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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Wisconsin Badgers ended a long, hot day
with an uncomfortable victory.
|  | | Josh Hunt, a junior playing in his first game, scored on an 89-yard punt return for Wisconsin's first touchdown. |
Michael Bennett rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown as No. 4
Wisconsin (ranked No. 5 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll) survived the suspension of five starters in a 19-7 victory over Western Michigan on Thursday night.
Three hours before kickoff, Wisconsin said 26 players had been suspended from one to three games for receiving unadvertised discounts at a shoe store. Eleven players served all or part of their suspensions against Western Michigan.
Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez found out about the NCAA's verdict
seven hours before the game, and he and his assistants frantically
devised a game plan for both the order in which the suspensions
were served and a team that was missing several important parts.
"This may be the longest day I've ever had to go through in
coaching," said Alvarez, mopping his brow on one of the hottest,
most humid days of the summer.
"I stand by my kids. People need to understand that there was no intent to do any wrong. ... I really didn't think our guys did anything wrong."
In the Badgers' first game since the graduation of NCAA career
rushing leader Ron Dayne, Wisconsin's offense struggled to produce
the methodical drives once led by the Heisman Trophy winner.
Bennett got 30 carries but rarely broke into the Broncos' defensive
backfield, and Wisconsin's passing game was erratic.
But Wisconsin's underwhelming performance can't be attributed entirely to the suspensions. Only four Badgers expected to play a
significant amount were suspended.
Receiver Chris Chambers -- who's injured anyway -- receiver/kick
returner Nick Davis and offensive tackle Ben Johnson were the only
offensive starters out. All-American cornerback Jamar Fletcher and
linebacker Bryson Thompson were the missing defensive starters.
The Badgers' defensive line, led by junior Wendell Bryant, had
an outstanding game. The defense limited the Broncos to minus-1
yards rushing and less than 24 minutes of possession.
"Those guys we lost, we love them to death, but they're got to
do their time, and we've got to move on and play," Bryant said.
"We take pride when we play in Camp Randall. That's something we hold sacred."
Wisconsin didn't get an offensive touchdown until a 68-yard
drive capped by Bennett's 8-yard run around the left end with 9:31
to play. Thirteen seconds later, defensive end Ross Kolodziej
sacked Broncos quarterback Jeff Welsh in the end zone for a safety.
"It was a rough first night," Bennett said. "Now I know what Ron was going through with 30 or 40 carries a game. I'm beat up."
Josh Hunt scored on an 89-yard punt return in the second quarter
for the Badgers, who entered the season with the highest preseason
ranking in school history. Hunt, a junior playing in his first
game, made the second-longest punt return in school history.
Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger frequently scrambled but
found no one open. Bollinger, the Big Ten freshman of the year last
season, was 6-for-11 for 96 yards while improving to 9-0 as a
starter.
Western Michigan's wide-open passing offense capitalized on Fletcher's absence. Welsh, in his first start since replacing Tim Lester, was 20-for-39 for 243 yards and was intercepted once.
"Welsh was outstanding," Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell
said. "He took his hits, but to play against the No. 4 team in the
nation and to run his offense, I give him an 'A'."
Wisconsin's first drive in the post-Dayne era ended on downs
when Bennett was hit for a 3-yard loss by Jared Pike at Western
Michigan's 29. But linebacker Ben Herbert recovered a fumble
moments later, and the Badgers scored on a 21-yard field goal by
Vitaly Pisetsky.
The game then descended into a turf war, with neither team able
to gain significant yardage. Wisconsin's offense even heard a
smattering of boos when it failed to move the ball midway through
the second quarter.
The Broncos trailed 10-7 at halftime after Welsh capped an
80-yard drive with a 2-yard TD pass to Mobolaji Afariogun with 1:54
left in the second quarter.
The Badgers' opener was played on one of the hottest days of the
year in Wisconsin, with the school flashing messages on the
scoreboard urging fans to drink plenty of water.
"I'm a shell of my former self," Bryant lamented. "It was soooooo hot. It's never been this hot in Wisconsin before."
Wisconsin extended its winning streak to nine games,
third-longest in the country.
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ALSO SEE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Scoreboard
Western Michigan Clubhouse
Wisconsin Clubhouse
Shoe scandal: Badgers announce mass suspensions
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