Badgers End Buckeyes’ Win Streak at 19

Lee Evans was in danger of being shut out by Chris Gamble’s coverage and linebacker Robert Reynolds’ dirty play that sidelined Wisconsin’s starting quarterback.

“We felt they wouldn’t expect the deep throw. We thought it was the right time to do it,” Evans said of his 79-yard touchdown reception from backup Matt Schabert with 5:20 remaining that gave the No. 23 Badgers a 17-10 victory over No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday night at Madison, Wis.

Thus ended the defending national champions’ 19-game winning streak.

“It’s a feeling that nobody likes,” said Buckeye quarterback Craig Krenzel, who lost for only the second time in 20 career starts. “At the same time it’s a feeling that you have to forget. We’ll find out a lot about our character this week.”

The Buckeyes had just tied the score on Michael Jenkins’ six-yard catch from Krenzel with 6:09 remaining.

Evans, the Big Ten’s leading receiver, had been shut down by Gamble so well that he hadn’t had a pass thrown his way.

But on second and nine from the 21, Evans beat Gamble and safety Will Allen was slow getting over. Schabert hit Evans in stride at the Ohio State 48 and Evans raced into the end zone.

“Our main emphasis was to stop the run. We felt overall we accomplished our goal,” defensive end Will Smith said. “And they beat us with a big pass. That’s disheartening.”

When the game ended, many in the crowd of 79,793 spilled onto the field to celebrate, led by a streaker who got a jump on the partying by racing across the field with a minute left.

“To end the nation’s longest winning streak and stay undefeated in the Big Ten, this is one of my most gratifying wins,” Badger Coach Barry Alvarez said.

The Badgers improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes fell to 5-1 and 1-1.

Schabert, a junior, was in because starter Jim Sorgi was injured when Reynolds shoved his fingers into his throat in the third quarter. Sorgi’s injury made it difficult for him to swallow and impossible for him to call out plays.

“He can’t talk,” Alvarez said.

His teammates had plenty to say.

“Everybody kind of went off. That’s something you just don’t do,” Evans said. “Ohio State is a great program and for them to come out and do that to our quarterback ... that’s one of the lowest things I’ve ever seen in a football game.”

No. 18 Purdue 28, Penn State 14 -- Brandon Jones ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns and Anthony Chambers returned a punt 76 yards for another score at West Lafayette, Ind., to lead the Boilermakers to their fifth victory in a row.

Purdue (5-1, 2-0) had lost six in a row in the series and hadn’t beaten Penn State (2-5, 0-3) since 1951. The two teams tied in 1952.

Purdue won despite losing its leading rusher, Jerod Void, on its first offensive play. Void was helped off the field with a sprained right ankle and left Ross-Ade Stadium in an ambulance.

No. 21 Michigan State 49, Illinois 14 -- Jeff Smoker was 23 of 31 for 317 yards and two touchdowns at Champaign, Ill., and the Spartans handed the Fighting Illini (1-6, 0-3) a fifth consecutive loss.

Michigan State (6-1, 3-0), which has won four in a row, enters the toughest part of its schedule, with games against Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Northwestern 37, Indiana 31 -- Jason Wright ran for 141 yards and four touchdowns, including the winner in overtime, as the Wildcats (3-4, 1-2) won at Bloomington, Ind.

The Hoosiers (1-6, 0-3) got the ball first in overtime and were in position to take the lead when they drove to the 13. But Matt LoVecchio’s pass to Travis Haney was intercepted in the end zone by Brian Heinz. The Wildcats then won it with Wright’s four-yard scoring run.