Headline: Northwestern Shocks Badgers in Double Overtime Offensive Player of the Game: Michael Bennett-- 48 carries>293 yards>2 Touchdowns
Despite the fact that the Badgers were finally near full strength and the fact they were at home against Northwestern, a team many predicted in the pre-season would finish towards the bottom, made very little difference on Saturday, as the Badgers were defeated 47-44. Many factors contributed to the loss......
NO DEFENSE!!!!! The Badgers allowed the Wildcats to rack up 544 total yards in offense, and for the second consecutive week they were unable to stop the opposing offense from tying the game, after the Badger offense gave them the lead with less than a minute remaining.
Other contributing factors..... dropped passes for possible scores...... TOO MANY mistakes.
The Badgers started game on defense, and managed to hold the Wildcats in check, forcing the game's first punt. The normally sure handed Nick Davis...... seeing his first action of the season after sitting out his suspension, muffeled the punt, and the Wildcats recovered at the 33.
It took just two plays for the Wildcats to get on the board, as Zak Kustok dashed untouched 28 yards for the touchdown. With the extra point, Northwestern led 7-0.
The Badgers stormed back on their next possession. Brooks Bollinger guided the way and got Davis right back in the saddle, by connecting with him for a 15 yard gain on a third and 13. However...... the drive eventually stalled and the Badgers settled for a 31 yard fieled goal by Pisetsky to make it 7-3 with just over 8 minutes remaining in the opening quarter. The Badgers would claim the lead later in the quarter, as Bollinger would engineer a six play- 65 yard drive, which included himself scrambling down field for a 35 yard gain. Michael Bennett finished it off by scoring his first touchdown of the day on a 16 yard run. Unfortunatly....... Northwestern BLOCKED the extra point, giving the Badgers a 9-7 lead.
In the second quarter....... the teams exchanged field positions. Late in the half, with just under two minutes remaining, the Badgers would increase the lead. Bollinger again guided the team directly down field, this time in just 10 plays. Twice on the drive, Bollinger connected up with Davis for gains, including one for 11 yards which gave the Badgers a first down at the 14. It was after that when Bollinger scrambled out of the pocket to the right side and hit Dague Retzlaff on the sideline for a TOUCHDOWN. This tie the extra point from Pisetsky was good, and the Badgers took a 16-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Badgers received to start the THIRD quarter.On the first series of the quarter..... the Badgers would begin to lose control of the game. Bollinger rolled out to the left under heavy pressure, he tried to loft the ball, but was tackled by a defender, who forced a fumble...... the ball popped away from Bollinger and into the arms of Kevin Bentley.... who raced 50 yards for the score. The extra point was good,making it 16-14. About mid-way thru the quarter, the Badgers would bounce back and reclaim the lead. On first and ten at the twenty..... Bennett burst up the left side for a huge gain of 48 yards. Just two plays later.... Bollinger passed to Lee Evans for the TOUCHDOWN, capping off an impressive 3 play--- 80 yard drive in just 53 seconds to give the Badgers a lead of 23-14. The Wildcats would strike back with a field goal before the quarter ended to narrow the margin to 23-17.
In the FOURTH quarter.........things remained the same until about 8 minutes remained. Northwestern had the ball
Damien Anderson pumped up the Wildcats as he scored on a 69 yard run, with the extra point,it was 24-23. On the Badgers next possession, they increased the lead again. Once again Bollinger didn't waste much time. On an option play, Bollinger pitched it to Bennett, just before getting tackled, and Michael raced 55 yards for the TOUCHDOWN. On the extra point, Bollinger passed to Lee Evans for two and it was good! The Badgers led 31-24.
The Badger defense would lose control on the next drive allowing the WILDCATS TO TIE IT AT 31-31. It apeared the Badgers had stopped the Wildcats a few times...... first on third and five..... Kustok managed to eventually get inside the endzone as he found Drrick Thompson WIDE OPEN for the score.
The Wildcats used a pooch kick.... but it backfired as the Badgers took over at the 39. The Badgers drove nto range for Pisetsky who kicked a 47 yard field goal with just 47 left giving the Badgers a 34-31 lead. But unfortunatly the Badger defense could not stop Northwestern, The Wildcats drove 52 yards and kicked the tying field goal of 46 yards as time expired.
In the first overtime...... as in the previous week, the Badgers won the toss and started on defense. The Wildcats traveled the necessary 25 yards in just three plays for the score and kicked the extra point to make it 41-34.
On Wisconsin's first offense on=f the over time, the Badgers worked down to the five.On second and goal.... Bollinger passed to Davis for the TOUCHDOWN, Pisetsky added the extra point and it was tied at 41-41.
In the second over time..... the Badgers took offense first. The drive faded away and the Badgers were forced to kick a field goal to take a 44-41 lead. The Wildcats put the game away on their next possession. First Kustok scrambled for a gain of nine to givehe Wildcats a first and goal at the nine...... on the next play Damien Anderson scampered in for the touchdown.
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