A few quarters went by before it got going, but Michigan State’s offense took Wisconsin for a ride on its way to a resounding 42-28 win Saturday over the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
Receiver Charles Rogers, running back T.J. Duckett and quarterback Jeff Smoker all delivered huge performances as the Spartans rolled up 563 yards of total offense — nearly 180 yards above their season average.
MSU’s passing game came together in the opening quarter to set up the Spartans’ first touchdown. Smoker lofted a 31-yard pass to senior tight end Chris Baker. Then Rogers drew a pass-interference call on Mike Echols in the end zone.
Duckett would score a one-yard touchdown, but the offense was miserable on the Spartans’ next three drives, compiling just five more yards (18) than it lost on penalties (13).
Then something clicked and Smoker led the Spartans 91 yards in 1:55 to tie the score at 14. The touchdown struck a blow that shifted the tide of a game, which had been shaping up as a staunch defensive test.
“That was a big momentum swing,” UW defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. “I think that might have had an effect on [our players].”
It affected the way the Badgers’ defense was forced to regard Rogers, MSU’s scintillating sophomore split end.
The 6-foot-4 receiver from Saginaw, Mich., had been mostly a non-factor until the drive, which began with 2:57 left in the quarter. On first down, Rogers beat Scott Starks down the left sideline for 38 yards. Then, at midfield, Smoker faked a reverse to Rogers, who drew attention away from the left flat, where the quarterback found Little John Flowers wide open. The play went for 31 yards to the Badgers’ 22.
Rogers capped the drive after another defensive breakdown enabled him to catch a touchdown at the back of the end zone.
In the second half, Rogers became MSU’s passing game, collecting 163 more yards, including an 87-yard touchdown that tied for third-longest in Spartan history.
But as Michigan State (4-2, 2-2) stretched its lead to as much as 21 points, Bobby Williams and the coaching staff relied increasingly heavily on Duckett’s big shoulders.
Duckett broke out early in the third quarter on Michigan State’s first drive after halftime. The 249-pound junior powered nearly untouched through the Badgers’ defensive front on his way to an easy 43-yard touchdown, which gave MSU a 21-14 lead it would not relinquish.
He added a 68-yarder later in the quarter and ended the day with 186 yards after posting just 17 before the half.
Smoker’s 326 yards passing improved on his previous career-high, set last week against Minnesota after starter Ryan Van Dyke left the game with a broken jaw. Smoker was battling an ankle injury that raised questions during the week about whether third-string quarterback Damon Dowdell would start against the Badgers.
Wisconsin (4-5, 2-3) had been facing questions about whether Jim Sorgi or Brooks Bollinger would be the starter, and Sorgi was a game-time decision when trainers determined Bollinger’s groin injury suffered against Illinois was still too severe for him to play.
Unlike MSU, the Badgers did have to go with their third-stringer when Sorgi was knocked out of the game with a concussion after a nimble third-down scramble.
The 6-foot-5 quarterback lay on the turf as trainers tended to him for several minutes before getting up. On the sidelines, Sorgi requested his helmet and asked to play, but trainers would not let the concussed sophomore reenter the game.
In relief, Matt Schabert went 10-18 with an interception and two touchdowns, including a 70-yarder to Lee Evans in his third play on the field.
Evans earlier caught a ballooning pass from Sorgi on the game’s first drive for 41 yards. The reception gave him 1,001 yards on the season and made him the first Wisconsin receiver to pass the 1,000-yard mark. He scored three touchdowns on nine catches, extended his NCAA-leading season total to 1,188 yards with a 228-yard day — second in school history.
Freshman running back Anthony Davis also passed pushed his total to 1,023 with 101 yards on 32 carries. Wisconsin has now featured a 1,000-yard rusher for nine straight years; the last time the Badgers didn’t have one was the last time the Badgers had more than the five losses they have earned thus far in 2001.
