The trophy case had been empty for the past year and the Wisconsin Badgers were not happy about it. They had lost Paul Bunyan's Axe on a last-second field goal last season, but were determined to get it back Saturday.
Wisconsin (6-0 Big Ten, 9-0 overall) put together its most complete outing of the year, using 21 first-quarter points to run away with a 38-14 victory over Minnesota (3-4, 6-4).
\It was a great opportunity to show the younger guys what we do here and how we want to keep the Axe in this state,"" senior defensive end Erasmus James said.
With the final seconds ticking away in the fourth quarter, senior cornerback Scott Starks led a charge of Badgers to the Gopher sideline, hoisted the Axe, and began the parade around the field.
""That was fun. I wasn't going to let anyone beat me this year; I said I was going to be the first one over there,"" Starks said.
While it was Senior Day, sophomore quarterback John Stocco played as if it were his final game at Camp Randall, coming away with the best outing of his career. He went 19-of-26 for 297 yards and one touchdown. He also had two rushing touchdowns.
""He really had an excellent week of practice. Every week he's taken another step,"" Head Coach Barry Alvarez said.
The Badgers dominated the opening 15 minutes of play. By the end of the first quarter, they had a commanding edge in first downs (11-1), total yards (205-31), time of possession (11:30-3:30) and, most importantly, points. They were up 21-0, and since the defense had yet to give up more than 17 points in any given contest this season, the game was over.
The Badgers came into the contest averaging 21 points per game, but were able to match that in the first quarter.
""It's nice to do some good things and finally get some points on the board. We've been playing good ball but just haven't put a lot of points on the board,"" Stocco said.
Wisconsin scored touchdowns on all three of its first-quarter possessions. On the opening drive, senior running back Anthony Davis ran five times for 48 yards. The Badgers' 80-yard drive lasted less than three minutes and finished with a one-yard touchdown run by Stocco.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Badgers got the ball back and this time got things done through the air on a slew of third-down conversions. Stocco completed three passes to junior wide receiver Brandon Williams for a total of 48 yards-all in third down situations-before capping off the drive when Jonathan Orr made a circus touchdown catch on third-and-eight. The Badgers finished the game 11-of-17 on third down conversions.
Wisconsin got the ball back again quickly, drove 69 yards on five plays and scored on a 1-yard run by Davis.
The Minnesota offense-known for its tandem rushing attack of sophomore Laurence Maroney and junior Marion Barber III-quickly had to change its game plan as the offense mustered just 10 first-quarter plays. Maroney and Barber rushed four times for 11 yards in the first quarter and finished with just 91 combined rushing yards.
Wisconsin wasted no time tacking on seven more points early in the second quarter. Stocco completed two passes for 50 yards before Davis scored from one yard out for the second time.
Davis surpassed the 100-yard mark on the next drive, which finished with a 41-yard field goal from senior kicker Mike Allen. Davis finished with 124 yards on 31 carries.
Allen was one of the few sore spots for the Badgers Saturday. After making his first attempt, he missed from 38 and 47 yards later in the game.
The only other cause for concern came late in the second quarter as the Gophers went to the air and marched 80 yards in under two minutes. Sophomore quarterback Bryan Cupito found senior wide receiver Paris Hamilton for a 46-yard gain before passing to freshman wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright for the 10-yard touchdown.
Minnesota scored again on the first drive of the second half when Maroney broke a 31-yard touchdown run. The Gophers got nearly half of their total rushing yards on that play alone.
The Badgers answered back with a drive that ate up more than seven minutes worth of play. They ran on 13 of the 15 plays, going 80 yards before Stocco scored his second rushing touchdown of the game.
The rest of the game was scoreless as the teams went back-and-forth. The Badgers' final drive lasted 7:39 before the celebration ensued.
""I saw Mike Allen playing the trombone,"" junior fullback Matt Bernstein said after the celebration ended. ""He's not bad. I used to play the saxophone but I wasn't going to take someone's saxophone.""
With the Axe safely secured in its trophy case, the Badgers take to the road for their final two games, starting next weekend at Michigan State.
