In a football game that featured 1,025 combined total offensive yards, it was the Wisconsin defense that came through with a big stop in the end.
With Michigan State threatening to score late in the fourth quarter, the No. 5 Badgers came up with a huge stand on fourth-and-two with just 1:09 remaining to secure a 37-34 victory over the Spartans Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.
From the UW 38-yard line, Spartans' sophomore quarterback Brian Hoyer - pressured by freshman defensive end Kirk DeCremer - tried to hit junior running back Javon Ringer over the middle. His pass sailed just high as Ringer was well covered by UW sophomore linebacker Elijah Hodge.
They were trying to run a little bit of a route back inside,"" UW coach Bret Bielema said. ""The one thing I said during the last series was just to make sure the football stays contained because, really, one of the issues that we had was we were losing contain[ment] on the football, and fortunately we had it there.""
The Badgers (5-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) took the lead on a 22-yard field goal by senior kicker Taylor Mehlhaff with 6:15 left to play in the game. The field goal was Mehlhaff's third of the game, with the first two coming in the last two minutes of the first half, one of which was a 47-yarder as time expired to put UW up 27-21 going into the locker room.
""I just want to take it one kick at a time, and I'm happy with where I'm at right now,"" Mehlhaff said. ""I'm never satisfied when it comes to my kick-offs, I want to be getting touchbacks every time. I wasn't hitting them quite as clean today, but I couldn't be more happy with my field goals.""
The kick was set up by a crucial roughing the passer penalty by the Spartans' Kellen Davis. On third-and-14 from the UW 27-yard line, UW senior quarterback Tyler Donovan was knocked to the ground well after he released a pass, giving the Badgers a first down at their own 43-yard line. Three plays later, backup running back Lance Smith busted outside for a 28-yard gain to put the Badgers in field goal range.
Following the field goal, the Spartans (4-1, 0-1) drove into Badger territory in just three plays. However, Michigan State was stopped on third-and-eight when linebacker Jonathan Casillas stuffed Ringer for a one-yard gain. Spartan kicker Brett Swenson's field goal attempt from 53 yards out sailed wide left to give the Badgers the ball back with 3:23 left to play.
""They were capitalizing on our mistakes,"" Casillas said. ""My hat's off to them, they played a heck of a game today. It just came down to it, we made plays at the end of the game to win the game.""
Badger sophomore running back P.J. Hill was again instrumental in the win, running for 155 yards and two scores. Tight end Travis Beckum had a career-high ten receptions for 132 yards and a score. Nine of his catches, including a three-yard touchdown, came in the first half alone.
""We have a good offense, and we determine our success,"" Beckum said. ""A lot of times we put ourselves in position to beat ourselves, and I think we did a good job of eliminating that.""
Wide receiver Kyle Jefferson, a true freshman, caught the first touchdown pass of his career, a 64-yard connection with Donovan in the second quarter to put the Badgers ahead 21-14. Jefferson left the game with a head injury just before the half after being drilled on a crossing route over the middle by Michigan State's Nehemiah Warrick.
Jefferson jogged off of the field on his own power.
Midway through the second quarter, Badger wide receiver Marcus Randle El and Spartan cornerback Chris Rucker were ejected from the game. Following a 14-yard run by Donovan, Randle El and Rucker continued to shove one another and began to throw punches. The two were separated, given off-setting personal fouls and kicked out of the ball game.
Cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu left the game in the first half and did not return. According to Bielema, Ikegwuonu wasn't feeling well when he arrived at the stadium and tried to give it a go in the first half, but was unable to keep going.
Freshman David Gilreath set a school record with 189 yards on seven kick returns, including a 56-yarder to help set up a touchdown by Hill that put the Badgers ahead 34-24 with 9:13 remaining in the third quarter.
The undefeated Badgers will head to Champaign, Ill., Saturday to take on Illinois.
""We knew coming in to today that [Michigan State] was a good football team, and for us to be able to pull off the win speaks volumes of their character and what they're able to do in fourth-quarter games,"" Bielema said.
