COLUMBUS, Ohio'While the inspired second-half play of the Wisconsin defense drew most of the headlines, several other subplots surfaced during the UW-OSU game Saturday.
By virtue of their 20-17 victory over Ohio State Saturday, Wisconsin achieved a bit of history. The Badgers are the first team in Big Ten history to win at Penn State and Ohio State in the same year since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993.
The only other Big Ten school to win at both places in the same year was Michigan State in 1951.
In addition, UW junior quarterback Brooks Bollinger garnered his own achievements. During the first quarter, the junior quarterback out of Grand Forks, N.D., topped the 3,000-yard mark in career passing-yardage.
Bollinger also tied former UW quarterback Neil Graff for fourth place in career touchdowns in Wisconsin history with 23. He needs two more to pass Mike Samuel, who suited up with the Badgers between 1995 and 1997.
The records are not limited to upperclassmen. Freshman running back Anthony Davis, with his 103-yard effort against Ohio State, has 806 yards on the year.
Davis is now 18 yards away from surpassing Alan Ameche for the second-best rushing season by a freshman. Former Badger and current New York Giant Ron Dayne holds the freshman school and NCAA record with 2,109.
Saturday's comeback was reminiscent of the matchup in Ohio Stadium two years earlier. In October 1999, Bollinger made his first collegiate start as quarterback.
After Ohio State raced out to a 17-0 lead, Bollinger orchestrated 42 unanswered points; 36 of which came in the second half.
Just two years later, the Badgers faced another 17-0 hole, just 4:30 into the second quarter.
'It's kind of a similar situation ?? [but] totally different teams that you're looking at,' Bollinger said.
Upon their victory, Wisconsin caused a bit of a ruckus when they celebrated on the field. Some spectators felt that the Badgers deliberately danced on the Ohio 'O' in mockery of Ohio State.
Wisconsin Head Coach Barry Alvarez said his players were not aware of this.
'I didn't notice that,' Alvarez said. 'I would guess that they didn't even know they were dancing on the 'O' ?? they spilled off the sidelines and guys were celebrating and you just go onto it.'
Junior wide receiver Lee Evans supported Alvarez's statement and said, 'We were just out there celebrating.'
Ohio State free safety Donnie Nickey felt the celebration was a bit of payback for their dance on the 'W' at Camp Randall last year.
'They won the game and we lost the game,' Nickey said. 'That's the bottom line. And I guess we did it to them [last season].'
Alvarez insists that the celebration was not done with malice.
'[It was] not to mean any disrespect to anybody, I'll guarantee you that,' Alvarez said.
Evans, a former resident of Bedford, Ohio, played in front of fans from his home state for the first and only time during his collegiate career.
As a freshman, Evans was injured with a sprained ankle when Wisconsin visited Columbus in 1999.
Saturday, Evans impressed the crowd with three receptions for 92 yards, including an acrobatic 30-yard catch that set up the game-tying field goal minutes later in the fourth quarter.
'It's just one of them backyard things, just you and him,' Evans said. 'I was able to go up and make a play.'
Senior safety Joey Boese had a busy day against the Buckeyes Saturday. With 15 tackles, including nine solos, the 5'11\, 170-pound safety from Villa Park, Calif., set a single-game career high for solo as well as total tackles.
Teaming with senior linebacker Nick Greisen, who ended the contest with 13 tackles, the pair managed to contain the Buckeye running duo of senior Jonathan Wells and freshman Lydell Ross. The Badgers limited the combination to 134 yards, only nine of which came in the crucial fourth quarter.
UW junior wide receiver Stephon Watson was taken to the Ohio State Medical Center with a broken tibia and a possible fracture in the fibula on a special-teams play.
The 6'3"", 190-pound junior from Elkton, Md., broke his right leg late in the fourth quarter after the Badgers took the lead 20-17. He was kept overnight for observation Saturday.
