Wisconsin
Lion Tales: Wisconsin
The fun of this series is that I can throw out a “classic” Penn State football season and you’ll immediately remember a game or two that made that year.
I say 2016 and the blocked kick against Ohio State and the Big Ten title game rally against Wisconsin come right to mind.
Just last week, I wrote a lot about 1994 and you’ll remember the Michigan game or the Illinois rally or Ki-Jana’s run in the Rose Bowl.
Well, today I get to write about my personal favorite Penn State team ever: the 2005 edition.
From that year, of course you remember the thrilling last-second rally at Northwestern. Of course the game from that year was the defense-dominated 17-10 win against Ohio State in front of a huge Saturday night Beaver Stadium crowd. The lone loss, to Michigan on the last play of the game, is infamous in its own right, while the season was capped with a No. 3 ranking and an Orange Bowl win.
But on a warm November afternoon in Happy Valley, Penn State put itself in position for its second-ever Big Ten title with a 35-14 romp of Wisconsin that is today’s Lions Tale focus.
Both Penn State and Wisconsin entered November with a chance at the Big Ten title and both had single losses on their resumes. I’ve already mentioned the No. 10 Lions’ lone loss that came after 60:02 of hard-fought football. Meanwhile, No. 14 Wisconsin’s only blemish was a wild 51-48 loss to Northwestern in Evanston.
While Ohio State had a lone conference loss, the Penn State/Wisconsin matchup was going to decide who kept alive hopes of also finishing 7-1 in the league.
The 2005 Badgers didn’t have their typical stout defense and instead were relying on an offense that was averaging about 40 points per game.
Against Penn State, it simply never got going as Wisconsin didn’t dent the scoreboard until a few minutes into the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Michael Robinson was simply special in his Beaver Stadium finale. Less than two minutes into the game, he hit Deon Butler on a long touchdown strike to put Penn State up 7-0. He then engineered a pair of 80-plus yard scoring drives that were capped by Tony Hunt and BranDon Snow respectively. The Lions led 21-0 at the half and the celebration was on for much of the second half.
The first Wisconsin touchdown did cut it to 21-7 early in the fourth, but Robinson hit Butler for another long scoring strike and Penn State was safe again. Hunt added a second touchdown run late in the game.
Overall, Robinson played one of his best games of his special senior season, passing for 238 yards and rushing for 124 on just 17 attempts. Butler caught five passes for 125 yards and the two scores, while Hunt also had two touchdowns among his 24 carries for 151 yards.
Tamba Hali led that Lion defense with nine tackles and four sacks. Alan Zemaitis and Calvin Lowry each intercepted passes, too. All three were part of a special senior group that Joe Paterno lauded after the game.
“I was just glad to see them practice hard all week,” he said. “These guys have been through some stuff and they have stayed together.”
With an odd scheduling quirk, Penn State had its lone bye week of the year after the Wisconsin win and ahead of its game at Michigan State. The Lions ultimately won that one and climbed up to No. 3 in the nation ahead of its eventual bowl game against Florida State.
Wisconsin
Man in Wisconsin arrested after traffic stop leads officers to find marijuana in his underwear
Wisconsin
President Trump endorses Tom Tiffany for Wisconsin governor
President Donald Trump has endorsed U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, in his bid to be the next governor of Wisconsin.
Trump announced the endorsement Tuesday night, writing on his social media platform Truth Social that Tiffany had his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
“He will fight to advance Common Sense Values, and put WISCONSIN, AND AMERICA, FIRST,” Trump wrote.
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The endorsement puts to bed the questions of whether — and when — Trump would weigh in on the GOP primary for governor.
Tiffany, who has represented northern Wisconsin’s 7th District in Congress since 2020, was considered an early favorite to clinch the Republican nomination against Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, but recent fundraising numbers suggested Schoemann could put up a fight.
The backing from Trump has proven critical in Republican primaries across the country, and it’s almost certain to give Tiffany a boost. Four years ago, Trump’s endorsement helped propel businessman Tim Michels over former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in the 2022 GOP primary for governor.
But whether the president’s nod is a help or a hindrance in the general election is an open question, especially in a cycle that polling suggests could favor Democrats. Four years ago, Michels lost to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in the general election. And almost immediately after Trump’s endorsement Tuesday, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin looked to seize on the president’s support of Tiffany as a condemnation.
“We agree with Donald Trump—Tom Tiffany has been by his side for all of it: ICE murdering Americans in the streets, the Big Ugly Bill, ending funding for the Affordable Care Act, invading Greenland, and raising every day costs,” read a statement from state Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker. “Donald Trump just made Tom Tiffany the general election nominee, and we will stop him from bringing his chaotic and dangerous agenda in November.”
At least seven candidates are running in the Democratic primary for governor, where many of them have made attacking Trump central to their campaigns. The winner of the general election will replace Evers, who is not seeking a third term.
Trump’s announcement came as part of a slate of endorsements posted to his Truth Social platform late Tuesday evening. He also endorsed Michael Alfonso, who is running for Tiffany’s soon-to-be-vacant seat in Congress.
Alfonso is the 25-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy, who represented the 7th District before Tiffany. He’s one of four Republicans running to replace Tiffany.
Trump called Alfonso “a young ‘STAR’.”
In a post on X, Alfonso wrote that it is his “greatest honor to accept this endorsement from President Donald J. Trump,” and pledged “to be a steadfast MAGA warrior.”
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
Wisconsin
Polaris to lay off 200 Wisconsin workers, close facility in Osceola
The move comes after Polaris announced it was separating from Indian Motorcycle.
Powersports company Polaris has announced it plans to wind down the operations at its facility in Osceola which specializes in manufacturing Indian Motorcycle.
The move impacts roughly 200 Wisconsin workers at the facility.
On Jan. 27, during a fourth quarter and full year earnings call for 2025, Polaris said the company expects to sell Indian Motorcycle by the end of the first quarter of 2026 to Carolwood, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles. However the company plans to maintain some stake in the company.
Polaris officials said called the sale of Indian Motorcycle was a “difficult decision” and added it was a “move that we believe is best for Polaris and Indian Motorcycle.”
In a post on X, Wisconsin Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin said:
“We have seen this story in Wisconsin too many times – a private equity firm buys a company, hollows it out, & fires its workers, all to pad their profits. It’s simply wrong.”
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