After a high-scoring opening quarter to the 2011 Rose Bowl, the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs and No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers settled down for a more subdued second stanza. TCU took a 14-13 lead into halftime, after a first half highlighted by big plays. Quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Scott Tolzien are both having good games so far leading their squads, but the second quarter was highlighted by the two punters.
The punter for the Horned Frogs, Anson Kelton, gets a mention because (a) he is rarely used; and (b) he is a huge man. The 280-lb. Kelton had but one punt in the first half, and it was a 52-yarder. Wisconsin's punter, Brad Nortman, didn't even kick the ball in the first half, but he still had a huge impact. On a 4th-and-9 play from their own 33 yard line, Wisconsin called for a fake punt, and on what may have been the slowest-developing play in college football history, Nortman rumbled for 11 yards, keeping the drive alive.
Wisconsin held the ball on that drive for the final 7:04 of the half, and a 37-yard field goal by Philip Welch cut the TCU lead to 14-13 as time expired in the first half. Wisconsin outgained TCU 234 yards to 139 in the first half, but also had a missed field goal from Welch, a 39-yard attempt in the second quarter. Montee Ball had 95 yards rushing on 12 carries for the Badgers in the first half.
Tolzien completed eight of 12 passes for 107 yards in the first half, although he took a couple of big hits in the pocket, including one sack. Dalton threw for 108 yards in the first half, and ran for 30 more, although all but six of his 138 total yards came in the first quarter. TCU held the ball for just 1:25 of the second quarter, so their defense is likely tired. The Horned Frogs will receive the ball to start the third quarter.