The thud heard coming from the direction of the Rocky Mountains was the Badgers hitting reality after their 55-17 loss to Colorado last week. Following a Rose Bowl season, such results were neither expected nor welcome in Madison. The Hoosiers entered Camp Randall Stadium with rising expectations.
On our trip up to the game, my friends and I offered predictions for the final score. In each case, Wisconsin came out victorious, but the margin of victory never exceeded 10 points. We would wind up greatly underestimating the Badgers.
Apparently, Indiana had some travel difficulties on their road to Madison and arrived into town later than they anticipated. Even though they arrived in time for kickoff, the effects of their traveling woes continued for the Hoosiers on the offensive side of the ball. Indiana suffered “Can’t we get a break?” syndrome which typically attacks suddenly and usually lasts four quarters. Indiana’s case was serious as nothing continued to go their way. Wisconsin, on the other hand, made the memory of last week obsolete as they pounced to a 41-0 halftime lead. Quarterback Darrell Bevell matched his number of completions with attempts while runningbacks Brent Moss and Terrell Fletcher buzzsawed through the Hoosier defense.
The stadium grew louder and louder with each score, and fans turned to one another with faces of disbelief wondering how Wisconsin could manage such a blowout over a Big Ten opponent. The final tally read 62-13. Supposedly, they learned a few lessons from Colorado last week about how to properly annihilate an opponent. But, few Badger fans expected Wisconsin to apply them so quickly.
