Wisconsin's season of power running came to an end with TCU junior linebacker Tank Carder's tip of a Scott Tolzien pass in the fourth quarter that would have given the Badgers a two-point conversion and a tie game.
While the 21-19 loss to an undefeated Horned Frog squad will certainly be defined by that final incompletion, UW's failure to win their eigth straight contest was the result of more than just a batted down pass.
""This game wasn't decided on one play or two plays,"" UW head coach Bret Bielema said after the loss. ""It was probably an accumulation of 10 to 12 plays that we failed to execute, and they did; so hat's off to them.""
After having seemingly every break go their way throughout the Big Ten championship run, the Badgers found themselves on the wrong end of luck all day as TCU got the bounces and made the plays necessary to finish out their 13-0 season.
The flawless execution on both sides of the ball UW had shown while finishing the Big Ten slate with seven straight wins couldn't survive the five-week layoff since Wisconsin's season finale against Northwestern. Even though the Badgers out-gained their opponent, never turned the ball over and contained TCU's special teams, the execution was a tick off for most of the game.
""What got us here was clean execution and clean disciplined football, and we didn't do that today all around, myself included,"" senior quarterback Scott Tolzien said. ""That's why it's the greatest game, because [if] you don't execute and you're on edges, the other team's going to find a way to beat you.""
As if they hadn't missed a beat, the Wisconsin offense took the field and seemed unfazed by the layoff early on. Sophomore running back Montee Ball got the game started with an electrifying 40-yard run to immediately put the Badgers in TCU territory.
But after spending the final month and a half of the regular season putting the ball into the endzone with ease, the drive stalled and UW was forced to settle for an opening field goal after junior wide receiver Nick Toon couldn't hang onto a third-down pass from Tolzien.
The Horned Frogs, led by quarterback and eventual offensive MVP Andy Dalton, then drove down the field for a 77-yard touchdown drive that made it clear the game would be a serious test for the Badgers.
Throughout what became the highest scoring first quarter in Rose Bowl history, the Badger defense couldn't get off the field. TCU needed three crucial third-down conversions to finish off touchdown drives on their first two possessions, giving them a 14-10 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
""Third down stops were critical in the first half, and I don't think our defense got off the field on third down,"" Bielema said. ""That was a big part of the game. Bottom line, two big pass, play action plays in the first half were critical.""
UW did return to their bread-and-butter, holding TCU to just 3three offensive plays in the second quarter. Still, the execution remained slightly off when it was needed most. The Badgers put themselves deep inside TCU territory on both offensive possessions but came out of the quarter with just three points.
But it was the 39-yard miss, Welch's first miss from under 40 yards all season, that would loom large.
After the Wisconsin offense stalled TCU's attack by controlling the ball in the second half, the defense couldn't keep up as Dalton led the Mountain West-champions on a 71-yard touchdown drive to run their lead to eight.
For the next 24 minutes a game-changing play never surfaced for the Badgers. Both offenses had their chances, each time seemingly a single play shy of scoring position.
The back and forth finally came to an end thanks to junior running back John Clay. The forgotten preseason All-American looked unwilling to go out on the losing end of a bowl game, leading a 77-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter with six carries for 59 yards.
Two minutes on the game clock. Down two points. A team that came within four yards of being the first to have three separate 1000 yard rushers.
And they lined up out of the shotgun.
