JAMAR FLETCHER’S 46-YARD INTERCEPTION RETURN FOR A WISCONSIN TOUCHDOWN WITH 14:08 TO GO

SETTING IT UP

Wisconsin, leading 31-28, was defending a third-and-nine play. McNown lined up in shotgun formation, the ball on the UCLA 26-yard line on the second play of the fourth quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED

At the snap, Ross Kolodziej (kuh-LODD-gee), Wisconsin’s sophomore defensive left tackle, exploded off the line and executed an outside pass rush. UCLA tailback DeShaun Foster broke out of the backfield and streaked down the right sideline, in front of the Wisconsin bench, and got a step or two on Fletcher. Kolodziej closed on McNown. He didn’t quite reach him, but he did knock UCLA guard Brian Polak into McNown’s back. The result was a dying-quail pass that came down five yards short of Foster, and into Fletcher’s hands. He picked up a convoy of blockers on the runback, one of whom, linebacker Bob Adamov, flattened the last pursuit man, McNown, at the goal line with one of the hardest blocks of the day.

KEY TO THE PLAY

“Our game plan was to really get after McNown, make him throw before he wanted to,” Kolodziej said. “I’d had pretty good luck getting by their guys and putting pressure on him. On the play, I was just trying to make something happen, and I guess I did. We knew our offense would pretty much have its way with their defense, so we felt the pressure was on us [the defensive line].”

IN THEIR WORDS

Fletcher: “One of their backs [Foster] swung out of their backfield and I picked him up man to man. He’s a very good receiver, very good athlete.”

John Favret, Wisconsin defensive end: “Kolodziej had a great rush on the play, and we were coming at him from the front too. And Fletcher has made plays like that for us all year--I can’t believe he’s just a freshman.”

Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez: “That was huge.”

FROM THE OTHER SIDE

McNown: “Sure, I had pressure on the play. But just because you have pressure, that doesn’t mean you’re supposed to throw an interception. We had a tight end in the game. I should have found someone else.”

UCLA offensive coordinator Al Borges: “That was the game, that play. That was the seven points that beat us.”

Foster: “I was open, by about five yards. The ball just died, that’s all.”

THE SIGNIFICANCE

With the conversion, Wisconsin took a 38-28 lead and UCLA managed only a field goal after that play.