Editorial Note:  ”Bucky The Badger” is the official nickname of the Wisconsin Badger mascot (seen below).

Your Miami Hurricanes got mauled by the Wisconsin Badgers 20-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl on Tuesday night.  While the final score does not convey just how badly Wisconsin beat Miami it was clear to those on hand who witnessed the game just how one-sided the contest really was.

Miami has now lost their bowl game two years in a row and has failed to use these opportunities to impress their fans, the media or the pollsters heading into the next season.

The unusually cold, windy weather in Orlando that made many fans uncomfortable probably made the Badgers feel right at home even though the crowd was heavily stacked in favor of the Hurricanes.

However, when the game was over it would be the Citrus Bowl field that made the news, not the game time temperature.   The field did neither team any favors as it was torn up in chunks and in terrible condition as the game wore on.  It cost Miami it’s starting running back in Graig Cooper who severely injured his knee (torn ACL) as he slipped on a kickoff return and would not return to the game.  It may have been the worst field conditions either team played in all year (that includes the VT “mud bowl” game).

The Hurricanes came out with a bang and returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown (well almost).  Sam Shields took a reverse handoff from Graig Cooper and returned it for a score only to be denied by a very late illegal block in the back penalty at the Badger 15 yard line.  Graig Cooper would run it in for the score on the very next play to put Miami up 7-0.

Many UM fans could already smell a blowout of the Badgers brewing.  But it was not to be as Wisconsin settled down and turned into their power running game and an aggressive, attacking defense to shut down Miami’s offense and take control of the game, the clock and both lines of scrimmage.

Highly touted RB John Clay rushed for 121 yards and fellow Badger RB Montee Ball ran for 67 yards.  The Badgers offensive line pushed the Hurricane defensive line around, blocked Miami’s pursuing linebackers and safeties and allowed Wisconsin to keep the ball for over 39 minutes of the game.   The Badgers used that time of possession to run 15 more plays than the ‘Canes and out-gain them 430 to 250 yards.

Wisconsin held a 17-7 lead at the half and sent Miami’s coaches and players  into the locker room looking for answers.   Unfortunately for Miami, it would turn out to be answers that they would never find.  The Hurricanes never stopped the Badger rushing attack, could not defend the middle of the field against Wisconsin’s passing game and most of all could never generate anything on the offensive side of the ball.

In fact it could be argued that the defense played well enough to win (they held the Badgers to 20 points) but the offense failed to carry their weight or produce enough points to secure a victory.  UM QB Jacory Harris was constantly harassed, pressured and was sacked five times by Wisconsin’s defense.   He finished the game 16-30 after completing several passes on a late drive in the fourth quarter that led to a score and brought Miami to within six points at 20-14.

Miami kicker Matt Bosher would recover his own onside kick to give the Canes a chance for the win with over a minute to go.  But Jacory would throw four straight incompletions and the game would end as it should, with the Beavers, uh, I mean the Badgers, on top.

Wisconsin did it the old fashioned way: run the ball, control the clock and the line of scrimmage.

Yeah, the Badgers, especially Bucky, earned it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at 11:29 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.