Greetings, devoted readers, and welcome to the final home game of the Wisconsin Badgers 2011 season.  As before, I’ll be posting new comments throughout the game, so keep refreshing your browser–the newest comments will be at the top.  Enjoy!

WILL THAT DO IT?
This one was over long ago, but I’m going to beat the rush to the exits by heading down to field level now.  Check out my postgame report tonight on our late newscast.

PULL STARTERS…WHEN?
Wisconsin’s made its point.  The game is well in hand.  Russell Wilson and Montee Ball have put up big-time numbers. When will Bret Bielema put his 2nd-string in?  Early 4th quarter?  That would be my recommendation…let them have their respective ovations, and save them for the Big Ten Championship Game.

START THE BUS
Remember what I just wrote about PSU not giving up?  It sure looked like they did on that 18-yard TD run by Montee Ball, who now has 4 TD’s in the game, and a remarkable 34 for the season.

NOTHING IS OVER UNTIL THE BADGERS SAY IT IS
Penn State looks like it’ll compete until the final whistle, but with the Nittany Lions ranked 89th in total offense, Wisconsin has things well in hand, up 35-7. PSU could have made things respectable with a scoring drive to start the 2nd half, but a Silas Redd fumble put an end to any hopes of a comeback.

SEND THEM BOTH OR CUT THE TROPHY IN HALF
Granted, I’m biased, but Russell Wilson and Montee Ball should both get an invite to the Downtown Athletic Club in NYC.  Wilson’s elusiveness was on display on the three biggest plays of Wisconsin’s most recent scoring drive:  eluding a blitzing Gerald Hodges to deliver a pass to Bradie Ewing for an 11-yard gain, and then leaving defenders in his wake on scrambles of 20 & 19 yards.   Ball capped things off with his 32nd TD–a stat alone that should put him in the Heisman conversation.

INJURY UPDATE
Ethan Armstrong has a hip injury, and to no one’s surprise, will not return to the game.

TALK TO THE HAND
On Montee Ball’s 14 yard run around right and, Ball deposited Nick Sukay to the turf with a textbook stiff-arm.

NITTANY LION OUT, WILDCAT IN
After McGloin took  a bad situation (block in the back penalty) and made it worse (spiking the ball and drawing another penalty), PSU brought in Bill Belton to run for 6 yards out of the Wildcat formation.  Last week at Ohio State, Penn State gained 91 yards on 4 carries out of the Wildcat in the 1st half.

NOT THE WAY TO LEAVE THE FIELD
They brought the cart out for Wisconsin’s Ethan Armstrong, but instead, he’ll leave the field in an ambulance.

EASY PICKINGS
If the UW O-line can keep giving Wilson time, the QB should put up huge numbers today, since PSU’s d-backs are playing well off in coverage.  On that TD drive,  Abbrederis had plenty of room on the two 12-yard slant passes that gained 1st downs.

31 FOR 28
Wisconsin’s Montee Ball gets 31st TD of the season, on a short run over left tackle.

CHANNELING HIS INNER TAYLOR MARTINEZ
After looking sharp on the previous PSU drive, McGloin badly underthrows receiver Derek Moye, and UW’s Shelton Johnson picks off his 3rd pass of the season, setting the Badgers up at midfield.

RIGHT BACK AT YOU
The Badgers answer with a 10-play, 76-yard drive, culminating in a 21-yard TD pass from Russell Wilson to Jared Abbrederis.  For Wilson, it’s his 36th consecutive game with a TD pass, which ties an NCAA record.  It’s also Abbrederis’ 6th TD reception of the season.

THE EFFECT OF SENIOR DAY?
Senior Aaron Henry gets sucked in by a Matt McGloin play fake, and the result is a 44-yard TD toss to Curtis Drake.  For the record, that’s Drake’s first reception of the season.

WHY ARE THEY BOOING ETHAN HEMER & MARQUIS MASON?
Wisconsin senior wide receiver Nick Toon is wearing #87 today, in honor of his father, Al, who wore that number during his UW career.  That makes three 87′s on the UW roster today: Toon, sophomore defensive tackle Ethan Hemer, as well as redshirt freshman Marquis Mason.

Posted under Hometown Sports

Greetings from Green Bay.  As before, the most recent observations will be posted to the top of this blog, so keep refreshing this webpage.  Enjoy!

WILL THAT DO IT?
Tramon Williams picks off a Freeman pass, and gives the Packers the ball deep in Tampa Bay territory.  With that, I’m packing up and heading downstairs to the locker room.  Check out the postgame story tonight at 10:00, on WQOW News 18 Sports.

DON’T CALL THAT PERFORMANCE SUBPAR
One play after James Starks has to be helped off the field, Rodgers throws a perfect strike to Jordy Nelson to give the Packers some breathing room.  Clearly, it’s not been the QB’s best day, but that’s an amazingly clutch play.

HOLD THAT DAGGER, WAYNE
It’s awfully quiet inside Lambeau Field right now, as the Bucs cash in on the Rodgers INT, with a 5-play, 50-yard drive.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Josh Freeman is having a better day throwing the football than Aaron Rodgers.

HE IS HUMAN
Aaron Rodgers not only throws a pick, but it comes at a time when Green Bay was looking to put this thing away.  Decent numbers for Rodgers today, but a significant dropoff from his performance through the first nine games.

COBB FACTOR
One area where the Packers are clearly better is in the return game.  Randall Cobb gives Green Bay a legitimate scoring threat…as long as he doesn’t lose the football…and certainly is a huge factor in tilting field position.

THEY’RE NOT SAYING BOO
Packers fans, that is, as local hero John Kuhn carries the ball for his 3 rushing TD of the season.  There may be booing (mixed in w/some expletives) coming from the Tampa Bay sideline, after the Bucs were whistled for 3 defensive penalties on that 8-play, 85-yard drive that took 5:25.  The first penalty was very, very dubious…the second and third were legitimate.  Nevertheless, they were called, and the Packers took advantage.  Considering the cirumcstances, that was a rather clutch drive.

ANOTHER DISTURBING TREND
The Packers take over at their own 15, up only 2, having had to punt on each of their last 3 posessions.

DISTURBING TREND
Through 3 quarters, the Bucs have 345 yards of total offense, compared to 261 for the Packers.

FORGOTTEN NO LONGER
Tim Masthay may not have gotten a whole lot of work through 9 games, but his 50-yard punt helps flip field position Green Bay’s way…although it remains to be seen whether the Packers defense can get a stop.

SHORTENING THE GAME
Tampa Bay’s scoring drive didn’t yield a TD, but the Connor Barth FG capped a 7:16 drive, covering 57 in 12 plays.  My “meatgrinder” prediction is still holding up.

30-3,000 CLUB
Aaron Rodgers now has 30 TD passes this season, and has  gone over 3,000 passing yards.

BLOUNT FORCE
Bucs RB LaGarrette Blount is listed as 6-0, 247, and he’s battered the Packers defense to the tune of 79 yards on 9 carries.  Is this an omen for what awaits Green Bay in future games, against the likes of Brandon Jacobs, Michael Bush, and Matt Forte?

BUT I DIDN’T EXPECT IT
I figured on a “meat grinder” win for the Packers, along the lines of a 27-14 score, and LaGarrette Blount’s 54-yard TD romp makes that forecast looks a little more likely.  On that run, Blount broke at least 5 tackles, so let the hand-wringing about the Green Bay defense’s tackling ability begin.

LESS WORKMANLIKE
The Packers second scoring drive goes 49 yards in 5 plays, covering a tidy 2:11, and culminates with Rodgers’ 29th TD pass of the season, a 5-yard toss to Tom Crabtree, who pulls in his 1st scoring pass of the season.   The expected rout is on…

WORKMANLIKE
The Packers’ 1st scoring drive covered 88 yards in 15 plays, in 8:27…which just so happens to be the longest scoring drive (in terms of number of plays and amount of time) of this Green Bay season.   The big play (not counting big man B.J. Raji’s TD) was the 34 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson on 3rd & 5 from the Packers 32, although honorable mention honors go to Masthay’s 6-yard, 2-fumble run.  Let’s not forget about the back to back Bucs penalties and turned a 3rd & 16 from the 6 into a 3rd & 6 from the 16.

FEED THE BIG MAN
B.J. Raji checks into the short yardage backfield and burrows his way into the end zone on a 1-yard TD run.  I’m thinking at least a few of the fans in the north end zone stands were not looking forward to a Raji Lambeau Leap.  That could have hurt…

YOU DON’T SEE THAT EVERY NFL GAME
Whether it’s weather-related or not, Tim Masthay is credited with 2 fumbles and 1 fumble recovery on the aborted punt.  My guess is that play will make a few highlights shows today…regardless, the bottom line is that Masthay avoided a blocked punt, and  gained a first down, no matter how silly it looked.

WEATHER A FACTOR?
For about the first time here this season, it’s a chilly day here at Lambeau Field, and it feels colder than the announced temperature of 32.  Will that be a factor?  Stay tuned.

Posted under Hometown Sports