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Senioritis: Badgers win final home game

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Also by Kevin Hagstrom:

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Nothing special about UW power play (December 10, 2007)
Confident UW squad faces off against Minnesota State (December 7, 2007)
Sophomores to play for U.S.A. (December 6, 2007)
Hill of a pickle for UW tailback (December 5, 2007)

by Kevin Hagstrom

Monday, November 12, 2007

Michigan thought it could trample on Wisconsin in preparation for next weekend's marquee matchup against Ohio State.

Instead, it was the Wisconsin running game and senior quarterback Tyler Donovan's ability to walk the fine line between organized chaos and disaster that ran over Michigan 37-21 Saturday on Senior Day.

The win extends the Badgers' home winning steak to 14 games and ends the Wolverines' eight-game run.

"I think it's a great win for us personally," tight end Travis Beckum said. "It really means something to us."

Freshman Zach Brown took the bulk of the carries after backup Lance Smith went down with a shoulder injury at halftime and starter P.J. Hill was limited to five carries — all in the third quarter — due to a lingering leg injury. Inspired by the presence of legendary back Ron Dayne, whose No. 33 was retired at halftime, Brown eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the first time in his young career and scored two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

"Today, winding down to the last minute, you have to step it up a notch, and I was glad to be able to do that to get a victory," Brown said.

Donovan escaped, eluded and shredded the Michigan (8-3, 6-1 Big Ten) defense all day with a season-high 49 yards on the ground and 245 yards through the air.

"Tyler Donovan, he's phenomenal," said Wisconsin senior receiver Paul Hubbard, who finished with 134 of those yards on seven catches. "He got out of the pocket, scrambled, made guys miss, took the hits and got back up and did it again.

"I don't know how many times we got big plays down the field because he was scrambling. … Just for him to have the eye to find the open receivers while he was on the run from big linemen who are about to clobber him as they'd done all day just shows a lot."

Wisconsin (8-3, 4-3) wanted to start strong to take away some of Michigan's options with the football in hand. The game couldn't have been better scripted, as the Badgers built a 17-0 lead before Michigan could muster anything offensively.

"I think we came out from the get-go and definitely ended with a bang," Beckum said.

Following the first of two interceptions by safety Shane Carter on a poorly thrown ball from the arm of Michigan quarterback Chad Henne, Wisconsin marched down the field thanks to a pair of personal foul penalties by All-Big Ten nominee Shawn Crable and scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Donovan to Beckum.

Beckum was the receiver of choice again on UW's next possession, hauling in a 34-yard pass to set up a Taylor Mehlhaff field goal that made it 10-0 Wisconsin.

The Badgers extended the lead to 17 when Donovan dove inside the right pylon for a two-yard touchdown.

Already without injured running back Mike Hart — he was able to go, but Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr opted to lean on the side of cautious — Henne left the game for good after his pick. Freshman Ryan Mallett took his place.

A combination of an ineffective running game, which finished with a season-low 47 yards, and the fact Michigan was playing from behind, put more pressure on a highly erratic Mallett.

"I really thought our defensive line and linebackers really took the running game away in certain points, and it had a huge effect on the game," UW head coach Bret Bielema said.

The freshman finished 11-of-36 for 245 yards, with three touchdowns and two costly interceptions.

"It was really a gift," cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu said of his first interception of the season that set up Brown's six-yard touchdown run to make it 30-21 late.

Not until midway through the second quarter did Michigan even put together a string of first downs. Mallett connected with Mario Manningham for a 12-yard touchdown to cap the 80-yard drive.

Michigan wasn't done. A 97-yard touchdown pass to Manningham to start the fourth made it 23-14. Two series later, the Wolverines cut the lead to 23-21 when Mallett found a streaking Adrian Arrington, who had beaten cornerback Aaron Henry, for a 26-yard touchdown.

Despite the big game — two touchdowns and 113 receiving yards — for Manningham, UW cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu held him in check.

Of 14 passes intended for the star wideout, only three resulted in completions.

"Jack went out there and competed, and really the last three or four weeks has shown the Jack of late that can go out there and [produce]," Bielema said.

From there, the Badgers' defense tightened up and wrapped up Mallett, sacking him and forcing him into poor decisions. Its play ultimately saved Wisconsin from disaster after Donovan was forced to leave the game with an apparent wrist injury after his hand collided with Obi Ezeh's helmet on a pass attempt.

"We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game, we knew it wasn't going to be easy, tried to keep a good head about ourselves even though we had a bit of a lead there in the beginning," defensive tackle Mike Newkirk said. "It did get closer there at the end, but we were able to put the nose back to the grindstone and get it back."

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