FOOTBALL RELEASE • OCTOBER 30, 2006 Quick Hits GAME 10: PENN STATE AT WISCONSIN Wisconsin needs to win two Records: Penn State (6-3, 4-2) at Wisconsin (8-1, 5-1) of its final three regular-sea- son games to become just Date / Time: Saturday, Nov. 4 at 11:10 a.m. CST the second team in school Location: Madison, Wis. (Camp Randall Stadium / 80,321) history to record a 10-win Television: LIVE ... ABC (Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire regular season ... Wisconsin and Bonnie Bernstein) / TAPED ... Wisconsin Public Television leads the Big Ten and ranks (Mike Heller and Scott Nelson) at 10:30 p.m. No. 2 nationally in both pass Radio: Wisconsin Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas) ... defense and pass efficiency 53 affiliates throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota, including defense ... Wisconsin’s Bret WIBA (1310 AM / 101.5 FM in Madison) and WTMJ (620 AM) in Bielema (age 36) and Penn Milwaukee State’s Joe Paterno are the Polls: UW is ranked 17th in the A.P poll and 17th in the USA second-youngest and 119th- Today Coaches poll / Penn State is not ranked youngest head coaches in Coaches: Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema (1st year as a head coach: Division IA football (Bielema 8-1) and Penn State’s Joe Paterno (41st year as a head coach, all would need to average 10 at Penn State: 360-120-3) wins for the next 36 seasons Series: Wisconsin leads the series 7-4 to match Paterno’s win total) Last Meeting: In a matchup of Big Ten co-leaders, Penn State ... Wisconsin’s John Stocco defeated the Badgers 35-14 at Beaver Stadium ... the Nittany needs three wins to tie the Lions shut out Wisconsin through three quarters ... Penn State’s school record for victories by Tony Hunt rushed for 154 yards, while Nittany Lion QB Michael a starting QB (he has 27; the Robinson threw for 238 yards and two TDs, in addition to rushing record is 30 by Brooks for 125 yards. Bollinger) ... Texas (32 wins), Wisconsin-Penn State Series Notes: Wisconsin is 4-0 against USC (31), Auburn (30) and Penn State when the Nittany Lions are not ranked ... the Badgers Boise State (28) are the only Kicker Taylor Mehlhaff was named Big Ten are 4-2 against Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium and 4-2 Special Teams Player of the Week after con- four schools in the nation to overall in the past six meetings between the two schools ... UW necting on a career high-tying three field have won more games than goals in the win over Illinois last Saturday. won the last meeting in Madison by a 16-3 count ... UW’s 1998 Wisconsin since the start of Melhaff leads the Big Ten in FG percentage. win over the Nittany Lions clinched a Big Ten title for Wisconsin. the 2004 season. 2006 Wisconsin Schedule / Results Polls* Date Opponent UW / Opp. Live TV Time/Score Highlight S 2 vs. Bowling Green# NR / NR ESPNR W, 35-14 Hill runs for 130 yards / Casillas blocked punt for TD S 9 WESTERN ILLINOIS NR / NR ESPNU W, 34-10 Hill scores three TDs / UW records three interceptions S 16 SAN DIEGO STATE NR / NR ESPN+ W, 14-0 Defense limits SDSU to 115 total yards / Hill rushes for 184 yards S 23 at Michigan NR / 6th & 6th ESPN L, 13-27 Defense records three INTs / Hill accounts for 118 total yards S 30 at Indiana NR / NR ESPN2 W, 52-17 Stocco pass efficiency of 296.7 / Hill runs for 129 yards and three TDs O 7 NORTHWESTERN NR / NR ESPN360 W, 41-9 Hill runs for 249 yards / UW outgains NU 527-216 O 14 MINNESOTA 25th & NR / NR ESPN W, 48-12 Stocco throws four TDs / Hill goes over 1,000 yards O 21 at Purdue 21st & 22nd / NR ESPN W, 24-3 Defense limits Purdue to 286 yards / Hill runs for 161 yards O 28 ILLINOIS 17th & 18th / NR ESPN2 W, 30-24 UW erases an 18-point deficit / defense shuts out Illini in second half N 4 PENN STATE 17th & 17th / NR ABC 11:10 a.m. N 11 at Iowa ESPN 11:00 a.m. N 18 BUFFALO TBA TBA All times Central *AP & USA Today #at Cleveland Browns Stadium ESPNR = ESPN Regional ESPNU = ESPN University ESPN+ = ESPN Plus Local University of Wisconsin • Intercollegiate Athletics Kellner Hall • 1440 Monroe Street • Madison, Wisconsin 53711 (608) 262-1866 • www.uwbadgers.com Notable, Quotable and Promotable Our top items for this week ... Bret Bielema has now set the WHERE DO THEY RANK Wisconsin record for victories by a first-year head coach with eight. 1 Below is a look at where some Badger players stand in the NCAA and Big Ten statistical rankings: The previous record was held by Phil King (7-1-1 in 1896) and William Juneau (7-0-0 Player Category Stat NCAA Rank Big Ten Rank in 1912). P.J. Hill Rushing 135.8 yds. per game 6th 1st P.J. Hill All-Purpose Running 154.9 yds. per game 7th 1st UW is 21-4 in its last 25 home P.J. Hill Scoring 9.3 pts. per game 8th 1st games. That includes a perfect P.J. Hill Touchdowns 14 TDs 5th 1st 5-0 record this year and a 16-1 2 John Stocco Passing Efficiency 152.6 14th 2nd mark since the start of 2004. Wisconsin is John Stocco Passing 200.8 yds. per game 38th 4th one of six teams in the country with one or John Stocco Total Offense 200.3 yards per game 50th 6th no home losses over that span. Travis Beckum Receiving Yards 64.1 yards per game 60th 5th Ken DeBauche Punting 42.5 yds. per punt 22nd 3rd For the 12th time in the past 14 Taylor Mehlhaff Scoring 7.7 pts. per game T27th T2nd seasons, and a school record- Taylor Mehlhaff Field Goals 1.2 per game T31st T4th tying fifth consecutive year, 3 Taylor Mehlhaff Field Goal Percentage 84.6 % -- 1st Wisconsin is bowl eligible. Among Big Ten Taylor Mehlhaff PAT Kicking Percentage 100.0 % -- T1st schools, only Ohio State and Michigan can match UW’s run of bowl appearances over Below is a look at where Wisconsin stands among the NCAA and Big Ten statistical leaders: the last 14 years. Category Stat NCAA Rank Big Ten Rank Wisconsin entered the fourth Scoring Offense 32.3 pts. per game 17th 2nd quarter of last Saturday’s game Total Offense 389.1 yds. per game 27th 4th trailing 24-20. It was the fifth 4 Rushing Offense 185.4 yds. per game 19th 1st time in John Stocco’s career that he led a Time of Possession 32:45 6th 2nd fourth-quarter comeback for a win. The 3rd Down Efficiency 43.9 percent 29th 4th other games were at Arizona (Sept. 18, Scoring Defense 12.9 pts. per game 10th 3rd 2004), at Purdue (Oct. 16, 2004), vs. Total Defense 250.9 yds. per game 7th 2nd Michigan (Sept. 24, 2005) and at Pass Defense 135.6 yds. per game 2nd 1st Minnesota (Oct. 15, 2005). Pass Efficiency Defense 85.8 2nd 1st 3rd Down Effic. Defense 29.5 percent 11th 2nd Wisconsin is 8-1 this season. The 4th Down Effic. Defense 26.7 percent T11th 1st Badgers have won at least eight Opponent 1st Downs 130 -- 2nd games in a season for the 11th 5 Interceptions 10 T28th 4th time in the last 14 years. Prior to 1993, Net Punting 37.0 yds. per punt 28th 4th UW had at least eight wins in a season just eight times (104 years). Wisconsin is third in the Big Ten 49.6 yards and four of those drives have 300 yards since a six-game streak to start and ranks 10th in the country in been shorter than 40 yards. the 2004 season. 6 scoring defense, allowing just 12.9 points per game. The Badgers’ In the last three seasons, while The Badgers lead the Big defense has given up just 10 touchdowns Bret Bielema has been on Ten and rank second in the this season. UW’s defense has given up 7 Wisconsin’s coaching staff, the 10 country in pass defense, eight touchdowns in the last eight games. Badgers have given up fewer than 20 allowing just 135.6 yards per game. The average length of those TD drives is points in a game 19 times. The Badgers Michigan is the only team to throw for are 19-0 in those games. more than 200 yards against UW this sea- son. JUST WIN, BABY! UW ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh in the country in The Badgers trailed by as many Quarterback John Stocco has led Wisconsin to 8 total defense, allowing just 250.9 as 18 points (21-3) in the first a 27-7 record in his three seasons as a starter. yards per game. The best performance by 11half vs. Illinois last Saturday. Over the last three years only Boise State’s a Badger opponent this season was 322 That was the largest deficit overcome in a Jared Zabransky has more wins as a starter yards by Michigan on Sept. 23. Sixty-three victory by UW since the Badgers trailed than Stocco does. Below is a look at the teams in Division IA are allowing more Missouri 28-7 before winning 35-34 on quarterbacks with the most wins as a starter than 322.0 yards per game.