[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]

On second-and-6 midway through a scoreless first quarter
near midfield, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne dropped back to pass.

He looked right, spotted wide receiver Greg Mathews and
fired. As soon as Henne let the ball go, it became clear he made a mistake.

At first glance, it appeared the ball would fall harmlessly
to the ground. But Wisconsin free safety Shane Carter, who initially stopped
short of Mathews, expecting a better pass, leaped backward and made a
spectacular one-handed grab.

It was a play that usually isn't known to be part of a
defensive player's repertoire. More like a wide receiver, Carter was able to
keep the ball alive with his hand-eye coordination and hold on for the early
forced turnover.

The pick set up the game's first touchdown and an early
Wisconsin 7-0 lead, one the Badgers would never relinquish.

"I don’t know how he caught that," UW cornerback Jack
Ikegwuonu said of Carter’s pick following the Michigan game. "Shane’s a
ballhawk, he’s always around the ball, and I’m not surprised that he made that
catch. He’s got great hands."

Fitting, since that’s the position the younger brother of
former Minnesota Viking and future Hall of Fame receiver Chris Carter wanted to
play. After some deliberation, UW head coach Bret Bielema convinced Carter he’d
be better off playing defensive back. The decision appears to be the right one.

In his first full year as a defensive starter after
suffering a shoulder injury last season, Carter has racked up seven
interceptions, tied for the most in the country.

He had two interceptions against Michigan Nov. 10, one in
the first quarter and one in the fourth. He added to his total Saturday with a
crucial pick at Minnesota when the Gophers were driving and already up by 10
points.

"He's a game changer," defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks
said. "He's got great range from sideline to sideline, and he's able to
communicate."

As a freshman in 2005, Carter played special teams but saw
little action on defense. His role was supposed to expand last year, but he
hurt his shoulder and needed surgery, putting an end to his sophomore year.

Now fully recovered, Carter has taken full advantage of the
opportunities presented to him.

"I'm just really thankful," Carter said. "I thank God for
being able to go out and play football every day."

As a junior, Carter has shown that he can make plays and
steal the ball away from opposing offenses.

"Having a guy with that kind of athletic ability, who's a
tall safety …, changes the game," Cooks said of Carter, who at 6-foot-2 is big
for a safety.

Fellow safety Aubrey Pleasant is used to Carter's big-time
plays while playing side by side with him in the UW secondary.

"He has amazing range and amazing ball skills," Pleasant
said.

Pleasant would know best, considering that he is Carter's
roommate, along with linebackers Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy.

"It's a pretty relaxed atmosphere," Pleasant said. "We
pretty much all have the same schedule, so when we're home together, we're all
home, and when we're all here [at football practice or a game], we're all
here."

With 12:04 left in the fourth quarter nine days ago, the
Wolverines were in possession of the ball, down by nine and getting desperate.

Carter was playing deeper than he was earlier in the game,
making him the last man back against Michigan's dangerous receivers.

The ball was thrown deep down the field, this time by
freshman quarterback Ryan Mallet. Not deep enough, however.

A leaping and well-positioned Carter came down with the ball
on the Wisconsin 24-yard line, sealing the game for the Badgers.

"Shane had to play both of [the Michigan receivers], and he
obviously made the right decision, the right choice, and got it done," Cooks
said.

"That was a heck of a play. Nine times out of 10 that ball
is caught for a big gain or a touchdown.

"That's the kind of the ability, the heads up, the being
smart that [Carter] can give us."

— Kevin Hagstrom
contributed to this report.