Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 113/134
Wisconsin has played its first four games at home and all of them have been plagued by crippling suspensions resulting from Badger players receiving free gifts from a local shoe store. Up to now, Wisconsin has hobbled through the first three games undefeated by the slimmest of margins escaping Western Michigan, Oregon, and in overtime, Cincinnati.
Last year, the Bearcats pulled the rug out from underneath the Badgers leaving them dizzy and confused on the Cincinnati astroturf. Wisconsin fell victim to the largest upset of the year and even though they recovered to win their second consecutive Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship, the aftertaste of the defeat lingered.
Oregon could easily play the role of a top ten team. Their absence in the top 25 is staggering. They are led by quarterback Joey Harrington who has brought them to extreme heights and after Wisconsin’s struggle against Western Michigan, many Badger fans expected the Ducks to roast the Badgers. Seeing a powerful Pac Ten team charge into town brought on an intimidation factor.
The Broncos didn’t stand much of a chance entering the cavernous concrete mountain known as Camp Randall in Madison…or did they? Wisconsin opened this season ranked in the top five and coming off two Big Ten and Rose Bowl titles led by Heisman trophy winner, Ron Dayne. Even with Dayne’s graduation, the Badgers appeared like an impenetrable monster for visiting squads.
At the close of September, the nation essentially had written off the Badgers for a Big Ten contender. Seven straight victories later, they land back in Pasadena for their second consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl. In addition, tailback Ron Dayne made history by eclipsing the national rushing record and winning the Heisman Trophy.
Perfect is a word that shouldn’t be thrown around that often. However, there is no better word when in those rare moments every word of the script, every choreographed movement, and every musical note is not only right on, but performed effortlessly.
Heisman Trophy Showdown ’99 took place in West Lafayette, Indiana. From Wisconsin was Ron Dayne who needed only 321 yards to become the nation’s all time leading rusher surpassing the mark set by Ricky Williams who won the coveted prize last season. From Purdue came Drew Brees who electrifies audiences with a consistent arm and fantastic mobility. They meet at Ross-Ade Stadium in an integral matchup in the Big Ten.
Sellout crowds in Evanston are not common unless the road team travels well and Wisconsin fans would trek to Russia if the end result involved Badger football. Since Ryan Field is merely an hour from the Wisconsin border, the stadium had a distinct red tinge. The presence of the Badger band transformed the venue into Chicagoland’s personal Camp Randall Stadium.
The Spartans sauntered into Camp Randall Stadium handling a pretty fancy resume holding opponents to 40 yards on the ground and being the leading rush defense in the nation. Unfortunately for Michigan State, the interview process, conducted by Heisman candidate Ron Dayne, did not go very well. Dayne collected 51 yards on his first touchdown run four plays into the game and finished the day with 214 putting him 483 yards from the all time rushing record. Up to this point, the most Michigan State had allowed an entire team was 108 yards.
Continue reading “Game 50: #11 Michigan State @ #17 Wisconsin”
After losses to Cincinnati and Michigan three weeks earlier, Wisconsin looked to be settling back into mediocrity. However the flurry of questions surrounding the defending Rose Bowl champions were slowly getting answered with resounding victories at Ohio State and at Minnesota. During the Ohio State game, Wisconsin found the answer to their offensive woes in quarterback Brooks Bollinger. As a replacement for Kavanaugh, Bollinger was more elusive as a runner and efficient as a passer.