Mmmmm, yummy. Like a fine wine, I give you Madison.com's take on the Buckeye defense. Enjoy:
Saturday, October 10, 2009 9:05 pm | No Comments Posted
Wisconsin running backs Zach Brown (30) and John Clay reflect from the bench in the closing moments of the Badgers' 31-13 loss to Ohio State on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Photo by: Craig Schreiner/Wisconsin State Journal
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Chalk one up to the immovable object.
The football game on Saturday at Ohio Stadium was supposed to be a throwback Big Ten Conference-style showdown between the University of Wisconsin rushing offense and the Ohio State rushing defense.
Both were ranked No. 1 in the conference. The Badgers came in averaging 217.2 rushing yards per game and had the conference's leading rusher in John Clay, averaging 116.4 yards per game.
The Buckeyes came in surrendering 83.4 rushing yards per game and were especially stingy in the previous three games, allowing a total of 113 yards.
It was supposed to be the classic irresistible force, meeting the immovable object.
Not only did the Buckeyes stop the UW running game in its tracks, they also trampled quarterback Scott Tolzien for good measure. The Badgers rushed for a season-low 118 yards and Tolzien was sacked six times in Ohio State's 31-13 victory.
"We're just disappointed," left guard John Moffitt said. "That was the tough aspect from today -- we just didn't give Scott the chance we needed to get into the groove and really do what he needs to do."
After getting sacked twice in the first game, Tolzien had gone four games without going down. That ended on UW's first offensive play, when defensive end Cameron Heyward beat Moffitt.
It was the start of a long day for Tolzien, who threw two interceptions returned for touchdowns and was under siege all game.
"You could see him elude a couple times, but bottom line, there were some straight-out guys right in his face that really threw his confidence off and made it difficult for him to read his (progressions)," UW coach Bret Bielema said.
Some of that was due to the Badgers' inability to run the ball. Clay had to fight to finish with 20 carries for 59 yards.
"They've got an excellent front four," Clay said. "They were reading our keys and looking at what we were doing. They made shifts and motions when they saw our guys motioning. They were reading us good."
The Badgers tried to soften the middle by running receiver David Gilreath on "speed sweeps." He had three carries for 37 yards in the first half.
But there's a reason the Buckeyes came in allowing 252.6 overall yards per game, the lowest in the conference.
"I don't know, since I've been in the league, if I've ever seen the defensive lineman rotation, the depth they've got," Bielema said. "To be able to keep coming with new guys."
The Badgers moved the ball at times, but kept hurting themselves with penalties, including two holds and a false start by senior tight end Garrett Graham.
"We were getting it going, then we shot ourselves in the foot almost every drive," left tackle Gabe Carimi said.
When the Badgers got behind and had to throw, it got ugly, with three sacks in the fourth quarter.
As strong as the Buckeyes are up front, Carimi believed the Badgers should have handled them better.
"They always recruit really athletic guys, but they're nothing we can't handle," Carimi said. "For some reason, we weren't getting on those fits. We were putting ourselves out of position more than anything.
"We've got the skill to stop them. I just don't know if our heads were right."
Whatever the issue, it needs to get fixed in a hurry.
"We better bounce back," Moffitt said. "We don't have a choice. That just comes to working hard in practice and doing the right things there."
Yeah there's always next year Bret. Remember that play against Ohio State, again...
