Sept. 5, 1998
By Bernie Wilson
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO- Mike Samuel scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 47-yard quarterback draw early in the fourth quarter and the No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers, playing without tailback Ron Dayne, rallied to beat San Diego State 26-14 Saturday night in the opener for both teams.
After struggling offensively in the second and third quarters, the Badgers scored 17 straight points on four possessions in a span of 11 minutes, 9 seconds. Two possessions were set up by turnovers and one by a partially blocked punt.
Wisconsin got the final two points when San Diego State backup quarterback Brian Russell was knocked back and fell in the end zone for a safety with 2:53 left.
Wisconsin beat San Diego State 36-10 at Madison last year, when Dayne scored four touchdowns.
Dayne had been slowed by a sprained right ankle, and the decision to keep him out apparently went down to game time. Backup Eddie Faulkner started but was forced out after aggravating a shoulder injury in the first quarter.
Third-string tailback Carlos Daniels gained 113 yards on 28 carries.
With Wisconsin trailing 14-13, Samuel took the snap in the shotgun formation on first-and-15, bounced off the pile and ran straight up the field through the traffic. An Aztec barely got a hand on Samuel at about the 30, but the quarterback was otherwise untouched with 11:56 left to play. Tight end Dague Retzlaff caught the conversion pass to make it 21-14.
Matt Davenport kicked his third field goal of the night, from 20 yards with 6:49 to go, to cap a drive set up when linebacker Donnel Thompson forced and recovered a fumble by tight end Jim Ange after a reception at the San Diego State 47.
Each team had three turnovers.
Samuel threw a 60-yard pass to Chris Chambers to open the scoring, but he also fumbled midway through the third quarter, allowing the Aztecs to go ahead 14-7. With the ball at the Wisconsin 14, Samuel dropped back and fumbled when sacked by linebacker Joe Tuipala. The ball squirted into the end zone, where tackle Jerome Haywood jumped on it.
The Badgers cut the deficit to 14-13 on field goals of 47 and 40 yards by Davenport in a span of 2:23 late in the third quarter. The first kick was set up when cornerback Mike Echols intercepted Spencer Brinton's pass at the San Diego State 30, and the second when Tim Rosga blocked Don Copeland's punt and Joey Boese recovered at the Aztec 25.
Those drives marked the first time the Badgers were in Aztecs territory since Samuel's 60-yard touchdown pass to Chris Chambers for a 7-0 lead with 3:47 left in the first quarter. Chambers got behind cornerback Eric Lewis and caught the ball at about the 20.
On Wisconsin's second possession of the game, Chambers let a pass go through his hands for an interception by cornerback Tairou Smith.
San Diego State tied it at 7 when Russell, who is more mobile than starter Spencer Brinton, scored on a 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 4:21 left in the second quarter.
Samuels completed 11 of 21 passes for 111 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Brinton was 16-of-27 for 147 yards with two interceptions.
Wisconsin 26, SDSU 14
Wisconsin 7 0 6 13-26San Diego St. 0 7 7 0-14
First Quarter
Wis-Chambers 60 pass from Samuel (Davenport kick), 3:47.
Second Quarter
SDS-Russell 2 run (Tandberg kick), 4:21.
Third Quarter
SDS-Haywood fumble recovery in end zone (Tandberg kick), 7:20.
Wis-FG Davenport 47, 2:58.
Wis-FB Davenport 40, :35.
Fourth Quarter
Wis-Samuel 47 run (Retzlaff pass from Samuel), 11:56.
Wis-FG Davenport 20, 6:49.
Wis-Safety, Russell tackled in end zone, 2:53.
A-37,471.
Wis SDSUFirst downs 13 12Rushes-yards 44-186 30-58Passing 111 147Comp-Att-Int 11-21-1 16-27-2Return Yards 13 31Punts-Avg. 6-37.7 8-36.5Fumbles-Lost 2-2 1-1Penalties-Yards 4-20 5-35Time of Possession 32:56 27:04
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Wisconsin, Daniels 28-113, Samuel 7-44, Faulkner 7-16, Martin 2-13. San Diego St., J.Lewis 20-72, Russell 2-1, Ned 4-0, Brinton 4-(minus 15).
PASSING-Wisconsin, Samuel 11-21-1-111. San Diego St., Brinton 16-27-2-147.
RECEIVING-Wisconsin, Chambers 3-76, Martin 3-31, Faulkner 1-5, Daniels, 1-1, Retzlaff 1-1, Kuhns 1-(minus 1), Davis 1-(minus 2). San Diego St., Gourdine 4-44, Mitchell 3-39, Reyes 3-21, Ned 1-11, J.Lewis 1-9, Pierce 1-9, Toccagino 1-6, Ange 1-6, Brinton 1-2.