Badgers Face San Diego State on Saturday
September 14, 2006 | Football
The University of Wisconsin football team (2-0) plays its final home game of September when it takes on San Diego State (0-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN Plus.
The Badgers will be looking to keep up the momentum from their two wins, both of which saw more than 30 points scored and RB P.J. Hill rush for 100 yards. Last week, QB John Stocco threw for 200 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
Speaking of interceptions, UW's defense racked up three against Western Illinois. In addition, it allowed just 80 yards of rushing.
Now it turns its sights on an Aztec offense that generated 275 yards passing and 109 yards rushing in its season opener. Backup QB Darren Mougey threw for 178 yards with no TDs and one interception, while starting QB Kevin O'Connell, who is out this week with an injury, tossed for 97 yards and also had no TDs and one pass picked off.
'(Mougey is) 6-6, 230, looks all that on film, a good athlete,' UW head coach Bret Bielema said. 'And when he came in the ballgame, they continued to throw the football, but they also converted more to a quarterback running game. He had a couple nice runs to cap off drives for them.'
Mougey did in fact have a team-high 41 yards rushing. Starting RB Lynell Hamilton, meanwhile, was held to just 40 yards rushing, averaging a paltry 2.0 yards per carry.
SDSU did do some good things on defense'it held Texas-El Paso to 12 first downs, 38 yards rushing and made four interceptions. DB Donny Baker had two of those picks to go along with two pass breakups.
But the mistakes were just too much for San Diego State's offense and defense to overcome against UTEP. Besides the interceptions, the Aztecs also missed two field goals and fumbled in its own end zone (the fumble was recovered by the Miners).
Thus, having a bye week was probably helpful for SDSU.
'I thought (the bye week) was beneficial,' LB Russell Allen said. 'We obviously had some things we needed to work out after the first game. We had some issues and things that we needed to correct, and we took that week to do so. Because of that, I think we'll be a better team."
Wisconsin leads the all-time series 3-1.
Other Notes
Following the National Anthem, two F/A-18 Hornets from the Naval Air Station in Oceana, Va., will fly over the stadium. The aircraft will be piloted by UW grads Major Gregory Smith (class of '95) from Brookfield, Wis., and Lieutenant Jason Naidyhorski (class of '97) from Hudson, Wis. ' the Badgers have won their last 12 games in the month of September ' Bret Bielema and Chuck Long are two of the eight first-year Division I-A head coaches.
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Game notes can be found through the link on the right side of the page.
