MADISON, Wis. (Sports Network) - David Gilreath returned the game's opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and John Clay rushed for 104 yards and two scores, as 18th-ranked Wisconsin sent No. 1 Ohio State to a 31-18 defeat before a rowdy crowd at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Badgers (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) built a three-touchdown lead before watching the Buckeyes get within three points early in the fourth quarter. James White stemmed the tide with a 12-yard scoring run and Wisconsin held on to send the No. 1 team to a loss for the second straight week. Last Saturday, South Carolina pulled off its first ever win over a top-ranked team with a 35-21 triumph over Alabama.
Now begs the question, which team will be No. 1 come Sunday? Oregon should move into that role, although the Ducks were idle this weekend. Boise State, the No. 3 team, dominated San Jose State Saturday night.
It's the first time Wisconsin has knocked off the top-ranked team in the country since September 12, 1981, when the Badgers topped Michigan in Madison. Wisconsin had lost its last four games against top-ranked clubs and is just 4-16 all-time in such contests. One of those was a win over the Buckeyes in 1942.
Scott Tolzien completed 13-of-16 passes for 152 yards and was intercepted once for Wisconsin, while Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor ended 14-of-28 for 156 yards and a pick.
Dan Herron rushed for a pair of touchdowns for Ohio State (6-1, 2-1), which was riding a 12-game winning streak going back to last season. This was the Buckeyes' fifth Big Ten loss in their last 44 such games.
Blake Sorensen thwarted an Ohio State drive late in the fourth by intercepting Pryor. Right after the clock wound down, fans rushed the field to celebrate with the Badgers.
After Gilreath outraced defenders on the game's opening play, the Buckeyes were forced to punt. Wisconsin then got a 14-yard TD run from Clay five minutes into the contest.
Clay then capped a huge 19-play, 89-yard march with a one-yard TD leap over a pile of players into the end zone for a 21-0 cushion, 1:45 into the second.
Devin Barclay kicked a 21-yard field goal for the Buckeyes later in the quarter, but missed from 45 yards away shortly after Andrew Sweat picked off Tolzien.
Herron scored on a 13-yard run nearly five minutes into the third and the Buckeyes embarked on a giant 19-play, 94-yard jaunt that bridged the final two quarters. Harron ended that with a one-yard power rush to the end zone. Pryor hit Reid Fragel with the two-point conversion pass for a 21-18 difference with 11:38 remaining.
White, though, finished off a 10-play, 73-yard march with a 12-yard TD run to the left side with 6:57 to go.
Philip Welch added a 41-yard field goal with 4:14 remaining, and Sorensen picked off Pryor at the Wisconsin 14 in the final two minutes.