Aug. 31, 2002
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - Jonathan Orr had the biggest receiving day by a freshman in Wisconsin history, and the Badgers beat UNLV 27-7 Saturday night in a game stopped midway through the fourth quarter because of a power outage.
Scott Campbell kicked a 42-yard field goal for Wisconsin with 7:57 left, and the lights flickered, dimmed and went out completely 16 seconds later while UNLV had the ball. Players from both teams milled around in the middle of the field, sometimes in total darkness, during a 15-minute delay before the game was called.
Mark Horn, telecommunications manager for Sam Boyd Stadium, said power went down in East Las Vegas, causing the outage at the stadium.
"The big lights went down first because they were drawing the most power," Horn said.
It was the second straight win for Wisconsin, which played twice in August for the first time. The Badgers, looking to return to the rankings, dropped out of the Top 25 on Monday after needing a late field goal to squeak by Fresno State 23-21 a week ago.
They surged ahead 24-0 in the second quarter, when Brooks Bollinger threw scoring passes to Orr and Bob Docherty. Dwayne Smith also scored on a 2-yard run and Mike Allen had a 43-yard field goal.
Orr, redshirted last year, had seven catches for 150 yards and a score, emerging as the go-to receiver for Bollinger at least until mid-October, when Lee Evans is expected to return from a knee injury. Tony Simmons set the previous freshman record with 132 yards receiving against Illinois in 1994.
The Rebels avoided a shutout when Joe Haro scored on a 15-yard run with 56 seconds left in the second quarter.
The game drew 42,075 - the largest crowd at a team sports event in Nevada. The old record of 41,238 was set in 1996 when Brigham Young played Wyoming for the Western Athletic Conference championship, also at Sam Boyd Stadium.
UNLV, which lost three returnees to its defensive front due to injuries, contained Anthony Davis, the Big Ten's leading rusher last season. But the Rebels couldn't get enough of a pass rush - sacking Bollinger just once - to help the secondary with Orr, who had five catches for 123 yards in the second quarter alone.
He caught a 37-yard pass from Bollinger for Wisconsin's first TD, had a 39-yard reception before Allen's field goal and grabbed a 21-yard pass from Jim Sorgi to set up Smith's TD with 2:19 left in the second.
UNLV quarterback Jason Thomas, a three-year starter, showed flashes of brilliance early, hitting Steven Costa for 34 yards on UNLV's fifth play.
But Thomas also threw two interceptions and fumbled twice in the first 19:08 of the game.
Defensive tackle Jason Jefferson recovered on UNLV's 37-yard line when Thomas lost the snap early in the second quarter. Bollinger hit Orr on the next play for a 7-0 Wisconsin lead with 11:45 left in the half.
Seconds later, the Rebels' Larry Croom lost his second fumble, recovered by the Scott Starks on the UNLV 9.
After a 1-yard gain by Davis, Bollinger found Docherty in the flat, and the tight end scored with 10:59 remaining.
Allen, the Big Ten's special teams player of the week for his three field goals against Fresno State, was only 1-for-4 this time.
Defensive end Ahmad Briggs blocked his first attempt, and Allen was short on a 47-yard attempt in the second quarter and wide on a 30-yarder in the third.
Campbell came in for Wisconsin's fifth try.
By MEL REISNER
AP Sports Writer
