73 yards and the score.
""I've never seen a Wisconsin quarterback march the ball down the field like that,"" Davis said.
""John Stocco just did a fantastic job,"" offensive coordinator Brian White said. ""Great composure, poise throughout the game and that was a big-time drive. For a lot of teams it would have been easy to just pack it in. At 17-7, he went right down the field and scored a touchdown and put the pressure right back on them and that's what we wanted to do. John did a fantastic job and I'm really proud of him.""
For the game, Stocco completed 17 of 32 passes for a career-high 211 yards, one touchdown and one interception. More important than his statistics was his poise and confidence down the final stretch in leading his team down the field in a time of dire need.
On a day when the Wisconsin rushing attack was not having the same success as in the recent weeks, the Badgers' passing game saved the day, attaining over 200 yards through the air. For the game, UW rushed for a total of 84 yards. Davis paced the team with 66 yards and one touchdown before leaving the game. On the whole, the Badgers racked up a total of 295 yards and only one turnover-an interception by Stocco at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Much of the first half was a defensive battle, dominated by the Badger front four. They were able to limit the Heisman Trophy candidate, Orton, to only 96 yards passing, and also managed to force an interception. Senior defensive end Erasmus James led the charge before leaving the contest with an injury, but his impact was more than obvious with one sack and a forced fumble.
Despite the neck-and-neck first half, the Badgers were able to get on the scoreboard just before halftime following a 10-play, 78-yard drive that covered 4:21, capped by a six-yard scamper by Davis for the score.
UW did not score again until the Stanley touchdown late in the fourth, but the Badger defense was able to keep the game within reach despite allowing 17 points in the second half.
When it came down to it, the Badgers showed a refuse-to-lose attitude down the stretch and seemingly did the unthinkable by defeating the Boilermakers. Considering they are the lone, undefeated team remaining in the Big Ten and are likely to be the highest-ranked team in the conference, the Badgers will now wear the bull's-eye on their back for the remainder of the season.
""Of course we're the team to beat, because we're the only undefeated, but everyone is going to bring their A-game so we have to bring our A-game every week too,"" junior wide receiver Brandon Williams said. ""I think it's time to start believing in us because every week, we're going 1-0. We're not going to be denied.""
