Struggles continue for Wisconsin in fourth-quarter collapse

Nov 3, 2008 - 7:34 PM By Bob Birge PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

In his first season at Wisconsin in 2006, Bret Bielema was the toast of Madison after guiding the Badgers to a 12-1 record and a victory over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl.

Now, Bielema may just be toast - especially after the Badgers found a way to lose a game Saturday that they dominated for 3 1/2 quarters.

The third-year coach came under fire during Wisconsin's recent four-game losing streak, and he's going to face more heat for a questionable decision just before Michigan State's Brett Swenson kicked a 44-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining that beat the fading Badgers, 25-24.

With no timeouts remaining and the clock ticking inside 20 seconds, the Spartans were scrambling to get their kicking team on the field following a 3-yard completion on 3rd-and-10 to the Wisconsin 26.

Michigan State probably would have had time to get off the field goal, but it would taken perfect execution with the snap, hold and kick.

But Bielema made things easy for the Spartans by calling a timeout with 12 seconds left.

Bielema called a second timeout to ice Swenson, but the strategy did not work. The junior kicker calmly split the uprights, sending Wisconsin to a crushing defeat.

"I will stand by our guys and fight for them because we are all in this together," said Bielema, who didn't address his coaching decision at the end of the game.

Still, the contest never should have come down to the last play, as Wisconsin opened a 24-13 lead on John Clay's 32-yard touchdown with 9:12 remaining.

Wisconsin running backs Clay and P.J. Hill each surpassed the century mark as the Badgers (4-5) rushed for 281 yards, the most allowed by Michigan State this season.

Also, Wisconsin held Javon Ringer, the leading rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision, to 54 yards - 117 below his season average.

"It's hard to swallow," Bielema said. "Obviously, there are certain things we believe in. If you are able to run the football effectively, which we were able to do, and stay penalty-free, you should be able to get the win. And obviously we weren't able to do that."

Bielema also was guilty of an inexplicable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Michigan State's possession after Clay's touchdown.

The penalty - one of 12 called against the Badgers - came after Wisconsin was called for delay of game, and the 20 yards in penalties moved the ball to the Badgers' 44-yard line.

Michigan State took advantage, needing just over a minute to answer Clay's score on Ringer's 2-yard TD and turn around the momentum.

"I apologized for getting a 15-yard penalty myself, and we did certain things during the game that we just couldn't overcome," Bielema added. "Obviously, that begins with the attitude I took to get that personal foul."

The Badgers are now facing the prospect of their first losing season since 2001. They have dropped five of six to fall under .500 after a 3-0 start and will need to win two of their final three games just to become bowl eligible.

Wisconsin plays at Indiana next week, then closes the season with home games against No. 20 Minnesota and Cal Poly of the Football Championship Subdivision.

"We are just trying to get to a bowl game," receiver David Gilreath said. "You don't want the season to go down the drain. You want something good to come out of it. I guess a bowl game would do that."