Player of the Game

Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark

Clark was everything that the Nittany Lions needed him to be, and then some. In his first start at Camp Randall Stadium, the PSU signal-caller was an impressive 16 of 25 for 244 yards, along with one touchdown and one interception.

Clark also two rushing touchdowns, with 18 yards on six carries. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but his ability to control the game and pick apart the Badgers' secondary was impressive.

"He made some plays, created some time in the pocket, went downfield with some throws, and obviously has the ability to move around in the pocket," UW coach Bret Bielema said.

Play of the Game

Penn State wide receiver Derrick Williams' punt return

Williams, one of the most versatile and dangerous players in the conference, made his mark known against Wisconsin. With 10:11 left in the second quarter, Williams crossed the goal line after a 63-yard punt return. It was his fifth career return for a touchdown, and the third this season; his other two scores came on kick returns. Williams didn't do much else of note, but that score gave Penn State a 17-0 lead, opening up what had been a nip-and-tuck affair.

"I only saw one replay of it and they got leverage out of our left tackle and our left wing and sealed everybody else back inside," Bielema said. Williams "started in the middle and it broke out to our left."

Thumbs Up

Wisconsin linebacker Culmer St. Jean

St. Jean had the most important Wisconsin statistic of the night: a turnover. His fourth-quarter interception inside the Wisconsin 10-yard line allowed the Badgers to breathe a measure of dignity, in part because he returned the pick to Wisconsin's 42-yard line.

St. Jean also had two tackles, and was one of the few players who seemed to shine in the latter stages of the blowout.

Thumbs Down

Tackling

Play after play, the Wisconsin defense gave up extra yards because of its inability to wrap up and make a sure tackle. This was most obvious whenever Clark had the ball. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Clark is by no means an easy body to tackle. Clark managed just 18 yards on his six carries, but the Badgers were unable to tackle him when it was most crucial, at the goal line.

Both of Clark's rushing touchdowns came within the Badgers' five-yard line, on runs of two and four yards. Each of these touchdown runs were reviewed by the officials, mainly because there were so many bodies hanging on Clark that it made it difficult for the referees to see where the ball was.

The Badgers also had trouble with PSU running back Evan Royster, and allowed multiple runs that resulted in first downs when Royster should have been stopped for a three-to-four yard gain.

For senior linebacker and team captain DeAndre Levy, it is this inconsistency on defense that is really hurting the team.

"We didn't tackle too (well) today. We tackled well last week but we can't be up-and-down like that," he said.

By the numbers