The scoreboard at the end of Saturday's game at Camp Randall Stadium between Wisconsin and Western Illinois may have indicated a carefree win for the Badgers. But even at 34-10, it belied the fact that this UW football team remains a work in progress.
""Today is a win,"" said head coach Bret Bielema, who is only the second head coach since 1932 to win his first two games at the Badger helm.
""It was my first win at Camp Randall. I'm very excited to be the head coach here because of what this university brings and what Camp Randall means to college football. But by no means do I want this to be our best performance of the year.""
For the second straight week, it was a shaky start for the Badgers. Junior kickoff returner Jarvis Minton fumbled the opening kickoff, giving possession to the Leathernecks at the UW 36-yard line. Although the defense made a stand with the help of a WIU holding penalty, an early field goal put the Badgers down 3-0.
""The one thing that was positive out of that was the response that our defense had,"" Bielema went on to say.
Wisconsin scored 20 unanswered points before the end of the first half on the strength of two touchdown runs by freshman running back P.J. Hill and two field goals by junior kicker Taylor Mehlhaff. His last kick, a career-high 46-yarder, came after senior linebacker Mark Zalewski's first career interception.
Western Illinois threatened to score on its first possession of the third quarter, but senior strong safety Joe Stellmacher dashed that drive when he picked off senior quarterback Steve LaFalce (20-41, 168 yards, 3 INT) in the end zone.
After a UW punt, the Leathernecks made it all the way to the Wisconsin three-yard line, opting to go for it on fourth and two. Sophomore defensive lineman Matt Shaughnessy then stopped LaFalce cold after he received a pass from junior running back Alex Douglas.
""It's one of those things you run two or three times during fall camp, maybe once during spring, to make them aware of it,"" Bielema said. ""It was just an incredible heads-up play by Matt Shaughnessy.""
LaFalce was again picked off on the first play of the fourth quarter by sophomore cornerback Allen Langford at the WIU 40-yard line. Four plays later Hill made it 27-3. Senior quarterback John Stocco finished off the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Andy Crooks.
Western Illinois scored its only touchdown of the game by picking off junior Tyler Donovan, who was put in for Stocco.
""At that point of the game, I didn't want to see anybody out there on the field for us that can make or break our season,"" Bielema said.
Stocco took a hard hit on his touchdown throw to Crooks, and Bielema cited quarterback protection as one of the many areas where improvement was necessary in the coming weeks. Among the others were route-running, tackling and the defense getting off the field on third down.
""Teams usually make the biggest amount of improvement from game one to game two, and that didn't happen for us today,"" he said. ""So we need to have that happen between game two and game three.""
Whether it does will be the point of interest for next weekend's home matchup against San Diego State.
