Sept. 11, 2004
Box Score
By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Jim Leonhard returned a blocked field goal 86 yards for a score and No. 21 Wisconsin used two safeties to hold off UNLV 18-3 Saturday.
The Badgers (2-0) hadn't recorded two safeties in a game since 1951 and they're the first Big Ten team to do it in 23 years, since Minnesota had two at Indiana in 1981. The first came on a high snap out of the end zone on a punt by UNLV and the second on linebacker Mark Zalewski's sack in the end zone.
Without star running back Anthony Davis, who is out indefinitely with an eye injury, the Badgers' offense sputtered and needed 10 possessions to get into the end zone on John Stocco's 5-yard touchdown toss to Darrin Charles with 12 minutes left.
The Rebels (0-2) had even more trouble moving the ball behind Shane Steichen, who replaced starter Kurt Nantkes (groin) in the first quarter.
Leonhard's 31-yard punt return in the closing minutes moved him past Nick Davis as the school's career leader in punt return yards with 1,030, 23 more than Davis, who played from 1998-01. But Leonhard also dropped two potential interceptions that would have made his day even more historic.
The Badgers, who got just three points out of six trips inside the UNLV 40-yard line in their stunning 23-5 loss to the Rebels in Madison a year ago, again were stifled on offense.
After Ryan Heise snapped the ball out of the end zone to give Wisconsin a 2-0 lead in the first quarter, Mike Allen was wide left on a 23-yard field goal, then Booker Stanley was stuffed by linebacker John Andrews on a fourth-and-goal dive from the 1.
Allen missed wide right from 49 yards after the Badgers reached the Rebels' 21 on their third possession.
The Badgers finally got into the end zone when linebacker Reggie Cribbs blocked Sergio Aguayo's 30-yard field goal and Leonhard scooped the ball and sprint away for the score and a 9-0 halftime lead.
Mark Zalewski's sack in the end zone gave Wisconsin its second safety and an 11-0 lead in the third quarter.
The first scoring drive for either team came on the 19th possession of the game, capped with Aguayo's 34-yard field goal that made it 11-3. It came after Dontez Sanders' one-handed interception on the first play of the drive was negated by Jason Jefferson's roughing of the quarterback.
With 12:19 remaining, Charles, who turned the wrong way and allowed Joe Miklos to intercept a pass in the third quarter, made an acrobatic 5-yard TD catch to cap the scoring.
That snapped a drought of 10 quarters in which the Badgers had failed to score an offensive touchdown against the Rebels, dating to the second quarter of their game in 2002.
Stanley started for Davis and rushed 22 times for 49 yards for a 2.2-yard average, and freshman Jamil Walker had 88 yards on 16 carries for a 5.5-yard average.
Steichen was 12-for-27 for 100 yards with no TDs and no interceptions.
Unlike last week, there were no instant replays called. The experimental system drew national criticism after causing a five-minute delay in the Badgers' win over Central Florida.
