"The seniors talked a lot at halftime and our coaches made some adjustments," said Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, "but the big thing is, the way the season has gone, we've been emphasizing the finish, the finish, the finish and you can't get more of a finish than an overtime win."

In winning for the fourth time in their final five games, the Badgers' offense had to go away from its strengths in order to survive. For the second straight week, the opponent stacked the defense to limit Wisconsin's running game and forced Dustin Sherer to put the ball in the air. Sherer bested his previous career-high (set the previous week against Minnesota) when he threw for 245 yards on 13 of 22 passing.

But that's not to say Wisconsin can't pound the ball when necessary. Junior tailback P.J. Hill and redshirt freshman John Clay each rushed for a pair of touchdowns -- Hill forcing overtime and Clay providing the game-winner in extra time -- to give the Badgers 31 rushing scores for the year.

"It's very important giving the seniors an opportunity to go out on a good note," Clay said. "We know the season hasn't gone well, but we just want to give them something happy to leave with."

SEASON RECAP: Wisconsin 38, Akron 17 -- The Badgers raced out to a 17-0 lead, then allowed the Zips to get close thanks to two turnovers at the goal line before pulling away in the second half. Junior RB P.J. Hill rushed for 210 yards and two scores as Wisconsin kept it on the ground almost exclusively.

Wisconsin 51, Marshall 14 -- After falling behind the Herd 14-0, the Badgers cranked up their passing game and crushed the visitors. Senior QB Allan Evridge completed 17 of 26 passes for 308 yards. He threw for just one score, but put the running game in position for five rushing touchdowns.

Wisconsin 13, Fresno State 10 -- The 10th-ranked Badgers scored the Big Ten's biggest win of the non-conference season as they held on for a win over the 21st-ranked Bulldogs. P.J. Hill rushed for 112 yards while Wisconsin's defense made enough stands to force Fresno's kicker to win the game -- and he couldn't. The Bulldogs missed three of four field goals, including a 35-yarder with 11 minutes left that would have tied the game.

Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25 -- The Badgers tumbled out of the Top 10 as they surrendered a 19-0 halftime lead in the Big House. Wisconsin's defense gave up three long second-half touchdown drives, while the offense rarely capitalized on tremendous field position and missed on a game-tying two-point conversion with 13 seconds left.

Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 -- The Buckeyes made the last big play in a riveting, evenly matched Big Ten clash, as freshman QB Terrelle Pryor scored from 11 yards out with 1:08 left to win. Backup RB John Clay rushed for 69 yards to kickstart the Badgers' running game.

Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7 -- The Badgers completely unraveled before their home crowd and a national prime-time audience. QBs Allan Evridge and Dustin Sherer combined for four turnovers, while Penn State rushed for five TDs and returned a punt for a score in the Badgers' most-lopsided loss in 19 years.

Iowa 38, Wisconsin 16 -- Hawks RB Shonn Greene rumbled for 217 yards and four touchdowns as Iowa reeled off 24 consecutive second-half points to send Wisconsin to its fourth loss in a row. Junior QB Dustin Sherer made his first start and completed 17 of 34 for 161 yards and two interceptions.

Wisconsin 27, Illinois 17 -- After falling behind 17-10 early in the third quarter, the Badgers rallied to snap their longest losing streak in 12 years. Dustin Sherer hooked up with David Gilreath for a pair of second-half touchdown passes, while defensive backs Chris Maragos, Allen Langford and Niles Brinkley picked off Illini QB Juice Williams during the course of the game.

Michigan State 25, Wisconsin 24 -- The Badgers built a 24-13 lead on John Clay's 32-yard touchdown run with 9:19 to play, but the 21st-ranked Spartans put together three scoring drives down the stretch to pull off the win. Brett Swenson's 44-yard field goal with 0:07 left sealed the Badgers' fate despite a 281-25 edge in rushing yards.

Wisconsin 55, Indiana 20 -- The Badgers piled up 441 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground as they pulled after leading just 21-20 in the waning moments of the first half. Receiver David Gilreath (eight carries, 168 yards, two TDs) joined running backs P.J. Hill and John Clay in the 100-yard club as Wisconsin made it much easier to become bowl-eligible.

Wisconsin 35, Minnesota 32 -- Paul Bunyan's Axe belongs to the Badgers for the fifth consecutive year as the Badgers rallied from a 21-7 halftime deficit with help from a pair of safeties and an inspired ground attack. Junior P.J. Hill rushed for two second-half scores and freshman John Clay added a third to wrap up the comeback.

Wisconsin 36, Cal Poly 35 (OT): The Badgers avoided a catastrophic loss against a Cal Poly team that's highly-ranked in the FBS as John Clay's six-yard touchdown run and ensuing extra point by K Philip Welch finished the comeback. Wisconsin trailed 29-21 with four minutes left but QB Dustin Sherer directed a nine-play, 89-yard drive that ended in RB P.J. Hill's three-yard TD run and subsequent two-point conversion.