FINAL: Badgers 45, The Citadel 31

2:30 p.m. -- The Badgers were able to play plenty of reserves the final 6 minutes of the fourth quarter as they closed out the victory and moved to 3-0 on the season. Credit the defense for making adjustments and shutting down the Bulldogs in the second half until a last-minute scoring drive resulted in a 1-yard TD pass from Duran Lawson (his fourth) to Taylor Cornett.

After racking up 245 yards in the first half, The Citadel was held to 92 second-half yards entering its final drive of the fourth quarter while UW's defensive starters were still in the game. Although The Citadel scored the final 10 points of the game, a strong second-half defensive showing and good balance on offense -- 254 yards rushing, 210 passing -- gives the Badgers some momentum going inot their Big Ten opener with Iowa.

As the Badger game was ending, Iowa had fallen behind 12-0 in the third quarter of their game at Iowa State and managed just 98 yards of total offense to that point. UW won last year's meeting 24-21 to halt a four-year losing streak to the Hawkeyes.

Fourth quarter: Badgers 45, The Citadel 24

2:15 p.m. -- The Citadel put together its first sustained drive of the second half against a UW defense that started to include several back-up players. The Bulldogs moved 62 yards in five plays before Mike Adams booted a 38-yard field goal with just over 5 minutes left.

Meanwhile, our coverage team has left for the sidelines. Tom Mulhern, Tom Oates and Andy Baggot will handle UW player and coach interviews while Tom Ziemer will hear from The Citadel players and coaches.

Fourth quarter: Smith, Evridge enter game

2:10 p.m. -- Sophomore tailback Lance Smith entered the game with quarterback Allen Evridge with 9 minutes to play and Smith quickly made his presence felt.

Smith, restricted to playing only at home in wake of a recent suspension related to a domestic dispute, had three carries for 72 yards -- including a 56-yarder -- on a drive that reached The Citadel 17 before Everidge fumbled a handoff exchange with freshman Zach Brown, giving the Bulldogs the ball with 7:05 to play in the game.

Fourth quarter: View from the press box

2 p.m. -- There were plenty of good seats available along the first row of the press box on the side normally reserved for members of the visiting media.

 In fact, during the second half, the only person occupying a seat on that end of the press box was WIBA Radio's Mike Heller -- the voice of UW women's basketball. UW sports information director Justin Doherty said there was a reporter on hand from the Charleston, S.C., paper.

 Meanwhile, Doherty knows it will be a different scene in the press box next week. It is already expected to be at or near capacity for the Badgers' Big Ten opener against the Iowa Hawkeyes with a 7 p.m. kickoff. 

Fourth quarter: Badgers 45, The Citadel 21

1:55 p.m. -- Another solid return by freshman David Gilreath, this time on a Bulldogs punt, combined with a facemask flag against The Citadel gave the Badgers a short field and they quickly capitalized.

Quarterback Tyler Donovan hit tight end Travis Beckum on a 25-yard TD pass with 12:27 to play. For the game, Donovan is 14-for-20 for 201 yards and two TDs.

By the way, The Citadel was held to minus-3 yards on five plays in its two third-quarter possessions.

Fourth quarter: Badgers 38, The Citadel 21

1:50 p.m. -- UW sophomore P.J. Hill tied a school record with his fifth touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Tyler Donovan with just over 14 minutes to play.

Hill joins an elite group of Badgers to score five touchdowns in a game. Billy Marek was the first to do it (vs. Minnesota in 1974) while Anthony Davis (vs. Minnesota in 2002), Lee Evans (vs. Michigan State in 2003) and Brian Calhoun (vs. Bowling Green and Illinois in 2005) have also accomplished the feat.

The big play on this scoring drive was a 25-yard pass completion to tight end Garrett Graham, his first catch of the game, on second-and-20 from midfield. Hill, who has 165 yards on 24 carries, covered the final 25 yards on the seven-play, 62-yard drive with three carries before the touchdown grab.

End of the third quarter: Badgers 31, The Citadel 21

1:45 p.m. -- The Badgers closed out the quarter on the doorstep of another score, driving to The Citadel 11 before time expired on a quarter they dominated.

UW had the ball for 12:43 in the 15-minute third-quarter while the Bulldogs had it for 2:13.

Third quarter: Badgers 31, The Citadel 21

1:30 p.m. -- UW took its first double-digit lead of the game in this see-saw battle, driving 30 yards on seven plays after the Shane Carter interception  only to settle for a 22-yard Tayler Mehlhaff field goal after tackle Danny Kaye jumped offsides on fourth-and-goal from the Bulldogs 1.

The Badgers wasted a golden opportunity to make it a two-touchdown game after Luke Swan caught a 17-yard pass on the first play of the dirve and drew a pass interference call in the end zone a few plays later. For the game, Swan has five catches for 76 yards, giving him 17 catches for 297 yards on the season.

Third quarter: The defense steps up!

1:25 p.m. -- Whatever was said at halftime made an impact with the Badgers defense, especially the secondary.

On the first play of The Citadel's first possesion of the second half, UW sophomore Aubrey Pleasant smothered Bulldogs quarterback Duran Lawson on a safety blitz. On the next play, fellow sophomore safety Shane Carter made a leaping interception of a Lawson pass, giving the Badgers' the football at The Citadel 36.

Third quarter: View from the press box

1:20 p.m. -- Ever wonder what your favorite Badgers' ring tone is? Your questions were answered during the first extended TV timeout in the third quarter.

Junior Kraig Urbik's is "Summertime" by Kenny Chesney. Senior Marcus Coleman's is "Party Like a Rock Star." Senior Tyler Donovan's is a selection from AC/DC. Senior linebacker James Kamoku's is "Play that Funky Music White Boy." Senior defensive lineman Nick Hayden's is the "Dawson's Creek" soundtrack.

And senior long snapper Steve Johnson's just happened to be "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. Which couldn't have come at a better time because that's what was the next musical selection over the P.A. system.

Third quarter: Badgers 28, The Citadel 21

1:15 p.m. -- Air Donovan emerged coming out of halftime as UW quarterback Tyler Donovan completed two passes to Luke Swan -- including a 17-yarder to the Bulldogs' 26-yard line on third-and-13 -- and another to tight end Travis Beckum in double coverage to set up a UW score -- P.J. Hill's fourth touchdown on a 1-yard run.

The drive was a significant for keeping The Citadel offense off the field as it was for giving the Badgers the lead. It covered 81 yards on 12 plays and used up the first 6:17 of the third-quarter clock.

Hill is now up to 127 yards on 18 carries. That's the second straight 100-yard game for Hill, who had 147 yards on 30 carries last week at UNLV after being limited to 84 yards on 21 carries two weeks ago at home against Washington State. 

Halftime: Badgers 21, The Citadel 21

12:40 p.m. -- The Badgers left the field to a mixed reaction after failing to gain separation from the pesky Bulldogs in the first half. The Citadel had no trouble moving the football on UW, gaining 245 yards (to 188 for the Badgers) with 16 first downs (to 10 for the Badgers).

If nothing else, it has been an entertaining game. The two teams have combined to go 5-for-5 scoring in the red zone and their go-to players have come to play.

For The Citadel, that would be quarterback Duran Lawson, who is 13-for-16 for 140yards with three touchdowns. For the Badgers, that would be tailback P.J. Hill who has 96 yards and two TDs on 12 carries.

Second quarter: Badgers 21, The Citadel 21

12:35 p.m. -- The boo birds have come out at Camp Randall after the Bulldogs moved 81 yards on nine plays in just 1:58 to tie the game with 59 seconds left in the half.

Duran Lawson continues to shred the UW secondary as The Citadel quarterback found Joshua Haney on a 22-yard pass to the Badgers' 29. Then he hit a wide-open senior running back Tory Cooper out of the backfield on the 19-yard TD strike to tie the game, much to the displeasure of UW fans who weren't afraid to show it.

Here in the press box, colleague Andy Baggot doesn't like the karma here at Camp Randall today. The game is on the Big Ten network with the same crew -- play-by-play man Thom Brennaman and color commentator Charles Davis -- that worked the Michigan-Appalachian State game.

Second quarter: Badgers 21, The Citadel 14

12:30 p.m. -- Upset? Did someone say upset? While its defense struggles to contain The Citadel's spread offense, the UW offense continues to put points on the scoreboard. This time, they moved 46 yards on four plays and tied the game on a 1-yard TD run by P.J. Hill one play after the sophomore popped a 40-yarder.

One of the bright spots today for the Badgers has been freshman David Gilreath's work on kickoff returns. He has returned two for 59 yards, including a 33-yarder that gave UW a short field on this touchdown drive.

Second quarter: Badgers 14, The Citadel 14

12:25 p.m. -- The Bulldogs uncorked their second 72-yard scoring drive of the game. This one took 10 plays -- two more than their first-quarter touchdown drive -- and took 4:50 off the clock. And the end of it couldn't have come any easier as The Citadel quarterback Duran Lawson rolled out to the left, drawing the entire UW defense his way and leaving senior tight end Aaron Kelly wide open for the 6-yard scoring pass.

Lawson has enjoyed a productive first half, completing nine of 10 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

 By the way, in case you haven't already circled it on your calendar, colleague Andy Baggot points out that The Citadel will play host to Appalachian State on Nov. 3 at Charleston, S.C. That's the same day the Badgers play at Ohio State.

Second quarter: View from the press box

12:20 p.m. -- The UW women's basketball team was recognized during the TV timeout after the Badgers' second score. The UW women open the season Nov. 1 with an exhibition game against St. Norbert at the Kohl Center. ... The UW student section has finally filled in and there is so much red between sections K and Q that not only do those fans wearing white shirts stand out, but so does the UW Marching Band, which may have too much white in its uniforms for UW coach Bret Bielema's tastes. ... Scoreboard update from my colleague Tom Oates: Buffalo 3, Penn State 3 in the second quarter. That also drew a reaction from the crowd when it was announced during a TV timeout.

Second quarter: Badgers 14, The Citadel 7

12:10 p.m. -- The Badgers made a statement throughout their 11-play, 78-yard drive in the middle of the second quarter, converting a fourth-and-2 situation easily on a 9-yard reverse by freshman wide receiver David Gilreath that set up a 2-yard TD run by P.J. Hill.

There were several key plays on this 5:47 drive. Luke Swan returned to the game and hauled in a 13-yard pass on second-and-9. Badger quarterback Tyler Donovan followed that play with a 24-yard keeper down the left sidelines, to The Citadel 40-yard line.

It appears that sophomore tailback Lance Smith has lost his back-up role for home games, too. Smith, who cannot travel to UW road games as the result of a recent suspension, has yet to make an appearance and freshman Zach Brown got two carries on this drive as Hill sat out a couple plays before his TD run.

End of first quarter: Badgers 7, The Citadel 7

11:50 a.m. -- The anatomy of an upset? Not to alarm anyone, but Michigan and Appalachian State (like The Citadel, a member of the collection of college football teams formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA) were tied at 7 at one point -- the Wolverines even led 14-7 after one quarter -- before the Mountaineers scored 21 second-quarter points on their way to a 34-32 upset two weeks ago in Ann Arbor.

 So far today, The Citadel (108 total yards) has outgained UW (67) after one quarter. The Bulldogs have seven first downs to UW's five.

The Citadel quarterback Duran Lawson is 6-for-6 passing while UW's Tyler Donovan is 3-for-5. Each team has allowed a sack and punted once, altought UW punter Ken DeBauche continues to struggle as his first attemp sailed just 29 yards.

Injury update: Ikegwuonu, Swan hobbled

11:41 a.m. -- UW junior cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu was shaken up in pursuit of a pass play on The Citadel's first play from scrimmage. He jogged off the field under his own power, but has spent much of the first quarter having his upper right leg iced by a trainer.

Meanwhile, UW wide receiver Luke Swan came off the field gingerly after making an 18-yard catch during the Badgers' second possession. He was checked out by UW medical personnel and appears to be OK.

First quarter: Badgers 7, The Citadel 7

11:30 a.m. --  The Citadel answers the Badgers' touchdown drive with one of their own behind senior quarterback Duran Lawson, who led the Bulldogs' spread offense on an eight-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in a 10-yard TD pass from Lawson to Tim Higgins. Lawson had the big play on the drive, showing great mobility on a 25-yard scramble to the Badgers' 30-yard line.

First quarter: Badgers 7, The Citadel 0

11:20 a.m. -- The Badgers are the first to put points on the scoreboard, marching four plays in 42 yards on their opening drive capped by tailback P.J. Hill's 22-yard touchdown run. The highlight-reel play in the drive came from freshman wide receiver Kyle Jefferson, starting for the injured Paul Hubbard. He made a one-handed grab of a Tyler Donovan pass and managed to keep his left arm around the ball as he fell to the turf.

A great day for football (players)

11:15 a.m. -- That was WISC-TV meteorologist Gary Cannalte's take on the day during his GameDay forecast segment on the stadium videoboard. He forecast temperatures ranging from 54 to 58 degrees during the first half with a high of 62 during the second half. He calls for temperatures to fall into the low 50s during the postgame celebration.

Meanwhile, another area youngster won the honor of being on the field for the opening kickoff. Jason Dayne of Cottage Grove was the lucky winner of the promotion through a state grocery chain with a swine mascot.

In the press box

11:10 a.m. -- Among the familiar faces in the press box were former Milwaukee Brewers slugger Gorman Thomas and WIAA executive director Doug Chickering.

According to UW officials, a credential for Thomas was requested through The Citadel. He didn't appear too concerned that current Milwaukee Brewers star Prince Fielder is about to erase his franchise single-season home run record. The two are currently tied with 45, a mark also matched twice by Richie Sexson.

Chickering is in town following Friday's joint press conference with UW Athletic Director Barry Alvarez, announcing an extension of their agreement to host seven state tournaments in UW Athletic Department facilities. The big news was that the WIAA state girls basketball tournament will return to the Kohl Center in 2010.

The Red Is Out

 10:44 a.m. --  The sea of red started in front of Ogg Hall and stretched down Dayton Street.

 It lined University Avenue as fans marched from the State Street area to Camp Randall Stadium.

 Badger coach Bret Bielema's call for fans to wear red -- and nothing but red -- has apparently been honored.

 Fans who would usually have "BUCKY" scrawled across a gray t-shirt or a Bucky Badger logo on a white shirt have left those dominant color schemes in the closet. Per Bielema's request, Camp Randall Stadium will be a wall of red today as UW takes on The Citadel in the final non-conference tune-up before next week's Big Ten Conference opener here against Iowa (7 p.m.).

 With the exception of the south end zone, where high school bands on hand for Band Day sported in their respective school colors, red is indeed the dominant color of the day as we approach the 11:15 a.m. kickoff.

 Check back here on the Badger Blitz as we provide our continuous Game Day blog of things happening on and off the field during today's game. Of course, we expect a little more online traffic today since many of you reading at home won't be able to watch the game unless you have DirectTV and Dish Network.