The Badgers carried their prior two weeks' success on offense into this week's game against Minnesota, blowing out the beleaguered Gophers 48-12 to retain possession of Paul Bunyan's Axe.
After scoring a combined 93 points in their two previous contests against Indiana and Northwestern, Wisconsin seemed due for a hangover—an inexplicably lethargic performance that would give the pesky Gophers a chance to avenge last year's heartbreaking loss. Instead, the offense was relentless and remarkably confident.
""We continued our success, and our confidence is starting to build and keep building,"" said wide receiver Luke Swan, who caught John Stocco's first touchdown of the day.
But the confidence didn't just come through in the execution—it was apparent in the play calling. Again and again, the Badgers exploited Minnesota's weaknesses on defense to score 40-plus points for the third consecutive game.
It began on Wisconsin's opening drive, when the Badgers opened with five straight run plays to workhorse P.J. Hill, who was only prevented from his sixth consecutive carry when he encountered an equipment problem with his helmet. They stated their gameplan plainly to the Gophers who, after just five plays, showed they simply couldn't stop it.
""We wanted to step on it early and just keep the accelerator on,"" said senior tackle Joe Thomas, who anchors the line that made way for 208 rushing yards Saturday against Minnesota's overmatched defensive front.
""I like their mentality. I think our offensive line is a very toughgroup,"" head coach Bret Bielema said. ""We've just continued to put a body on a body and wear them down for four quarters.""
But aside from running at will, the Badgers diverged from their patented ground game to make several plays through the air that reflect just how highly the offensive coaches think of their offense's capability.
In the second quarter, the Badgers called for a play-action pass from the two-yard line—choosing not to hand off to Hill perhaps to gauge their passing proficiency close to the goal—which required quarterback John Stocco to sell the fake by holding the ball for nearly two seconds longer than usual, opening himself to an easy sack if he did not fool the defensive line.
The Badgers also threw to tight end Travis Beckum on back-to-back plays to open the second half—for 81 yards and a touchdown—even though conventional wisdom says that a receiver who just caught a pass might be covered better the next play. But Wisconsin coaches have enough confidence in their players to challenge conventional wisdom, as well as just about any defense they will encounter.
""They have a lot more confidence in us,"" junior tackle Kraig Urbik said. ""They know we can get those fourth-and-one's and connect on some long passes.""
""I have made it very clear to our offense,"" Bielema said, summing up Saturday's game as well as possible, ""that we are going to be in an attack mode as much as we can.""
