To beat any opponent, making big plays in timely situations will benefit the cause. Against the top-ranked team in the country, such execution is necessary.
From a more broad perspective, the Badgers rose to the occasion by coming into the game prepared, dealing with the national hoopla and believing that they could hang with the five-time defending Big Ten Conferene champions. Within the game itself, individual players and units also executed when it mattered most, a trend that has not always been the case for UW this season.
On Ohio State's two second-half touchdown drives, its offense converted on all four third down situations it faced. That includes going three-for-three in a mammoth 19-play, 94-yard drive that allowed the Buckeyes to pull within 21-18 with 11:38 remaining in the contest.
Aside from those two drives, Ohio State managed to convert just three of nine third down situations. This comes in stark contrast to just two weeks ago, when Wisconsin's inability to stop Michigan State on third down during a fourth quarter drive thwarted any chance at a comeback in that contest.
""Stuff like that is going to happen,"" senior strong safety Jay Valai said of allowing conversions. ""It's about how you respond. One play happens, but you just have to respond.""
UW responded to the string of Ohio State conversions by keeping the Buckeyes standout junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor under wraps in the fourth quarter. The dual-threat Pryor went just 3-10 for 45 yards and threw a game-sealing interception to linebacker Blake Sorensen with 1:13 remaining.
""Defensively, we stepped it up to a whole nother notch,"" said junior free safety Aaron Henry. ""Nobody gave credit to our secondary. For us to go out there and play like we did, we knew what the weakness of Terrelle Pryor was.""
Pryor finished the day with 156 passing yards and 94 rushing yards but the Buckeyes' offense as a unit did not produce as consistently as Wisconsin's.
Entering Saturday, Ohio State's defense had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 29 games. That did not keep UW from running the ball right into the teeth of the Buckeye defense. Junior running back John Clay racked up 51 yards and a touchdown on Wisconsin's opening drive alone, and accumulated most of his 104 yards between the tackles.
Quite simply, the offensive line of Wisconsin dominated Ohio State. The Badgers offense totaled 188 rushing yards for the night and did not allow a sack.
""I challenged the offensive line … to be quite honest,"" head coach Bret Bielema said. ""Everybody made a big deal about the 29 games that Ohio State had played without a 100-yard rusher. I threw it in those guys' faces all week.""
The Badger offense converted on 4-8 third downs for the day and also scored touchdowns on all three of its trips to the red zone. In the fourth quarter, Wisconsin's passing game turned in clutch plays including a third down, 20-yard completion to junior wide receiver Nick Toon on UW's final touchdown drive and a gutsy play-action pass to junior tight end Jacob Pedersen that set up junior kicker Philip Welch's crucial field goal.
The Buckeyes' did not give this game away—the Badgers just executed better in the most important situations.
