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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — On a day when Wisconsin running backs Montee Ball and James White each crossed the century mark to help the Badgers gain a school-record 564 rushing yards, coaches didn’t need much help from quarterback Curt Phillips.
But, as defined by a 52-yard run in the third quarter, he became another offensive weapon in UW’s 62-14 rout of Indiana (4-6, 2-4 Big Ten) in Bloomington Saturday. Phillips cut left and then cut across the field to the right sideline before Hoosiers cornerback Kenny Mullen tracked down the fifth-year senior and ended any chances of a trip to the end zone.
“I was definitely excited to get back out there. Been awhile, obviously,” Phillips said. “Kind of felt like a little kid on Christmas this morning. Not nervous, but just excited.”
Phillips became the third different quarterback to earn the starting nod in a Wisconsin (7-3, 4-2) uniform this season. Redshirt junior Danny O’Brien took over after Joel Stave’s season-ending injury against Michigan State two weeks ago, but Bielema finally handed the reigns to Phillips for the first time in his four-year career Saturday.
And while it was Ball who closed in on the all-time NCAA record for career touchdowns, Phillips set a career mark of his own Sunday: the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career.
Wisconsin’s second touchdown of the game came off the play-action pass following six-straight run plays when he found sophomore tight end Sam Arneson in the back of the end zone. It also marked the first career touchdown catch for Arneson, but Phillips kept his excitement subdued after orchestrating the play that handed the Badgers a 14-0 lead.
Bielema said such a reaction was typical of the understated Phillips, who did what was necessary and not much more against Indiana.
“The plan was to not put a lot on Curt. Obviously it worked very, very well,” Bielema said. “Curt’s very good at certain throws and we just got a situation in the second half where I said, ‘We don’t really need to throw it; just keep running it, keep pounding it.’”
His final passing numbers on the day — completing 4-of-7 attempts for 41 yards — were modest, and it was clear UW’s newest man under center was still adjusting to his first significant action in nearly three years during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Phillips overthrew several receivers, and his first pass of the game fell incomplete, but it was on the ground where he did his greatest damage.
Darting from the pocket two times on Wisconsin’s opening drive, Phillips took off with the ball seven times and picked up 68 yards in the game. Despite tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee three times over the last four years, his ability to scamper helped UW in its offensive explosion against the Hoosiers.
But the yards came against an Indiana defense that sits last in the Big Ten in rushing defense, surrendering an average of 208.4 yards per game heading into Saturday’s matchup. Phillips acknowledged upcoming opponents — notably an Ohio State defense that gives up the second-fewest yards on the ground in the Big Ten — will provide a more rigorous test for his arm.
“After seeing we only threw it seven times and had 500 [plus] yards rushing, they’re going to zero us down and make us throw it,” Phillips said. “I’m confident with it; we just didn’t necessarily need to do it today. Those guys were rolling up front and I was excited for Montee.”
As the second half progressed, Wisconsin increasingly relied on the three-headed rushing attack of Ball, White and redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon to move the ball down the field. That meant only two passing attempts for Phillips in the final 30 minutes of play and turned his role into a game manager.
That job of controlling the clock and avoiding turnovers reminded teammates of a former UW signal caller whom Phillips worked under.
“He played behind Scotty, watched how Scott Tolzien went about his business and he tries to really emulate that I think, put his own twist on it obviously,” Phillips’ close friend and tight end Brian Wozniak said. “But he really tries to emulate that, so I think he knew how to prepare.”
With close to 20 family members and friends watching from the stands, Phillips admitted the victory that sealed Wisconsin’s ticket to the Big Ten Championship Game was a shining moment for him. It may not have been enough to steal the spotlight from his teammates lining up in the backfield, but it remained a defining moment in Phillips’ bumpy career.
“Just seeing guys like [strength and conditioning assistant coach Brian Bott] get excited, my family; it’s tough on them every time you get hurt and they don’t want them to sit there and watch you get banged up,” Phillips said. “It makes it extra special.”
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