CBS SportsLine wire reports
Sept. 5, 1998
SAN DIEGO -- Mike Samuel did a pretty good impression of a running back. He had too, because star Wisconsin tailback Ron Dayne and his backup were out with injuries.
Samuel
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"That was a big, big play," said Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, who added that the quarterback draw is new to the Badgers' offense. "Mike's an excellent runner, and I encourage him to pull the ball down more. Sometimes I get upset when he throws it, when I know he can run."
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.
"We needed a big play, and the line made a great pickup on the blocking," Samuel said. "I just needed to scoot by them.
"I KIND OF GOT STUCK up in the line a little bit and shuffled to the right, and there was a safety or linebacker following me," Samuel said. "I made a
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Chris Chambers hauls in a 60-yard TD pass to open the scoring. (AP)
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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. After an afternoon walkthrough, Alvarez thought Dayne could play, but the junior was hobbling during pre-game warmups.
"His confidence was low, so we took him out," Alvarez said.
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.
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.
"I didn't make the play I needed to," Brinton said. ``I'm disappointed because our defense played well."
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.
Aztecs coach Ted Tollner said his defense played as well as could be expected.
"They gave us a chance to win," Tollner said.
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.