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Wisconsin capitalizes on Herd mistakes for 51-14 win
Marshall defenders Delvin Johnson and Aaron Johnson try to bring down Wisconsin running back John Clay during the second half of the football game on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008, at Camp Randall Stadium.
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MADISON, Wis. -- Marshall University delivered an early haymaker to Big Ten bully Wisconsin, but the Badgers' counter-punch proved more than enough.
Highlighted by an entertaining back-and-forth first half, No. 11 Wisconsin (2-0) surprisingly went airborne to rally for a 51-14 victory before 80,396 at raucous Camp Randall Stadium.
Marshall (1-1) competed throughout, but was undone by mistakes that aided in a run of five straight Badgers scoring possessions.
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All-Big Ten tailback P.J. Hill largely was corralled, gaining just 57 yards on 18 carries, but selling out to stop the run equaled receivers roaming the field all alone. First-year quarterback Allan Evridge took full advantage, throwing for 308 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-26 passing.
Wisconsin twice intercepted redshirt freshman quarterback Mark Cann in the third quarter, converting turnovers to touchdowns and ballooning the lead to 31-14 early in the period. Niles Brinkley's pickoff, followed by a 21-yard Evridge pass to Garrett Graham, led to Hill's 1-yard touchdown run and a 24-14 lead; Shane Carter hauled in a Cann over-throw in stride and returned it 43 yards on the ensuing Herd possession. One play later, Evridge fired a 26-yard TD pass to Graham.
Third-team tailback John Clay, a 6-foot-2, 237-pound freshman, powered in from the 4-yard line, reducing what had been a competitive matchup to a rout at 38-14.
"It was a game of two halves," Marshall coach Mark Snyder said. "I thought we played pretty well the first half. We looked like a pretty good football team.
"And as good as the first half was, the second half was just as bad."
Cann was poised throughout the first half, sparking the Thundering Herd to a stunning 14-0 start. He was replaced by Brian Anderson following the second interception, but returned to start the fourth quarter. Anderson also was picked off, but true freshman Tyson Gale recovered a Hill fumble to return possession to the Herd.
"We came out fast, hit some big plays, quick game and got the ball down the field," said Cann, who completed 20-of-39 attempts for 211 yards. "It worked out for us. We played mistake-free in the first half and that's why we were in the game and made the big plays."
Picking up from last week's second half, Marshall dictated field position early by way of special teams. Emmanuel Spann's 9-yard punt return, amplified by a 15-yard late hit penalty, set Marshall up at its 38-yard line for its initial possession. Cann marched the Thundering Herd into Wisconsin territory, and Kase Whitehead's 44-yard punt angled to the 3.
Wisconsin was forced to punt from the 10, preceding the Herd's initial scoring drive. Cann connected with tight end Lee Smith for 13 yards on third and 7 and two plays later, the redshirt freshman pump-faked freshman cornerback Mario Goins for a 36-yard hookup with Darius Passmore to the 1.
"That's a play we've been running all week," said Passmore, who led Thundering Herd receivers with seven catches for 95 yards. "... The corner bit on the fake and it was just a good ball.
"I adjusted to it and made the catch and got our team going a little bit."
After two failed quarterback sneaks, Chubb Small plunged into the end zone off the right side for a 7-0 lead with 4:08 remaining in the first quarter.
Early Marshall momentum continued. Cann and the offense crossed midfield on each of its first three possessions. A 13-yard completion to Courtney Edmonson on third and 10 extended drive No. 3, highlighted by a nicely executed 26-yard catch-and-run by Smith. Cann rolled left, lofted a pass across the field, and Smith was alone, rumbling to the end zone's doorstep.
Darius Marshall bulled in from the 1, providing a shocking 14-0 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter.
That's when special teams immediately bit the Herd as Craig Ratanamorn's kickoff sailed out of bounds, giving Wisconsin a first down at its 40. The Badgers' first three drives began at their 26-, 3- and 20-yard lines, and finally armed with favorable field position, UW reached the end zone in seven plays, capped by Hill's 2-yard run; Evridge's 36-yard pass to Lance Kendricks keyed the quick-strike drive.
"I think the main thing was to stay calm and stay focused and not to let it get away," Wisconsin defensive lineman Mike Newkirk said. "The offense was struggling there in the beginning, but they were the ones that provided the spark I really believe. "
Marshall again advanced to Badgers' territory, but an illegal block penalty on Spann hamstrung a third-straight scoring opportunity.
After Philip Welch's 45-yard field goal trimmed the deficit to 14-10, Evridge -- not Hill -- again was the catalyst. Consecutive completions of 16, 34 and 22 yards to wide open targets set the stage for Zach Brown's 3-yard touchdown run around left end.
Wisconsin, a 21-point favorite, earned its first lead at 17-14 with 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Cann countered with strikes of 17 yards to Passmore and 25 to Bryant Milligan to advance Marshall to UW's 27 with 1 second remaining, but the clock expired after Cann's spike, foiling an attempt to set up a Ratanamorn field goal.
Opening-half stats pretty much read the direct opposite of what most expected. Hill, an elite Big Ten tailback coming off a 210-yard performance, was contained to 46 yards on 13 handoffs (3.5 yards a carry).
Evridge, who attempted just 10 passes last week and threw for 75 yards, connected on half of his 12 first half throws for 151 yards.
Overall, Wisconsin outgained the Herd 487-314, and committed one turnover to Marshall's three. The Badgers rushed for 158 yards, and five different pass-catchers totaled at least 37 receiving yards.
"(Evridge) threw a couple balls and threw them on time, on rhythm and a couple guys made nice plays," Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said. "Garrett Graham I thought had a couple nice grabs. Kyle Jefferson had some nice individual efforts out there as well."
Capturing a first-ever Conference USA East Division title remains a top priority for this new-look team, a process that begins next Saturday against Memphis. Marshall's C-USA opener kicks off at 7 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
