Box Score Wisconsin scored 21 points off four Michigan State turnovers Saturday afternoon, as the Badgers knocked off the Spartans, 38-30, in the Big Ten opener for both teams. With the win, UW improves to 4-0 overall, while the Spartans drop to 1-3.
Junior quarterback Scott Tolzien had four touchdown passes on the day, including three to senior tight end Garrett Graham. Tolzien went 19-of-31 for 242 yards and no interceptions.
Sophomore running back John Clay paced the Badgers' running game by finishing with 32 carries for 142 yards and a touchdown.
MSU.............0 - 7 - 10 - 13 - 30
Wisconsin....7 - 14 - 3 - 14 - 38
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Read Betsy Golomski''s live in-game blog from the press box in Camp Randall Stadium.
UWBadgers.com covers all the angles of Wisconsin''s victory over Michigan State.
Brian Mason looks at the play of the Badgers' defense, as well as the impact of the new-look offensive line in his Badger Bits column , Patrick Herb gives his View from the Sidelines' and Allison Metcalf chatted with Tolzien and Graham about their big day against the Spartans .
Scroll down to see a number of other links from today's game.
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It was a defensive struggle in the first quarter as both teams came up empty on their opening drives. Michigan State failed to score on its first two possessions, and QB Kirk Cousins was picked off by Mike Taylor at the MSU 42 on the Spartans' third drive of the game. Wisconsin took advantage with a six-play, 50-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Tolzien to Graham.
MSU then evened the score early in the second quarter, as Cousins found Mark Dell for a 14-yard touchdown pass. The Badgers responded, though, as Tolzien and Graham connected again for a 6-yard TD pass that put the Badgers up 14-7.
Michigan State had a chance to respond, but on the third play of the next drive, Chris Maragos picked off QB Keith Nichol at the MSU 35. That turnover then led to another touchdown, and this time Clay scampered into the end zone on a 1-yard TD run. The touchdown capped off a 12-play, 69-yard drive that ate up 4:40 of the clock and gave Wisconsin the 21-7 lead heading into halftime.
Wisconsin had the ball to start the first half but surrendered its only turnover of the game on a fumble by Zach Brown. Michigan State scored three points off the turnover, as Brett Swenson kicked a 28-yard field goal to put the score at 21-10.
On the next drive, Wisconsin controlled the ball for 17 plays and chewed 7:33 of clock. The drive resulted in a 41-yard field goal by Philip Welch.
Michigan State kept it close before the third quarter expired, as the Spartans used just five plays and 2:02 of clock to go 70 yards for a TD.
Just one touchdown ahead (24-17), the Badgers put themselves in prime field position to start the fourth. Wisconsin began the final quarter at the MSU 19. Faced with third-and-6, Tolzien threw his third touchdown pass of the day, this time to Nick Toon, on the first play of the quarter.
Michigan State then turned the ball over again on its next possession as running back Glenn Winston fumbled. J.J. Watt recovered for the Badgers on the MSU 32, and the ensuing three-play, 32-yard drive resulted in Graham 's third TD catch of the day.
With 12:14 remaining, Wisconsin had a comfortable 38-17 lead. Michigan State scored two more touchdowns to end the game, including a 91-yard TD pass from Nichol to Keshawn Martin, but it wasn't enough as the Badgers hung on for the 38-30 win.
The Badgers hit the road for the first time of the 2009 season as they meet Minnesota for the annual Border Battle next Saturday. This will be the first Big Ten game inside Minnesota's new TCF Bank Stadium. Game time is set for 11 a.m.
COMPLETE POST-GAME COVERAGE:
