BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — At first, D'Cota Dixon scoffed at the notion that the Wisconsin defense turned in its best performance of the season Saturday night.
The junior free safety rattled off a few items of personal distress that cropped up during a landmark 23-17 Big Ten Conference overtime triumph over Nebraska at Camp Randall Stadium.
Too many mistakes made. Too many momentum swings endured. Too many opportunities squandered.
But the more Dixon spoke, the more he seemed to warm to the notion that there was indeed something special about the way the UW defense performed against the seventh-ranked and previously unbeaten Cornhuskers.
"I think it's the best we we've responded thus far to adversity," he said.
In their fifth encounter with a top-10 opponent this season, the Badgers needed a late fourth-quarter defensive stop to preserve a tie and then a series of clutch plays to prevail in overtime to maintain custody of the Freedom Trophy.
Eleventh-ranked UW (6-2 overall, 3-2 in the Big Ten) needed its defense to bail out senior kicker Andrew Endicott, who missed a go-ahead field goal late in regulation and then an extra point in OT, and an offense that never really found a rhythm.
"I don't think they should have been in it from the get-go," Dixon said of the Cornhuskers, "but I think we did a good job responding and I'm very proud of our team for responding the way we did."
The Badgers beat a top-10 team in the Associated Press poll for the third time this season – LSU and Michigan State were the others – which represents a first for the program.
The last Big Ten program to record three top-10 wins during the regular season was Michigan in 2003.
The UW defense intercepted two passes – by Dixon and senior cornerback Sojourn Shelton – and broke up a season-high 10 passes. Shelton had two breakups, as did junior cornerback Derrick Tindal. Dixon had one, which might have been the biggest of the night.
On fourth-and goal from the 23 in overtime, Dixon knocked down a throw from Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong intended for Stanley Morgan Jr. in the right corner of the end zone.
UW sophomore inside linebacker Ryan Connelly also had two pass breakups, which is significant given his profile this night.
When standout junior linebacker and leading tackler Jack Cichy was ruled out for the season due to a torn pectoral muscle earlier this week, it meant more work for Connelly and junior Leon Jacobs.
Look who led the Badgers in tackles: Connelly and Jacobs had 11 apiece. Connelly also had two tackles for loss, including a massive one in OT. UW players speak casually about their next-man-in mantra, but there's a lot that goes into it.
"That's just preparation and hard work that we all put in," Shelton said. "It's a crazy thing to see, though. Somebody like Cichy going out for the season and guys like Leon and Connelly both being able to step in.
"There was no drop-off. It's always exciting to see guys like that step in and make plays."
Dixon said it's one of the traits that defines the Badgers.
"It's easier said than done and that's what makes our team so special," he said. "It's a lot easier said than done and I don't think most team have that. I don't think they have that type of chemistry, that type of trust."
Connelly was steady throughout, his signature moment coming in overtime when he shot through a gap and crushed tailback Terrell Newby for a 1-yard loss on second-and-goal from the 22.
"They had run that play probably three or four times throughout the course of the game and I had been getting in trouble for not running through my gap and filling my gap," Connelly said. "I was able to recognize it on the overtime play, shoot in and it worked out."
In terms of clutch, the moment had the same feel as the season opener vs. LSU when, while replacing injured sophomore starter Chris Orr, Connelly sniffed out a screen play and caught high-profile tailback Leonard Fournette just as he was shifting gears. The fourth-quarter sequence was huge for the Badgers in their 16-14 victory.
"To an extent it's easier said than done," Connelly said of the next-man-in model, "but at the same time (linebackers) Coach (Justin) Wilcox does a great job of just simplifying it to like, 'If you do your job you don't have to worry about anything else.'"
Jacobs is another good story, having switched from defense to fullback and the back to defense this season. His approach to the added workload was simple.
"Just do your job," he said.
UW led the Cornhuskers (7-1, 4-1) until kicker Drew Brown converted a 35-yard field goal, tying the game at 17-all with 5 minutes, 53 seconds left in regulation.
The Badgers answered with a drive that stalled at the Nebraska 26 and ended with an Endicott miss from 45 yards with 1:43 left.
The Cornhuskers subsequently drove from their 27 to the 49, but the UW defense allowed them to go no further.
In OT, the Badgers scored on their initial possession when senior tailback Dare Ogunbowale scored from 11 yards out, but Endicott pushed his PAT wide.
Everything was left to the Wisconsin defense, a position its members relish.
"We live for big-time situations like that," Tindal said of overtime. "We were looking forward to it.
"That's what our defense is built around – players making plays."
Nebraska was 9-for-18 converting third downs on the night, but it wouldn't get one in OT.
"Just another opportunity for our defense to show what we're made of," Connelly said.
The last four meetings in this series have been doozies, especially for Badgers fans.
UW had two 200-yard rushers – tailbacks Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon – during a 70-31 victory in the Big Ten title in 2012.
That gave way to a 2014 meeting in which Gordon set a then-FBS record with 408 rushing yards.
That gave way to last season when Wisconsin got a last-second field goal from kicker Rafael Gaglianone to prevail 23-21.
Now this.
Jacobs said the overtime victory was "the most resilient" of the season.
Shelton was in agreement.
"We showed tonight that whatever position we're put in, no matter what, we're going to keep fighting," he said.
