Wisconsin came home to Madison after falling to eventual national champion Alabama in its opener at Jerry World. The Badgers were hurting, as starting running back Corey Clement and starting safety Michael Caputo both left the Alabama game early. Clement went on to miss most of the season. The Badgers wondered where the offense would come from, as Clement was going to be the guy after being behind Melvin Gordon for a few years. Well, Wisconsin found other ways to score, as much-maligned quarterback Joel Stave threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns and the defense forced four turnovers and held the RedHawks to minus-3 yards on the ground en route to a 58-0 domination.
The offense took a bit to get going, as Wisconsin scored
just six points in its first four possessions, leading 6-0. Stave connected three
times with favorite target Alex Erickson for 53 yards on a 71-yard opening
march, which resulted in a field goal. Bucky tallied another field goal off a
fumble on a Miami punt return. But the offense didn’t get going until late in
the first period.
Erickson returned a Christian Koch punt 36 yards down to the
Miami 16. Three plays later, Stave found Robert Wheelwright for a 13-yard score
to give the home team some breathing room.
The punt team remained on the sidelines for the remainder of the half, as Wisconsin scored 31 points in a in a span of six possessions to break the game open. Stave’s second touchdown, a 20-yard strike to tight end Austin Traylor made it 20-0. They tacked on another touchdown shortly after another RedHawks turnover. Miami quarterback Billy Bahl looked along the right sideline, but his pass was picked off by Tanner McEvoy, who returned it to the Miami 4, which set up a score by Taiwan Deal.
Bucky scored 10 points in the final minute of the half to
put an exclamation point on a dominant second quarter. Stave threw to Wheelwright
for his second score to cap a 93-yard drive, and following a 3-and-out, the
Badgers tacked on three to end the half leading 37-0.
The score remained lopsided, as the Badgers tacked on three
second half touchdowns to put the capper on a dominant performance. Deal scored
his second touchdown of the game and Dare Ogunbowale added a touchdown in the
quarter to put Bucky in front 51-0. Even Caleb Kinlaw got in on the fun,
scoring a 5-yard touchdown on a toss from Bart Houston in the final quarter.
The defense allowed just 68 yards in the second half with 51
of them coming on one march from the RedHawks that resulted in an interception
late in the third quarter.
It was the first of three consecutive win for the Badgers
and a stretch in which they won eight of nine. This may have been the best
coaching job in Chryst’s career, leading Wisconsin to a 10-3 record, as the
offense lacked playmakers and Clement missed significant time. His two losses
outside of the opener to Alabama were a 10-6 loss to Iowa in which the Badgers
fumbled at the goal line or else Wisconsin would have punched it in for the
lead score. And also the Badgers lost on a horrible overturned touchdown to
Northwestern. Otherwise, the Badgers would have won another Big Ten West crown
in what might have been his worst team talent-wise.
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