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Tolzien makes most of 2nd chances
MADISON – Last season, in his first year as the Badgers’ starting quarterback, Scott Tolzien turned in his worst performances in consecutive weeks against Ohio State and Iowa, the Big Ten’s two toughest defenses.
A year later, Tolzien has recorded back-to-back strong performances while guiding his team to Wisconsin’s two biggest wins since head coach Bret Bielema took over the program. In particular, Tolzien’s response to interceptions has been a key difference.
“I think I just played within myself more this year and didn’t force things,” Tolzien said. “I just took what the defense was giving me and just tried to be patient and not trying to make too many plays when the situation didn’t call for it.
“A year of experience is big if you take it the right way and learn from your past experiences. Having an extra year under my belt helped a lot.”
In 2010, Tolzien threw two crucial pick sixes in Columbus, while being intercepted three more times in a winnable game against Iowa at home a week later. This year, Tolzien was picked off by each team once, but responded admirably both times.
That difference has not gone unnoticed by his head coach, either.
“I’ve seen his response to his two interceptions be about as positive as you can,” Bielema said. “I noticed at one point, I believe it was second down on the series that actually got to four downs on the last drive, and after second down he was clapping his hands. He smacked somebody on the back. He knew he was going to have success.
“That’s the part that’s probably separated him, in my mind. I always knew he was great. He’s always going to have great academics. He’s always going to say the right things. He’s always going to do the right things. But when things are hard or when you have a bad play, how are you going to respond?”
After being intercepted in the second quarter last week against Ohio State while leading 21-3, Tolzien responded by not turning the ball over again, while also leading his team on a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives.
Trailing 27-24 in Iowa City, Tolzien was intercepted on a misguided first-down pass, which led to a Hawkeyes field goal and put UW down 30-24 with 8:35 remaining in the game. On the next drive, Tolzien completed 3 of 5 passes while also rushing for six yards.
More importantly, he guided the Badgers down the field, 80 yards for the game winning touchdown run by running back Montee Ball. After Tolzien’s mistake played a major factor in consecutive losses last season, his poise and ability to continue to make plays after throwing an interception was integral in two major Wisconsin victories.
“We got a win, and I thought I played good enough to give us a chance to win,” Tolzien said. “That’s kind of a simple statement, but I think really that’s how quarterbacks are measured is getting wins. Sometimes it’s not going to be pretty and sometimes you’ve got to put more on your shoulders, but whatever the case may be, you’ve got to win.
“I’m not going to downplay it. It’s huge because it’s two big wins in the Big Ten, and to beat two tough opponents like that, it’s pretty gratifying.”
Effort propels Watt to national honors
MADISON – If you asked Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema, he’d tell you the truest test of a defense is its effort on extra-point tries after giving up a touchdown.
That being the case, J.J. Watt‘s extraordinary effort following Iowa’s first touchdown of the game Saturday proved to be the difference in the game. As Watt batted away the Hawkeyes’ extra-point attempt, he allowed his team to win by the slimmest of margins, 31-30, at Kinnick Stadium.
“This is two weeks now that this Watt fellow has played lights out,” former Ohio State coach John Cooper, who is one of the Legends Coaches that votes on the award, said in a statement. “He blocks an extra point and later sacks the quarterback to drive Iowa out of field goal range at the end and Wisconsin wins by a single point. That’s performing under pressure.”
In that Badgers victory, Watt recorded one sack, two tackles for loss, and five total tackles, to go along with his blocked extra point.
For his efforts, Watt was recognized for the second straight week as the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week. The Lott, named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, is awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year.
Additionally, Watt took home Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Iowa, while also being named the Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.
“It’s awesome, it’s very cool,” Watt said of the recognition. “I was just back home yesterday in Pewaukee and I was thinking about when I was super excited to be all-Woodland Conference, and now I’m getting these national defensive player of the week awards.
“It’s unbelievable to see where it’s come, but all the credit has to go to my teammates. If you don’t win football games, you’re not going to get awards like that.”
While his numbers against Iowa don’t exactly stand out on the stat sheet, Watt’s impact could also be seen in the Hawkeyes’ game plan, which was designed to avoid the junior defensive end from Pewaukee, Wis.
“They were doing some things, I think, to get away from J.J. just as much as anything,” Bielema said. “But you know, we do some things with him. He’s all over the place. He plays all four D-line positions, so it’s kind of hard to gauge where he’s going to be all the time.
“Now 1st and 10 would be a little bit different, but I always tell our coaches, and our players, that is a true sign of respect when somebody starts noticeably game planning around, to avoid you or, on the flip side of it, if they’re trying to find you, is another way to look at it.”
With the efforts of Iowa to avoid as well as double- and triple-teaming Watt, it took extra effort from Watt just to put up the five tackles and one sack he did manage.
While he did only have a single sack in the game, it also came at a crucial moment, as he brought down Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi for an 11-yard loss with just 26 seconds remaining in the game.
Stanzi and the Hawkeyes were forced to call timeout, which proved crucial on the final play of the game, when they ran out of time after failing to reach the sideline to stop the clock.
“If you outwork your opponent, you’re going to get opportunities,” Watt said. “We could definitely use a little bit more pressure, but we got to him when it counted.”
Ewing developing aggressiveness, blocking
MADISON – When the 2010 season opened, the Wisconsin Badgers experimented with offensive lineman Ryan Groy at fullback. As a result, junior Bradie Ewing was forced into a role as more of a spectator as he saw his playing time limited.
Ewing didn’t sit back and accept his role, however. Instead, his recent performance would suggest he used the coaching staff’s decision to start Groy over him as motivation to improve.
“My guess is, if you asked him, he probably took it a little personal when No. 47 started lining up,” said head coach Bret Bielema. “Bradie Ewing is an unbelievable kid. He is so strong mentally that I think when that situation came up, he knew what he needed to do to get on the field, and he’s playing.”
Ewing did not start a game this season until the Badgers’ fifth of the season, at Michigan State. A week earlier against Austin Peay, the native of Richland Center, Wis., added his first two touchdowns of the season, one rushing and one receiving.
In four Big Ten games, Ewing has caught three passes – one each against Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa – for 18 yards. Against the Hawkeyes, he added his third touchdown of the season, which put Wisconsin up 10-6 at the time.
Even with Ewing’s offensive production going up, Bielema remains, and understandably so, more impressed with his improvement in blocking.
“Two things that probably have cleaned it up for me, for him, that I’ve witnessed,” Bielema said, “he’s playing very mean, he’s very aggressive in what he’s doing, and he’s probably learned to block on the move a lot better.
“When you’re a running back or he’s used to running the football, he hadn’t really ever trained or been coached up on making blocks while you’re moving, and that’s a unique thing. It’s a lot easier said than done, and he’s gotten really good at that.”
With his high school career featuring Ewing running the ball out of the backfield more than blocking for others, the move to fullback has been an adjustment. Looking at Ewing, you would never expect a mean streak out of the clean cut, 6-foot, 234-pound running back who looks more Boy Scout than football player.
As a result, developing that aggressiveness has taken some time as well for Ewing. Lately, especially with his performance against top defensive linemen from Ohio State and Iowa, a lack of aggressiveness is far from the case with Ewing.
“Bradie is, he’s Mr. Wisconsin. I mean, he probably could be the Governor here at some point in his life,” Bielema said. “He’s smart, good looking, family is great people, but it took him awhile to learn how to become mean. I’m sure he wasn’t – I know he has one sister, maybe two sisters – he probably wasn’t wrestling with them in the backyard. I mean, he wasn’t a guy that maybe grew up and had to be tough or aggressive.
“Since he’s come here, it was last Thursday, I mean, a Thursday practice, and the defense had already gone in, and there’s a fight, there’s a scuffle. I’m like, ‘What, who’s doing that? Nobody fights on Thursdays.’
“Bradie was mixing it up, I think, with one of the linebackers. I don’t know if it was [Michael] Trotter or [Josh] Harrison, but I was just chuckling to myself because it was a Thursday, we’re in half-pack practice, and Bradie’s getting in a fight.”
Replacements, bold moves key in victory at Iowa
IOWA CITY — When talking about his football team, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema likes to say that it’s not what happens, but how you react to what happens. You can’t react much better than the Badgers did Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.
Two days before a pivotal Big Ten matchup with Iowa on the road, Bielema alluded to a number of veteran players that might not be able to go against the Hawkeyes. Come game time, Bielema and the Badgers found themselves without two key players: Nick Toon and Jordan Kohout.
“Brian [Lucas] hit me up early this morning and wanted to confirm the starting lineups, and I basically said ‘I wish I knew,'” Bielema said. “There was as much as seven of our starters that weren’t sure who was going to play or go or not.”
As the game wore on, Wisconsin lost Lance Kendricks, Peter Konz and James White to injury, while John Clay and Mike Taylor battled injuries at various moments in the game.
Even with all of that, the 10th-ranked Badgers came away with a 31-30 victory over the 12th-ranked Hawkeyes, putting themselves in excellent position in the Big Ten title race in the process.
“Iowa is a great team, and they had a great defensive four up front,” Gabe Carimi said. “We came out there and attacked it and got a ‘W’.”
With Kendricks out, tight ends Jacob Pedersen and Jake Byrne stepped up, grabbing four balls for a combined 42 yards. In place of Konz, the Badgers shuffled the offensive line without missing a beat, moving Bill Nagy from tight end to center.
But at no position was there a more impressive replacement than in the backfield.
Relegated to third on the depth chart with the emergence of White, sophomore Montee Ball‘s opportunities have been few and far between this season. But when called upon in a big moment, Ball reacted better than anyone could have expected.
“I stay ready and kept my mind right,” Ball said. “I’m very proud. I had a talk with [running backs] coach [John] Settle, and I told him that I was going to leave it in God’s hands. God has a plan for me and I just felt like it happened today.”
Carrying the ball three times, Ball picked up 18 crucial yards on the ground in the game. More importantly, he broke the plane of the goal line just enough for the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
With the effort of those called upon to step up in critical situations, the Badgers were able to play the game the way they wanted to, which included a number of bold moves by the head coach.
Trailing 13-10 and facing 4th-and-1 on the Hawkeyes’ 2-yard line in the third quarter, the Badgers opted against the game-tying field goal. Instead, they went for it, and one of two Clay touchdown runs put them back on top, 17-13.
Later in the game, with UW trailing 30-24 late in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin got the look they were hoping to see from the Iowa defense on fourth down. The fake punt call was on, and punter Brad Nortman rushed for 17 yards, sending the momentum in the Badgers’ favor.
“It really did work out perfect,” Nortman said. “Our guys sold it perfectly and I went just about until I was about to drop the ball and it just all worked out perfectly. Once I saw it, I just knew we had the perfect play.”
Between the big games by replacements and bold moves in their play calling, the Badgers put together the most important reaction of the day. Following a program-defining victory over No. 1 Ohio State a week earlier, Wisconsin responded with another major win on the road over a Big Ten opponent.
Good teams pull off upsets at home, but it takes a great team to knock off a formidable opponent on the road.
“It was just four quarters of fanatical effort,” Bielema said. “Great individual efforts by some of our guys, but yet, unit efforts. Whether it be offense, defense or special teams, guys really had a tremendous amount of faith and executed.”
Fans flood field after upset victory
MADISON — Pandemonium.
That was the consensus description of the scene on the field at Camp Randall Stadium after the Badgers’ 31-18 win over No. 1 Ohio State. And why shouldn’t it have been?
Despite repeated warnings not to do so, fans poured onto the playing surface as the clock wound to zero, mobbing the 18th-ranked Wisconsin football team as it secured its biggest win in recent program history.
Within minutes, the green field turf was replaced by a sea of red.
“I’ll remember how quickly that thing can fill up,” Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. “Mark Taurisani, my office guy, told me, ‘If they rush the field, go out the far tunnel,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, you better tell everybody else the same thing.’ We hadn’t exactly gone through an evacuation plan.”
Without any briefing on what to expect after such a momentous victory, a number of players found themselves in precarious situations, surrounded by classmates and alumni.
With the Badgers defeating the nation’s No. 1 team for the first time since 1981 and the fourth time in school history, everybody wanted to be a part of the big moment.
“It’s so much excitement and so much joy,” free safety Aaron Henry said. “Coming into this game, we knew what to expect. I know a lot of people on the outside looking in, they didn’t really give us a chance, and that’s fine. As long as the core group of guys in that locker room believe in each other man, the sky’s the limit.”
Before the game, the Badgers were a picture of quiet intensity, according to Bielema and other players who recalled their teammates showing a surprising, but intense, calmness.
Afterward, as Camp Randall exploded in excitement, the Badgers celebrated their first win over Ohio State in the Bielema era.
“That was nuts,” said linebacker Blake Sorensen, who had a big late-game interception. “It was a big win for the team and the fans as well. That was huge. The last I saw the goal post was rocking back and forth when I left. It was awesome.”
Minimizing mistakes key for Tolzien
MADISON — One year ago, Scott Tolzien learned just how tough it was to be a quarterback in the Big Ten Conference.
With four minutes to go in the first quarter of his third conference game as a starter, Tolzien dropped back to pass as his team looked to strike first against No. 9 Ohio State.
Suddenly, the pocket collapsed around the him. With three Buckeye defenders surrounding him, Tolzien fired a pass over the middle, hoping to avoid the first-down sack. Due to the pressure, his pass sailed well over the head of receiver Nick Toon, and into the arms of Kirk Coleman.
Instead of putting points on the board first at Ohio Stadium, UW quickly found itself trailing 7-0 after Coleman took Tolzien’s pass 89 yards the other way for the score.
“I just threw it late across the middle and threw it high,” Tolzien told reporters afterward.
That interception was just the beginning of what turned into a long day for Tolzien. Down 14-10 early in the second half, Tolzien found himself under pressure again, this time on second-and-17.
As Tolzien tried to find Isaac Anderson near the right sideline, Jermale Hines undercut the pass, tipping it to himself before finding the end zone and pushing the Buckeyes’ lead into double digits.
“I thought I could get it over the top of him, and it was too close to call,” Tolzien said. “At that point you shouldn’t throw it.”
In those two games, Tolzien’s pass efficiency ratings were 97.78 and 84.05, respectively. Since then, he’s averaged a 160.22 rating.
Just twice since that two-game stretch has Tolzien’s rating been less than 140: against Purdue on Halloween last season, and two weeks ago at Michigan State.
A little more than a year after the loss in Columbus, Tolzien sees his struggles at Ohio State in a positive light.
“It’s a part of my history and something that I’ve learned from,” Tolzien said. “You’ve got to be smart with the football. Looking back on it, I can almost view it as a blessing now just to have gone through that. You just see the way that affects the swing of the game.”
Based on his numbers, the biggest thing Tolzien would appear to have learned over the past 12 months is how to limit those kind of mistakes.
Following that two-interception performance, Tolzien added three more a week later in the Badgers’ loss at home to Iowa, giving him five in Wisconsin’s back-to-back losses. In 12 games since, the Badgers signal caller has thrown the ball away just five times, and never more than once in a game.
“Scott’s a great player,” Toon said. “He doesn’t make very many mistakes, but everybody makes mistakes. Nobody’s perfect.
“Obviously those were two plays we all wish we could have gotten back, but you’ve just got to move forward and clean it up for the next time.”
With the top-ranked Buckeyes boasting the Big Ten’s best pass defense while allowing the second-fewest points per game in the conference, Tolzien will face one of the toughest challenges of his career.
If he once again finds himself in the unenviable situation of having thrown an interception returned for a touchdown, it’s a pretty safe bet it won’t happen twice this time.
“It’s one thing if the first one happened, but don’t let it affect you in a way where you got to learn to make sure the second one doesn’t happen, and vice versa,” said Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema. “During the course of the game, it’s not what happens, it’s how you react to what happens. And he learned himself how to kind of turn those situations from negatives to positives.”
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