For the first half, Wisconsin did everything right.
The Badgers' defense corralled and frustrated Michigan's offense for the first thirty minutes of their game Saturday. After halftime however, it all came apart.
We just basically gave the game away in the second half,"" senior linebacker DeAndre Levy said.
The Wolverines scored 27 unanswered points after the intermission, wiping out a 19-0 Wisconsin lead and providing the winning margin in their 27-25 victory.
The Badgers stifling of Michigan was nearly complete in the first half. Wisconsin players were shooting into the Wolverine backfield with regularity and rarely missing tackles.
The Wolverine offense could only gain 21 yards, failed to convert on seven third-downs and gave the ball to Wisconsin three times.
The final turnover, an interception by Wisconsin senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas, was almost returned for a score adding emphasis to the dominant one-half performance.
""We didn't give up any big plays, you know,"" Wisconsin senior defensive tackle Mike Newkirk said. ""Even on the screens and stuff, we were getting everything down for short gains, minimal gains. And in the second half we gave up big plays.""
Michigan sputtered on their first drive in the third quarter, but got going the next time they touched the ball. Freshman quarterback Steven Threet complete passes of 13, 16 and finally 22 yards to freshman tight end Kevin Koger to break the Wisconsin shutout.
Earlier on the drive the Badgers had a chance to stop Michigan on a fourth-and-one but junior running back Kevin Grady powered his way for five yards and the conversion.
The defense's difficulties in getting off the field continued on the next Wolverine possession when they forced a pair of third-and-long plays. The first time, Threet found junior receiver Greg Mathews for 14 yards on 3rd-and-9.
Minutes later senior defensive end Matt Shaughnessy again extended the drive, earning a penalty for leveling Threet after an incompletion and turning a 3rd-and-15 into a Michigan first down.
The drive ended with another big play for Michigan when two Badger linebackers blitzed up the middle, leaving an open lane outside for junior running back Brandon Minor to take 34 yards for the score.
The final crushing play, however, was yet to come.
With eight minutes remaining, Michigan held a one-point lead and the ball at their own 23-yard line. Threet appeared to hand the ball to freshman running back Sam McGuffie, who the Badgers swarmed to.
The ball was still in Threet's hands and, with the help of a timely block, he ran 58 yards with it before being pulled down from behind.
The second half defense looked less crisp than it had in the first. Threet got more time to throw and the Badger defenders, who had been so disruptive early on, failed to either upset or contain Michigan's plays.
""[The momentum swing] shows how fragile emotions can be,"" Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said. ""I think defensively after that first touchdown, they came over they had good eyes on the sidelines, but when that second one hit then I think their confidence level really went down.""
The players refused to blame their troubles on an offense that scored zero points in the first 29 minutes of the second half, at one point they went four drives without a first down and gave Michigan their first lead with an interception that was run back for a score.
""We know that it's our goal and our job is to give the offense the best field position, whatever they do after that, that's their responsibility,"" Casillas said. ""We just got to go out there and stop them, stop their offense, you know Michigan's offense or who ever we're playing and do that. And we failed to do that in the second half.
