Overall: B
Fresno State head coach Pat Hill called the game the biggest home game in his program’s history. Wisconsin must not have been listening. The Badgers went into Bulldog Stadium and earned the big win against a non-conference opponent they had been lacking since coach Bret Bielema took over in 2006. As they entered halftime with a 10-0 lead, things seemed to be going UW’s way. But then the offense sputtered, and the defense gave up a few big plays to let Fresno State right back into the game. It wasn’t until Bill Rentmeester rumbled his way to an eight-yard gain that the Badgers could breathe comfortably. UW fans got a scare when quarterback Allan Evridge left the game in the second half with cramp, but Dustin Sherer filled in for the rest of the night.
Offense: B-
In typical Wisconsin fashion, the offense was hinged around the running game. P.J. Hill carried the ball 26 times for 112 yards, but his two backups — Zach Brown and John Clay — were limited to just three carries apiece. Evridge failed to replicate the performance he had against Marshall last weekend, as he finished with just 143 yards on 12-of-24 passing. Tight end Travis Beckum played for the first time all season, snagging four catches for 51 yards.
Defense: B+
It was the tale of two halves for the Badger defense. After Matt Shaughnessy tipped a Tom Brandstater pass in the first quarter, linebacker DeAndre Levy was able to come up with the interception, which led to the only Wisconsin touchdown of the game. But the unit was caught off-guard in the second half, giving up a 47-yard touchdown pass to Devon Wylie, which cut the lead to three. They also gave up a 61-yard screen pass from Brandstater to Ryan Mathews.
Special teams: C
A blocked punt and a missed field goal ruined an otherwise a decent performance by the special teams unit. Punter Brad Nortman fumbled a snap in the third quarter that led to the blocked punt. Fresno State recovered on Wisconsin’s 37 but failed to score after kicker Kevin Goessling missed one of his three field goals. David Gilreath was relatively quiet in the return game, returning two kickoffs for a total of 27 yards.
Game ball goes to:
DeAndre Levy
9 total tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack
No one player particularly stood out for Wisconsin statistically, but Levy seemed to be all over the field Saturday. He was able to collect a batted pass in the air for an interception that set up a touchdown pass from Evridge to Garrett Graham and recorded a sack of Brandstater to go along with nine tackles.
Next up: Michigan
Bret Bielema and company have the weekend off before entering Big Ten play in Ann Arbor in two weekends, when they’ll face off against Michigan and new head coach Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines are coming off an embarrassing loss to Notre Dame, but like the Badgers will have a weekend off before the two teams meet. The last time UW traveled to the Big House, it came up short in its only loss of the 2006 season.
