No. 6 Wisconsin Vs. Michigan: Badgers Roll In The Big House, 48-28

The fourth quarter of Wisconsin-Michigan is nearly as busy as the third, with both teams trading points, but (spoiler alert!) the Badgers pull away, and a key Michigan player (Darryl Stonum) leaves the game with an injury.

The first play of the final quarter is a three-yard Montee Ball run for a touchdown to stretch Wisconsin's lead to 38-21. Another big kickoff runback for Stonum, and a promising Michigan drive is stopped short by a Denard Robinson interception.

Bret Bielema's not about to let even a 17-point lead get away, and he sends his boys down the field for a short drive and a 40-yard field goal. Wisconsin leads, 41-21.

Stonum returns the next kickoff 17 yards, but is injured at the end of his efforts and has to be walked off the field.  Robinson takes control of the Wolverines' next drive, hitting Roy Roundtree for a 28-yard gain, breaking off a 14-yard run of his own, and hitting Roundtree again for 21 more yards. After a brief panic with a fumble that's recovered by Robinson, he hits Roundtree on the hands one more time for a 28-yard touchdown. The score is 41-28, and that's the last we'll see of Robinson today.

Not the last we'll see of Montee Ball, however. A clock-eating drive shared entirely between him and James White ends with a four-yard touchdown by Ball to wrap this one up, and all that's left is for Tate Forcier to come in for a meaningless series, and we're through in the Big House. Wisconsin wins, 48-28.

Join the discussion with Wisconsin and Michigan communities in our live game discussion threads.

Michigan introduces their third kick returner of the game to open the second half, and Darryl Stonum takes it 32 yards, which helps offset the 10-yard penalty the Wolverines draw on the return.

Trailing 24-0, you'd expect Rich Rodriguez to pour on the offensive speed, and that's exactly what happens, with a little help from some Badger butterfingers. In less than five minutes, Denard Robinson hits Stonum down the right side for a 24-yard touchdown pass, and the Wolverines are on the board, 24-7. Three plays into Wisconsin's answering drive, receiver Isaac Anderson fumbles the ball away, and Robinson goes back to work, targeting Stonum for a 34-yard pass and running the last four yards off himself for a second touchdown. The score is now 24-14.

Wisconsin snaps out of it and gives the ball first to Montee Ball for four straight plays, then to James White for three, and White's last effort takes him 23 yards for an answering score. 31-14, Badgers.

After another lengthy kickoff return from Stonum, the Wolverines answer again, this time in just over two minutes. Robinson to Stonum again for 32 yards sets up an 11-yard Robinson TD run, and we've got a ballgame in the Big House.

Midway through this quarter, by the way, Denard Robinson breaks Beau Morgan's Division I-A quarterback rushing record of 1,503 yards. At the end of the third, Wisconsin leads, 31-21. For more on today's contest, follow along with our live game threads.

Right off the bat in the second quarter, things aren't going well for the Wolverines. Michigan misses a 30-yard field goal, on their own field, and the Badgers take over.

Montee Ball, James White, and Scott Tolzien stage a six-minute, turf-nibbling drive, highlighted by a 34-yard Tolzien pass to Lance Kendricks, but a 15-yard penalty at Michigan's 5-yard line reduces their scoring opportunity to a 25-yard field goal attempt. Wisconsin leads, 10-0.

A 36-yard Drew Dileo kickoff run bodes well for Michigan shaking off whatever ailed them for most of the first quarter, but the Wolverines go three-and-out, and Wisconsin makes the most of their next drive. Two Tolzien passes totalling 40 yards set up a 27-yard touchdown run for Montee Ball. Wisconsin leads, 17-0.

Dileo does it again, going 34 yards on this next kickoff return, but Robinson can't seem to connect with his receivers and the Wolverines give it back on another three-and-out.

And here comes another nasty, brutish, and short Wisconsin scoring drive: Three plays. One Tolzien pass to White for nine yards, one Tolzien pass to Kendricks for 14 yards, and then white breaks off left for a 61-yard touchdown run.

Michigan fumbles the ensuing kickoff return (notably not handled by Drew Dileo), but Tolzien is intercepted on the Badgers' third play following. It's too late for the Wolverines to take advantage, however, and the teams hit the locker rooms.

At the half, Wisconsin leads Michigan, 24-0. Follow along with Badger and Wolverine fans in our live game threads.

It's a surprisingly loud Saturday in the Big House, where Michigan fans are vibrating the camera rigs with their noise even though the visiting team in red isn't Ohio State. The Wolverines get some key shots in early, including a sack on Scott Tolzien on the Badgers' first drive that forces a punt, but Wisconsin seems to know that Denard Robinson will be getting most of the touches on offense for Michigan, and have planned accordingly.

Two lengthy and fruitless drives take up half the first quarter before Wisconsin settles down. A drive that includes nine rushing plays and one 21-yard pass from Tolzien to David Gilreath ends in a one-yard touchdown run from Montee Ball with 3:20 remaining in the quarter. Michigan is deep in Wisconsin territory, on the tail-end of a Robinson-heavy series, and reaches the Badgers' 17-yard line as the clock winds down.

At the end of the first quarter, Wisconsin leads Michigan, 7-0. Follow along with fans of both teams in our live threads.

SB Nation's Michigan and Wisconsin communities discuss Saturday's game, and how home-field advantage has played a part in the Wolverines-Badgers rivalry:

RB: Though the game is at the Big House this year, Camp Randall is a very difficult stadium to play in for many opposing teams.  However, Michigan has a very good record (19-5-1 before the RR era started) on Wisconsin's home turf.  Now, though, Wisconsin has won the last three in a row at home.  Would you elaborate on what makes Camp Randall such a tough stadium to play in, and why you think Michigan has had historical success?  Do you see the trend reversing?

B5Q: Well the historical success is simple to explain. Michigan has the most wins in NCAA history and the Badgers were awful until 1993. But you are right, even in the Barry Alvarez era, the Wolverines got their shots in. But the three-game winning streak UW has over Michigan at home coincides with the completed renovations at Camp Randall that made it a fully-enclosed bowl and that has made it a much louder and hostile home environment. That, along with the emphasis Bret Bielema has put on winning at home, will continue to make it tough for Michigan – and plenty of other great Big Ten programs – to come into Madison and get victories.

SB Nation's Wisconsin and Michigan communities discuss Saturday's game and what it means for Rich Rodriguez's job prospects:

Bucky's 5th Quarter: I have to be honest. I haven’t given much respect to Michigan all season, but here you guys are, 7-3. That’s not bad. Are Wolverines fans off Rich Rod’s back? Or is it still possible for him to lose his job if Michigan loses to Wisconsin and Ohio State and then falls in its bowl game?
 
Maize N' Brew: I think Rich is pretty safe at this point. No one is "off" his back at this point because, no matter what, a 7 or 8 win season is never really enough at Michigan. The fan base as a whole expects 9-10 wins every year and to be in the top 10 consistently. Just how it is. Rodriguez is definitely looking at a return next year, but dropping the next three (bowl game included) in horrific fashion could make things REALLY uncomfortable over the off season. Personally I think Michigan plays competitively in its next two games and wins whatever bowl they go to, so Rodriguez should be looking at a really good team returning next season and a defense that might finally be mediocre enough to put them in the Big Ten title discussion.