Badgers' Ground Game Too Much For Nittany Lions
October 04, 2003 | Football
Wisconsin quarterback Jim Sorgi passed for two touchdowns and the UW rushed for 234 yards, as the Badgers defeated Penn State, 30-23, at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The victory gives the Badgers their second straight Big Ten win on the road and with today 's performance, Coach Barry Alvarez improves to 97-62-4 all-time, moving him one game closer 100 wins as Badger head coach.
Anthony Davis returned to action today carrying the ball eight times for 35 yards, before leaving the game after re-injuring his ankle. However, redshirt freshman Booker Stanley led the Badgers' run attack carrying the ball 24 times for 119 yards including a six-yard touchdown run. Dwayne Smith also got in on the action, carrying the ball nine times for 56 yards.
Penn State opened up the scoring at 9:15 in the first quarter off of Robbie Gould's field goal from 35 yards out. On the ensuing drive, the Badgers were led down the field by Sorgi, who hooked up with fellow senior Lee Evans on third down for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Evans finished the game with three receptions for 50 yards.
Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson brought the Lions back into the game leading the offense down the field, completing a 11-play, 33-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Sean McHugh early in the second quarter. Brandon Williams returned the following kickoff 55 yards, setting up a Mike Allen 46-yard field goal that inched through the up-rights putting the Badgers up 10-9.
On the ensuing kickoff, Badger special teams forced a fumble by Penn State's Calvin Lowry, but the Badgers were unable to score, missing on a 42-yard field goal attempt. Lowry again had the ball knocked loose fumbling on a punt return with 36 seconds left in the first half. Wisconsin, led by Sorgi, scored a touchdown on a 20-yard pass to wideout Brandon Williams to put Bucky up 17-9 at the end of the half.
Jim Leonhard had a crucial 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, helped by a Booker Stanley block, with 2:17 left in the third quarter. Penn State pulled the game a little closer with a 73-yard TD pass from Michael Robinson to tight end Matt Kranchick at the end of the third quarter. Robinson, who threw for his first career touchdown pass, finished the game 22-of-43 for 379 yards and two touchdowns.
But the Nittany Lions could not stop Wisconsin's powerful running attack. The Badgers ran the ball 13 consecutive times on the next possession, punishing a tired Penn State defense. Stanley took it to the house with a 6-yard touchdown run, which put Wisconsin up 30-16.
Robinson again carried Penn State down the field and hit Gerald Smith on 5-yard touchdown pass to the corner of the endzone, bringing the score to 30-23. But the Lions were unable score anymore, giving the ball up on their final three possessions.
Wisconsin, now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten, returns home to Camp Randall Stadium next Saturday to take on the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.
