Post Sports Blog

UW stakes their claim for Outback Bowl, Pack off to best start in 45 years

By Ken Ryan

Staff Writer

Green Bay, WI – Green Bay 31, Carolina 17

Green Bay showed its precise focus by jumping all over the Panthers in the first half. In the first quarter, Carolina lined up for a 52-yard field goal but instead of kicking it, the ball was directly snapped to kicker John Kasay, whose pooch punt bounced inside the ten yard line. Unfortunately for Carolina (4-6), Green Bay was prepared for it all week in practice. Tramon Williams scooped up the rock and outraced Carolina’s slow-footed coverage personnel for a 94-yard touchdown that gave the Packers an early 7-0 lead they would not relinquish. After the Panthers hit a field goal, Brett Favre and Donald Driver hooked up for a 46-yard completion that set up a Favre to Greg Jennings four-yard scoring catch to put the Packers up 14-3. Two touchdown catches then by Packers tight end Donald Lee, one on each side of halftime, put Green Bay comfortably ahead 28-3. Carolina 44-year old quarterback Vinny Testaverde did a solid job of making the score respectable. His five-yard pass to Drew Carter pulled the Panthers within 28-17 with 4:22 remaining. But when Driver recovered the onside kick and Mason Crosby hit on a 47 yard field goal, the Packers sealed the deal up 31-17.

Review of the Key Match-up: Green Bay cornerback Al Harris vs. Carolina receiver Steve Smith

Smith was a late-scratch with a shin injury. His absence undoubtedly affected the Panthers passing game, but Carter had success against Harris, catching five passes for 132 yards and one touchdown.

Key Statistics/Factoids

Favre’s passer rating eclipsed 100 for the seventh time on the year, posting a dazzling 126.8…Green Bay won the turnover battle 3-0…Ryan Grant had 20 carries for 88 yards, helping the Packers climb over 100 yards for the third time in four games…Crosby missed his first two field goals, the first one being blocked…Green Bay’s 9-1 start is their best since 1962’s 10-0 run. That year, the Packers won their second of five NFL championships under coach Vince Lombardi…Green Bay has now won five straight and 13 of 14 dating back to last season

Up Next

The Packers travel to Detroit for the classic Thanksgiving Day battle on Thursday. If the Packers can beat the Lions, who lost on Sunday to fall to 6-4, they will essentially clinch the NFC North, having a four-game lead with just five games remaining. The Lions have historically fared well against Green Bay on Thanksgiving, including handing Green Bay their only loss in 1962 and the Lions upsetting the Packers in 2003, Green Bay’s last appearance on Thanksgiving. If the Packers and the Dallas Cowboys both win (Dallas hosts the lowly 2-8 New York Jets on Thanksgiving), it will set up only the second-ever match-up of 10-1 teams in NFL history.

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Minneapolis, MN – No. 24 Wisconsin 41, Minnesota 34

In what was the final appearance UW will ever make at the Metrodome (Minnesota moves into their new stadium in 2009), the Golden Gophers and Badgers battled in another Twin Cities nail biter that has become the norm in this series. Minnesota came in winless in the Big Ten and just 1-10 overall, but did everything they could to steal back the Paul Bunyan Axe, which UW has now held four straight years. The Gophers jumped out to a 13-3 lead. However, the Badgers closed the lead to 13-10 at halftime. When UW freshman running back Zach Brown, filling in for the injured PJ Hill, scored from 16 yards out early in the third quarter the Badgers surged ahead 17-13. After UW tacked on a field goal, the Gophers put together a ten play, 79-yard scoring drive to equalize the score at 20-20 heading into the fourth quarter. A wild fourth quarter saw UW put together two consecutive scoring drives to begin the stanza. Bill Rentmeister’s one-yard run put UW in the lead and Travis Beckum’s ten-yard scoring catch seemingly put UW in control, up 34-20 with 12:28 left. However, Minnesota went on another ten-play march to cut the lead back to 34-27. Minnesota then forced a Badger punt. Poised to go down and tie the ballgame, the Gophers committed a fatal mistake when Harold Howell muffed the punt. When UW long-snapper Steve Johnson recovered, the Badgers were set up at the Minnesota 15. Two plays later, Brown capped off his phenomenal day by scoring his second touchdown to put UW up 41-27 with 5:51 remaining. From there, the resilient Gophers used a little lady luck to get back into it, scoring on a pass that was deflected straight up into the air and plucked out of the air by UM receiver Ralph Spry, who then raced for a 71-yard touchdown to pull Minnesota within 41-34. However, UW did a decent job running down the clock. Minnesota did have a chance to pull off a miracle drive to tie the game. However, deep in his own territory, Gopher quarterback Adam Weber was intercepted by Ben Strickland to wrap it up with under 50 seconds remaining.

Review of the Key Match-up: UW cornerback Aaron Henry vs. Minnesota receiver Eric Decker

Decker’s monster day, six catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns, was one of the main reasons the Gophers nearly pulled the upset. Henry is a freshman, so he should learn from this and apply it to the rest of his career at UW.

Telling Statistics/Factoids

Brown was fabulous in filling in for Hill, carrying 29 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns…UW’s wide receivers did not catch a single pass…UW twice in the fourth quarter had drives begin in Gophers territory. Besides the muffed punt, UW stopped a Gopher fake punt attempt at the Minnesota 47, leading to a UW touchdown drive…UW won the turnover battle, 3-1.

What’s Next

UW, now ranked 21^st in the Coaches’ Poll and 22^nd in the AP poll, wrapped up the regular season at 9-3 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten play. The Badgers now await their bowl game invitation. With Ohio State likely heading to Rose Bowl and Illinois the Capital One bowl, the final Big Ten New Year’s Day bowl invite, the Outback bowl in Tampa will go to either UW or Michigan. Outback Bowl officials are leaning towards the Badgers, who defeated Michigan on Nov. 10 and notoriously travel as well as any fan base in the nation.  On the other hand, Michigan’s status among the greatest programs in the history of college football might make them a tastier choice for the Outback Bowl.