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Revisiting recent Buckeye battles
MADISON – Over their past five matchups, the Badgers and Buckeyes have put together a number of thrilling battles. With top-ranked Ohio State coming to town to battle No. 18 Wisconsin in front of a national television audience, BadgerBlitz.com takes a minute to revisit some recent tilts in the rivalry.
No. 3 Ohio State at No. 23 Wisconsin
Date: Oct. 11, 2003
Final Score: 17-10 Wisconsin
Key players:
-Lee Evans – One reception, 79 yards, one touchdown
-Matt Schabert – 105 yards passing, one touchdown, 467.87 rating
-Craig Krenzel – 202 yards passing, one touchdown, one interception
Quick recap:
The defending national champion Buckeyes came into Camp Randall Stadium looking to extend their winning streak to 20 games before a raucous crowd of 79,793 on a chilly, rainy October night.
Backup quarterback Matt Schabert and Lee Evans made sure that wouldn’t happen.
After Ohio State cornerback Chris Gamble had shut down Evans, the Big Ten’s leading receiver, throughout the first 55 minutes of the game. With 5:20 remaining in the game, Schabert and Evans struck for a 79-yard touchdown down the Buckeyes’ sideline for the game-winner.
Schabert had just two previous touchdown passes in his career, but the junior was forced into action when Jim Sorgi was injured at the bottom of a pile in the third quarter.
After Robert Reynolds had shoved his fingers into Sorgi’s throat, it made it difficult for the UW signal caller to swallow and impossible to call out plays. Schabert made the most of his opportunity, completing two of three passes, including the 79-yard strike to Evans.
Wisconsin’s defense effectively limited the Buckeyes offense all night, holding them to just 271 total yards, including only 69 yards rushing.
No. 15 Wisconsin at No. 18 Ohio State
Date: Oct. 9, 2004
Final Score: 24-13 Wisconsin
Key players:
-Anthony Davis – 168 rushing yards, 39 carries, one touchdown
-Ted Ginn Jr. – 72 all-purpose yards, 65-yard punt return touchdown
-John Stocco – 160 yards passing, two touchdowns
Quick recap:
One year after snapping the Buckeyes’ 19-game winning streak, the Badgers ended Ohio State’s streak of 18 consecutive home wins. With the 24-13 victory, Wisconsin also extended its winning streak to three straight at Ohio Stadium.
Trailing 10-0 early, the Badgers kicked their offense into gear, outscoring the Buckeyes 24-3 the rest of the way, due in large part to the impressive performance of the UW defense.
Defensively, the Badgers sacked OSU quarterback Justin Zwick five times, while forcing and recovering a pair of fumbles. Defensive end Erasmus James led the way with six tackles, two for loss, and a sack.
Brett Bell and Jim Leonhard also added six tackles apiece, while Leonhard added one pass breakup and Bell forced a fumble.
While the stingy Wisconsin defense shut down Ohio State, it was running back Anthony Davis that stole the show. Davis rushed for 168 yards, including a 31-yard scamper in the second quarter that put UW on the board and turned the game in Bucky’s favor.
Wisconsin at No. 1 Ohio State
Date: Nov. 3, 2007
Final Score: 38-17 Ohio State
Key players:
-Beanie Wells – 169 rushing yards, 21 carries, three touchdowns
-Travis Beckum – nine receptions, 140 receiving yards, one touchdown
-James Laurinaitis – 19 tackles, two for loss, fumble recovery, one sack
Quick recap:
Three years removed from their last trip to Columbus, the Badgers entered Ohio Stadium riding a three-game winning streak there. Top-ranked Ohio State had won 19 straight Big Ten contests.
Thanks to a second-half offensive explosion, the Buckeyes extended that streak to a Big Ten record 20 consecutive conference victories.
With just over 21 minutes to play and the Badgers leading 17-10, the Buckeyes finally played like the nation’s No. 1 team, reeling off 28 unanswered points to put the game away. After Beanie Wells and the OSU offense had been effectively limited for nearly three quarters, Wells scored three touchdowns and quarterback Brian Robiskie added one of his own.
Until that point, Wisconsin put together an impressive showing, especially considering the absence of No. 1 running back P.J. Hill. Trailing 10-3 at the half, quarterback Tyler Donovan led the Badgers to quick scores on each of their first two possessions of the third quarter with touchdown passes to Travis Beckum and Chris Pressley.
That turned out to be all the Badgers had in them, however, and the top-ranked Buckeyes cruised to victory the rest of the way.
No. 14 Ohio State at No. 18 Wisconsin
Date: Oct. 4, 2008
Final Score: 20-17 Ohio State
Key players:
-Terrelle Pryor – 144 passing yards, 20 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
-Beanie Wells – 168 rushing yards, 22 carries, one touchdown
-Jay Valai – seven tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles
Quick recap:
Another night game at Camp Randall, another Ohio State-Wisconsin classic. Unfortunately for the home fans, the 2008 version went in the Buckeyes’ favor, thanks to Terrelle Pryor.
In a fitting payback for OSU, the Badgers’ 16-game home winning streak was snapped as the 19-year-old Pryor led Ohio State on two fourth-quarter scoring drives. After an early fourth-quarter field goal gave OSU a 13-10 lead, Wisconsin answered with a P.J. Hill touchdown, putting the Badgers up 17-13 with six minutes remaining.
That was more than enough for Pryor.
Utilizing his skills as both a passer and runner, Pryor hit Brian Hartline twice for big gains, but kept the ball for himself when the time came for the game-winning play. Running an option with Wells out wide, Pryor took it into the end zone with just over a minute left, giving the Buckeyes the 20-17 victory.
As the Badgers looked to get within field goal range and send the game to overtime, OSU cornerback Malcolm Jenkins sealed it, intercepting Allan Evridge on the first play of the drive.
Wisconsin at No. 9 Ohio State
Date: Oct. 10, 2009
Final Score: 31-13 Ohio State
Key players:
-Kurt Coleman – 14 tackles, 89-yard interception return touchdown
-Jermale Hines – 11 tackles, 32-yard interception return touchdown
-Ray Small – 119 all-purpose yards, 96-yard kickoff return touchdown
Quick recap:
The numbers didn’t add up. Wisconsin outplayed Ohio State in all facets of the game at Ohio Stadium a year ago, but thanks to two defensive touchdowns and a special teams score, the Buckeyes left with a big win.
Take those three mistakes away and a 31-13 loss turns into a 13-10 victory for the Badgers.
Ohio State scored first, turning what looked to be a Badgers scoring drive into an 89-yard touchdown the other way as he picked off an errant throw by a heavily-pressured Scott Tolzien. Early in the second quarter though, the Badgers answered in a big way.
As kicker Philip Welch lined up for a 26-yard attempt, the Badgers got the look they had hoped for, and senior captain Chris Maragos took the snap as holder and sprinted for the goal line. Stretching the ball out as he dove out of bounds, Maragos broke the plane, tying the game at seven apiece and electrifying the visitors sideline.
Over the final 40 minutes of the game, however, the Badgers would add just a pair of Welch field goals. The Buckeyes took a 14-10 lead into the half thanks to a Terrelle Pryor touchdown pass and extended that lead with another interception return for a touchdown, a kickoff return touchdown and a field goal.
Focused on stopping Pryor
MADISON — Twenty-two teams since 2008 have seen first-hand just how good Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor can be. Only four have left victorious.
All of those teams — aside from Purdue last season — were ranked in the top three of the AP poll: No. 3 Penn State in 2008, No. 3 Texas in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, No. 1 USC in 2008, and No. 3 USC in 2009.
Not surprisingly, Pryor struggled in each of those five losses, especially when he looked to escape the pocket and run with the ball. On 66 attempts, Pryor picked up just 194 rushing yards, for 2.93 yards per carry.
In the Buckeyes’ 27 wins since he arrived on campus, Pryor has rushed for 1604 yards on 289 carries for a 5.55 average. Two of those wins came against the Wisconsin Badgers, but those were games in which Pryor did not run particularly well.
“The offense is ran around No. 2,” free safety Aaron Henry said. “So we feel like if we can contain No. 2 and make sure No. 2 doesn’t beat us, then we’re going to force other guys to make plays.
“We’re going to go out there and do our best as we can to contain him, but we’re also going to try to go out there and make those other guys make plays.”
In two games against Wisconsin, the 6-foot-6 quarterback has rushed for 55 yards on 25 carries for a 2.2 yard average. Though they’ve shown an ability to shut him down defensively, the Badgers know as well as anyone what kind of impact Pryor can have on a game with his legs.
Last year at Ohio Stadium, the Buckeyes’ only offensive touchdown came late in the first half wound down, as the Buckeyes drove 88 yards in 72 seconds, to take a 14-10 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The drive began and ended on big plays, both of which involved Pryor. The touchdown was scored on an impressive 32-yard toss by Pryor to wide receiver DeVier Posey, but the first play of the drive was the one that set everything in motion.
“I was chasing down on the back side, I needed to go to the upfield shoulder, and I went to the near shoulder,” said defensive end J.J. Watt, who put the blame on himself a year ago. “Obviously that’s going to hurt you big time, and it did.
“He makes quick cuts and I’m 290 pounds, I don’t make as quick of cuts as he does. He beat me on that play. That’s for sure.”
As a freshman, Pryor had an even bigger impact in his first visit to Camp Randall Stadium.
In a game that was also played under the lights, Pryor led the Buckeyes down the field on two fourth-quarter scoring drives, using both his arm and legs. With 1:08 remaining in the game, Pryor found the end zone from 11 yards out for the game-winning touchdown.
On that play, Pryor and the Buckeyes took advantage of some confusion on the defensive side, snapping the ball quickly and catching the Badgers off guard just enough for the score.
“Once again, he used those feet of his,” Valai said. “His feet are what makes him go. He’s doing a great job passing this year, but his legs are what make Terrelle Pryor a Heisman candidate.
“For every two steps, he’s taking about six yards.”
With those two game-changing plays in mind, the Badgers know they’ll have their hands full this week against the Buckeyes’ signal caller.
While the Wisconsin defense has demonstrated an ability to limit Pryor’s effectiveness as a duel threat quarterback, his ability as a passer, as noted by Valai, has drawn a lot more national attention this season.
Through six games, Pryor has completed 104 of 153 passes for 1,349 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. His 170.5 passer rating is more than 40 points better than a year ago and a better than 25-point improvement on his career rating.
But does Pryor’s improvement as a passer mean the Buckeyes have become a pass-first team?
“They’re Pryor first, whether run or pass,” Valai said. “They may drop into pass, but Pryor may turn the edge. You’ve just got to respect him either way, and that’s what makes them a great offense, because you’ve got to play the run and play the pass equally.”
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.”
Maragos adjusting to NFL life
MADISON — Nothing ever came easy in the collegiate career of former Wisconsin free safety Chris Maragos. So why would the NFL be any different?
After impressing scouts at UW Pro Day in March and earning individual workouts with a few teams, Maragos had hopes of being a late-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Three days, seven rounds and 255 picks later, Maragos never heard his name called.
Within hours of the end of the draft, he received phone calls from a handful of teams, and quickly signed on with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.
Once the season rolled around and rosters were slimmed down, Maragos found himself on the 49ers practice squad, where he has been for the first five weeks of the season.
After the end of a long day of practice last week, BadgerBlitz.comcaught up with the former Badger. The following is a question and answer with Maragos.
How’s life in the NFL been for the past five months?
Maragos: It’s good. You know, it’s a lot different than college, it’s a whole different dynamic. I think the NFL is a very interesting dynamic of football just with all the different things that come along with it.
It’s an unbelievable game at this level, and the type of athletes out here is extremely competitive. I always try to correlate different things with different experiences in my life, and when you’re a high school senior going in as a freshman at a Division I program, it’s a big jump and you’re like, ‘Wow, there’s all these great players around.’ But as you continue to progress you begin to see how you can have an impact.
When you go from college to the pros, it’s an even bigger jump than from high school to college. You’re around the best athletes in the world, and that’s what you want to be a part of. It’s fun for me to be able to go out there and compete and play alongside so many great players and really just wait for my time to contribute to help this team win.
Do you feel like you’re getting close to making the jump from the practice squad to the 49ers’ active roster?
Maragos: Yeah, I definitely think I’m close. I think it’s a thing that is close and I really feel confident in my ability. I know I can compete and I know I can play at this level. That’s not a question at all. So, I think it’s really just a matter of time before I get an opportunity.
Just like Western Michigan or Wisconsin, anything like that, I’ve just got to be ready to make the most of my opportunity.
What would you say are the best and worst aspects of being an NFL free safety?
Maragos: I think the best thing about the NFL is that it does raise your game and your knowledge of the game to a whole higher level. Physically, I’m a much better player after just being in the NFL for just a few months. I can already see how my game has taken off just because of the level of competition and how you need to raise the level of your game.
Some of the drawbacks and some of the negatives, I think at the University of Wisconsin we had such a fun time. We had a great group of guys that was fun.
And it’s not that we don’t have that in San Francisco, but in college it’s such a different dynamic because there’s money involved in the NFL. Your best friend might be here one day and he’s not here the next day, versus college where you can really develop a lot of relationships.
Guys are older in the NFL, they have families, they have kids, so when practice is done they go home to their families. Whereas in college, guys are hanging out, they’re going out to eat, they’re playing video games together, whatever it is.
As a member of the practice squad, what is your daily routine like?
Maragos: Well let’s see, we come in on Mondays after the game, we’ll come in and lift, and then we’ll have a Bible study that’s optional for guys to attend. After that, then we’ll have a special teams meeting where we go through the film of the game, and then we have a positional meeting where we also go through the film of the game. That usually goes until about 2:30, and then we’re done for that day.
Tuesday’s are our off days, and Wednesday we have a lift in the morning, then special teams meeting and then we go into our position groups meetings. We go through a walk-through, then we have lunch, and then we go from lunch to more meetings. After that we go out to practice and then we usually get a little film in after practice. That’s usually what Wednesday, Thursday and Friday look like.
If it’s a home game, we’ll have a little walk-through on Saturday just to go through last-minute corrections. If it’s an away game, then the team is usually traveling on Saturday. Then of course, Sunday is game day.
What is game day like for you as a inactive member of the team?
Maragos: It’s different, but you know, it’s funny because it really reminds me a lot of a redshirt season. You’re a part of the team as much as anybody, but you’re not contributing at all on the field.
I’ve looked at it just like I did in college before I was getting my opportunities. If I can’t be out there physically on the field helping this team win, then I need to be in practice busting my butt, giving them the best look or doing the best things that I can do to help this team win on Sundays.
That’s just my way of contributing right now, when I get my opportunities, then I’ll be ready to produce on the field.
How has life been off the field, moving from the Midwest to the West Coast?
Maragos: Life’s good, man. It’s phenomenal. The weather out here is unbelievable, it’s great. The area that we’re living in is just a great area to be in. There’s a lot of things that it has to offer. It’s just a blast being out here with my wife, Serah, and just getting an opportunity to be with her and really just enjoy that.
Our training facility and our workout facility is actually down in San Jose, so that’s where we’re living. We actually live about 40 minutes outside of San Francisco. We play our games up there, but our training facility is kind of a ways away.
Everything is going pretty well, though. So, I can’t complain.
Clay, White run over Gophers
MADISON – If there were any question who was the No. 1 running back at Wisconsin, John Clay answered them emphatically Saturday afternoon against Minnesota. But James White continued to show he was not far behind.
As the freshman White made a name for himself over the last two weeks earning Freshman of the Week honors in the Big Ten, questions mounted concerning Clay’s effectiveness out of the backfield. Some even called for White to be named starter.
On Saturday, the duo combined to put together the most complete performance by the Wisconsin running game yet this season. On 40 carries, they picked up 229 yards — a 5.7 yards per carry average — with five touchdowns.
“Those guys ran hard today,” said tight end Lance Kendricks, who provided a number of key blocks for Clay and White. “Overall, I think this was the best game that they’ve had as a balance of two running backs.”
Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema talks about going with the hot hand at running back. But when both backs are picking up more than five yards per carry, the hot hand is whoever is in the backfield on a given play.
If you ask either Clay or White, they’ll both tell you they don’t care who gets the carries, as long as the offense is successful.
“I really just like that it’s just constantly rolling through there,” Bielema said. “They’re the first ones to congratulate each other. It’s special.”
Clay, who had one of his best career rushing performances at Minnesota last year, opened the running game up early, tallying 52 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown in the first quarter. He would not touch the ball again in the half.
In the third quarter, Clay and White each added another touchdown, but it was not until the fourth quarter that they really tacked on the yardage. After rushing for 122 yards through three periods, they combined for 117 in the fourth quarter alone, while each also added another touchdown.
“There’s no slack when one of us comes out of the game,” White said. “If Clay comes out and I go in, there’s no slack. If I go out, Montee (Ball) goes in. We’re all in there cheering for each other and we’re all capable of doing big things.”
With three touchdown runs, Clay tied a personal best, while boosting his career total to seven trips to the end zone against Minnesota. With 37 career rushing touchdowns, Clay ranks fifth all time at UW.
Clay also eclipses the 3,000-yard mark on the ground, making him the eighth running back in school history to go over 3,000 yards. His 3,093 rushing yards also rank eighth in UW history.
Tallying his second career 100-yard rushing game, White now has 361 yards and eight touchdowns in his last three games. Saturday also marked the second time in those three games that Clay and White have both rushed for at least 100 yards.
In three games against Austin Peay, Michigan State and Minnesota, Wisconsin’s running back duo has rushed for 670 yards and 12 touchdowns on 93 carries. With the power of Clay and White’s speed, opposing defense have had their hands full stopping the Badgers rushing attack.
“I’m a power runner, he’s a speed guy,” Clay said. “They don’t expect it. He’s a lot shorter guy than I am, so he’s able to use his agility and hide behind offensive lineman. For me, I’m a bigger guy, so it’s hard for opponents to come try to tackle me down.
“When we get out there able to showcase our talent, we’re always there to show each other support and love.”
Five things to watch: Minnesota
MADISON — It’s Axe week. With the way the Badgers played in East Lansing, the rivalry game against Minnesota could not have come at a better time for UW. After suffering their first loss to Michigan State last week, Wisconsin’s focus is on keeping the Axe.
Before things kick off at Camp Randall today, BadgerBlitz.com offers a number of things to watch during today’s game, as well as a prediction.
1.) Can they get off the field?
When the Spartans needed a big play in the Big Ten opener, more often than not the Badgers were not able to stop them from getting it. Out of 18 third down conversion attempts, Michigan State was successful nine times.
More importantly, despite creating three turnovers, the Wisconsin defense forced MSU to punt just once the entire game. While the Gophers are not on the same level as the Spartans, a similar output by the defense would not bode well for UW.
To beat Adam Weber and Minnesota, the Wisconsin defense led by J.J. Watt will need to do a far better job of imposing its will, controlling the game and setting up the offense with opportunities to score.
2.) Under pressure
Everyone focused on third downs last week, but the real issue was a lack of success stopping Michigan State on first and second down. A lot of that had to do with an inability to pressure Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins.
More often than not, Cousins threw the ball when he wanted to or was ready to, rather than when the UW defense forced him to do so. With another of the Big Ten’s top signal callers in Weber coming to town Saturday, pressure will be important against Minnesota.
The Gophers, along with the Badgers, are tied fourth in the Big Ten with just five sacks allowed this season. The Spartans, on the other hand, have allowed more sacks (11) than every team in the conference other than Northwestern.
It certainly won’t be easy, but the Badgers need to make Weber feel uncomfortable every time he drops back to pass.
3.) What happened to the passing game?
Wisconsin three non-running back stars on offense — Scott Tolzien, Nick Toon, and Lance Kendricks — were disappointing in the Big Ten opener, to put it lightly. In such a big game, those three should be expected to step up, not put up their worst performances of the season.
Minnesota’s defense has struggled to stop both the run and pass this season, but you can be sure they’ll focus more on the former this week. To open things up for John Clay and James White, Tolzien will need to be better than 11-for-25 for 127 yards.
4.) Not So Special Teams
For the second time this season, breakdowns on kick and punt coverage against MSU proved crucial. Against a team like Minnesota, the last thing Wisconsin needs is to let the Gophers keep things close with a special teams touchdown.
There’s little question that Wisconsin should easily retain the Axe for a seventh straight year. But even a team like Minnesota could make things interesting if the Badgers’ coverage units continue to struggle.
5.) Resurgence of Clay
Over the last two weeks, White has been far and away the better of the two Wisconsin running backs. His speed and quickness make him exactly the kind of dynamic runner the Badgers need to complement Clay.
Unfortunately for all involved, Clay has struggled to hold up his end of the bargain. Aside from a handful of impressive runs of more than 10 yards, Clay has looked slow, hesitant, and simply ineffective.
Perhaps no one in cardinal and white is looking forward to facing the Gophers than Clay. With their rush defense ranking 10th in the conference, Clay should have the perfect opportunity to show he’s still among the best offensive players in the conference.
Schelling’s prediction
On paper, this matchup looks like a 20-point blowout in the Badgers’ favor ready to happen. Minnesota is near the bottom of the conference in points scored and allowed. Wisconsin, on the other hand, is near the top in both.
With the motivation of a disappointing loss a week ago combined with their desire to retain Paul Bunyan’s Axe, the Badgers should have no trouble handling the Gophers. Still, a 22-point spread seems like a bit much. The only time UW has covered the spread this season was their 70-3 blowout of Austin Peay.
Keeping that in mind, I like Wisconsin over Minnesota, 38-20.
A Schelling For Your Thoughts 
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