Entering Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers (5-0 Big Ten, 8-0 overall) were the most questioned undefeated team in the nation. While they may retain that mantle in the eyes of national college football gurus, the Badgers answered a lot of questions about themselves Saturday with a 24-12 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats (2-2, 3-4).
Sophomore quarterback John Stocco proved that, while things are not yet perfect, he can be effective on a regular basis. The Badgers came out firing on the first series of the game. Stocco completed a 14-yard pass to junior receiver Brandon Williams for a first down. On the very next snap Stocco, under pressure from the Wildcats' defense, threw a deep bomb right into the hands of Northwestern senior cornerback Marvin Ward.
Following a blocked punt by freshman defensive back Ben Strickland on Northwestern's 13-yard line, the Badgers did what their fans have come to fear-they stalled. Not only could the Badgers gain only one yard in the red zone, but senior kicker Mike Allen also missed a 31-yard field goal which kept the game scoreless.
Later in the first quarter, the Badgers again drove into the red zone on the strength of a 25-yard pass from Stocco to senior wideout Darrin Charles and a 16-yard run from senior tailback Anthony Davis. The Badgers stalled again, but got three points on a 29-yard field goal by Allen. The Badgers looked like they were in trouble, but Stocco continued to improve as the game grew older and finished 13 of 21 for 178 yards with an interception and a touchdown.
\I thought John made some big throws-key throws in crucial situations. We threw a little bit more to open the game than we usually do, but we wanted to loosen [our team] up,"" Head Coach Barry Alvarez said.
There was one constant throughout the first half, however. The defense was ready to play. Taking a key from defensive coordinator Bret Bielema, junior outside linebacker Dontez Sanders and the defense were motivated from the outset of the game.
""You know, it's quiet in there and [Bielema] came in and knocked over the trash can and was screaming and cussing. If he comes in like that, it just gets you pumped,"" Sanders said.
The defense shut down junior quarterback Brett Basanez, allowing only 34 yards passing in the first half. Freshman defensive end Jamal Cooper and sophomore defensive end Joe Monty stepped up their level of play and, along with senior defensive tackle Anttaj Hawthorne, chased Basanez around the backfield all day.
The Badgers, giving up only 12 points-all in the second half-and showed that they can play without their most dynamic defensive player, senior defensive end Erasmus James.
Early in the second quarter, a series of turnovers led to the Badgers' first touchdown. On the first play of the quarter, Stocco was sacked and fumbled the ball. Two plays later, Sanders got the ball back for the Badgers, intercepting a Basanez pass.
Taking over at the Wisconsin 32-yard line, Davis broke a 9-yard run in the first play of the drive. Then, following a 6-yard run from senior fullback Matt Bernstein, Stocco connected with Williams for 25 yards. The Badgers continued to drive to the Northwestern 4-yard line when Stocco threw to junior wide receiver Owen Daniels for the touchdown.
On Wisconsin's next possession, Davis stepped up big even though he rushed for only 11 yards in the drive. Williams gained another 25 yards which put the Badgers on Northwestern's 10-yard line. Davis ran a sweep from the 7-yard line to the right side and when it looked like the Wildcats had him bottled up at about the 3-yard line, Davis, through sheer force of will, hammered through would-be tacklers for the touchdown.
""We look to be 1-0 and we knew this was a team that was going to come here and play fast and play hard. It was a big game for us. It was our homecoming. We had a lot of guys banged up and I think a lot of us really felt like we really had our backs against the wall,"" said Davis of the day's events.
Davis, however, was not done. Despite a deep thigh bruise, Davis amassed 117 yards including a 1-yard run for a touchdown in Wisconsin's first possession of the third quarter. Davis carried the Badgers on that drive, running for 26 yards after a 33-yard reception by Charles.
In a small lapse, the Badgers' defense allowed Northwestern to drive to the Wisconsin 15-yard line but were able to force a field-goal attempt. Senior kicker Brian Huffman pushed the kick wide and left Northwestern scoreless.
The Wildcats' next possession fared a little better. Junior receiver Mark Philmore broke free of the Badgers' coverage and caught a 29-yard pass for a touchdown. The Wildcats then failed to score on a two-point conversion.
After the score, Northwestern went to the ""trickery"" page in the playbook and brought out the onside kick. Northwestern recovered the ball at the Wisconsin 49 and used the momentum of the kick to fuel their resulting drive. Senior running back Noah Herron scored from 14 yards out. Again the Wildcats went for two and were denied.
The Badgers, however, would not be denied the win, as they held the ball for most of the fourth quarter and finished the weekend comfortably within their mantra of ""1-0.""
