2006 Wisconsin Badgers

2006 Wisconsin Badgers Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

Jan. 1
Capital One Bowl
Wisconsin 17 ... Arkansas 14
Wisconsin was outgained 232 yards to -5 on the ground, but got a big first half out of QB John Stocco, who connected with Paul Hubbard for a 22-yard touchdown and Travis Beckum for a 13-yard score. Taylor Mehlhaff hit a Capital Bowl record 52-yard field goal for all the points the Badgers would need, but it was close. Penalties (12 for 123 yards) and missed opportunities were the problem for Arkansas in the second half as it hung around with a 12-yard Felix Jones touchdown run early in the fourth. Jones tore off a 76-yard touchdown in the first quarter on the first play after the Mehlhaff field goal and finished with 150 yards on just 14 carries.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin LB Mark Zalewski made nine tackles, a tackles for loss and an interception.  
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 9-21, 98 yards
Rushing: Felix Jones, 14-150, 2 TD  Receiving: Robert Johnson, 4-46
Wisconsin- Passing: John Stocco, 14-34, 206 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 19-36  Receiving: Travis Beckum, 5-82, 1 TD
Notes & Thoughts ... How did Wisconsin win this game? If you had said before the game that the Badgers would finish with -5 rushing yards, Arkansas would've thought it'd win by 50. ... The Hogs were as creative as possible with the running game, but there wasn't any consistency with the passing attack with Casey Dick, Mitch Mustain, and Darren McFadden each getting work. Mustain was good enough to show he should be the main man going into 2007. He's too good to not develop. ... Wisconsin was more than able to handle the Arkansas overall speed, but there's no answer anywhere for Felix Jones and McFadden when they get on the outside. These two are so amazing that if they get any sort of room, they're gone. ... Jamaal Anderson destroyed the Wisconsin O line. Joe Thomas was fine, but it was an awful performance by the front five. They couldn't handle the five-man Hog defensive front.

2006 Schedule CFN Prediction: 9-3 2006 Record: 12-1 Preview 2006 predicted wins
9/2	at Bo. Green W 35-14
9/9	Western Illinois W 34-10
9/16	San Diego State W 14-0
9/23	at Michigan L 27-13
9/30	at Indiana W 52-17
10/7	Northwestern W 41-9
10/14	Minnesota W 48-12
10/21	at Purdue W 24-3
10/28	Illinois W 30-24
11/4	Penn State W 13-3
11/11	at Iowa W 24-21
11/18	Buffalo W 35-3
1/1	Capital One Bowl Arkansas W 17-14

2005 Schedule CFN Prediction: 7-5 2005 Record: 10-3 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/3	Bowling Green  W 56-42
9/10	Temple W 65-0
9/17	at No Carolina  W 16-5
9/24	Michigan W 23-20
10/1	Indiana  W 41-24
10/8	at Northwestern L 51-48
10/15	at Minnesota W 38-34
10/22	Purdue  W 31-20
10/29	at Illinois   W 41-24
11/5	at Penn State L 35-14
11/12	Iowa L 20-10
11/26	at Hawaii W 41-24
1/2	Capital One Bowl Auburn W 24-10

Nov. 18
Wisconsin 35 ... Buffalo 3
Wisconsin overcame a sluggish start with several missed opportunities to blow past the Bulls with 28 unanswered points after a 34-yard Adam Tanalski field goal to pull UB within four in the first quarter. Tyler Donovan threw touchdown passes to Paul Hubbard and Luke Swan, and P.J. Hill, Lance Smith and Dywon Rowan each ran for short scores. The defense forced four turnovers and held the Bulls to just 16 first downs and 159 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan was 16-of-26 for 308 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.  
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Tony Paoli, 6-of-23, 107 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: James Starks, 15-31  Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 2-90
Wisconsin- Passing: Tyler Donovan, 16-26, 308 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 19-86, 1 TD  Receiving: Travis Beckum, 5-135
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Fine, so Wisconsin didn't beat anyone with a pulse this season, with the possible exception of Penn State, but 11 wins in the best regular season in team history is still an impressive first go-around for new head coach Bret Bielema. Tyler Donovan got some great work in over the last two games, with a solid performance against Buffalo, to give hope that the offense will be in good hands next year. All the top players are coming back offensively, with the one notable exception being OT Joe Thomas, so the next month-and-a-half should do wonders to get the hype going for next year.

Nov. 11
Wisconsin 24 ... Iowa 21
Wisconsin's Tyler Donovan filled in for an injured John Stocco and threw a thee-yard touchdown pass to Travis Beckum and a 42-yard jump ball for a touchdown to Luke Swan for a 17-14 first half lead, but it was a 97-yard drive in the fourth quarter culminating in a one-yard P.J. Hill scoring run to get the points needed to put it away. Iowa had its chances pulling within three on a 24-yard Trey Stross touchdown catch, but two late drives stalled on dropped passes on fourth down. Drew Tate threw three touchdowns passes including two short scoring throws in the second quarter.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan completed 17 of 24 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Iowa - Passing: Drew Tate, 10-31, 170 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Damien Sims, 7-53. Receiving: Andy Brodell, 2-18
Wisconsin - Passing: Tyler Donovan, 17-24, 228 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 28-77, 1 TD. Receiving: Travis Beckum, 8-70, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Sometimes you have to find ways to win when you don't have your best game. Against Iowa, the Badger offensive line couldn't handle defensive tackle Mitch King and the defense had way too many breakdowns, but a little luck from dropped Hawkeye passes and a smart performance from backup QB Tyler Donovan got the Badgers to ten wins with a layup against Buffalo to finish up the regular season. This was a better win than it'll get credit for. Remember, this was Senior Day at Iowa and Drew Tate's last game.

Nov. 4
Wisconsin 13 ... Penn State 3
Wisconsin's defense held Penn State to 201 yards of total offense and only 36 rushing yards while giving up just a 39-yard Kevin Kelly field goal in the second quarter. The Badger offense rumbled with the running and short passing game controlling things from the start. Two Taylor Mehlhaff field goals and a 14-yard Paul Hubbard touchdown catch were all the Badgers would need. Joe Paterno got knocked out of the game when he was rolled up on the sidelines.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill ran 31 times for 148 yards
Stat Leaders: Penn State - Passing: Anthony Morelli, 19-35, 165 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Tony Hunt, 11-35. Receiving: Andrew Quarless, 5-62
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 15-25, 172 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 31-148. Receiving: Travis Beckum, 6-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Badger defense was unbelievable against Penn State. It got consistent pressure on Anthony Morelli, and swarmed all over Tony Hunt all game long. Even better was the play of the offensive line in the running game allowing P.J. Hill to pound the ball over and over again up the middle. On the down side, there were a few too many free shots on QB John Stocco getting him knocked out with a shoulder problem. As long as UW's D can hold Iowa to 1.9 yards per carry like it did against Penn State, it'll beat Iowa next week no matter who's at quarterback.

Oct. 28
Wisconsin 30 ... Illinois 24
Wisconsin got down 21-3 after Pierre Thomas ran for two scores and Trayon Bellamy picked off a John Stocco pass for a 41-yard score. The Badger offense showed a spark of life late in the first half with an 11-play, 76-yard drive capped off by a one-yard Lance Smith scoring run, and then owned the second half outscoring the Illini 20-0. With P.J. Hill out with a neck injury, Stocco took over throwing two touchdown passes and Taylor Mehlhaff hit two of his three field goals in the second half. Illinois had two late chances, but couldn't get their drives within scoring range.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin QB John Stocco completed 15 of 26 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Isaiah Williams, 13-29, 17 y ds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Isaiah Williams, 19-53. Receiving: Jeff Cumberland, 4-41
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 15-26, 217, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 12-50. Receiving: Travis Beckum, 5-76
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... It took the offense a little while to wake up against Illinois, and then the line started to give John Stocco time and the game quickly turned around. However, the line didn't get the running game going in the final few minutes and allowed Illinois to get a few late chances to pull out the upset. The defense had a hard time dealing with the mobility of Juice Williams early on, but tightened up late. The key will be P.J. Hill's health; this is a different team with him in the game.

Oct. 21
Wisconsin 24 ... Purdue 3
Wisconsin was down 3-0 after a Chris Summers 47-yard field goal, but P.J. Hill and the Badger rushing game took over. Hill scored on runs of one to three yards, and set up an eight-yard Lance Smith scoring run with a 46-yard dash. Purdue was never able to get its offense on track gaining 286 yards with its best drive of the day stalling in the fourth quarter after Curtis Painter misfired deep in Badger territory. John Stocco threw for 201 yards for the Badgers.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill ran 29 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 20-40, 187 yds
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 10-57. Receiving: Greg Orton, 6-83
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco,  13-21, 201 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 25-164, 2 TD. Receiving: Paul Hubbard, 4-80
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Badgers have to be seen as the real deal after keeping the high-octane Purdue offense under wraps. The secondary, untested all season long, held firm keeping Curtis Painter and the Boilermaker passing game from effectively producing. With the defense playing so well, the coaching staff was able to take a few chances on offense. P.J. Hill was P.J. Hill, and John Stocco did a nice job of not forcing anything and completing his midrange to deep throws. 11-1 is still an achievable dream if the team continues to improve like it has over the last three weeks.

Oct. 14
Wisconsin 48 ... Minnesota 12
Wisconsin made it a laugher early on with a Jack Ikegwuonu return of an Amir Pinnix fumble for a touchdown, a P.J. Hill five-yard touchdown run after tearing off a big run on a fourth and inches, and two John Stocco touchdown passes for a 28-3 first half lead. Stocco connected with Travis Beckum for a 50-yard score on the second play of the second half to kill any hope of a Minnesota comeback. Minnesota's main highlight came after a Hill two-yard touchdown run with Mario Reese taking the extra point 100 yards for two points.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill ran 25 times for 164 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Minnesota - Passing: Bryan Cupito, 8-19, 69 yds
Rushing: Amir Pinnix, 13-83. Receiving: Matt Spaeth, 3-34
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco,  9-16, 164 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 25-164, 2 TD. Receiving: Travis Beckum, 4-113, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Slowly, the passing game has started to thrive with Travis Beckum becoming a reliable go-to target and John Stocco getting more and more comfortable with his receivers. The offensive line dominated Minnesota early on giving P.J. Hill good holes to run through, but Hill made plenty of big plays on his own. As long as the offense remains balances and effective on third downs, and as long as the run defense keeps swarming around the ball like it did against the Gophers, the Badgers have a legitimate shot of winning out.

Oct. 7
Wisconsin 41 ... Northwestern 9
Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill rumbled for 249 yards highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Northwestern pulled within one in the first half on a field goal and a one-yard Andrew Brewer touchdown run, but the extra point failed and the game never was close after. John Stocco threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Luke Swan, Dywon Rowan ran for a four-yard score, and Joe Stellmacher picked off a pass for a touchdown as part of a 31-point Badger run to close things out.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill ran 35 times for 249 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Northwestern - Passing: Andrew Brewer, 10-24, 94 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Andrew Brewer, 13-80, 1 TD. Receiving: Eric Peterman, 3-26
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 16-21, 220 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 35-249, 1 TD. Receiving: Travis Beckum, 8-107
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Badgers had the Northwestern game in hand midway through the second quarter when the defense turned up the pressure and everything on offense started to click. P.J. Hill once again had a fantastic game showing off his breakaway speed along with his power against the beleaguered NU front, and John Stocco had a steady, nearly mistake-free game helping the Badgers crank out 527 yards of total offense. The offense did what it was supposed to do over the last few weeks against awful teams, and now it'll have to keep things going against a Minnesota team looking to get over the tough loss to Penn State.

Sept. 30
Wisconsin 52 ... Indiana 17
Wisconsin had no problems doing whatever it wanted against the Indiana D as John Stocco threw three touchdown passes and P.J. Hill rumbled for three one-yard scores on the way to a 52-0 lead after three quarters. IU was able to cosmetically make the score look a bit better with a 15-yard fumble return for a score from Troy Grosfield and an eight-yard scoring run from Josiah Sears, but the damage had already been done. Stocco threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Travis Beckum late in the first quarter, and connected with Paul Hubbard and Andy Crooks early in the second to open up the floodgates.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin QB John Stocco completed 15 of 17 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Indiana - Passing: Kellen Lewis, 13-29, 113 yds
Rushing: Josiah Sears, 9-105, 1 TD. Receiving: Nick Polk, 4-45
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 15-17, 304 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 23-129, 3 TD. Receiving: Paul Hubbard, 6-122, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... For the first time all season long, John Stocco looked perfectly in sync with the receivers as Paul Hubbard, a superior athlete, finally got involved in the attack beating Indiana with no problems. Stocco got time to work, was comfortable, and bombed away deep averaging 14.3 yards per pass.  P.J. Hill ran well helped by a great day from the offensive line taking advantage of every chance to put up points. To nitpick, there were too many penalties committing ten for 93 yards.

Sept. 23
Michigan 27 ... Wisconsin 13
Michigan took advantage of Wisconsin special teams errors in the first half for ten points highlighted by a 24-yard touchdown catch from Mario Manningham, and then put the game away in the second half on a 38-yard Manningham touchdown grab and a five-yard Mike Hart scoring run. Wisconsin played good defense, but couldn't manage anything but two Taylor Mehlhaff field goals after P.J. Hill took a short pass for a rumbling 29-yard touchdown early in the first quarter.
Player of the game ... Michigan WR Mario Manningham caught seven passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Chad Henne, 18-25, 211 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Mike Hart, 23-91, 1 TD. Receiving: Mario Manningham, 7-113, 2 TD
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 22-42, 236 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 20-54. Receiving: P.J. Hill, 5-64, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Wisconsin's lack of a vertical passing game, or even the threat of one, proved costly against Michigan. It was obvious the Wolverines didn't worry one bit about the Badger receivers and put everyone up to stuff P.J. Hill and the running game. For Wisconsin to beat the better teams, especially if the passing game is clicking, everything else has to work. The D did a great job of keeping the game close, but the special teams were way too shaky, especially in the punting game. The Badgers needed several breaks, and didn't get them.

Sept. 16
Wisconsin 14 ... San Diego State 0
Wisconsin got all its points in the second half as P.J. Hill rumbled for a 53-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter and sealed it up on a six-yard touchdown pass to Paul Hubbard in the fourth quarter. The Badger defense was never really threatened with the Aztecs failing to get into the red zone and only gaining 115 yards of total offense and seven first downs.
Player of the game ...Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill ran for 184 yards and the game’s first touchdown on 26 carries.  
Stat Leaders: San Diego State- Passing: Darren Mougey, 15-27, 102 yds
Rushing: Lynell Hamilton, 11-19  Receiving: Lynell Hamilton, 6-26
Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 12-23, 85 yds
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 26-184, 1 TD  Receiving: Paul Hubbard, 3-18
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The offense is nowhere near ready for prime time. Granted, QB John Stocco is still trying to get in sync with his new receivers, but he's not able to make nearly enough plays to get them the ball on the move. Using the offensive line and the power of P.J. Hill works to wear down teams like San Diego State and Western Illinois, but it's not going to work against Michigan next week. However, the defense is playing at a Big Ten title level. Can Stocco open things up a little bit? He had better.

Sept. 9
Wisconsin 34 ... Western Illinois 10
Wisconsin wasn't all that crisp, but it didn't have a problem with the Leathernecks thanks to a 17-pound second quarter helped by two of P.J. Hill's three touchdown runs and a Taylor Mehlhaff 46-yard field goal. WIU had a great shot early after recovering a fumbled opening kickoff deep in Badger territory, but it could only manage a 42-yard field goal. UW put it away in the fourth quarter on a two-yard Hill run and a 24-yard scoring grab from Andy Crooks. The only WIU touchdown came late on a 17-yard interception return for a score from Kevin Almlie.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill ran 22 times for 101 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 15-25, 227 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 22-101, 3 TD. Receiving: Paul Hubbard, 4-87
Western Illinois - Passing: Steve LaFalce, 20-41, 168 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Herb Donaldson, 17-70. Receiving: Marco Thomas, 8-54
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The Badgers were able to go through the motions and beat Western Illinois, but there are concerns to worry about. Backup QB Tyler Donovan hasn't shown much of anything when given the chance, and the receiving corps is still a work in progress with starting QB John Stocco doing his best to get things moving through the air. P.J. Hill is a keeper. He might not be a special back, but he's powerful and always gains the tough yards. The defense has been excellent, but it hasn't really been tested yet.

Sept. 2
Wisconsin 35 ... Bowling Green 14
Wisconsin got a blocked punt for a score from Jonathan Casillas to break a 7-7 tie and then bent, but didn't break on defense the rest of the way only allowing a two-yard Freddie Barnes scoring run in the third quarter. The Badgers scored 14 unanswered points with John Stocco throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Bill Rentmeester and P.J. Hill rumbling for a ten-yard touchdown. Barnes gave the Badgers fits running for 158 yard, but he failed to get the passing game going.
Player of the game ... Wisconsin LB Mark Zalewski made a career-high 14 tackles.
Stat Leaders: Wisconsin - Passing: John Stocco, 9-15, 124 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 22-130, 1 TD. Receiving: Travis Beckum, 3-49
Bowling Green - Passing: Freddie Barnes, 12-19, 82 yds
Rushing: Freddie Barnes, 29-158, 2 TD. Receiving: Ruben Ruiz, 3-20
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... It wasn't a stellar performance by Wisconsin, but it was able to put away Bowling Green by stopping everything but the scrambling of QB Freddie Barnes. The Badger ground game was effective, but not as dominating as it'll need to be if John Stocco and the passing attack isn't more explosive. Stocco has to be razor-sharp with the receivers not quite looking ready for primetime yet. He'll get the chance to tune things up next week against Western Illinois.

2006 Wisconsin Preview

Wisconsin Preview | Offense | Defense | Depth Chart | Further Analysis

Can we finally all admit that Wisconsin football isn't that bad?

Almost 15 years since the Badger program started to become a player on the national scene, there's still a sense that this is nothing more than an overachiever that isn't nearly as good as its record. It's thought of as slow, pounding, and tough, but it's not considered flashy or all that talented. That might have been the case ten years ago, but now, nothing is further from the truth.

Which team has cranked out more NFL draft weekend picks over the last six years: USC, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, Auburn, or Wisconsin?

Yup, the Badgers lead the list with 31 players selected. That's one more than USC, two more than LSU, three more than Oklahoma, nine more than Texas, six more than Michigan, and 12 more than Auburn, who was supposed to be head-and-shoulders faster and more athletic than the Badgers in the Capital One Bowl.

Fine, so going by NFL draft picks is hardly the be-all-end-all-measure to judge how good a program is, but it does show that Wisconsin gets athletic players who can run, jump, hit, and do all the other things the players at other top programs do.

Instead of thinking of Wisconsin as a little engine that could, it's time to raise the expectations for a program with nine winning seasons in the last ten and 35 wins over the last four years. It's time to start demanding more big wins, BCS expectations, and more respect on a national scale even though the torch has been passed from Barry Alvarez to Bret Bielema.

Many will once again underestimate the Badgers with only three starters returning on an offense that loses the top seven pass catchers along with touchdown machine Brian Calhoun, but the team is at a point where it can reload. The new starting receivers could be among UW's fastest ever, there are more than enough huge, pounding running backs to carry the workload, and the line should be better with three legitimate All-Big Ten candidates returning.

The defense struggled last season finishing 92nd in the nation, but that was mostly because of a young line that never got healthy. Now there are eight fantastic prospects up front, speed at outside linebacker and corner, and steady All-Big Ten caliber players at safety and middle linebacker.   

So don't just look past Wisconsin in the Big Ten race and don't just assume it can't play among the big boys. It is one of the big boys.

The Schedule: If you want a schedule to make a sleeper run for the national title, this is it if you believe Michigan isn't all that great and if the Badgers can solve their recent problems against Iowa. There's no Ohio State and no Michigan State, which is a good thing this season. The non-conference schedule is a joke playing at Bowling Green and with home games against Western Illinois, San Diego State and Buffalo. Penn State and Minnesota have to come to Madison, and two of the four conference road games are at Indiana and Purdue. That means it might be a three-game schedule for a truly huge season: at Michigan on September 23rd, at home against Penn State on November 4th, and at Iowa on November 11th.

Best Offensive Player: Senior OT Joe Thomas. He likely would've been the second tackle taken in the 2006 NFL Draft behind Virginia's D'Brickashaw Ferguson, but he suffered a torn ACL helping out on defense against Auburn in the Capital One Bowl. He's expected to be back and ready to roll later this summer and an All-America lock.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Mark Zalewski. Most Big Ten fans have no clue who he is, but they will. He's a tackling machine with phenomenal range, and now he should be an all-star with more help up front to take some of the pressure off.

Key player to a successful season: Senior QB John Stocco. Back for his third season as the starter, he has to be razor-sharp from day one with a brand new receiving corps and backfield to work with. He was better than he got credit for last year, but he also have 2006 NFL draft picks Brian Calhoun, Brandon Williams, Jonathan Orr, Owen Daniels and Jason Pociask to throw to.

The season will be a success if ... Wisconsin wins at least a share of the Big Ten title. There are way too many question marks to ask for an unbeaten season, but the talent is there to go 10-2 and the schedule is nice enough to reasonably shoot for a Big Ten title and a BCS spot.

Key game: September 23rd at Michigan. The Badgers beat the Wolverines for the first time since 1994 in a classic 23-20 battle in Madison. Barring an upset, a win in Ann Arbor would likely mean a 9-0 start before facing Penn State at home.

2005 Fun Stats: 
- Penalties: Opponents 95 for 833 yards - Wisconsin 71 for 613 yards
- Rushing touchdowns: Wisconsin 31 - Opponents 13
- Tackles for loss: Opponents 98 for 370 yards - Wisconsin 72 for 326 yards

The Last Time Wisconsin…
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Capital One Bowl vs. Auburn)
…missed a bowl game…2001
…pitched a shutout…2005 (Temple)
…was shutout…1997 (Syracuse)
…scored 50 points…2005 (Temple)   
…went undefeated…1912
…won a conference title…1999 (Big Ten)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…never
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Brian Calhoun)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2005 (Brandon Williams)
…had a first-round draft choice…2005 (DE Erasmus James)