[media-credit name=’Derek Montgomery’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]In a defensive battle, the Badgers (2-0) avenged last season’s defeat with an 18-3 win over UNLV (0-2) Saturday.

“That was a hard fought game today and I feel fortunate that we walked out of there with a win,” head coach Barry Alvarez said.

The Wisconsin defense was dominant, scoring 11 points and allowing just three. The Badgers matched a Big Ten record with two safeties and scored a defensive touchdown while keeping their opponent out of the end zone for a second consecutive game.

“I like the intensity that our guys are playing with,” defensive coordinator Bret Bielema said. “I think they come one, they come all. I really like the way they’re flying around the football. I think they’re looking for the big plays.”

Quarterback John Stocco led his team into the red zone on the game’s opening drive, but the Badgers failed to convert as senior Mike Allen missed a 23-yard field goal attempt.

After a quick stop from the defense, the Badgers moved into the red zone again on their second possession and again failed to score. An 18-yard completion to tight end Owen Daniels and a defensive holding penalty gave the Badgers a first and goal opportunity on the 7-yard line.

After runs from fullback Matt Bernstein, Stocco and tailback Booker Stanley, the Badgers were faced with a 4th down and goal from the 1-yard line. Head coach Barry Alvarez put the ball in the hands of Stanley, who attempted to leap into the end zone but could not penetrate the Rebels’ effective goal line stand.

UNLV quarterback Kurt Nantkes left the game with a groin injury after the Rebels’ first possession, turning the game over to sophomore signal-caller Shane Steichen. With Steichen at the helm, the Rebels took over on their own 1-yard line after the successful goal line stand.

Steichen and the Rebels could not move the ball against a stifling Badger defense, forcing UNLV to punt from its own end zone. Wisconsin’s defensive pressure paid off as the UNLV snap sailed over punter Gary Cook’s head through the back of the end zone for a safety, giving the Badgers a 2-0 lead.

On the first drive of the second quarter, Allen’s misfortunes continued as the senior placekicker missed a 49-yard field goal wide right.

With the Badgers clinging to a 2-0 lead, UNLV moved the ball inside the red zone for the first time to set up a 30-yard field goal attempt for kicker Sergio Aguayo. The Rebels seemed poised to take the lead, but linebacker Reggie Cribbs blocked the kick and safety Jim Leonhard took the return 86 yards for a touchdown. The play sent Wisconsin into halftime with a 9-0 lead and shifted the momentum in the Badgers’ favor.

“That’s a 10-point swing just before the half,” Alvarez said. “I thought it gave us a tremendous amount of momentum. That was a big play, huge play; biggest play of the game. We had already passed up opportunities: missed two field goals and missed a 4th and goal at the one. We gave up a lot of opportunities; it’s nice to see our defense take advantage of one.”

In the third quarter, the Badgers’ defense picked up its second safety of the game on a sack from linebacker Mark Zalewski. Defensive tackle Anttaj Hawthorne broke through with the initial pressure, forcing Steichen to flee to the back of his own end zone. After nearly stepping on the end line, Steichen scrambled out of the pocket and Zalewski flew in to bring him down for the safety.

On the following possession, Stocco threw his first interception of the season, giving UNLV the ball on the 35 yard line.

On the very next play, linebacker Dontez Sanders intercepted an errant pass from Steichen, but the play was called back because of a roughing-the-passer penalty charged to defensive tackle Jason Jefferson.

“It was questionable, maybe I could have pulled up,” Jefferson said. “It’s a mistake and I’ll just try to correct that.”

The penalty allowed UNLV to record the first offensive points of the game, as Aguayo knocked in a 34-yard field goal to bring the score to 11-3.

The Badgers answered on the following drive, when Stocco found senior wide-out Darrin Charles in the corner of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown to put the Badgers in front 18-3.

“We had been driving the ball up and down the field all game long and just had never been able to punch it in all damn game,” Charles said. “Somebody needed to make a play, and I’m always ready to make a play.”

Charles’ acrobatic catch gave Wisconsin its first touchdown against UNLV since the second quarter of the Badgers’ win in 2002, ending a draught that spanned 10 quarters of play. The 91-yard drive was Wisconsin’s longest touchdown drive since last season’s home opener against Akron, when the Badgers scored on a 96-yard drive and a 99-yard drive in the victory.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Leonhard became Wisconsin’s all-time leader in punt return yards after a 31-yard return to the UNLV 30-yard line. Leonhard finished with 58 yards in three returns, giving him 1,030 punt return yards in his career.

“My name is in the record book as the punt returner that broke it, but there are 10 other guys out there blocking for me,” Leonhard said. “It’s a great feeling as a returner when you know that you can count on the guys in front of you.”

With senior tailback Anthony Davis sidelined with an eye injury, freshman Jamil Walker had a breakout game in his collegiate debut. The Rolling Meadows, Ill. native finished with 88 yards on 16 carries (5.5 yards per carry), providing a strong complement to sophomore Booker Stanley, who struggled in his first collegiate start and gained just 59 yards on 22 carries (2.2 yards per carry).

“I was very impressed,” Stanley said. “I knew he could play like that, and I’m glad to have him on our team. I think that he really helped out with me, just getting him in there and relieving me and the 1-2 combo. He’s a heck of a player.”