Powerful Run Game Leads No. 23 Wisconsin Past UMass Football, 45-0

Aug 31, 2013

MADISON, Wis. - The No. 23 Wisconsin Badgers used a powerful run game and cracked several big plays of 40 or more yards to defeat the University of Massachusetts, 45-0 on Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.

UMass (0-1) will host longtime FCS rival Maine next Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium for the Minutemen's home opener. Kick-off is set for 2:00 PM and the game will be televised on ESPN3.com.

In his first start for UMass, running back Stacey Bedell tallied 70 yards on 19 carries while Lorenzo Woodley added 22 yards in seven attempts. Quarterback Mike Wegzyn finished 9-for-23 with 73 yards and one interception. A.J. Doyle went 5-for-7 for 39 yards as the signal caller in relief of Wegzyn.

Derek Beck had a game-high and single-game personal-best six catches go for 37 yards. Ricardo Miller added 22 yards on a pair of grabs while Brandon Howard hauled in two passes for 21 yards.

On defense, Devin Brown led the Minutemen with a career-high nine tackles and an interception. Stanley Andre registered seven takedowns while Randall Jette added six stops, including five solo tackles.

Melvin Gordon led the Wisconsin ground attack with 144 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries while James White finished with 143 yards and a TD on 11 touches. Jared Abbrederis added 122 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns while quarterback Joel Stave ended the day 9-for-17 with 197 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The Badgers (1-0) jumped out to a 7-0 lead on their opening drive of the game. The score was set-up by a 47 yard run by White, which put Wisconsin at the UMass 17 yard line. An 11-yard pass off play action by Stave to White placed the ball at the four yard line. Stave dropped back on the next play to pass again, but ended up running for the game's opening score just 2:31 into the quarter.

UMass fumbled on the third play of the next possession, but Brown picked off Stave on the first play of Wisconsin's drive to give the Minutemen back the ball.

Wisconsin added a field goal after UMass managed to hold strong on the goal line putting the Badgers up 10-0 with 17 seconds left in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Minutemen had their best scoring opportunity as a 10-play, 49 yard drive set up a 47 yard field goal by Blake Lucas. He initially hit the attempt, but time out was called just before the snap, forcing a re-kick. The second attempt just missed - giving the ball back to Wisconsin.

That proved a tough break as Wisconsin broke a 70-yard run by Gordon to go up 17-0 with 3:33 left in the first half.

UMass received the ball to start the second half, but were forced to punt. Following a timeout on the change of possession, Stave sent a 65-yard bomb to Abbrederis giving the Badgers a 24-0 lead.

Wisconsin added another big play with a 51-yard run for a touchdown with 10:31 left in the third quarter. White broke loose and rushed down the right sideline for the score. For White, it marked his second run of the day over 30 or more yards.

The Badgers tacked on two more scores in the third quarter and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to reach the final score.

Fourteen Minutemen made their UMass debuts against Wisconsin: DL Justin Anderson, DL Peter Angeh, LS Nick Berus, LB Steve Casali, WR Shaquille Harris, OL Tyshon Henderson, OL Fabian Hoeller, TE Brandon Howard, LB Shane Huber, TE Ricardo Miller, WR Shakur Nesmith, OL David Osei, RB Lorenzo Woodley and WR/KR D.J. Woods. It marked the first college football game for Angeh, Berus, Casali, Harris, Henderson, Hoeller, Howard, Huber, Nesmith, Woodley and Woods.

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