The Best Wisconsin Football Games by Week: Week Five

MADISON, Wis. – The Big Ten will be back in late October, but that still leaves a lot of fall Saturdays without college football in the Midwest. To fill that void, BadgerBlitz.com is turning back the clock to pick the best/most meaningful Wisconsin regular-season games each Saturday.

To make it more interesting, we’re picking the best games of a specific week: the best season openers, the best week two games, week three, etc, of the modern era (since 1947). Some weeks won’t be a fair fight, as the number of games has increased over that time (nine games until 1965, 10 games until 1971, 11 games in 1997 and mostly 12 since) with the addition of more nonconference games, but the impact these games had for Wisconsin can’t be disputed.

Our pick for Wisconsin’s best week five game of the modern era: October 1, 2011, vs No.8 Nebraska.

RELATED: WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 |

Outscoring its four non-conference opponents by a combined total of 194-34 to open the season, not to mention averaging 245.4 yards rushing, 286.8 yards passing and 48.6 points per game, Wisconsin and graduate transfer quarterback Russell Wilson had vaulted to No.7 in the polls. The one knock on the cardinal and white wasn’t they hadn’t played anybody yet. That wasn’t going to be the case with the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska entered averaging 42.8 points per game (second behind Wisconsin in the conference) and 439 yards of total offense (fourth in the conference) behind sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez, who was fourth in the Big Ten in total offense at 267 yards per game. The Huskers were winning by an average of three touchdowns but had a defense that was ranked 46th nationally in scoring (22.0 ppg), 56th against the rush (133.3 ypg) and 63rd against the pass (216.5 ypg).

The game marked the first Big Ten game for Nebraska and fans were coming to Madison in droves. Hotels in the city’s vicinity were sold out for months, tickets were being sold for over $200 each and UW athletic department officials estimated upwards of 20,000 Nebraska fans came to the city just to be a part of the atmosphere surrounding the first meeting between top 10 opponents at Camp Randall since Nov. 24, 1962.

“I think we're an aggressive bunch,” Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland said. “We're talented, and we harp getting after it. We like to play fast and aggressive. We have good chemistry, and we like to try to rattle the opposing offense, so an aggressive bunch, talented, and we're excited to get after it.”

The plan for Wisconsin all week was to embrace the opportunity of playing in primetime, of playing Nebraska and of being the Cornhuskers first Big Ten conference opponent

“This week I’ve heard about big game, big stage, all these big things,” Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. “What we have is a big opportunity. What are we going to do with it?”

In a word: dominate. After being criticized for playing weak non-conference competition, No. 7 Wisconsin answered the bell in so many ways. The Badgers were efficient on offense by totaling 486 yards and 6.9 yards per play against the vaunted Cornhuskers defense, and fluid on defense in pressuring Nebraska constantly that help led the Badgers to a 48-17 victory.

Of their total yards (which was a season high allowed by Nebraska), the Badgers registered 255 yards and two scores through the air and 231 yards and four scores on the ground. Junior tailback Montee Ball ran for four of those scores and 151 yards among his career-high 30 carries, extending his scoring streak to 11 consecutive games and punishing Nebraska’s front four by lowering his shoulder and averaging 5.0 yards per carry.

“We really embraced (the opportunity) because these past games, it was hard not to focus on this team and now, this week, we were able to focus on (Nebraska),” Ball said. “Just to get out there and really show the world what we are capable of doing, the sky is the limit.”

After putting themselves in a 14-7 hole, Wisconsin scored 34 straight points, controlled the ball 10 more minutes than the Huskers and turned three Martinez’s interceptions into 21 Wisconsin points. Just as important, the Badgers are making the most of third downs.

On Wisconsin’s 14-play, 81-yard drive that made the score 41-14 late in the third quarter, Wisconsin converted all four of its third downs, converting distances of 8, 1, 6 and 5 yards. For the game, the Badgers went 8 for 12 and converting 62 percent of its third-down tries.

“When we have an offense that can do that, keep them on the field, it’s kind of like a second defense almost,” said linebacker Mike Taylor, who registered one of the three interceptions and led the team with 14 tackles. “If we don’t let their offense on the field, they can’t score.”

Even when the offense wasn’t on the field, Wisconsin’s defense didn’t give Martinez much to work with. After a rocky first quarter, where the Badgers allowed 94 yards while adjusting to the speed, Wisconsin’s defense allowed just 241 yards the final three quarters. Throw in the fact that the Badgers held the conference’s top rushing attack, averaging 272.5 yards per game, to just 159 yards, Wisconsin is more than just an offensive juggernaut, but Wilson makes it hard to look at the Badgers any other way.

In front of a national audience, Wilson passed for 244 yards, rushed for another 32, was responsible for three touchdowns and multiple broken ankles and bruised egos of Cornhuskers defenders that simply didn’t know what hit them.

“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m just blessed to have this opportunity and try to stay relaxed as I can,” Wilson said.

Added Bielema: ‘If there is a better player in college football right now, I would like to see it. The big stage, he thrives on it.’

“It’s huge for our football team, huge for our football program. The fact that we came out with a win, the fact that we played a great game and defense stepped up and made some great plays for us and got the offense the ball back … against a great team in Nebraska, is pretty awesome.”

- Quarterback Russell Wilson

There were many good games to choose from in Wisconsin's week five history, including a couple big results against Ohio State (tied the second-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus in 1958 and the 42-17 beatdown in 1999 that sparked a third run to the roses), but there was something special about the magical October night. Wisconsin rose to as high as fourth in the AP poll that season (succumbing to Hail Marys in consecutive weeks), but the Badgers won their final four games and knocked off Michigan State in the inaugural Big Ten title game. Beginning with that triumph in Indianapolis, Wisconsin has been one of the conference’s representatives in that game six times.

As for the supposed rivalry between Wisconsin and Nebraska, it hasn’t materialized. UW is 8-1 against the Huskers with an average margin of victory of 16.2 points over the last six games. Ball – the conference’s player of the year - led the nation in rushing and ties Barry Sanders for the most single-season touchdowns (34), while Wilson was the Big Ten quarterback of the year and set an NCAA record for single-season pass efficiency (191.8).

After years of Wisconsin being knocked for the inability to recruit a dynamic quarterback, Wilson elevated the Badgers’ recruiting presence and made the Badgers one of the top programs in the conference, a title that have sustained for the last decade.