Indiana 3, Wisconsin 33 - [FINAL]
Not much time before we hit the road. The press conference didn't reveal much. The team is down, but still thinks it can make it to a bowl game.
Bill Lynch wouldn't comment on any of the injuries, leaving a ninth of the team in question for next week.
IU plays Ball State next weekend. It was assumed that would be an easy 'W' before the season, but Ball State stuck with Illinois all day today, eventually losing, 28-17.
Check back UTR for more analysis of today's game. Also, check out Monday's IDS for Lee and Tom's stories and my column. We are hitting the road for Bloomington.
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Indiana 3, Wisconsin 33 - [Fourth quarter - 2:07]
Another Badger touchdown. We are headed to the media room for Bill Lynch's press conference and player interviews. We'll be back later with updates and stories. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 27 - [Fourth quarter - 4:59]
IU turned the ball over on downs, giving Wisconsin the ball back and officially putting an end to anyone's fairytale comeback aspirations.
The Hoosiers will lose their third straight game today. They will continue to stall at five wins. IU is now 0-6 in bowl eligibility clinching games the last two seasons. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 27 - [Fourth quarter - 7:14]
A Wisconsin field goal pushes the lead to 24. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 24 - [Fourth quarter - 8:35]
Here are the plays. I have nothing to add.
- A Marcus Thigpen run up the middle. Thigpen fumbled the ball but recovered himself. Loss of one. - A Kellen Lewis pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage. - On third down, Lewis was sacked. - Fourth down, Michael Hines punts the ball 33 yards with the wind at his back. Wisconsin returns the ball to IU's 24-yard line.
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Indiana 3, Wisconsin 24 - [Fourth quarter - 9:58]
A punt gives the Hoosiers the ball back at their own 30. Anything at this point is most likely "too little, too late" but it'd be nice to see the Hoosiers put together a productive drive. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 24 - [Fourth quarter - 12:43]
The Hoosiers are in progress of putting together their best drive of the day.
With just over 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers moved the ball inside Wisconsin's 30-yard line for the first time all day.
On the next play, Lewis scrambled for another first down, only to cough up the ball (again) at Wisconsin's 10. The Badgers take over. The Hoosiers are done. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 24 - [End of Third quarter]
Wisconsin has driven the length of the field with relative ease, aided by a Nick Polk pass interference call that moved the ball to the nine.
From the six, Lance Smith punched the ball into the Badger end zone for the touchdown.
I predicted Wisconsin would win today, but I didn't envision anything like this. The Hoosiers are just getting mauled. Its hard to describe the carnage, but the 24-3 score doesn't tell the entire story. Wisconsin has dominated every facet of this game.
The stadium is shaking as I type. The Camp Randall student section is jumping up and down to the stadium favorite "Jump Around." There were so many people jumping up and down that the press box physically shakes. Incredible. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 17 - [Third quarter - 3:15]
IU finally broke a play! On third and 13 Thigpen rushed the ball 75 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, Hardy was flagged for holding. On top of that, Bailey and Thigpen were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct celebrating the non-touchdown.
On third and 17, the Hoosiers handed the ball to Sears for three yards. I decided that warranted boldface. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 17 - [Third quarter - 6:35]
Same story, different player. A Hardy fumble gives Wisconsin the ball back around midfield.
Another IU offensive line injury: Pete Saxson is down on the field with what appears to be a shoulder injury, -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 17 - [Third quarter - 8:45]
I'm a columnist so I can say things like this: IU's last play was pitiful.
On second down, attempting to avoid a sack, Lewis scrambled to his left and tried to throw the ball out of bounds. But Lewis threw a lazy pass that didn't make it to the sideline and was intercepted by a Badger defender.
Wisconsin took over on IU's 32-yard line, only to fumble two plays later and give the ball back to the Hoosiers.
IU gets a huge break here and takes over on first-and-10 from the 26. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 17 - [Third quarter - 10:14]
The Hoosiers force Wisconsin to punt again. Could it lead to a score?
Not only has IU not come close to scoring a touchdown this afternoon, but they have yet to get inside Wisconsin's 30-yard line. They are 10 yards away from having a red zone possession.
IU will take over from the 20-yard line following a touchback. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 17 - [Third quarter -- 14:11]
More bad news for the Hoosiers (hey, a theme).
Not only did they go three-and-out on their first possesion of the second half, but second string center Matt Moses is now down on the field. A quick scan of the depth chart leads me to believe Terrance Thomas will play in his place.
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Indiana 3, Wisconsin 17 - [Halftime]
Not a very good half for the Hoosiers. The good news is its over.
IU was manhandled in the first quarter, gaining only one first down, 18 total yards and possessing the ball for only 2:39. The second quarter showed improvement - or maybe it was just P.J. Hill's injury - but the Hoosiers still find themselves two touchdowns down at halftime on the road.
So what can the Hoosiers do differently? Lewis has to find some composure in the pocket. He hasn't been able to hit anyone consistently, and he has panicked three times on third down and tried to force passes to Brandon Walker-Roby of all people. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 3, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 0:51]
An Austin Starr field goal gives the Hoosiers their first points of the afternoon. Starr drilled a 48-yard field goal into a pretty stiff win. No one does their job better on IU than Starr. That's a bad thing, considering he's the kicker. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 1:02]
IU just notched their longest play from scrimmage of the day, a 27-yard pass to Andrew Means over the middle. The ensuing play, Lewis went over the middle again, this time to Hardy for a gain of four.
A sack forces the Hoosiers to call time out. IU is facing third and nine from Wisconsin's 31. They have one timeout remaining. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 2:43 ]
Wisconsin's Lance Smith just ran on back-to-back carries. Smith - who you may or may not know - has been suspended by the university and is only allowed to play home games this season. I wish the Pacers could do this with Jamaal Tinsley.
Interception! Porter just intercepted a third down pass attempt in the end zone and returned it to IU's 36. The Hoosiers will take over and try and put some points on the board before halftime. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 6:09 ]
Bizprof just informed me that IU's radio broadcasters praised IU's decision to punt five minutes ago. Maybe they are sitting in a different portion of the press box, but to me it looks like IU just sacrificed five minutes off the clock and almost 50 yards off field position. Just saying.
A short Andrew Means completion and ANOTHER Thigpen run up the middle put the Hoosiers at third and seven.
On third down, Lewis tried to force ANOTHER pass to Walker-Roby. Once again, the pass was nowhere close. IU punted - Wisconsin takes over on IU's 46. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 7:55]
Bizprof: I don't understand the punt either. You're down significantly against a team you really don't have much of a chance against, how can you not play aggressively? Are the Hoosiers playing to cover the 8.5 point spread in the second half?
On Wisconsin's first play from the four they completed a 22-yard pass, essentially canceling out IU's special teams effort.
The Hoosiers did stop Wisconsin on the next three downs and forced a punt. The punt was fielded by Porter -- Willie Mays over-the-head style -- and returned to the 17. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 9:43]
Facing fourth and four from Wisconsin's 34, IU elected to punt. Apparently, being down 17 points in the second quarter doesn't affect a conservative gameplan.
IU did execute the punt well. Michael Hines punt was caught on the four-yard line by Porter.
Injury Update: P.J. Hill has a lower leg injury and is being evaluated.
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Indiana 0, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 11:30]
After scrambling for a first down, Lewis fumbled and a Wisconsin defender recovered the ball and returned it to IU's 12. The play is being reviewed and it does appear Lewis's knee was down.
UPDATE: The play was in fact reversed. IU will resume from Wisconsin's 44-yard line on first down. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 17 - [Second quarter - 14:09]
A six-yard run by Zach Brown puts the Badgers up even more. I would say things are getting ugly, but that comment would be about twenty minutes late.
IU's offense could really use a boost. Matt Moses is on the sideline taking practicing snaps, so I'm assuming he will be coming in for Ben Wyss. No offense to Perry, but Wyss is IU's best lineman, which means the Hoosiers will be at even more of a disadvantage.
I feel like I'm being really negative right now, so I'm going to throw out a couple of positives:
- State Street is very nice. We went there last night and all of the Wisconsin students were decked out in Halloween costumes celebrating. Imagine Kirkwood but 15x larger. - Camp Randall is a great stadium. - The Hoosiers play Ball State next weekend. That's all I got. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 10 - [Second quarter - 14:41]
Buried deep in their own territory, on third down, Lewis looked again to Walker-Roby (his new favorite target), but once again the pass was high and wide. Oh my god, I just had a flashback to Vanderjagt against the Steelers. I feel sick.
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Indiana 0, Wisconsin 10 - [End of First]
Another injury for the Hoosiers: starting center Ben Wyss just limped off the field.
Time of possession tells the entire story from the first quarter. Wisconsin: 12:21, Indiana 2:39. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 10 - [First quarter - :27]
IU nearly intercepted a Donovan pass attempt on second down. On third and nine, Donovan dropped back again, only to be sacked by Greg Middleton.
Before the punt, IU was issued a sideline warning. No word on whether it was for being too quiet or not.
Tracy Porter fair-catched Wisconsin's punt and IU will start their third drive of the day from their own eight. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 10 - [First quarter - 2:36]
An incomplete pass and a seven-yard run by Josiah Sears put the Hoosiers at third-and-three. A button-hook route to James Bailey resulted in an IU first down.
But the Hoosiers wouldn't celebrate for long. On the next play Sears coughed up the ball at midfield, giving the ball back to Wisconsin. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 10 - [First quarter - 3:42]
Wisconsin drove the ball to IU's one-yard-line but came up short on third down. On fourth-and-one the Badgers gave it to P.J. Hill again (surprise) and scored.
Wisconsin's drive was slow, methodical and successful. They ate up six minutes and 12 seconds of clock and pushed their lead to two possessions.
P.J. Hill is in the exact mold of Ron Dayne or New York Giants tailback Brandon Jacobs. He doesn't get hit, he hits people. Every time he is tackled he falls forward for at least an extra yard, if not three or four. He is the epitome of a great bruising back - the exact thing the Hoosiers struggle the most to defend against.
Even with IU puts eight guys in the box Hill has been able to get respectable gains.
Note: Defensive tackle Joe Kremer had to be helped to the sideline this series. It didn't appear to be anything serious, most likely he just had the wind knocked out of him. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 3 - [First quarter - 10:04]
I've come to the conclusion that Marcus Thigpen wears the No. 2 because he always runs on second down. Even if its second and long - Thigpen is running it up the middle guaranteed for a loss of one.
On third down, Lewis sailed a pass five yards over Brandon Walker-Roby's head. A quick three-and-out for IU.
A 51-second possession for the Hoosiers. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 3 - [First quarter - 10:55]
Bad sign: the Hoosiers couldn't get their first offensive play off without having to call a time out. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 3 - [First quarter -- 11:00]
A Wisconsin field goal puts the Badgers ahead first.
The Badgers ran the ball on their first seven plays from scrimmage. After a shovel pass - also known as a glorified hand-off - Wisconsin attempted their first pass attempt of the day, only to fall incomplete. Greg Middleton got past Wisconsin's offensive line and laid a good hit on Badger quarterback Tyler Donovan.
The Hoosiers will now receive Wisconsin's kick. It looks like Marcus Thigpen is back to take the kick. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana 0, Wisconsin 0 - [First quarter 15:00]
Three quick injuries worth noting:
- Wide receiver Ray Fisher (foot) did not make the trip to Madison. - Tight end Nick Sexton will miss his second straight game with a head injury. - And Mike Stark will be starting at right tackle again in place of Charlie Emerson.
Also: I'm sick of the scoreboard. I liked the idea at first, but I've temporarily labeled it hideous. Will anyone miss the UTR scoreboard? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are here in Madison for this morning's (11 AM!) game between IU and Wisconsin. Camp Randall is a great place to be for Badger fans today -- over 80,000+ and celebrating their 100th homecoming game in school history.
The Hoosiers face their most complete opponent of the season. A strong rushing attack led by P.J. Hill and a stingy Badger defense presents IU's two largest obstacles. But Wisconsin will have their hands full facing IU's spread offense -- a type of offensive scheme the Badgers have struggled with in recent history.
We'll have game updates, analysis and commentary. Feel free to post comments/questions and I'll get to them as soon as I can.
My Prediction: Wisconsin 31, Indiana 17
