Greetings Fellow Badgers! The Badgers had a successful homecoming last weekend, beating Indiana 33-3. P.J. Hill suffered a bruised foot that sidelined him during the first half. Lance Smith and Zach Brown helped out, giving the Badgers 279 yards on the ground. The defense was successful in shutting down the combination of Indiana's quarterback Kellen Lewis and star receiver James Hardy and held the Hoosiers to 4 of 14 third-down conversions. The Badgers also recovered three Indiana fumbles and intercepted Lewis twice, but were not successful in translating any of the turnovers into Badger scores, a point noted by Coach Bielema as a next step in the Badgers' progression this season. Connecticut's John Moffitt started again in place of Andy Kemp. Andy, who suffered a broken left hand two weeks ago, is questionable for this week's game against Ohio State. Other notables from the game include true freshman David Gilreath's record-breaking 673 kickoff return yards, surpassing Brandon Williams' mark of 670 yards in 2002. Also senior kicker Taylor Melhaff moved into fourth place on the team's all-time scoring list, with his career total of 261 points. The win boosted the Badgers to number 19 in the USA Today/Coaches poll but the Badgers continue to "receive points" in the AP poll. For comparison purposes, UConn is ranked 20th in the USA Today/Coaches poll, right behind the Badgers, but is ranked at number 16 in the AP poll. Wisconsin is ranked #21 in the BCS poll. This Saturday, the Badgers take on the number one Ohio Buckeyes in Columbus. The Badgers have been successful in their last three matchups at "the Shoe", winning in 1999, 2001 and 2004, but the unbeaten Buckeyes may pose a particularly tough challenge this year. The game will begin at noon and, for the third week in a row, will only be available on the Big Ten Network. I'm guessing that we'll probably be at Rookies again this week, so why not join us? If you need directions to Rookies, go to http://www.rookiesrocks.com/directions.php. Wisconsin opened as a 15.5 point underdog to OSU. The health of P.J. Hill could have a significant impact on the Badgers' chances. Reports on P.J. Hill are that there was no structural damage associated with his injury but whether or not the toughen-up pills work by the weekend is anyone's guess. Do you have a pet that's a Badger fan? If so, you might want to give him/her 15 minutes of fame (if that long) by entering their photo in the Big Ten Pet Face-off: Wisconsin vs. Ohio State. Go to http://www.bigtennetwork.com/sports/football/BigTenFanPetsfaceoff.asp to enter your pet's photo. In other Badger news, former Badger quarterback Jim Sorgi signed a 3-year contract over the weekend to remain Peyton Manning's backup quarterback. He was a sixth round draft choice for the Colts in 2004 and, since then, has completed 60 of 92 passes for 628 yards, with five touchdown passes and one interception. And speaking of former Badger quarterbacks, Brooks Bollinger has a chance to start for the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. Tarvaris Jackson will start if healthy; if not, Bollinger is the Vikings' only healthy QB. Jackson missed three of the last five games with a finger injury and strained groin. And, for those of you Red Sox lovers, did you know that closer Jonathan Papelbon is a Badger fan? Not only did he dress in a kilt and dance on a duck boat during the Sox' celebration on Tuesday, but he was caught wearing a Badgers shirt while celebrating following the clinching of the AL East. While born in Baton Rouge, his family had previously moved to Louisiana from Milwaukee. And I just read on the web that David Ortiz met his wife, who is from Kaukauna, while playing for the Timber Rattlers (Appleton). They reportedly had a home on or near Royal St. Patrick's Golf Course between Kaukauna and Wrightstown, but recently sold it. [I cannot verify the truth of this tidbit, and I grew up in Kaukauna! It does appear on Wikipedia, however, if you consider that a reliable source of information!] And? in non-sports news, the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison received an unprecedented gift totaling $85 million from a small group of alumni, who have formed the "Wisconsin Naming Partnership," to support the school's mission. This innovative partnership provides a naming gift that will preserve the Wisconsin name for at least 20 years. During that time, the school will not be named for a single donor or entity. This unprecedented naming partnership will uphold tradition and greatly enhance the value of the school to students, the campus and the state. For more information, go to: http://www.bus.wisc.edu/wng/about.asp. That's it for this week! On Wisconsin! Jean Oliva Secretary, UW Alumni Club of CT and Western MA Edit | 
