GREEN BAY (Wis.) — Momentum swings were the story of the day for the first major college football game played at Lambeau Field in decades, as the Wisconsin Badgers (1-0) pulled off the upset over No. 5 ranked LSU (0-1).
Wisconsin controlled the clock from the start as its defense locked down junior Tiger running back Leonard Fournette in the first half, winning the time of possession battle with nearly 22 minutes of offense in the first two quarters.
The Badgers scored quickly to start the third quarter, taking a 13-0 lead over the Tigers with the game seemingly in control. Then senior Wisconsin quarterback Bart Houston threw a pick-six from within his own 20, and on his team’s next drive, junior wide receiver George Rushing fumbled, and LSU scored two plays later to take the lead.
Fans were on the edge of their seats as the two teams exchanged punts into the fourth quarter, but with just under four minutes left, junior kicker Rafael Gaglianone nailed a 48-yard field goal to retake the lead. Junior LSU quarterback Brandon Harris threw an interception on his final drive, securing the Wisconsin win as junior safety D’Cota Dixon came away with the ball.
It was certainly a wild upset in Green Bay by the Badgers, who start of the season with arguably the biggest win of Paul Chryst’s tenure. This game starts the year right with the momentum firmly in their grasp.
Redshirt senior quarterback Bart Houston completed 19 of 31 pass attempts for 205 yards in his first start for the program. Many of his passes went the way of redshirt junior tight end Troy Fumagalli, who caught seven passes for 100 yards.
Senior running back Corey Clement's long-awaited fully-healthy return to the field went well, as he rushed for 86 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown.
The Badgers head home to Camp Randall Stadium next Saturday to welcome Akron in their home opener.
