ESPNU's halftime show is extolling the performance of Phillip Nelson right now, and the true freshman hasn't been bad in this first half. Nelson is 7-for-14 with 89 yards and a touchdown, though the real story has to be Wisconsin's offense.--specifically, James White's emergence with seven carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns. The first one came out of the Wildcat, which earns bonus points in these here parts.
Elsewhere, Joel Stave (5-for-8, 92 yards) has been solid. The Badgers tested the Gophers' secondary often in the first half, the central result of that being Jared Abbrederis' two catches for 68 yards. Abby could've had a third catch and a touchdown, but he was unable to haul in a Stave throw that might've been a little wide in the endzone. No worries, though. That connection was sharp throughout the first half, and you have to imagine it will take a legitimate adjustment from Minnesota to shut it down.
Montee Ball rushed 10 times, though mostly up the middle and only for 35 yards. Stave has connected with four different receivers in Stave, Jacob Pedersen, Kenzel Doe and Brian Wozniak.
Defensively, I'd say Wisconsin has been decent but hardly spectacular. It appeared Ethan Armstrong got hung up deciding between covering the flat and Brandon Green, who was wide-open on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Nelson in the first quarter. But Chris Borland Best Mode engaged on the PAT, and the Badgers' fantastic middle linebacker surged through the line enough to divert the extra point. All after I Tweeted the score was 7-7, too!
Should be a fun second half, as this one might be a little closer than many people expected. After all, I predicted a 41-17 Wisconsin victory. Still could happen, I suppose. Come join us in the GameThread, where we're breaking down all the action in a manner that's both light-hearted and wholly aggressive toward Minnesota. On Wisconsin, 1-0 and all that.