Wisconsin's Rushing Defense Proves to be the Best

As much as the dynamic game of football has evolved since its creation, one simple strategy has remained a constant on every level of play: run the ball to control the game.
While running back John Clay continues to make a case for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, the Wisconsin defense understands perfectly well how vital it is to put opposing running backs on lockdown.
The Badgers have claimed the top rushing defensive unit in the Big Ten and much of the team’s success this season can be attributed to having not allowed any conference opponents to reach 100 yards of rushing offense in a game.
“We’re very proud of that. It’s something we feel like is a measure of toughness in a game,” defensive coordinator Dave Doeren said. “Our guys take a lot of pride in being accountable for each other and it shows that they’re measuring up to it.”
With the final Big Ten game against Northwestern approaching, Wisconsin could become the first team to prevent all of its Big Ten opponents from reaching 100 rushing yards in one season since Ohio State did so in 1988.
It would sure be nice to have the Badgers finish 10-2 and win thier bowl game. It would help recruting in the off season to potentially get them back to a BCS bowl. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!

On Wisconsin Turns 100 years old

If Wisconsin's essence were distilled to one four-note riff, it would be this: D, C-sharp, E, D.
Whether played on trumpets or pianos, sung by sopranos or tenors, thumped from synthesizers or shouted by rappers, those four musical notes are encoded into Wisconsin's DNA.
The notes, as well as the rest of the ditty that would become not just the Badger fight song but Wisconsin's state song, were first performed 100 years ago Tuesday when a glee club warbled "On, Wisconsin!" for the first time in practice followed by the first known public performance at a pep rally the next day.
A few days later, on Nov. 13, 1909, the University of Wisconsin band played the tune during a football game at Camp Randall - a 34-6 drubbing by the University of Minnesota.
"One of the things that makes it so extremely popular - the first four notes are so recognizable it almost makes a statement from the first time you hear it. It says everything in the first four notes," said Mike Leckrone.
Leckrone should know. As director of the UW Marching Band since 1969, Leckrone has conducted the song many times in many different arrangements, including swing, funk, Latin and a James Brown-like version. When asked to hazard a guess of just how often, he said "it boggles my mind."

It is great to see the tradition continue in Madison. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kraig Appleton overcomes adversity

Wisconsin wide receiver Kraig Appleton believes in the power of positive thinking.
The true freshman from East St. Louis, Ill., came to Wisconsin ranked by Scout.com as the 19th best receiver in the nation, but pulled both hamstrings in fall camp and found himself on the sidelines for much of the first half of the season as he struggled to learn the playbook. Frustrated, Appleton began to question whether redshirting might have been a wiser decision than trying to find playing time among an already deep wide receiver corps.
“It was that thought in the back of my mind making me feel that I wasted a year because the season was coming to the end,” Appleton said. “But I stuck with it and starting thinking positive about things, and then my time came and I was there to make the most of my opportunity.”
Appleton finally got his opportunity Saturday in Wisconsin’s 37-0 blowout over Purdue, in which he pulled in the first two catches of his career for a total of 15 yards. Appleton also made what would have been an acrobatic catch down the sidelines, but it was negated because his foot came down on the line.
Oozing with potential, Appleton almost didn’t have the opportunity to show his skills at all on the college level. Originally, his senior year curriculum at East St. Louis High School allowed him to graduate but was not sufficient for him to get into college because the school didn’t require the necessary classes.
But with the help of the Wisconsin coaching staff, he restructured his schedule to meet admission requirements and eventually graduated high school on the school’s honor roll. Appleton credits the concern and dedication of the coaches as a key reason for choosing Wisconsin, along with the team’s familial atmosphere that offered a positive change of scenery from the often unpleasant confines of East St. Louis.
“When you’re living in the environment that I come from, you have to have a strong mind about everything,” Appleton said. “Then once you get into another environment that’s a little bit better or a little bit more successful, then you can make the best of it.”

It is good to see a young Badger Football player give 100% to try yo better himself. I hop he has a great game versus Indiana this weekend. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!

Badgers prepare for Purdue on Halloween

As the Wisconsin football team prepares for its game against Purdue Saturday, head coach Bret Bielema said the team is excited to be back on the field and ready to play football again after the bye week.
Despite dropping the past two games, Bielema is happy with the team’s success over the course of the season, underscoring they are playing the 11th toughest schedule in the nation this year and there are seven teams in the top 25 with two or more losses and the combined record of the teams they have lost against is 14-2.
“You’re so disappointed in the back-to-back losses that you forget that you are a 5-2 team,” Bielema said. “Sometimes it’s good to be away from people who want to talk about the two losses rather than what you’ve done over the cumulative season.”
It will be good to see the Badgers win again after losing two in row. I actually just bought some Badger vs Purdue tickets for $30 each on theticketking.com. I thought that was an awesome deal. I look forward to seeing everybody in Madison this weekend for the game. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!

Wisconsin Badgers Homecoming

An opportunity for students, alumni and the community to come together, the University of Wisconsin Homecoming 2009 began with kick-off events last Friday and will conclude with the Badger Huddle and football game against the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday.
“The main vision of UW homecoming is the celebration of being a Badger,” said Whitney Bauer, Homecoming Committee executive co-chair.
Whether a current student or an alumnus, this year’s “Bucky’s Game Show Challenge” has offered many events to come together with other Badgers. One new event, the AV Club’s Jarringly Obscure Trivia, was the most successful so far this year, according to both Bauer and Karyn Christianson, Homecoming Committee executive co-chair. Many students attended in self-made groups, in addition to the established competing student groups.
I remember homecoming as a great time for all went I attended UW. The one thing that would top it all off would be a victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Wisconsin Badgers Vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Wisconsin football has made their second football scholarship offer for the recruiting class of 2011. The offer went to Jake Keefer, 6'4", 210 a TE/LB/ RB from Baldwin-Woodville H.S. The first offer went to Melvin Gordon from Kenosha Bradford, a 6'1". 180, Running Back. The Badgers were the first school to offer Keefer but he has had "interest" from Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Notre Dame, Stanford and L.S.U. In his 6 games this year Keefer has gained 335 yards rushing and 6TDs and caught 16 passes for 261 yards and 3 TDs. At 6'4", he is too tall to be a college Running Back but he is projected at either DE or LB.
Despite the feeling among Wisconsin Badger Football fans that the team has a good chance to beat Ohio State. the Las Vegas odds-makers don't think so. The Buckeyes opened a 14.5 point favorite and today they are a 16 point favorite. Are they trying to lure Badger fans into betting on the game... do they know something other people don't? Well, instead of betting on it you can buy Wisconsin Badger Tickets from a reputable broker like Ticket King and go to the game.
Reports out of Columbus are that starting RG, Justin Boren and starting TE, Jake Ballard has come down with the flu today. There is no way of knowing if they will play Saturday, or if they can play, how effective they will be. But O.S.U. fans aren't concerned ... they feel their 2nd team is better than Wisconsin's first team! GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Axe Stays Where It Belongs

Whether it is indoors or outdoors, in Minneapolis or Madison, in “The Bank” or the Dome, one thing remains the same: The rivalry between Wisconsin and Minnesota is as unpredictable as they come.
The Badgers and Gophers proved that once again Saturday in the 119th meeting between the two teams, as they battled for 60 minutes in a 31-28 victory for UW. It was a back-and-forth affair, which recently has become the norm in the rivalry.
“I thought it was supposed to be only in the Metrodome. I was hoping we were going to change that,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “I told Tim (Brewster) after the game ‘great environment.’ Every time we come up here it seems be one of these types of games.”
Much like the last few times the two teams have met, the game was decided on crucial turnovers and the outcome was not clear until Chris Borland’s fumble recovery in the final minute. Of course, there was a reason behind the close nature of the game Saturday, and it was not the newly-opened TCF Bank Stadium.