It's ugly, but Badgers roll on
MADISON, Wis. -- Maybe the Badgers don't need defense after all.
P.J. Hill ran for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns and No. 9 Wisconsin extended the nation's longest winning streak to 14 by holding off Michigan State 37-34 on Saturday despite giving up 564 yards.
"We don't get any style points for doing things pretty," said Badgers coach Bret Bielema, 17-1 to start his career. "We are not a pretty football team."
Maybe not, but on offense Wisconsin (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) was impressive, holding the ball for 34 minutes and gaining 461 yards, including touchdown drives of 85, 91 and 80 yards.
The Badgers will have to be spectacular if their defense continues to give up big plays. A year after having one of the stingiest units in the country, multiple breakdowns allowed Michigan State (4-1, 0-1) to stay close throughout until a pair of questionable offensive play calls.
"It's the plays that we didn't make that concern me," Bielema said. "I didn't expect to see 1,000 total yards of offense out there today."
Hill ran for his second touchdown from a yard out to give Wisconsin a 34-24 lead midway through the third quarter. But Michigan State rallied with 10 straight points, first off Brian Hoyer's 3-yard TD pass to Mark Dell to cap a 13-play drive with 13:54 to play.
Tyler Donovan (17-for-24, 247 yards) had been sharp to that point leading the Badgers. But he didn't see safety Travis Key, who went right to the spot Donovan was eyeing for an easy interception. Brett Swenson kicked a 35-yard field goal to tie the game at 34-34 with just more than 12 minutes to play.
Wisconsin, which has won a school-best nine straight in conference and 22 of its last 23 at home, retook the lead after Michigan State had 3 costly penalties, the final one a defensive holding call in the end zone.
Hill, who had 34 carries, couldn't punch it in from inside the 1 and Taylor Mehlhaff kicked a 22-yard field goal, his third of the day, to give the Badgers a 37-34 lead with 6:15 left.
The Spartans, looking for their best start in 10 years under first-year coach Mark Dantonio, moved back into Badgers territory. They called a run to Javon Ringer on third-and-7 that was stopped and set up a 53-yard field goal attempt that Swenson missed wide left.
"They were in the defense we thought they were going to be (in)," Hoyer said. "We thought we'd get a big play or at least 2 yards to set up a field goal try."
Ringer finished with 145 yards on 10 carries.
Michigan State's defense held for a final drive, and the Spartans took over with 2:11 to play on their own 40.
They quickly moved to the Badgers' 38 before the drive stalled on fourth-and-2 when Hoyer's first option on a screen pass was covered and he missed a leaping Ringer to end the Spartans' chances.