Wisconsin will have to swap their recipes for success. Last week, their cake nearly fell in the oven with the stumbling and bumbling that occurred in the kitchen versus a docile Northern Illinois team a week prior. The undefeated Wildcats from Tucson certainly would not be as forgiving as the Huskies were. New ingredients needed to be added to the mix in order to present a delectable victory that all Badger fans can savor.
The running game against NIU, which typically is the concrete of Wisconsin football, was as interesting as a monk at a frat party. Nevertheless, the Badgers managed to trip into an undefeated record as they prepared for this squad from the desert. Arizona fans made a considerable showing with their pregame parties and enthusiasm. But, their trip would be in vain as the outcome was decided by the break.
By halftime, even Julia Child would have been impressed with the concoction that the Badgers whipped up. A dash of wide receiver Jonathan Orr, a heaping cup of tailback Anthony Davis, and just a touch of special teams blocking a punt made for a handsome halftime lead to serve up to Badger fans.
From a fan perspective, it was interesting seeing a potential Rose Bowl preview between Pac Ten and Big Ten parties. These two teams never met and the Badgers were making them wish they hadn’t with a 24-0 shutout at the break. The Wildcats found only one major hole (perhaps left over from last week’s game) that resulted in a 70 yard score. The relatively minor blip did not affect Wisconsin’s succulent victory plans. The Badgers added frosting with one more score – a sneak by QB Brooks Bollinger that was entirely disparate from last week’s dramatic game sealing dive. The 31-10 rout of Arizona finally provided hope for Wisconsin fans that consistency has arrived in Madison. They could now look forward to a full entrée of mouth-watering victories seasoned by Big Ten opponents.
