Badgers feeling much better now

At one point last week, Wisconsin had more than 40 players fighting the flu-like symptoms sweeping through campus. Starting quarterback Scott Tolzien was one of them.

The Badgers (2-0) certainly appeared to be out sick early on against Fresno State, but pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback to tie and then beat the Bulldogs, 34-31, in two overtimes at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.

“I told the team downstairs in the locker room that I doubt very much there isn’t a team in college football this week that went through what they did,” Badgers Coach Bret Bielema said.

After the teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, Wisconsin safety Chris Maragos came up with an interception in the end zone. From there, the Badgers marched to set up a 22-yard field goal by Philip Welch for the win.

Fortunately, all the hand sanitizer Maragos used this week didn’t make his hands too slippery.

“I was hitting that thing all week,” Maragos said. “Every time I touched a door around here I was just thinking that thing was my best friend all week.”

John Clay’s 72-yard touchdown run gave Wisconsin a 24-21 lead with 5:45 remaining in regulation. But Fresno State kicker Kevin Goessling -- who missed a 45-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter and missed three field goals in a loss to Wisconsin last year -- made a tying 40-yarder with 20 seconds left.

Clay finished the game with 143 yards rushing. But before his big run, Fresno State (1-1) was in control.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Bulldogs quarterback Ryan Colburn said. “I thought we had a lot of chances to win that game. But they battled back. We let them hang around too long. They took it to us in the end.”

Colburn completed 22 of 36 for 289 yards and four touchdowns, but threw three interceptions after halftime.