The
2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the
University of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach
Bret Bielema-Personal life:Bielema announced on April 1, 2011 that he was engaged to his girlfriend, Jen. The wedding is scheduled for spring 2012.-External links:* *...
, the Badgers completed the season with a 12-1 record, including a 7-1 mark in the
Big Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
, good for a second-place tie with
MichiganThe 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14...
.
The season was one of the most successful in Badgers football history. The 11 regular-season wins and 12 overall wins were both single season records for the Badgers, and the season ended with a second straight victory in the
Capital One BowlThe Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
, over
ArkansasThe 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team completed the season with a 10–4 record. The Razorbacks had a regular season SEC record of 7–1.-Schedule:-USC:...
, 17-14. The Badgers, who were not ranked in the preseason and were expected to finish in the middle of the Big Ten, surprised many with their success and ended the season ranked #7 in the
AP PollThe Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and #5 in the Coaches' Poll.
Preseason
The Badgers were picked to finish in the middle of the Big Ten conference and were not ranked in the preseason for a number of reasons. Early defections to the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
by second-team
All-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
ns Brandon Williams and
Brian CalhounBrian Calhoun is a gridiron football running back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
left the Badger offense with only three returning starters. Additionally, with the departure of
Barry AlvarezBarry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4...
– who had just completed his final season with 10 wins and a
Capital One BowlThe Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
victory – the head coaching job was taken over by
Bret Bielema-Personal life:Bielema announced on April 1, 2011 that he was engaged to his girlfriend, Jen. The wedding is scheduled for spring 2012.-External links:* *...
, then the youngest head coach in Division I-A football.
Bright spots for the Badgers included returning All-American offensive tackle Joe Thomas, who was coming off an
ACLThe anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injury.
John StoccoJohn Stocco is a former collegiate American football quarterback. Stocco played football for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, starting at quarterback for the Badgers during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons...
resumed the starting position at quarterback for his senior season, and
P. J. Hill, Jr.Parrish "P. J." Hill Jr. is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
won the starting tailback job. The defense was to be led by senior linebacker Mark Zalewski and senior strong safety Joe Stellmacher. The special teams unit was considered strong, with All-American candidate
Ken DeBaucheKen DeBauche is an American football punter. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and subsequently released on July 24, 2008. He played college football at Wisconsin as #94 and was a team captain for the Badgers in his senior season.Ken attended Green Bay area...
punting the ball.
Some sportswriters felt that the non-conference schedule was fairly weak. Early in the season, the team's non-conference schedule was placed on the "waiting list" of ESPN.com's
Bottom 10The Bottom 10 is a week-by-week regular season "ranking" of the worst ten college football teams in the NCAA Division I FBS. ESPN.con writer Mark Schlabach writes the column each week and is the sole determiner of the teams which are listed.One of the running gags of the Bottom 10 is the "highly...
rankings.
Schedule
Roster
Quarterbacks
- 3 Moore, Maurice – Fr (HS)
- 7 Stocco, John
John Stocco is a former collegiate American football quarterback. Stocco played football for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, starting at quarterback for the Badgers during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons...
– Sr (4V)
- 12 Donovan, Tyler – Jr (3V)
- 16 Tolzien, Scott
-San Diego Chargers:Tolzien was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft on July 26, 2011. He was subsequently released by the team on September 3, 2011.-External links:*...
– Fr (HS)
- 18 Sherer, Dustin – Fr (1V)
Running Backs
- 5 Smith, Lance – Fr (HS)
- 24 Balts, Josh – Jr (3V)
- 24 Rowan, Dywon – Sr (4V)
- 27 Butler, Jerry – Fr (1V)
- 34 Rentmeester, Bill – So (2V)
- 38 Foster, Dion – Fr (1V)
- 39 Hill Jr., P.J. – Fr (1V)
Wide Receivers
- 2 Harris, Xavier – Fr (HS)
- 8 Ruffin, Jarmal – Fr (1V)
- 11 Anderson, Isaac – Fr (HS)
- 13 Randle El, Marcus – Jr (2V)
- 15 Swan, Luke
Luke Swan is a former American football wide receiver and current college football coach. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Wisconsin for the Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin...
– Jr (3V)
- 17 Gifford, Matt – Fr (1V)
- 17 Kirtley, Richard – Fr (1V)
- 19 Hubbard, Paul
Paul Hubbard, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
– Jr (3V)
- 20 Konkol, Derek – Sr (4V)
- 22 Jenkins, Diondrae – Fr (HS)
- 27 Phillips, Shane – Fr (1V)
- 29 Brinkley, Niles – Fr (HS)
- 44 Eernisse, Chris – Fr (1V)
- 84 Kendricks, Lance
Lance Kendricks is an American football tight end with the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. Prior to the 2011 NFL Draft, Kendricks was considered one of the top tight end prospects....
– Fr (HS)
- 85 Holzbauer, Jeff – Sr (4V)
- 86 Theus, Elijah – Fr (1V)
- 88 Minton, Jarvis – Jr (2V)
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Tight Ends
- 9 Beckum, Travis
Travis Beckum is an American football tight end for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.-Early years:Travis Beckum played football for Oak Creek High School. He...
– So (1V)
- 23 Molenda, Joseph – Fr (1V)
- 36 Turner, Mickey – Fr (HS)
- 37 Brown, Matt – Jr (3V)
- 43 Crooks, Andy – Jr (2V)
- 45 DeCremer, Kirk – Fr (HS)
- 47 McFadden, Jaevery – Fr (1V)
- 48 Quist, Nathan – Jr (3V)
- 81 Peck, Dave – So (2V)
- 82 Lewis, Sean – So (2V)
- 89 Graham, Garrett
Graham was selected in the 4th round with the 118th overall pick by the Houston Texans.-External links:*...
– Fr (1V)
Offensive Line
- 58 Lenzendorf, Mike – Fr (1V)
- 58 Thorson, Brad – Fr (HS
- 60 Knauf, Luke – Jr (3V)
- 62 Van Someren, Mike – Jr(3V)
- 63 Urbik, Kraig
Kraig Urbik is an American football offensive guard/tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
– So (2V)
- 64 Kaye, Danny – Jr (3V)
- 65 Coleman, Marcus – Jr (3V)
- 66 Watters, Dirk – Fr (1V)
- 68 Carimi, Gabe
Gabe Carimi , nicknamed "The Bear Jew", is an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears.Carimi had 49 starts at left tackle in his four-year Wisconsin Badgers college career, which culminated at the 2011 Rose Bowl. He was awarded the 2010 Outland Trophy, as the nation's top...
– Fr (HS)
- 70 Weininger, Andrew – Jr (3V)
- 71 Vanden Heuvel, Eric – So (1V)
- 72 Thomas, Joe – Sr (3V)
- 73 Kasper, Korey - Fr (HS)
- 75 Kemp, Andy – So (1V)
- 76 Nagy, Bill
Bill Nagy is an American football center and guard for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cowboys in the 2011 NFL Draft...
– Fr (HS)
- 78 Bscherer, Jake – Fr (HS)
Defensive Line
- 5 Cooper, Jamal – Jr (3V)
- 34 Ware, Kurt – Jr (3V)
- 54 Newkirk, Mike
-St. Louis Rams:On April 27, 2009, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams. Newkirk was waived by the Rams on May 14, 2009.-Edmonton Eskimos:...
– So (2V)
- 55 Purcell, Adam – Jr (3V)
- 56 Kelly, Brandon – Jr (3V)
- 59 Hoey, Brandon – Fr (HS)
- 71 Behnke, Brian – Fr (1V)
- 73 Gorman, Mark – Sr (4V)
- 74 Moffitt, John
John Moffitt is an American football offensive guard for the Seattle Seahawks. He played football at the University of Wisconsin.- High school :...
– Fr (HS)
- 77 Cascone, Dan – Fr (1V)
- 79 Stehle, Jeffrey – Fr (1V)
- 90 Jamison, Terrance – Fr (1V)
- 91 Chapman, Jason – So (2V)
- 92 Shaughnessy, Matthew
Matt Shaughnessy is an American football defensive end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
– So (1V)
- 94 Yentz, Derek – Jr (3V)
- 95 Monty, Joe – Sr (4V)
- 96 Hayden, Nick
Nick Hayden is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
– Jr (2V)
- 98 Cruse Jr., Gino – So (2V)
- 98 Garner, Richard – Fr (HS)
- 99 Ostrowski, Justin – Jr (3V)
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Linebackers
- 2 Casillas, Jonathan
Jonathan Casillas is a NFL linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, but was later signed as a free agent...
– So (1V)
- 11 Levy, Deandre
DeAndre Levy is an American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
– So (1V)
- 12 Hogan, Casey – Jr (3V)
- 23 Joran, Paul – Sr (4V)
- 30 Ludovic, Adam – Fr (1V)
- 38 Landgraf, Ben – So (2V)
- 41 Zalewski, Mark – Sr (4V)
- 49 Flasch, Ryan – So (2V)
- 50 Schofield, O'Brien
O'Brien Schofield is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. As a fifth-year redshirt senior for the 2009 Wisconsin Badgers he ranked second in the nation in tackles for a loss and second in the Big Ten Conference in quarterback sacks...
– Fr (1V)
- 51 Neal, Joshua – So (2V)
- 52 Hodge, Elijah – Fr (1V)
Defensive Backs
- 3 Strickland, Ben – Jr (3V)
- 4 White, Johnny – Sr (3V)
- 6 Ikegwuonu, Jack
Jack Ikegwuonu is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
– So (2V)
- 14 St. Jean, Culmer – Fr (HS)
- 15 Valai, Jay – Fr (HS)
- 16 Stellmacher, Joe – Sr (4V)
- 17 Langford, Allen – So (2V)
- 19 Hartmann, William – Fr (1V)
- 20 Kamoku, James – Jr (3V)
- 21 Nettles, Josh – Fr (HS)
- 22 Rogers, Roderick – Sr (3V)
- 24 Lyle, Jamathan – Fr (HS)
- 25 Carter, Shane – So (1V)
- 26 Hampton, Zach – Sr (4V)
- 28 Pleasant, Aubrey – So (1V)
- 29 Freeman, Antonio – So (2V)
- 30 Davis, Jameson – So (2V)
- 30 Holland, Tyler – Fr (HS)
- 31 Egholm, Nate – Jr (3V)
- 31 Moody, Prince – Fr (1V)
- 32 Royston, Kim – Fr (HS)
- 37 Ayeni, Phil – Fr (1V)
- 39 Herman, Brian – Fr (1V)
- 45 Sibley, Joe – Jr (3V)
- 46 Morrissey, Tony – Fr (1V)
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Punters
- 94 DeBauche, Ken
Ken DeBauche is an American football punter. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and subsequently released on July 24, 2008. He played college football at Wisconsin as #94 and was a team captain for the Badgers in his senior season.Ken attended Green Bay area...
– Jr (3V)
- 97 Standring, Paul – Jr (3V)
Kickers
- 10 Mehlhaff, Taylor
Taylor Mehlhaff is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
– Jr (2V)
- 96 Fischer, Matt – Fr (1V)
- 98 Schober, Adam – So (2V)
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Bowling Green
In his debut, P. J. Hill, Jr. had 130 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead the Badgers to a victory over the hometeam Falcons. The Badgers broke a 7-7 tie in the second quarter when Alonso Rojas blocked a punt and Jonathan Casillas returned it for a touchdown. John Stocco finished 9-of-15 for 124 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.
Western Illinois
P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for over 100 yards for the second game in a row, and the Badgers overcame a rocky first quarter to beat the Leathernecks. After a fumble on the kickoff lead to a WIU field goal, the Badgers reeled off 34 straight points – 17 in the second quarter – to effectively put the game away. John Stocco was 15-25 for 227 yards and another touchdown, and Hill collected three touchdowns on the ground for the Badgers.
San Diego State
P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for 184 yards and a touchdown and the defense shut out the Aztecs in the last game before the start of conference play. The Badgers allowed just 153 yards, but the offense was out of sync for the third straight week as Stocco completed just 12 of his 23 passes for 85 yards. Paul Hubbard registered a six-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.
Michigan
Wisconsin performed admirably in the first half, scoring 10 points, but special teams miscues led to 10 Wolverine points by the break. P. J. Hill, Jr. was held to 54 yards against the stout Michigan run defense, and
Mario ManninghamMario Cashmere Manningham is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
had 113 yards and two touchdowns through the air as Michigan raced out to 17 straight points in the second half to beat the Badgers, 27-13. The Badgers intercepted
Chad HenneChad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
three times, but it was not enough to overcome the Wolverines' powerful offense. Wisconsin, which had beaten Michigan in 2005, had a five-game winning streak snapped. Michigan moved to 4-0 on the season.
Indiana
The Badgers bounced back from their first loss of the season, racing out to a 52-0 lead over the hometeam Hoosiers en route to a dominating 52-17 victory. John Stocco threw for 304 yards and had three touchdown strikes by halftime, and P. J. Hill, Jr. had 129 yards and another three touchdowns for the Badgers. The Hoosiers were held to just 147 yards through three quarters. Paul Hubbard caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown for the Badgers.
Northwestern
For the second straight week, the Badger defense stepped up big, holding NU tailback
Tyrell SuttonTyrell DelShawn Sutton, , is an American football running back who formerly played for the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
to just 18 yards on the ground. Wisconsin avenged last year's loss to the Wildcats with a punishing ground game, highlighted by P. J. Hill, Jr.'s rumbling 60-yard touchdown in the first quarter. In his best effort to date, Hill piled up 250 of the Badgers' 316 yards on the ground as the Badgers prevailed.
Minnesota
The Badgers hosted Minnesota in the battle for
Paul Bunyan's AxePaul Bunyan's Axe, named after the mythical giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan, is a prize awarded every year to the winner of the college football game between Minnesota and Wisconsin.-History:...
. The Badgers, who had moved into the AP rankings for the first time this season, prevailed 48-12 behind John Stocco's four touchdown passes, two to
Travis BeckumTravis Beckum is an American football tight end for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.-Early years:Travis Beckum played football for Oak Creek High School. He...
, who also had 118 receiving yards. Stocco finished 12-of-19 for 193 yards.
Jack IkegwuonuJack Ikegwuonu is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
opened the scoring by returning
Amir PinnixAmir Pinnix is a former college football running back for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He was a prospect in the 2008 NFL Draft, but went undrafted...
's first-quarter fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. P. J. Hill, Jr. racked up 164 yards and two more scores as the Badgers defended the Axe.
Purdue
The Badgers moved into the Coaches Poll for the first time, ranked #22 going into their showdown against Purdue. The Badger defense figured to get a good test against the Boilermakers offense, which led the Big Ten at over 470 yards a game entering the contest. Purdue managed only 299 yards and a field goal as the Badgers limited Purdue quarterback
Curtis PainterCurtis Jeffrey Painter is a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.-High school career:...
to just 187 yards on 20-of-40 passing and an interception. P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for another two touchdowns and 160 yards.
Illinois
The visiting Illini gave the #18 Badgers a scare, as Illinois quarterback Juice Williams engineered three scoring drives in the second quarter to give the Illini a 24-10 lead at halftime. P. J. Hill, Jr. suffered a pinched nerve and left the game in the first quarter. Backup Lance Smith scored the Badgers' only touchdown of the first half. John Stocco threw for two touchdowns and
Taylor MehlhaffTaylor Mehlhaff is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
kicked two field goals in the second half, and the defense held Illinois scoreless throughout the second half to prevail victorious, 30-24.
Penn State
The Badger defense stepped up in a huge way against Penn State, yielding only a field goal and 244 yards. Consistent pressure frustrated Nittany Lions quarterback
Anthony MorelliAnthony Michael Morelli is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, and the offense controlled the clock with 148 yards from P. J. Hill, Jr.. The Badgers won 13-3 to move to 9-1 on the season and their sixth straight victory. John Stocco suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.
This game drew the ire of Penn State head coach
Joe PaternoJoseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
as the first half came to a close. Under the clock rules introduced at the beginning of the season, the clock began running immediately as the ball was kicked, rather than when it was fielded by the receiving team. Following a Stocco touchdown that gave the Badgers a 10-3 lead with 23 seconds to go, Coach Bielema deliberately ordered his kickoff unit to run offsides before Taylor Mehlhaff kicked off. Because the Badgers were offsides (and thus further downfield), the Penn State special teams were unable to field the ball well, and thus would have had awful field position; they instead elected to rekick. Wisconsin repeated the tactic, essentially running out the clock on the first half. Bielema's strategy was descried by many as unsportsmanlike; others praised him for bringing light to a loophole in the new clock system. After the regular season, the clock rules were reverted to their pre-2006 form.
Iowa
After moving up to #16 in the coaches poll, Wisconsin ended a two-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes with a 24-21 victory in Iowa City. With John Stocco sitting out due to injury, backup Tyler Donovan played an efficient game, going 17-of-24 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Hawkeyes quarterback
Drew TateDrew Tate is a professional American and Canadian football quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Iowa....
threw for Iowa's three touchdowns, but was frustrated all game, completing fewer than a third of his attempts. With the win, the Badgers completed conference play with a 7-1 mark, wrapping up a second place tie in the Big Ten.
Buffalo
On Senior Day, the #10 Badgers started sluggishly, but scored two touchdowns just before halftime and added two more in the second half to win decisively over Buffalo, 35-3. Tyler Donovan once again performed proficiently, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 16-of-26, and the defense forced four turnovers and held Buffalo to just 159 yards. P. J. Hill, Jr. scored a touchdown and picked up 86 yards on the ground.
With the win, the Badgers finished 11-1, the best regular season in school history. There was a minor controversy concerning the
Bowl Championship SeriesThe Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
, whose rules state that only two teams from one conference may receive bids to BCS bowl games. Ohio State and Michigan were ranked ahead of the Badgers in the final BCS standings, granting those two schools BCS invitations and relegating the Badgers to a lesser bowl. Nevertheless, Wisconsin again accepted an invitation to the
Capital One BowlThe Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
, where it would defend its championship against
ArkansasThe University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
.
Capital One Bowl – Arkansas
The Badgers returned to
OrlandoOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
to face the #13 Razorbacks, led by
Heisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
runner-up
Darren McFaddenDarren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
. McFadden burst for 45 yards on his first carry but was brought down from behind by Jack Ikegwuonu at the 9-yard line, a pivotal play that led to a missed field goal by Arkansas. The Badgers led 17-7 at halftime behind John Stocco's two touchdown passes, and eventually survived a nailbiting second half in which the Razorbacks continually had great field position but failed to capitalize. Despite being held to -5 rushing yards while giving up 232, including 150 from Arkansas'
Felix JonesFelix Jones is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. After playing college football and majoring in kinesiology at the University of Arkansas, he was drafted by the Cowboys 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft...
, the Badgers won 17-14. John Stocco, playing in his final collegiate game, was named the game's MVP.
The Badgers finished the season on a nine-game winning streak to reach #5 in the final coaches poll and #7 in the final AP poll. The 12 wins were a new single season record.
Regular starters
| Position |
Player |
| Quarterback |
John Stocco John Stocco is a former collegiate American football quarterback. Stocco played football for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, starting at quarterback for the Badgers during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons...
|
| Running Back |
P.J. Hill |
| Fullback |
Andy Crooks/Bill Rentmeester Bill Rentmeester is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
|
| Wide Receiver |
Luke Swan Luke Swan is a former American football wide receiver and current college football coach. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Wisconsin for the Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin...
|
| Wide Receiver |
Paul Hubbard Paul Hubbard, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|
| Tight End |
Travis Beckum Travis Beckum is an American football tight end for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.-Early years:Travis Beckum played football for Oak Creek High School. He...
|
| Left Tackle |
Joe Thomas |
| Left Guard |
Andy Kemp |
| Center |
Marcus Coleman |
| Right Guard |
Kraig Urbik Kraig Urbik is an American football offensive guard/tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
|
| Right Tackle |
Eric Vanden Heuvel |
| Position |
Player |
| Defensive End |
Joe Monty |
| Defensive Tackle |
Jason Chapman |
| Defensive Tackle |
Nick Hayden Nick Hayden is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
|
| Defensive End |
Matt Shaughnessy Matt Shaughnessy is an American football defensive end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
|
| Outside Linebacker |
DeAndre Levy DeAndre Levy is an American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin....
|
| Middle Linebacker |
Mark Zalewski |
| Outside Linebacker |
Jonathan Casillas Jonathan Casillas is a NFL linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, but was later signed as a free agent...
|
| Cornerback |
Allen Langford |
| Strong Safety |
Joe Stellmacher |
| Free Safety |
Roderick Rogers Roderick Rogers is an American football defensive back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
|
| Cornerback |
Jack Ikegwuonu Jack Ikegwuonu is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
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Team players selected in the 2007 NFL Draft
| Player |
Position |
Round |
Overall Selection |
NFL Team |
| Joe Thomas |
Offensive Tackle |
1 |
3 |
Cleveland BrownsThe 2007 Cleveland Browns season began with the Browns attempting to improve upon their 4–12 record from the 2006 season, in which the team finished in fourth place in the AFC North. The Browns also attempted to overcome the many injuries that plagued the team throughout the 2006 season...
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