It was one of the biggest games in Fresno State history. It was a night game and the Bulldogs hosted a top 10 team in Wisconsin. The Badgers were coming in off two wins against MAC schools and it was the first road test of the season. The Bulldogs came in with a great ground attack led by future first round pick Ryan Mathews. In a mistake-filled game, Wisconsin was able to eek out a win in California.
Wisconsin struck first on a pass from Alan Evridge to Garrett Graham from two yards out to put the Badgers ahead 7-0. The touchdown came after an interception by DeAndre Levy set Bucky up with great field position at the Fresno State 26. The drive just took three plays, and Graham had two catches on the drive, including the touchdown.
Fresno State would drive on its next possession into field goal range, but Kevin Goessling missed a 47-yard field goal. That miss would be the beginning of a rough night for the kicker.
The Badgers would take a 10-0 lead on the following drive on a Philip Welch field goal. It would stay that way until halftime after Welch had a field goal to end the half blocked.
Devon Wylie scored from 47 yards out on a pass from Tom Brandstater over the middle and the Bulldogs were right back in the game.Wylie also had a 25-yard run to start the drive.
After an awful 9-yard punt from Brad Nortman on Wisconsin’s next drive, the Bulldogs were back in business. But Wisconsin’s defense stood tall and forced a three-and-out, where Goessling missed his second field goal of the night and the Badgers held onto the 10-7 lead.
Wisconsin forced another Fresno State mistake late in the third quarter when Michael Harris muffed a punt that was recovered by Wisconsin’s Dex Jones at the Fresno State 23. But this time, the Bulldogs defense held strong and the Badgers had to settle for a field goal and a 13-7 lead.
This game also was not without controversy. On the first play of the next drive for the Bulldogs, Brandstater threw a pass over the middle to Wylie, who caught it and took two steps before having the ball knocked out of his hands, where Levy fell on the fumble. Then the officials went to replay and somehow ruled it incomplete. Fresno State would go onto get a big pass play from Brandstater to Mathews to give the Bulldogs a first and goal, but would have to settle for a Goessling field goal to cut it to 13-10.
Wisconsin punted and Fresno State had a long run by Lonyae Miller to set the Bulldogs up at the Badgers 25. Three plays gained seven yards for Fresno State and on came Goessling to try to tie the game. His 35-yard attempt missed and the Badgers took over.
The teams traded punts and Fresno State’s punt pinned the Badgers deep in their own territory. Bucky needed to pick up one first down to seal the game. That is exactly what Wisconsin did. After Dustin Sherer did a quarterback sneak for two yards, the next play was a handoff to fullback Bill Rentmeester, who ran eight yards to pick up the game-clinching first down. The Badgers were able to kneel on the ball three times to end the game and Wisconsin had a big victory.
Unfortunately, Wisconsin hit a rough spot and would lose four in a row before Bucky rebounded to win four of five to end the regular season.
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