Nine wins and three losses is hardly a poor record in the world of college football. For the Wisconsin Badgers, however, this year's 9-3 season turned out to fall short of fans' hopes and dreams. In a sense, the final game of the season, the 2005 Outback Bowl, could be looked at as a microcosm of the Badgers' 2004 campaign.
The three stand-bys in Wisconsin football this past season had been: rely on the defense to limit the opposition; count on a big play from senior corner Scott Starks or a special teams player; and do not let the offense screw up too badly.
The Badgers' superb defense was left to make most of the big plays and did a decent job limiting Georgia senior quarterback David Greene, but it was freshmen running backs Thomas Brown and Danny Ware, who rushed for 111 and 63 yards, respectively, who ultimately broke the Badgers.
\I was impressed,"" defensive coordinator Bret Bielema said of Georgia. ""There were several plays where I thought we had the answer but that last drive there, where they went the distance, we had the position; we just weren't able to capitalize on it.""
The offense seemed mainly concerned with looking pitiful enough to lure Georgia into a false sense of security, yet it nearly put up a fight. On Wisconsin's first field-goal drive, for instance, the offense netted a mind-numbing negative six yards. After a number of punts, the Badgers' offense was able to punch in another field goal before the half.
The 88-yard third quarter drive led by sophomore quarterback John Stocco was the lone bright spot in the passing attack.
The running game failed to materialize as well. The Badgers garnered just 60 yards on the ground.
Both offensive aspects of the game were hindered by an offensive line that, after giving up just under two sacks per game on the season, allowed seven sacks.
""I thought [Stocco] was off to start the game. He missed some throws early on that could have given us some momentum. But in the middle of the third quarter I thought he got his rhythm and really played well and did some good things on a couple drives. He missed some things early. He wasn't very sharp early in the game,"" head coach Barry Alvarez said.
The Badgers' special teams, as usual, was able to produce a big play. After Wisconsin's first punt, senior cornerback Scott Starks streaked down the field and cut down the Georgia return man. Starks decided that effort alone was not quite enough and on the ensuing play forced the ball from Brown's hands; senior safety Jimmy Leonhard was able to recover. Starks, as he had all year, ushered momentum back to the Wisconsin side of the field, but in the end it was too much.
All year long the Badgers lived by the 1-0 credo. It was a successful mantra throughout most of the season. After losing Davis, their star offensive threat, in the first game of the season, the Badgers were tested repeatedly. In the third game of the season, the Badgers scored only one touchdown on their way to a 9-7 victory over Arizona. Against Purdue in the seventh game of the season, the Badgers were able to produce an offensive drive late in the fourth quarter which gave life back to a team previously down 17-7. It was the defense that saved the day, however, when Purdue senior quarterback Kyle Orton was laid out by senior safety Robert Brooks and fumbled the ball.
After a strong showing in Camp Randall against conference rivals Minnesota, the Badgers seemed to be finally clicking on all cylinders. Stocco had averaged 257 yards passing in the last three games and Davis seemed healthy heading into Michigan State. The defense had trounced the heralded Minnesota rushing attack. A bid in the Rose Bowl and even a national championship had fans stirring in their seats.
Then the unthinkable happened. Michigan State exacted revenge for last year's drubbing to the tune of a 49-14 Spartan victory. Wisconsin had two tries at the end zone from less than one yard away and was turned back each time. Then a defeat in Iowa, when a win would have meant the Rose Bowl, sealed the fate of the Badgers.
""It's what you're going to remember. Ending your career on three losses is never good,"" Leonhard said. ""Obviously you have to think about the nine wins that came before that but it's going to be real tough to put that behind us.""
Nine wins and three losses is a good season, but maybe it all depends when and where the nine are won.
