Before Kirk Cousins dueled Russell Wilson in the NFL (Cousins stepped in for an injured RGIII in that infamous 2012 playoff game), they shared a remarkable duel in the Michigan State – Wisconsin series.
I have an academic attachment to both schools and watched these games with great fascination. My rooting interest is more Spartans than Badgers; I spent more time in East Lansing, but I had high regard for both Cousins and Wilson as they entered the NFL. In fact, I regarded both to be smart quarterback prospects who would share similar career trajectories. It was Wilson’s good fortune to land on an already talented team with a coaching staff open to giving a rookie with promise a chance.
Cousins landed with a team that had another rookie in mind. The Redskins put all their eggs in Robert Griffin III’s basket in terms of practice and game reps. Hog Heaven agrees completely with the approach. But reps are allocated by player. It is not possible to co-develop two quarterbacks at the same point in their careers. The Redskins are paying for that now.
But Cousins was very special at Michigan State, as was Wilson at Wisconsin, as these video snapshots show. Enjoy then before tonight’s game.
October 22, 2011, Cousins threw three TD passes to lead the Spartans to a 37-31 shootout win over the Badgers. Wilson threw two scores and two picks. The game came down to Cousins’ Hail Mary pass to clinch the win.
The rematch came in December 2011 in the inaugural Big 10 Football Championship game in Indianapolis. Cousins and Wilson put on quite a show. Each threw three TG passes. Wilson scored last with a TD strike and two-point conversion to give the Badgers a 42-39 lead.
The Badgers had another possession but went three and out. Spartans Coach Mark Dantonio rolled the dice and called for a punt block. A player ran, or was blocked, into the Badger punter. Your point of view depends on whether you are a Badger or a Spartan. Wisconsin retained possession to end the game. Cousins did not get his shot to pull out another Spartans win in the closing moments of a game. This video is the Badger-friendly version that highlights Wilson’s performance.
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