ACT 10 AT FIVE SCOTT WALKER’S PATH TO POWER Labor battles fuel rise
GOP’s 2010 wins free him to ‘drop the bomb’ on unions
Eighty miles from Madison, Scott Walker had watched Democrats bolstered by union cash sweep to one-party control of the Capitol in November 2008.
He watched them open 20,000 new state jobs on university campuses to union representation, a huge new source of dues money for labor.
He watched them ram through a budget repair bill in 24 hours that boosted taxes and fees on business by $1.2 billion over three years.
Now aiming for the 2010 governor’s contest, Walker offered a different path.
State employees should give toward their pensions and pay more of health care costs or face layoffs, like private-sector
“I came back for my senior year, not for the accolades off the field,” said Biegel, who was named to the media’s third team. “I came back to win a Big Ten championship, to do what our team is doing this year.
“Whether I am third-team allBig Ten or first-team All-American it does not matter to me. As long as the Wisconsin defense and the Wisconsin team is winning and I’m out there contributing for my team. …
“I am not a ‘me’ guy. I am out here for the team. That’s what it’s all about and I know the players on this team have that same approach.”
Watt and Biegel will play critical roles in trying to slow a Penn State team that is third in the Big Ten in scoring at 36.6 points per game.
The No. 1 task is containing Penn State’s zone read with quarterback Trace McSorley and tailback Saquon Barkley, who on Wednesday was named the Big Ten offensive player of the year and the league’s top running back.
Barkley averages 5.3 yards per carry and 101.3 yards per
game and has 15 rushing touchdowns. He had back-to-back games of 200 or more all-purpose yards this season – 277 at Purdue and 211 against visiting Iowa.
McSorley has rushed for 372 yards and six touchdowns. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 13 consecutive games, dating to last season. He has 21 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season and with 2,976 passing yards has set the program’s record for total yards in a season (3,348).
“Like each and every week when we face a good quarterback who can throw and run,” Watt said, “you have to have really tight rush lanes and collapse the pocket on him and once you get to him, get him down.”
Biegel was asked whether defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox will try to pressure McSorley.
“Wisconsin defense always brings pressure,” he said. “We’re going to bring pressure from the edges. We’re going to bring pressure from up the middle. We’re going to bring pressure from all different angles.”
Watt, who has played in all 12 games, leads UW in sacks (91⁄2), tackles for loss (13) and quarterback hurries (10).
“I knew it was going to be hard at first,” Watt said of making the transition to outside linebacker from tight end. “But then I got more and more confident, and with confidence, I’m playing faster and having fun doing it.
“That has allowed me to let loose and show people what I can do. I knew what I could do the whole time.”
Biegel’s numbers: three sacks, five tackles for loss and five hurries.
However, he recorded one sack, one hurry and eight total tackles last week in UW’s 31-17 victory over Minnesota. That marked his most productive game of the season. Biegel, who did not play in UW’s losses to Michigan and Ohio State, noted he is now two months out from surgery.
“I wasn’t fully healthy,” he said. “I got dinged up. I’m proud of the things I had to overcome, not just on the field but off the field.
“I am playing healthy football now. My last three games have been my best three games. Couldn’t be more excited to go to the Big Ten championship.”