Wisconsin 42, Washington State 21

High point of the game

Though the Cougars scored on their opening drive, the second was the most impressive of the game. Starting at its 20, WSU covered the 80 yards – actually 85 yards due to an illegal substitution penalty – in nine plays, capped by Chris Ivory’s 4-yard run. Included in the possession was a 27-yard scramble by Alex Brink, the longest run of his career, part of 68 rushing yards in the drive.

Low point of the game

Trailing by seven with less than a minute left in the first half, WSU’s Darryl Blunt launched a high 42-yard punt to the Wisconsin 21. But in the 22 seconds after UW’s David Gilreath fielded the ball, the Cougars, in order, yielded a 16-yard return, were hit with a 10-yard holding penalty, gave up a 15-yard pass and a 38-yard scoring toss. The 14-point halftime deficit proved too much to overcome.

A pat on the back

Dwight Tardy not only gained 96 yards on 21 carries, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back also did a workman-like job protecting Brink whenever a Badger rusher, some of whom outweighed him by more than 50 pounds, was able to penetrate WSU’s offensive line.

Needs fixing

That’s simple, the pass defense. Wisconsin threw for more than 300 yards – including completions of 43, 38, 30, 22 and 20 – and three touchdowns. The answer is a little more complex than just blaming the secondary, however. Tyler Donovan was sacked once, pressured only occasionally and, as a result, had time to wait for a receiver to come open.

Three unanswered questions

“ How much of the Cougars lack of a pass rush can be attributed to Wisconsin’s offensive front? The Badgers may have one of the nation’s better lines.

“ How good can the secondary become? With three new skilled starters, the future is bright but not yet clear.

“ Will the WSU duo of Tardy and Ivory continue to impress as they did Saturday, when they combined for 132 yards on 28 carries? If WSU’s offensive line continues to perform at a high level, such numbers are attainable.

Vince Grippi