Sports: Football

Numbers tell story in emotional victory

Offensive line creates holes for Clay, protection for Tolzien as football team comes away with big win

MINNEAPOLIS — In a game defined by passion and resiliency, perhaps cold, hard numbers paint the most complete picture of the Wisconsin football team’s 31-28 victory over Minnesota.

Take the number six. Besides representing the most fundamental goal in football — a touchdown — it also stands for six years in a row of the Badgers holding on to Paul Bunyan’s Axe. It marks the third time since the Axe was introduced to the rivalry in 1948 that UW has beaten its border rival six straight times.

“It is a blast. It feels great in your hands, I’ll tell you that,” UW linebacker Chris Borland said of the 6-foot Axe. “And after earning it as a team, that moment you share when you run out on the field is pretty special.”

The number 295 — as in the number of rushing yards Wisconsin accumulated — also tells a compelling story. After having some struggles with their ground game all season, UW gashed the Golden Gophers for six yards per carry and three rushing touchdowns. One of the reasons for a strong return to “Wisconsin football” was a solid and, finally, injury-free offensive line.

“Definitely,” UW guard John Moffitt said when asked if this was the best the O-line had played this season. “No sacks today, we almost rushed for 300, gave up maybe one hit on the quarterback. So it was a clean game.”

Most instrumental to the running game, however, was the second big game in a row for UW running back John Clay. Listed as No. 2 on the depth chart, the sophomore touched the ball 32 times for 184 yards and all three of UW’s rushing touchdowns. Weighing in at a listed 248 pounds, Clay provided the prototypical big-back game, wearing down the Minnesota defense to the tune of 5.8 yards per carry.

“I’ll tell you what, there is a cumulative effect. It is kind of like watching a heavyweight boxing match,” UW head coach Bret Bielema said. “Guys that are coming up trying to tackle [Clay] in the third or fourth quarter aren’t doing it the same way they were in the first half.”

With a long of only 26, the sophomore had to fight for every yard. Clay impressed his teammates and coaches the most by continually falling forwards for extra yards after contact.

“It is great to know that you have a back in the backfield who is going to get those extra yards,” Moffitt said. “When you are blocking he is going to fight for them just like you are going to fight for them. And I think that is what makes John Clay, John Clay.”

“I love those [yards after contact],” UW left tackle Gabe Carimi added. “We can have as much YAC as he can carry. He is definitely one of those backs that can do that for us.”

Coming into the game, the Badgers looked to be going strength-against-strength by taking on UM’s excellent defensive tackles, Garrett Brown and Eric Small. With many of Clay’s rushes going up the middle, the interior of the Wisconsin line was able to move the massive DTs and hold them to a combined five tackles.

“They were a load and they were good too,” Moffitt said. “They both played real well and they showed it on the pass too. They bulled me a few times, and I got to firm that up, but that is a good D-line.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the important number was seven.

Literally.

“Stop 7, stop 7 and stop 7,” UW safety Jay Valai said of Wisconsin’s defensive game plan. “[Eric Decker] is a great football player and Adam Weber is a great quarterback who can get him the ball.”

The Badgers did not stop Decker and the senior wideout finished with eight catches for 140 yards and one touchdown. The defense was able to contain him in the red zone, however, forcing Minnesota to settle for field goals on two separate occasions.

“We gave him some routes that he shouldn’t have been in a position to catch,” UW cornerback Aaron Henry said. “He is a tremendous football player. Minnesota puts him in a position to make plays and he is real, real good at doing it.”

In a game full of momentum swings and all the quirks of true rivalry, Wisconsin was finally able to close the door on the Gophers for the final drive.

After Bielema went against the grain and decided to pass on a third and eight with under two minutes left in the game, Minnesota started their final drive on their own five-yard line with 1:43 left and no timeouts. Although the Gophers did pick up two first downs on the drive, the Badger pass rush proved to be overwhelming and ultimately won the game for UW. Weber was sacked twice on the final drive and was forced into an intentional grounding penalty once. The game finished when senior O’Brien Schofield picked up his second sack of the game and forced a fumble that Borland jumped on.

“Borland just kicked it into another gear,” Bielema said. “He was only coming up to the bellybutton of that big tackle, but he was making life difficult for him.”