On Location: The Pryor Legacy Begins at Camp Randall

By JOHN SEARS BIG TEN INSIDER

MADISON, WISCONSIN - The Wisconsin Badgers could have used a “fifth quarter” to pull out a win tonight in the absence of their heralded marching band, known for putting on the so-named post-game concert. Camp Randall drenched in moonlight is not an inviting place for any quarterback, let alone a true freshman. But Terrelle Pryor of visiting Ohio State proved to be an exception to the rule, driving his offense 80 yards on 12 plays in the waning minutes for a game-winning, come-from-behind touchdown.

Statistically, this game could not have been closer: [Ohio State vs. Wisconsin] first downs (17 vs. 19), rushing yards (183 vs. 179), passing yards (144 vs. 147), red zone scores (three-for-three both teams), and time of possession (30:32 vs. 29:28). The difference for Ohio State was converting at key moments and simply making the last score of the game.

Pryor (13-of-19, 144 yards, one interception) and the offense took the gridiron to start the game and immediately marched down the field, mostly on the ground. They hit pay-dirt with a 33-yard dash by Beanie Wells (22 carries,168 yards, one touchdown), which gave the impression Ohio State’s offense was going to score early and often. But the youth of Pryor started to surface – the next three Buckeye possessions ended with an interception by Wisconsin cornerback Allen Langford at the Badger’s four-yard line, a sack, and a sack. It seemed that Wisconsin’s defense had settled in as they confused Pryor with different looks and pressured him into making key mistakes on those third down attempts.

As much as the defense had hit their groove, the Badgers’ offense sputtered out of the gate. On Wisconsin’s first three possessions, Badger quarterback Allan Evridge (13-of-25, 147 yards, one touchdown, one interception) failed to convert on third down, ending two drives with incomplete passes and the next by a fumble. However, on their fourth possession of the game, the Badgers compiled a “Wisconsin-esque” drive, eating up over eight minutes of game clock. The offense mixed up the play-calling, picking up yards in large chunks on the ground and through the air. They marched down to Ohio State’s nine, and Evridge found an open Mickey Turner in the flat for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. After the teams traded fruitless possessions, Wisconsin then ran an efficient one-minute offense – 77 yards in 52 seconds – kicker Philip Welch connected on a 20-yard field goal to give the Badgers 10-7 lead at the half.

For Ohio State, the first possession of the second half mirrored their efforts of their first possession opening the game: Beanie Wells (pictured) rattled off a 54-yard run after a tough stiff arm just past the line of scrimmage to land the Buckeyes deep in Wisconsin territory. Coach Jim Tressel seemed to reel in the offensive game-plan for Pryor in the second half, asking him to connect mostly on short hook and out patterns. Pryor responded well, moving the ball down to Wisconsin’s three-yard line where kicker Ryan Pretorius chipped in a field goal to tie the game at 10.

After another Pretorius field goal, this one in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin responded with a 63-yard drive of their own, led by freshman running back John Clay (10 carries, 69 yards). But near the end zone, the Badgers handed the ball to their horse P.J. Hill (16 carries, 64 yards, one touchdown) who plowed up the middle to put Wisconsin up 17-13 with 6:31 left in the game. It was really the first impact Hill had on the game as the Buckeyes were effectively keying on him from the opening snap.

Despite being on the road, and despite being down late in the contest, Ohio State remained poised. The Buckeyes started from their own 20-yard line and put together an 80-yard drive, finessed by several Pryor run improvisations and crisp passing over the middle. Wide receiver Brian Hartline (three receptions, 57 yards) made his catches mostly over the deep middle on dig routes where the zone linebackers repeatedly pressed the underneath receivers. Ohio State regained the lead for good with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, as Pryor took an option keeper 11 yards to the left pylon to make it 20-17. Wisconsin’s hopes for a last minute, game-saving drive were quickly dashed as Evridge threw a first down interception to seal it for the visitors.

Previously 18-0 when taking a lead in to halftime, Coach Brett Bielema and Wisconsin, 0-2 in the Big Ten, have now lost halftime leads against Michigan (19-0) and Ohio State (13-10) in consecutive weeks. The Buckeyes, unbeaten thus far in conference play at 2-0. snapped the country’s second longest home winning streak, which was held by the Badgers at 16 games.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Game of the Week: Ohio St. @ Wisconsin

WHEN: 8:00 PM * TV: ABC
WHERE: CAMP RANDALL STADIUM

PLAY-BY-PLAY: MIKE PATRICK
ANALYST: TODD BLACKLEDGE

THE 73RD MEETING between Ohio State (4-1) and Wisconsin (3-1) will mark the first time the Buckeyes visit Camp Randall Stadium since October, 2003. This promises to be a highly-contested battle between Big Ten powerhouses that both feature run-based offenses. Wisconsin has won its last 16 games at home, the second-longest home winning streak in the nation. This rivalry dates back to 1913 with Ohio State holding a 51-17-5 lead in the series.

When the Buckeyes Have the Ball

FRESHMAN QUARTERBACK TERRELLE PRYOR has a daunting task ahead of him, matching up with a Wisconsin defense that limited Michigan to 268 total yards last week and only 21 in the entire first half. Pryor’s speed and mobility should come in handy versus a defensive unit that only has five sacks in four games. The centerpiece of this offense, however, isn’t the quarterback. All-world running back Chris “Beanie” Wells is the one with the “S” on his chest. He’ll be counted on to carry the Buckeye attack on his back by moving the chains and making the occasional game-breaking run into the open field. Wells returned to the lineup last week after missing three games with a nagging toe injury that may hamper him for the rest of the season. To avoid further compli-cations, the junior phenom has been instructed to wear high-top lineman cleats that may compromise his lateral movement. Wells’ size, vision and tackle-breaking prowess always make him a threat to score--—high cleats and all. The offensive line is a deep group, which features 6’8” senior left tackle Alex Boone. Despite the line’s issues in the early part of the season, Boone remains a ferocious run blocker, who isn’t shy about getting downfield and running over players in the secondary. After a slow start out of the gates, wide receiver Brian Robiskie broke out with eight catches and two touchdowns last week. Son of NFL assistant coach Terry Robiskie, Brian is a big wide out with soft hands, good route-running skills and a fierce competitive spirit, which often comes out in his downfield blocking. At 6’3”, Brian Hartline is a tall receiver with deceptive speed.

WISCONSIN’S FORMIDABLE FRONT seven make this unit one tough nut to crack for opposing offenses, and it all starts with a senior-laden defensive line. Defensive end Matt Shaughnessy is a long and lean pass rusher (6’6” 253 lbs.) with excellent hand skills. Though sackless to this point, the disruptive lineman leads the team in quarterback hurries and pass break-ups. Junior O’Brien Schofield is the lone underclassman along the line, which collectively boasts 98 starts. Linebacker DeAndre Levy is a standout whose great range enables him cover tight ends and make plays all over the field. Middle Linebacker Jaevery McFadden is a tackling machine, who ranks among the top defenders in the Big Ten in that category. Impact player Jonathan Casillas mans the weakside. After missing the first two games due to injury, the New Jersey native has come on like gangbusters. In addition to making a game-saving tackle versus Fresno State, Casillas was a Big Ten top performer last week by recording eight tackles and an interception, which was returned for 49 yards. Free safety Shane Carter headlines Wisconsin’s backfield. Carter is a ball hawk, who gets his hands on lots of passes, but can be temperamental and take stupid penalties. A bit more consistency can truly make Carter a special player.

When the Badgers Have the Ball

NEW YORK’S P.J. HILL is the marquee player among a triumvirate of standout running backs. At 5’11 236 lbs., Hill may physically resemble one-time Badger Ron Dayne, but the junior back is blessed with breakaway speed and superb hands as a receiver out of the backfield. Coach Bret Bielema has advised the jumbo halfback to take on less tacklers this season in order to save his body from added wear and tear. Hill leads the team with 449 yards on 92 carries and four touchdowns. John Clay and Zach Brown are his backfield mates. Brown is a much smaller player at 207 lbs., but has proven that he can carry the load with a 250-yard, two-touchdown performance in place of Hill last season versus Minnesota. The 6’2” 237 lb. Clay, on the other hand, is a big-play freshman who has already hit pay dirt four times. All three backs run behind an experienced offensive line made up of five behemoths that average 6’6” 319 lbs. Third-year sophomore Ben Moffitt is the man snapping the ball at center. The athletic and physical Connecticut native is the only member of the line who came into the 2008 season with less than 10 starts. The fact that Wisconsin ranks fourth in the country in both scoring (31.8 ppg) and yardage (413.5 ypg) is a testament to their big uglies up front. Although star tight end Travis Beckum has been fighting a hamstring injury this season, he is undoubtedly the team’s top weapon in their aerial attack. The senior playmaker is part of the new breed of tight ends that are more big slot receiver than traditional in-line blocker—receiving hybrids. At his best, this former linebacker is a match-up nightmare with his combination of speed and athleticism. Due to Beckum’s inability to stay on the field this year, quarterback Allen Evridge has had to spread it around. In fact, twelve different Badgers have caught the ball this season, led by tight end Garrett Graham and wide receiver David Gilreath, who are tied with 11 receptions each. Evridge likes targeting his tight ends off play-action fakes.

OHIO STATE’S DEFENSIVE unit better bring their A game to this battle considering the fact that it has struggled mightily in defending the run, particularly in their games versus Ohio University and USC, who rushed for 145 and 164 yards respectively. Defensive ends Lawrence Wilson and Thaddeus Gibson are both strong and fast. The 6’4” 274 lb. Wilson is a feared pass rusher, who missed most of the 2007 season due to a broken leg. The junior end is one of this unit’s vocal leaders. On the other side, Gibson replaces Cameron Heyward, who’s been moved inside to tackle in order to shore up the team’s aforementioned porous run defense. Gibson is a defensive playmaker with speed that can drop into coverage in the “Leo” position made famous by current Saint Will Smith. Seniors James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman anchor the linebacker corps. Winner of the 2006 Nagurski Trophy and the 2007 Butkus Award given to the top college linebacker, Laurinaitis’ ability to pursue ballcarriers from sideline to sideline is second to none, as are his pass-coverage skills. The future first round pick specializes in reading opposing quarterbacks. Freeman is the other pro-bound linebacker and is a terrific athlete with superior open-field tackling skills from the strong side. Over in the secondary, Malcolm Jenkins has everything you could want from a cover corner. His quick feet, fluid hips and unique anticipatory skills allow him to routinely blanket and nullify receivers. Fellow corner Chimdi Chekwa is also impressive in man-to-man coverage. The sophomore’s athletic prowess was on grand display earlier when making a torso-twisting interception in mid-air off USC’s Mark Sanchez. Free safety Anderson Russell is a high-effort competitor coming off an outstanding showing last week versus Minnesota with seven tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Final analysis

THE BADGERS INABILITY to score touchdowns will force them to kick field goals and prevent them from keeping pace with Ohio State’s offensive arsenal. The Buckeyes will win the time of possession battle, and ultimately the game, in a very physical grudge match.

Final Score: Ohio State 27 Wisconsin 19

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

It’s a Trap! Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25

By Admiral Ackbar (John Sears)

“It’s a trap!”, Admiral Ackbar warns the Rebel Alliance that is planning an attack on the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. In retrospect, this notable quote and scene becomes and interesting descriptor of what transpired at the Big House on Saturday. Coach Brett Bielema of Wisconsin warned that their Big Ten opener against Michigan could be a “trap game”. Is this the type of battle that can make or break a Badger team on the losing end?

I saw it with my own eyes and I still don’t believe it or understand how the trap happened. Maybe that’s because the only time I left my seat was when the Badgers attempted a quick pass deep in their own territory that was tipped, intercepted by weak-side linebacker John Thompson, and returned for a lead-changing touchdown. The stadium started to erupt because the home team somehow took the lead, and I was ignorant - jamming a soft pretzel in my mouth behind section 42.

I am compelled to give an eye-witness account and feel for the roller-coaster transgressions that culminated in the second largest comeback in the Big House…ever (amazing considering Michigan was also celebrating their 500th game in Michigan Stadium). To start, the loudest cheer from the 109,000+ during the first three hours of attendance came when gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps was introduced just before kickoff. Surprisingly, the crowd didn’t crescendo to this level again really until said interception described above, which gave Michigan the lead for good.

The loudest booing prior to halftime was offered to the Wisconsin marching band just before kick-off…ironically while the band stood in block M formation respectfully offering their rendition of The Victors. Strange. Possibly afflicted by this bad karma the Maize and Blue closed out the first half horribly (down 19-0, 10 possessions netting 17 yards, five punts, three fumbles and two interceptions), They received a meteor shower of boos from a sea of maize exasperated and salty - reinforcing this is not how they envisioned their Big Ten campaign starting.

Fast forward to 2:27 left in the third quarter, out of nowhere (obviously in response to a mind-bending motivational half-time speech by none other than Yoda) and within 12:33 of game clock, the Wolverines rattle off four touchdowns, rack up 242 yards of offense and take the lead. In that same time period, the methodical power rushing attack of Wisconsin sunk in to a black hole, yielding three punts, one interception, one fumble and zero points.

And if that weren’t enough to make all of us feel like we’ve come out of a three hour cycle of being frozen in carbonite and standing toe-to-claw with the Rancor, the Badgers regroup and find themselves within Michigan’s red-zone thanks to some nifty passing by quarterback Allen Evridge. The Wolverines’ defensive line stepped up again as junior defensive end Brandon Graham took down Evridge, causing a fumble that Michigan recovered. Game in hand? Hardly: A three-and-out later, Evridge and company start a last-ditch effort out of the shotgun with just 1:19 left on the clock, down eight. With the sudden emergence of tight end Travis Beckum off the bench, the Badgers march down field and Evridge finally connects with David Gilreath in the end zone over cornerback Morgan Trent to come within a two-point conversion of a tie. And they convert! No, wait, penalty (illegal procedure). Do over fails and the trap game has come to fruition just as Coach Bielema warned.

So if there was a move script that seemed to recap all that transpired, it would sound something like this: The Galactic Empire (Michigan) is struggling on rebuilding its Death Star (rebuilding off of last year’s loss to the Badgers). Meanwhile the Rebel Alliance (Wisconsin) are trying to overcome the deadly power of an operational Death Star (not winning in Ann Arbor since 1994) with a full frontal attack force (power rushing attack). The Rebel attack seems to be primed for success and has all its pawns in place (19-0 lead at half-time) when Admiral Ackbar (Bielema) realizes they have fallen in to a trap (four unanswered Wolverine touchdowns). The fleet tries to withstand the onslaught (late touchdown pulls them within two to tie), but succumb to the power of the Empire (lose 27-25).

This sounds like a movie with a lot of potential, but it lacking the storybook ending. In Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance persevered in the end by the leadership of their Jedi Master. As the Big Ten story continues to unfold, will the Badgers find a way to persevere after losing a battle to win the Big Ten war? Bucky would say, “The force is strong with this one.”

CFI RANKINGS: #18 WISCONSIN BADGERS

2007 RECORD: 9-4; BIG TEN: 5-3
Lost Outback Bowl vs. Tennessee 21-17
LOCATION: Madison, Wisconsin
STADIUM: Camp Randall Stadium (80,321)
HEAD COACH: Bret Bielema
OVERALL: 21-5 (2 seasons)
AT WISCONSIN: 21-5 (2 seasons)

Is the talent there for the Badgers to be ranked higher…maybe even challenge for a top ten spot? Sure. However, let’s not forget they opened the 2007 season ranked No. 7 in both polls and finished the year 21st in the Coaches Poll and 24th in the AP Poll. In five games against teams that finished last year ranked, Wisconsin was 1-4, with the lone win coming at home against a Michigan club that was sans Mike Hart and saw Chad Henne attempt a mere five passes (true freshman Ryan Mallett was 11-of-36 passing).

WHEN THE BADGERS HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Paul Chryst (4th Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 9
KEY LOSSES: Tyler Donavan, Luke Swan, Paul Hubbard, Lance Smith (Dismissed)

While we’ve seen more three wide receiver sets under OC Paul Chryst, the Badgers aren’t going to the spread as many Big Ten stalwarts have—power football is still how their bread is buttered. Even without Lance Smith, Wisky is loaded in the backfield led by junior big back P.J. Hill. Soph Zach Brown provides a little more shiftiness, while freshman John Clay is yet another 230 pound bruiser. Whoever is toting the rock, they would be wise to follow senior FB Chris Pressley. The biggest question is at quarterback, where Allan Evridge is expected to take over. He will have a pair of playmakers at his disposal in Travis Beckum—the most explosive tight end in the country—and sophomore WR Kyle Jefferson. The line is big and talented (what else is new?), but they need to be more consistent than they were a year ago.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) TE Travis Beckum (SR), 2) OG Kraig Ubrik (SR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Dave Doeren (3rd Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 9
KEY LOSSES: Jack Ikegwuonu, Nick Hayden

This unit is solid, but not spectacular. DE Matt Shaughnessy (broken leg in the spring) leads the front four, FS Shane Carter recorded seven interceptions, and OLB Jonathan Casillas is their leading tackler. Other than Carter, there really isn’t a playmaker on this unit—no other player had more than one interception and DE Kirk DeCremer led the club in sacks as a freshman with 5.5. If players like DT Jason Chapman, LB DeAndry Levy and CB Allen Langford (if healthy) step up their game as seniors, this can be an improved unit. CB Jack Ikegwuonu will be difficult to replace and corner might be their most vulnerable position. Freshman corner Mario Goins and sophomore safety Jay Valai are two x-factors in the secondary.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) DE Matt Shaughnessy (SR), 2) DE Kirk DeCremer (SO)

THE SCHEDULE

Upset alert: September 13…not only do the Badgers play Fresno St., they’re making the trip out to Cali and two weeks later, they open up the Big Ten schedule at Ann Arbor. Last season, Wisconsin struggled away from Camp Randall—losing at Penn St., Illinois and Ohio St. by an average margin of 19 points and dropping a neutral site game to Tennessee. Their only road wins came at UNLV (2-10) and at Minnesota (1-11), so the Badgers shouldn’t put a “W” next to those games at Michigan St., Indiana and Iowa just yet.

PIVOTAL POINT

Linebackers: Quarterback is the obvious choice here, but linebacker should be a team strength…but is it? Casillas’ overall tackles went up, but he had 3.5 fewer tackles for a loss as a junior with no interceptions and just one PD (1 INT & 6 PDs in 2006). OLB DeAndre Levy’s sack total was cut in half, from six to three. Neither made the progress expected in their second year as a starter. At middle linebacker, junior Elijah Hodge was so underwhelming that he is currently working as the third sting MIKE in camp. This group is a microcosm for the team…good, but not as good as advertised.

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

Not many coaches have replaced a legend as seamlessly as Coach Bielema has at Wisconsin (21 wins in his first two seasons). However, after shocking the nation with 12 wins in 2006, this group failed to live up to expectations in 2007. They are a good, solid team, but could disappoint again if the bar is set too high. If they are to creep back into the top 10 or reach double digits in victories, Evridge (or whoever plays quarterback) will have to ensure they have a balanced offense.

Credit: Collegiate Images