Buckeyes Fall To Badgers, 31-18 – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Recap | Notes | Photos | Box Score (html) | Box Score (pdf)
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin played virtually flawless football in all facets of the game and scored the final 10 points to send the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to a 31-18 defeat in front of 81,194 supercharged Badger fans at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Badgers improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten – the identical records now of the Buckeyes – by building a 21-0 first half lead sparked by an opening kickoff touchdown return, withstanding an 18-point comeback by Ohio State and then putting the game away with a clinching touchdown by James White with 6:57 to go in the game.
“I was proud of the way our kids fought back,” coach Jim Tressel said. “A lesser bunch in an environment like this may have folded their tents … but to Wisconsin’s credit, they stepped up and kept that 10-point cushion and came up with the win.”
John Clay became the first running back in 29 games to break 100 yards rushing against the Buckeyes, netting 104 yards and two touchdowns. White, his backfield partner, was equally effective with 75 yards on 17 carries.
Quarterback Scott Tolzien was lights out for the Badgers as well, completing 13 of 16 passes for 152 yards, including a 20-yard completion to Nick Toon on third down to extend the fourth-quarter winning drive.
Ohio State’s Dan Herron scored both of the team’s touchdowns while rushing for 91 yards off 19 carries. He scored on a 13-yard run from the “wildcat” formation to cap Ohio State’s first drive of the second half and inch the team to within 21-10. He bulled over from the 1 early in the fourth quarter and with Terrelle Pryor finding Reid Fragel for the two-point conversion, the Buckeyes were within three at 21-18 with more than 11 minutes left to play.
The Badgers, who hadn’t defeated Ohio State in three games with Bret Bielema as coach, then marched 73 yards in 10 plays for the winning drive with Clay and White finishing it off by rushing for 28 of the final 37 yards to pay dirt.
Pryor was 14-for-28 passing for 156 yards and one interception…that coming at the end of the game. He also rushed for 56 net yards. He was sacked three times for minus-21 yards.
David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff 97 yards to give Wisconsin a real quick 7-0 lead. It was the fourth special teams touchdown by an Ohio State opponent this year.
Wisconsin then powered the football 68 yards down the field on its first possession of the game, with Clay rushing for 51 of those yards, including a 14-yard touchdown run.
The Badgers extended its lead after an 18-play, 89-yard scoring drive with Clay scoring again, this time from the 1, to give the Badgers a 21-0 lead with more than 13 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The Badger defense stepped up big time to twice thwart the Buckeye offense. It held the Buckeyes to a Devin Barclay 21-yard field goal midway through the second quarter despite Ohio State having a first-and-goal at the 3. And then after Andrew Sweat intercepted Tolzien in Badger territory on the next possession, the Badgers got a third down sack and Barclay was wide on a 45-yard field goal attempt.
The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak for Ohio State and it also snapped a 12-game road winning streak as the No. 1 team in the nation, a streak that dated to 1975 and included wins at West Virginia (1998), at Texas, Iowa and Michigan State (2006) and at Penn State (2007).
