It was a tough week for sports in Wisconsin?especially if you don't care for those folks from that state to the south. The Cubs beat out the Brewers for the National League Central Division crown, the Illini beat the Badgers and the Packers fold to the Bears. The Badgers fell to the Illini on Saturday afternoon by a score of 31-26. With the loss, Wisconsin managed to retain a spot in the polls, falling to No. 15 in the Coaches poll and to No. 18 in the AP poll. The game wasn't the most pleasant one to watch. The Badgers defense couldn't stop the Illini, the Badgers running game was non-existent for a large portion of the game, Taylor Melhaff missed a field goal, Luke Swan was injured, and Taylor Donovan's passes were intercepted twice. The loss ended the Badgers' winning streak at 14. The news on Luke Swan's injury is that it's a hamstring injury that will require surgery to fix (surgery was scheduled for today) and that Swan is done for the year. Were there any positive sides to Saturday's game? Well, Tyler Donovan did manage to pass for 392 yards amidst his two interceptions and Travis Beckum had 11 catches for 160 yards. Beckum leads all tight ends in the country with his 41 catches and 485 receiving yards. And Wisconsin ranks second in the country in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 33:56 over the first six games. This weekend the Badgers take on the Nittany Lions of Penn State. Kickoff is 3:30 pm EDT and the game will be broadcast on ABC. I haven't seen a coverage map yet, but I think this is one we'll actually be able to see on ABC here in Connecticut, given that the opponent is PSU. But check your local listings to confirm. If there's any doubt, why not join us at Rookies? PSU always has a big crowd, so help us even out the fan base a bit. For directions, go to http://www.rookiesrocks.com/directions.php. Penn State is unranked. UW has won two of the last three games in Happy Valley but is currently picked as a 5 to 6 point underdog. I thought last week that the underdog designation in the Illinois game would give the Badgers a reason to prove the bookies wrong. This week I'm not so sure. PSU is coming off a win over the hapless Hawkeyes. PSU running back Austin Scott was indefinitely suspended this past week by JoPa for violating an unspecified rule. Scott had scored six touchdowns and rushed for 302 yards on 69 carries in PSU's first five games. It might not be that much of a loss, however, as Rodney Kinlaw carried 28 times for 168 yards against Iowa. Brett Bielema hinted at his press conference of making some changes on defense, so let's hope the new and improved Badgers can contain the Nittany Lions. Liberty Mutual is accepting nominations for Coach of the Year.. If you still feel Brett Bielema is worthy of such a designation, go to http://www.coachoftheyear.com/ to nominate him for the award. As of this writing, he's ranked 19th, below the likes of Skip Holtz, Joe Paterno and Mack Brown. By the way, I've been meaning to thank those of you who periodically reply to my e-mails or send me info to include. I appreciate your support, but don't always have time to respond personally. So here's a big THANKS to all of you. That's it for this week! On Wisconsin! Jean Oliva, Secretary
UW Alumni Club of CT and Western MA Edit | 
