5th straight win for Badgers football, record day for Stave

Without Clement for the better part of the season, the stereotypical Wisconsin offense has had to rely on Stave and the passing game – which outside of the Iowa game – has actually carried the team. Wisconsin Badgers rank at 27 for 277.0 road passing yards where as Maryland Terrapins rank at 98 for allowing 253.2 passing yards at home.

Starting with the second drive of the third quarter, the signal caller and his offense gained traction and started to click. Sam Thompson #12 of the Ohio State Buckeyes guarding Jake Layman #10 of the Maryland Terrapins during the second half in the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Maryland Terrapins at the Value City Arena in The Jerome Schottenstein Center.

“I think we have respect for their throw game, and what their quarterback can do, especially out of the pocket”, Aranda said. “I think everyone kind of took their turn”. He cares a ton about this team. “You really don’t know what you’re going to get”.

The Wisconsin Badgers (8-2, 5-1), since the start of the Barry Alvarez era in 1990, has utilized those who, as former head coach Bret Bielema once told me, were “undersized, under-developed, and under-recruited”.

Backup Caleb Rowe led a 76-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 27-yard pass, to help the Terrapins pull within 31-24 with 2:39 left. Trailing 17-10, Hills found freshman wide receiver D.J. Note: William Likely was recently named the B1G Special Teams Player of the Week after he racked up 220 return yards which included an outstanding 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Iowa in the fourth quarter. He added another achievement to his resume, leading the team in rushing after the former prep running back took a direct snap on a fake punt and scampered 57 yards to set up Ogunbowale’s touchdown run early in the game.

Each of the last two seasons, the Badgers have had two bye’s.

“We knew we’d get that one yard”, Schobert said.

“The physical grind, the mental grind is a lot on guys”, Stave told reporters. “I wasn’t touched until I got to the returner”.

His best performance came two weeks ago against Penn State, when he drilled three of four field goals in a 31-30 loss.

UW coach Paul Chryst said he expects running back Taiwan Deal (ankle) to play Saturday.

“It is disappointing for him”, Stave said, “because he wants to play”. “I thought we did a great job of being able to stretch the field in the second half and being able to hit a couple of those deep crossers to Alex and that dig to Jazz on third-and-(8). Turgeon gave the 6′ 11” big man a compliment by saying he has the chops to be the national defensive player of the year.

Maryland did have an opportunity for a comeback. The game kicks off at 2:30 Central. Maryland was ruled offside on the kickoff, though, and failed to recover a second onsides attempt.

Back in 2013, the Badgers played nine games before getting a week off. Saturday will be 10 straight before they get a breather.

The Hawkeyes will need to lose two of their remaining three games – against Minnesota, Purdue and Nebraska – for UW to have a chance to repeat as West Division champions.

The Cowboys used the first Saturday to make a major statement, including one to the College Football Playoff committee, by rolling over their fellow unbeaten Big 12 rivals at Stillwater, Okla.