Wisconsin 16, Utah State 14

MADISON, Wis. -- With Utah State down 16-14 and 11 seconds remaining, Aggies kicker Nick Diaz sent a 37-yard field-goal attempt wide right, and Wisconsin held on for its second close-call victory of the year.

Sophomore Kenzel Doe's 82-yard touchdown on an third-quarter punt return helped bring Wisconsin back from a 14-3 halftime deficit, as the Badgers avoided their first non-conference home loss since 2003.

The Badgers beat Northern Iowa 26-21 in their opener before falling 10-7 at Oregon State last week.

With Utah State (2-1) down by two and facing a third-and-10 with a little over a minute to go, quarterback Chuckie Keeton scrambled right before completing a 36-yard pass from midfield to Cameron Webb. That set up Diaz, who ultimately could not give the Aggies their second straight win over an FBS opponent.

Senior Montee Ball carried a heavy load of the Wisconsin offense, scoring the team's lone offensive touchdown and rushing for 139 yards on 37 carries. He bounced back after a disappointing 61-yard performance against Oregon State last week.

Ball was the key man on Wisconsin's game-winning drive, as quarterback Danny O'Brien handed the ball off to his tailback six times on a six-play, 42-yard march. Ball punched it into the endzone with a 17-yard run. The extra point was blocked.

Keeton led the way for the Aggies, throwing for 181 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for a team-high 75 yards on 15 carries. Williams topped all receivers, hauling in six passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Utah State lost the time-of-possession battle by more than nine minutes in the first half, although the scoreboard did not reflect it. The Aggies were limited to 10:13 of offense compared to the Badgers' 19-plus minutes, yet Utah State led 14-3 at the intermission.

Utah State opened the scoring with a three-play, 57-yard drive that was capped by a 39-yard touchdown reception by Kerwynn Williams at the 9:17 mark of the first quarter. Williams had shifted over from the backfield to a receiver slot, and Wisconsin's safeties were late to pick him up as quarterback Chuckie Keeton connected with his running back for the score.

Wisconsin was slow to respond, failing to gain a first down in its first three possessions before finally getting on the board with a 19-yard field goal that capped a 10-play, 62-yard drive. It looked as if the Badgers would cut the lead to one in the middle of the second quarter, but Kyle French had another field-goal attempt that strayed left.

With time winding down in the half, the Aggies capitalized on a fumble by Badgers quarterback Danny O'Brien's at the Wisconsin 24-yard line. A five-play drive resulted in another touchdown throw for Keeton, who floated one to receiver Matt Austin for an 11-yard score, giving the Aggies an 11-point lead at the half.

NOTES: Wisconsin's leading wide receiver, Jared Abbrederis, did not play after being knocked out of last week's game at Oregon State due to chest and head injuries. ... The last time Utah State beat an opponent was receiving votes in the AP Top 25 was on Aug. 30, 1997. ... The Badgers committed four penalties in the first half after coming into the game leading the nation in penalties, having been flagged only five times.