HONOLULU – With Hawaii on a four-game winning streak, fighting for a bowl birth in the Hawaii Bowl and possession a potent aerial assault, Saturday’s regular season finale has the makings of a potentially damaging UW loss.
Those thoughts were put too bed before many Wisconsin fans hit the hay themselves due to the late kickoff.
Sophomore running back John Clay rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters of work while Wisconsin’s defense limited Hawaii to just three rushing yards, out gaining Hawaii 554-198 in a dominant 51-10 victory.
Junior quarterback Scott Tolzien completed 16-of-20 passes for 253 yards, setting up UW’s first three touchdowns with an aerial assault on UH’s secondary, as the Badgers averaged 7.7 yards per play.
The Badgers (9-3) clinched their fifth nine-win season in the last six seasons and prevented Hawaii (6-7) from qualifying for the Hawaii Bowl.
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Head Coach Bret Bielema
RB John Clay
DE O'Brien Schofield
Wisconsin (8-3) vs. Hawaii (6-6)
First Half
First Quarter
7-0 Wisconsin
8 plays, 70 yards, 4:12 TOP, 9:07 left
John Clay two-yard run (Philip Welch kick)
Key Play: After six straight run plays and faced with a third-and-5, Wisconsin had to air it out. Scott Tolzien led sophomore Nick Toon brilliantly down the sideline and the wide receiver hauled in the 33-yard pass to get UW down to the 2, where Clay scored on the next play.
14-0 Wisconsin
5 plays, 65 yards, 2:05 TOP, 1:25 left
David Gilreath eight-yard run (Philip Welch kick)
Key Play: Wisconsin's passing game is taking flight here in the first quarter. Tolzien already has 98 passing yards, 23 of which went to Lance Kendricks, who tiptoed down to the UH 8 to set up another touchdown.
Second Quarter
21-0 Wisconsin
9 plays, 80 yards, 4:00 TOP, 11:08 left
Scott Tolzien one-yard run (Welch kick)
Key Play: Tolzien, amidst pressure, couldn’t get much on a throw to Gilreath on a deep route, but the junior wide receiver adjusted nicely between two Hawaii defenders, coming back to the ball and advancing it 44 yards down to the one-yard line.
21-3 Wisconsin
7 plays, 35 yards, 2:52 TOP, 8:10 left
FG Scott Enos 45 yards
Key Play: J.J. Watt made a great play on a Bryant Moniz pass attempt, but a 15-yard facemask penalty negated the play. To add insult to injury, Watt jumped offsides on the next play, giving UH prime field position.
21-3 Wisconsin
7 plays, 35 yards, 2:52 TOP, 8:10 left
FG Scott Enos 45 yards
Key Play: J.J. Watt made a great play on a Bryant Moniz pass attempt, but a 15-yard facemask penalty negated the play. To add insult to injury, Watt jumped offsides on the next play, giving UH prime field position.
27-3 Wisconsin
7 plays, 80 yards, 3:09 TOP, :50 left
John Clay 3-yard run (kick failed)
Key Play: UW had made a habit of setting up its scoring drives with the pass play, but John Clay took the big-play responsibilities on his shoulders. On the first play of the drive, Clay went around the right side of the o-line for 34 yards to the UH 46.
Second Half
Third Quarter
34-3 Wisconsin
11 plays, 85 yards, 6:07 TOP, 3:43 left
John Clay 15-yard run (Chris Borland kick)
Key Play: With Hawaii struggling against the run, many thought John Clay would have a big day offensively. He hasn't disappointed, as Clay ran the final four plays of the drive for 47 yards, including his touchdown run where he leaped over a fallen defender.
Fourth Quarter
37-3 Wisconsin
16 plays, 77 yards, 8:29 TOP, 8:47 left
FG Philip Welch 33
Key Play: UW did what he does best on the scoring drive, milk the clock. UW's 8-plus minute drive was one of its best of the season, a have sent the Hawaiian faithful to the exits.
37-10 Wisconsin
9 plays, 80 yards, 3:56 TOP, 4:51 left
J. Taylor 2-yard pass from B. Moniz (Enos kick)
Key Play: UW did what he does best on the scoring drive, milk the clock. UW's 8-plus minute drive was one of its best of the season, a have sent the Hawaiian faithful to the exits.
44-10 Wisconsin
1 play, 35 yards, :06 TOP, 4:40 left
Montee Ball 35-yard run (Borland kick)
Key Play: New quarterback, no problem. After Hawaii failed to recover the onside kick, UW subbed in Curt Phillips. All he had to do was hand the ball off to Montee Ball, as the freshman rumbled through a huge hole on the right side of the offensive line to go untouched for the score.
51-10 Wisconsin
4 plays, 9 yards, 2:09 TOP, 1:27 left
Dustin Sherer 11-yard run (Borland kick)
Key Play: Dustin Sherer gets his first playing time of the season and he makes it count, running a naked bootleg on fourth down for an 11-yard score, doing a 360-cartwheel in the process.