October seventh marked the tenth time that I have witnessed the clash between Northwestern and Wisconsin. Most of the time, the game comes down to the wire. Last year, the Wildcats upset the Badgers in a 51-48 shootout. The rendition at Camp Randall Stadium this year had Wisconsin continuing the scoring frenzy and defensively meowing the Wildcat’s roar.
Fans revved up in the Fieldhouse outside Camp Randall Stadium for the annual Badger Blast, which gives Wisconsin fans the opportunity to pay a small fee and take part of an “all you can eat, all you can drink” gorge fest. The amount of eating that occurs is especially impressive when kickoff is at eleven a.m. Badger fans begin stuffing face at nine o’clock and roll themselves into the stadium.
The early morning crowd didn’t take long to wake up as Badger runningback P.J. Hill scored on a 60-yard touchdown gallop on the second play of the ballgame. Thanks to a few Badger turnovers, the Wildcats kept it close holding the Wisconsin lead at 17-9 for halftime. Unfortunately, Northwestern still is under the impression that football lasts only thirty minutes. Wisconsin came out stomping with a couple touchdown runs and a Joe Stellmacher interception return for a score that proved Northwestern’s check-out at halftime and secured a 41-9 victory. Most impressive was P.J. Hill’s 249-yard rushing performance. Any questions about Wisconsin’s running game this year certainly were quieted thanks to the Northwestern defense.
Camp Randall Stadium has been a happy place to be lately. The Badgers have rolled over their opponents and the enthusiasm is as high-pitched as ever. The student section revelry, the fast and slow-mo wave, and the famous “jump” between the third and fourth quarters continue to grow more exciting as Wisconsin fans begin to dream of a very special season. The impending schedule offers the Badgers a great opportunity to run the table at full steam ahead. Northwestern will return to Evanston this week just hoping they can find the tracks to align their train.
