STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Wisconsin entered the second half of play against Penn State in a situation they had seen before. Anthony Davis was watching the game from the sideline, Jim Sorgi was as in an efficiency slump, and the rain was continuing to fall. But with a lead and an ability to make the big plays, the Badgers (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) emerged from Happy Valley with a 30-23 victory.

“It’s a big step [winning] two on the road, especially at Illinois and Penn State,” Sorgi said. “We made big plays in the passing game and we made big plays on the ground and that’s what you want to do.”

Returning from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for three weeks, Anthony Davis saw action on the Badgers’ first offensive play of the game when he fumbled a handoff exchange, resulting in the Badgers’ only turnover. With memories of UNLV stirring and UW squandering a Jonathan Welsh PSU fumble recovery, the Badgers watched as Robbie Gould gave the Nittany Lions a 3-0 lead.

“We both made a lot of mistakes,” UW head coach Barry Alvarez said after the game. “I didn’t think we were particularly sharp, yet we did what we had to do.”

With Anthony Davis bursting through holes in the Nittany Lion defensive line for 30 yards on four carries, Jim Sorgi completed the Badgers’ first real drive of the game with a 30-yard strike over the middle to Lee Evans, giving the Badgers the 7-3 lead. Sorgi finished the game completing 9 of 26 passes for 140 yards and two scores.

After starting the game 3-for-3, Sorgi completed just one of 12 passes before throwing his second touchdown pass of the game on a third-and-long 20-yard post pattern to Brandon Williams.

“I came out on fire,” Sorgi said. “[The weather] wasn’t too bad at first, but then … my hand started getting a little cold and it was a little wet. But no excuses … I had to make a big play and I made it on that third down.”

Williams caught the ball at the 5-yard line as the PSU defender slipped in coverage and turned up field, sprinting toward the left corner of the endzone, putting the Badgers up 17-9 at halftime. Williams led all Badger receivers with three catches for 60 yards.

“In my mind when we called the play I felt that I was going to score,” Williams said. “I was like ‘yeah, I’m going to score on this play’ and it happened, so that’s always a good thing.”

Williams also carried the load on Badger kickoff returns breaking out for a 55-yarder after Penn State opened the second quarter with a touchdown to take a 9-7 lead.

“Brandon is a playmaker,” Alvarez said. “You’d like to get the ball in his hands more, but that was a big kickoff return to answer them scoring … in this league [when] games are close you need playmakers, and he’s a playmaker.”

Penn State’s first touchdown run and missed extra point came only after a Michael Robinson pass to Matt Kranchick, who made a diving 31-yard catch at the Wisconsin 6-yard line. Kranchick burned Badger strong safety Ryan Aiello all day, making catches over the middle that the smaller defensive back could not defend.

Kranchick answered the call on every occasion for the Nittany Lions, hauling in a pass in the third quarter from Robinson at midfield and sprinting the remaining 50 yards for a 73-yard touchdown reception. The pass was Penn State’s longest since 1999 and was part of Kranchick’s career day of four catches for 136 yards.

“He’s a good player, we knew that going in, and he’s actually faster than I thought he was,” defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. “He’s a 6-[foot]-8 kid, he’s a wide receiver playing tight end.”

Penn State’s last score of the day came on a 5-yard pass completion from Robinson to wide receiver Gerald Smith with 8:43 remaining. In his first collegiate start filling in for junior Zach Mills, Robinson scorched the Badger defense for 379 yards passing, including 136 to Kranchick and 122 to Tony Johnson.

The Badgers looked to put the Nittany Lions away early in the second half when the defense forced three consecutive three-play-and-out drives and the special teams added a touchdown to give them a 14-point lead.

UW’s Jim Leonhard fielded a punt on his own 35-yard line and then followed his blockers up the middle of the field and bounced outside for the 65-yard touchdown. It was Leonhard’s second punt return for a touchdown in his collegiate career. Freshman running back Booker Stanley laid one of the most vicious blocks of the season on the return, sending Leonhard untouched into the endzone.

“I was not trying to hurt him but get a nice block on him, pop him [and] spring Jimmy,” Stanley said of his block on PSU kicker David Kimball.

Stanley’s block may have been the exclamation point on a day in which he inherited the bulk of the running-back duties after injuries sidelined both Anthony Davis and Dwayne Smith. Stanley finished the day with 119 yards and one touchdown.

“I can’t praise him enough, he did it a couple weeks ago [against] North Carolina and had 119 yards and I was really impressed with him,” Alvarez said. “To come here, and against a better football team and do it is impressive.”

Wisconsin’s rushing attack has now produced 247-yard, 167-yard, 193-yard, and two 119-yard rushing performances this season.

“This offensive line may be one of the best to ever come through here,” Sorgi said, “I don’t want to put them out there like that too early, but they’re young, they’re just meshing together real well and they know what they [have] to do.”

The Badger offensive line was superb against PSU in run-blocking and protecting the pass. As a team, the Badgers rushed for 234 yards on 51 attempts while allowing two sacks on 26 passing attempts.

When the Badgers needed a big play on offense to keep their drives alive, they counted on fullback Matt Bernstein to come through. Bernstein played a complete game; he not only lead blocking, but also converted three third-down plays for the Badgers.

“I want the ball if coach White wants to give it to me,” Bernstein said. “I’m confident in my line, they were pushing their holes everywhere up there and if we give it to ‘Book’ I’ve got to block; either or, I’m happy.”

Riding behind Matt Bernstein and the offensive line, the Badgers continued their pursuit of a Big Ten title by keeping the ball on the ground and playing a conservative yet consistent brand of football.

“With the game on the line they really answered [the call],” Alvarez said of his team. “That’s what football is all about, making plays and doing what you have to do to try and win.”