7:11: Bret Bielema leads the Badgers out on to the field to a showering of flashbulbs. None of those pictures will probably turn out, but it looks really cool seeing all those flashes pop around Camp Randall. Game time is one minute away.
7:13: Iowa wins the opening coin toss and will receive the first kick.
7:14: The Badgers are wearing the traditional red shirts and white pants for tonight’s game, a change from the first two games when they wore red on red. The pants must not have made it though the was in time.
7:15: Iowa returns the opening kickoff to the 25-yard line.
7:18: Aaron Henry sacks Jake Christensen on third down to force an Iowa punt. The punt goes out of bounds at the UW 39-yard line, where Wisconsin will take over.
7:19: Donovan hits an open Kyle Jefferson for 22 yards across the middle down to the Iowa 39-yard line.
7:20: Donovan hits another downfield pass, this one to Luke Swan. UW now on the 19-yard line.
7:22: On third and seven, Donovan is sacked and fumbles the football. Iowa’s Bryan Mattison recovered the fumble at the 50 yard line.
7:26: Iowa tries some trickery with an end-around to James Cleveland, but DeAndre Levy is there to snuf it out for a loss of 12.
7:28: Iowa punter Ryan Donahue hits a nice punt which is downed at the 8-yard line. First down, UW.
7:32: Badgers go three and out on two runs by Hill and a Donovan incompletion. Andy Brodell returns Ken DeBauche’s punt to the 50-yard line.
7:37: Aaron Henry blitzes off the left side and forces Christensen to throw the ball away out of bounds. David Gilreath fair catches the Iowa punt and Wisconsin will take over at the 15-yard line.
7:39: The UW men’s basketball team makes an appearance on the field during the timeout and does what could loosely be described as a dance. In reality it looked more like a bunch of 6-5 guys hopping in unison.
7:42: UW goes three-and-out and punts it away. Brodell returns it 12 yards before getting tripped up by Ben Strickland.
7:45: On third and eight, Christensen scrambles left but is run out of bounds one yard short of the first down. Iowa punts it away and Gilreath fair catches the ball at the 18-yard line.
7:48: The Badgers continue to be unable to get anything going on offense. This time, three incompletions lead to a three-and-out. DeBauche boots it deep and Iowa will start at its own 30-yard line.
7:51: Jason Chapman gets into the backfield to pressure Christensen who runs out of bounds for a loss of 10 yards. Iowa punts and Wisconsin will take over from the 35-yard line. If it seems like nothing is happening, that’s because that is exactly the case. Both defenses are proving to be extremely stingy in the early going.
7:58: The first quarter stats tell the story: 10 total yards for Iowa, 30 for Wisconsin. It’s a defensive slugfest so far and will likely be throughout the game. Both teams ratchet up the defense as the game goes on.
8:00: UW is forced to punt and UI takes over at the 20-yard line. The way the game is going, you have to think it will take a special play on defense or special teams to get the scoring going.
8:03: Iowa takes it’s second timeout of the half to talk about a 3rd-and-7 play from the 34.
8:07: P.J. Hill takes the handoff and runs for 5 yards off right guard. Possibly the longest play for UW since its opening drive.
8:09: Donovan hits Travis Beckum for a first down completion. It is only UW’s third first down of the game.
8:13: UW is forced to punt again. Ken DeBauche’s leg might fall off before the half is over, but he pins Iowa inside the 20 on this attempt.
8:17: Coming free on a safety blitz, Aubrey Pleasant missed an great sack opportunity and grabbed Jake Christensen’s facemask as he flew past. UW was assessed a 15-yard penalty and Iowa has the ball at the 35-yard line.
8:20: Wisconsin forces yet another punt from Iowa. Gilreath makes the fair catch at the UW 22-yard line.
8:23: Lance Smith has been seeing the reserve’s share of repetitions in today’s game. There was some discussion earlier in the week as to whether freshman Zach Brown could supplant Smith as the team’s backup, but it doesn’t appear to be the case. Smith takes this carry left for six yards.
8:26: Another drive, another UW punt. DeBauche shanks this one, but gets a friendly roll and the ball goes out of bounds at the Iowa 34-yard line.
8:28: On third-and-four, Iowa handed the ball off to Albert Young who was met in the backfield by Kirk DeCremer. Iowa punts again and UW will take over at the 26-yard line.
8:30: With just under five minutes left, this is about the point in most games UW makes a drive down the field. As I type that, Donovan throws his first interception of the season. Iowa takes over at the UW 46.
8:35: Iowa drives the ball down to the 24-yard line. Murry on to attempt the 41-yard field goal, which is good.
Iowa 3-Wisconsin 0
8:37: Gilreath takes the kickoff out to the 28-yard line. First down, Wisconsin.
8:39: On the second play of the possession, Donovan hits Swan for a big gainer up to the Iowa 39-yard line. Donovan follows that up with another completion to Hill for a first down.
8:43: Cutting left, P.J. Hill appeared to have an open path to the endzone. He got a little loose with the ball, however, and it was stripped. Center Marcus Coleman flopped on the ball in the endzone for a touchdown. The call was reviewed and overturned because of an inadvertant whistle while the ball was loose. UW gets the ball on the one yard line.
8:53: After all the confusion regarding Hill’s run and fumble, Donovan hits Travis Beckum in the middle of the endzone for a touchdown. The score is the first touchdown Iowa has allowed all season.
8:55: Mehlaff hits a duck of a kickoff which is returned seven yards by defensive lineman Nick Brayton to the 38-yard line.
8:56: Christensen hits Cleveland on a crossing route deep inside UW territory. Iowa ball on the 25-yard line.
8:59: Christensen hits Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for a touchdown with four seconds in the first half. PAT good.
Iowa 10-Wisconsin 7. Halftime.
9:16: With Wisconsin trailing at half, several streaks are in danger of being snapped. UW has the longest winning streak in the nation (dating back to last year) at 12 games, a nine game home winning streak and has won 20 of its last 21 night games.
Incidently, the last time UW lost in Madison was in 2005 against … Iowa. The game should be starting back up in a few minutes, so stick around.
9:23: On the opening kickoff of the second half, David Gilreath is clocked and fumbles. Iowa recovers and takes over on the UW 24-yard line.
9:26: UW forces a field goal attempt after the fumbled kick and Nick Hayden busts through the middle to block the kick. UW takes over at the 29-yard line.
9:27: After the blocked kick, the Badgers keep moving backwards, with two consecutive false start penalties.
9:30 Wisconsin is forced to punt. DeBauche hits a great punt and the return comes out to the 28-yard line. Casey Hogan makes the stop for UW.
9:34: Christensen tries to connect deep downfield with Johnson-Koulianos, but Allen Langford had good coverage. Iowa punts it away and Wisconsin will take over at the 17-yard line.
9:42: Donovan hits Swan over the middle on third down to pick up a much-needed first down for the Badgers. UW has the ball around midfield.
9:44: On third and three, Donovan bootlegged right. With Smith as an receiver in the flat, Donovan instead kept the ball himself, picking up 13 yards and a first down.
9:46: Donovan can’t complete another third down attempt and the Badgers are forced to punt. DeBauche hits a punt circa-2005 and Wisconsin downs it on the one-yard line.
9:49: Iowa will operate from the shadows of the UW student section. Christensen escapes pressure and scrambles 17 yards out to the 18.
9:51: Damian Sims takes the handoff and scampers 22 yards out to the UW 49-yard line. UW needs a turnover, something that has been exceptionally rare this season, to turn the tide.
9:54: Aaron Henry blitzes off the right side on third down and sacks Christensen. Iowa punts it away and UW will take over at the 32-yard line.
10:01: Iowa shoots itself in the foot. On third down, the Hawkeyes interfered with Luke Swan on a route down the sideline and Wisconsin got a first down off the penalty.
10:05: The Badgers are riding Hill down the field now. This last carry went for 15 yards to the eight and was moved up to the four after a facemask penalty.
10:08: Hill takes the third down carry two yards right up the middle for a touchdown. The PAT is good.
UW 14-UI 10. 9:42 left in regulation.
10:11: Iowa returns the ensuing kickoff all the way out to its own 48-yard line.
10:13: Christensen is marshalling a nice drive into the Badgers’ red zone. First and 10 on the 14.
10:16: Aaron Henry blitzes off the edge again and gets Christensen for a sack.
10:17: Iowa’s Murray knocks through a 37-yard field goal. UW 14-UI 13. 6:29 remaining.
10:20: UW with the ball on the 33-yard line. Third and six, 5:15 to go.
10:22: Donovan scrambles to pick up 7 yards and a first down.
10:23: Lance Smith breaks off a 30-yard run down to the Iowa 28-yard line.
10:26: UW has the ball on the 25, 2:12 remaining.
10:28: Iowa stuffs Hill on third down. Mehlaff will trot out to attempt what will be a 40-yard field goal from inside the right hash.
10:30: And the kick is good.