Lucas at 50: Which games against Michigan State stand out?
October 12, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas
A look back at some of the classic clashes between the Badgers and Spartans
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer Mike Lucas is celebrating 50 years of covering the Badgers in 2019. Join us throughout the season as we take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from his career in Madison.
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
Although the Spartans and Badgers have met just once since 2012 — Wisconsin won 30-6 in the 2016 Big Ten opener at East Lansing — this has been an intensely competitive rivalry. Prior to '16, the previous seven games had been decided by an average of 4.9 points. Former UW offensive lineman Kyle Costigan, now a member of the UW strength and conditioning staff, brought context to the series.
"Both of our programs pride ourselves on being physical," Costigan said prior to that last meeting at Spartan Stadium. "You respect them because you get to pit your best stuff against theirs. You might not like each other, but you're going to respect each other.
"Fifty years from now, you're going to remember the guy across from you because you gave your best shot against his. It's the unspoken side of football."
MADISON, Wis. — It was the longest trip of the 1993 season. Or any season.
6,192 miles.
That was the distance between Madison and Tokyo, Japan, where the Badgers staged their regular-season finale against Michigan State in what was technically a home game.
Win and go to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 31 years.
Lose and the 13-hour return flight would likely seem twice as long.
The Odyssey
In May of 1992, the University of Wisconsin agreed to move its '93 home game with the Spartans — originally scheduled for October 2 at Camp Randall — to Japan and the Tokyo Dome. It sounded like a good idea at the time since the Badgers were going through some expected growing pains.
Barry Alvarez, who was in the process of resuscitating the moribund program, saw potential advantages for recruiting. Especially since he was reduced to selling "blue sky" and the promise of things to come. Meanwhile, Chancellor Donna Shalala was excited about tapping into the Far East alumni.
Thus, the deal was consummated. Michigan State and Wisconsin would become the first Big Ten representatives to play in the Coca-Cola Bowl. Both would get a $400,000 guarantee and travel expenses. Little did anyone know that the game would have Rose Bowl ramifications for the Badgers.
"People talk about distractions going to Tokyo; I'm not too sure we wouldn't have more distractions if we were playing in Madison," Alvarez said. "Every phone call to our office is about the Rose Bowl — everybody is calling about tickets. In Japan, we have total control over our kids and their environment, and we can eliminate some of the distractions we might otherwise have here."
Wisconsin had two weeks to prepare for the game in Tokyo whereas the Spartans had played the previous Saturday in East Lansing and were coming off a heart-breaking 38-37 loss to Penn State that saddled them with a 6-4 overall record, 4-3 in the Big Ten.
Alvarez had them right where he wanted them. Unmotivated.
Both teams flew out of Chicago's O'Hare Airport on the same plane. After boarding Japan Airlines Flight 7007 (a 747 with a capacity of 356), the Wisconsin players were primarily seated in the upper deck, while the Spartans were scattered throughout the business and coach sections.
Since there was a 15-hour time difference, Alvarez huddled with athletic trainer Denny Helwig on how to best cope with jet lag. Helwig consulted with some campus professors whose specialty was sleep disorders and they helped develop a plan for the players and the travel party.
"These professors," Alvarez said, "had been consultants with NASA and it reassured everyone that we were getting the same care and treatment as the astronauts in the space program. So, our kids really thought they had a big edge on the Michigan State players.
"All the intangibles were in our favor. We had more at stake than they did. Plus, some people who had played in the bowl told me the best team always wins in Tokyo. And, hell, I knew we were the best team. We were better and we went out and proved it."
Behind the pinpoint passing of quarterback Darrell Bevell (14-of-19 for 239 yards) and their powerful rushing attack — tailbacks Brent Moss and Terrell Fletcher combined for 260 yards — the Badgers exploded for 21 points in the second quarter and overwhelmed the Spartans, 41-20.
"There was no doubt in our minds that we were going to beat them," said fullback Mark Montgomery, who cited Michigan State coach George Perles for the unwitting motivation that he provided. "We were kind of insulted when Coach Perles said this game didn't mean bleep to them."
During a booster function in Tokyo, Perles had said exactly that. The expletive was not bleeped.
"That," Montgomery said, "was kind of a slap in our face."
In Madison, some 30,000 fans took over State Street to celebrate the win. Over 10,000 gathered at Camp Randall Stadium for a pep rally welcoming back the team. Five busses, lights flashing, were led onto the turf by a police escort. As the players got off, they were each handed a long-stemmed rose.
"I don't know about you," Alvarez bellowed to the crowd, "but we're going to Disneyland.
"Pasadena and California will never be the same after Wisconsin gets there."
The Guarantee
Michigan State had the No. 1 rushing defense in the nation.
Ron Dayne had an XXXXXL-sized chip on his shoulder.
Jamar Fletcher had a check that he had to cash. And he guaranteed it.
Something had to give in the 1999 matchup between the Spartans and the Badgers.
In the October 18 issue of Sports Illustrated, Dayne was ranked as the sixth-biggest disappointment in college football for not living up to his preseason Heisman billing to that point. Dayne didn't say anything. He just cut out the Top 10 bust list from the magazine and taped it to his locker.
That Saturday, Dayne took out his frustrations on the unsuspecting Spartans, who had been allowing just 39.9 rushing yards per game. The Badgers directed their early point of attack at Michigan State's leading tackler, Julian Peterson, who could be disruptive chasing down the ball.
On the second play from scrimmage, Dayne picked up 18 yards over the right side behind tackle Mark Tauscher, who threw the key block on Peterson. After a 3-yard run up the middle, Dayne went 51 yards for a touchdown behind left tackle Chris McIntosh's block on Peterson.
"That first drive was critical," Tauscher said afterward. "We put them back on their heels a little. They didn't expect us to come out and do that. We came right at them and said, 'Here we are — and we're going to be here all day.'"
On three carries, Dayne had 72 yards, matching what Michigan State had given up in the three previous games combined. "I was really shocked," said MSU defensive end Nick Myers. "I thought, 'Man we have to be on our A game.' But we didn't wake up and they kept pounding the ball."
Dayne was relentless in punishing tacklers. He had 34 carries for 214 yards as the Badgers crushed the Spartans, 40-10. Opponents were averaging 1.4 yards per rush. Dayne averaged 6.3. "That was a little bit shocking to me because I thought we were ready to play," said MSU coach Nick Saban.
While Saban might not have seen it coming, UW cornerback Jamar Fletcher did.
Not only did Fletcher want the assignment of covering Michigan State's best wide receiver, Plaxico Burress, he boasted to the Madison media corps that he would demand it from the coaches. Fletcher was giving up a lot of size to the 6-foot-6 Burress, but he wasn't backing down from his statement.
"I've got one saying and I stole it from Lou Holtz," said Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez when prodded for comment on Fletcher. "If your mouth writes a check, your fanny better be able to cash it."
Fletcher threw a blanket on Burress, who managed five catches for only 58 yards. Of the first six passes that were targeted for Burress, three were intercepted; two by Fletcher (and he could have had three save for a drop on the first ball that was thrown to Burress), the other by safety Bobby Myers.
"It's never bragging," Fletcher said, "if you back it up."
A Fistful of TD Catches
Wisconsin wide receiver Lee Evans couldn't help but smile (if not lick his chops) during his film study of Michigan State's secondary leading up to the 2003 game in Madison.
"We knew what they were going to come out and do," Evans said. "All week, we stressed, 'Beat man-to-man, beat man-to-man.' It's a matchup game. It's you against him. And if you beat your man, you're going to have a lot of success."
As it turned out, it was not a man-to-man matchup. It was a man against boys. It was Evans against MSU defensive backs Roderick Maples, Darren Barnett, Jason Harmon and Greg Cooper. For whatever reason, they were reluctant to double Evans unless he was in the slot. Big mistake.
The Badgers broke the Spartans' spirit on the first series of the game, a nine-play, 66-yard touchdown drive that was highlighted by quarterback Jim Sorgi completing 4 of 4 passes, all to Evans. "We felt their corners couldn't hold up against Lee," Alvarez said.
In six previous Big Ten games, the Spartans had not given up a touchdown in the first quarter while outscoring their opponents, 52-3. After the Badgers jumped out to a 14-0 lead, MSU linebacker Mike Labinjo confessed, "It seemed like guys lost faith a little bit."
The opposite was true for the Badgers, who came into the game with great resolve — despite being in the throes of a three-game losing streak — and blew out the Spartans, 56-21. Sorgi threw for 380 yards and Evans caught 10 passes for 258 and five touchdowns (from 9, 75, 18, 70 and 18 yards).
"In the whole process coming back from two knee surgeries," said Evans, the school's all-time leading receiver with 175 catches for 3,468 yards and 27 touchdowns, "I just told myself that I have to go out there and play the way that I know how to play."
Alvarez was so moved by Evans' scoring frenzy against the Spartans that he proclaimed of his dominant play, "It's right there with any of Ron Dayne's big-time rushing performances."
Sweet Revenge
Defensive end Pat Muldoon never forgot what it felt like losing on a Hail Mary to Michigan State.
"I remember the bedlam of them running around," he said, "and us walking off the field."
On third-and-one from the UW 44, quarterback Kirk Cousins lofted a desperation pass to the end zone that bounced off B.J. Cunningham's facemask into the hands of Keith Nichol.
It was initially ruled that Nichol was tackled short of the goal line.
But the call was overturned after a replay review and Spartan Stadium erupted.
Final score: Michigan State 37, Wisconsin 31
As bitter as that ending was, the Badgers got a rematch with the Spartans that season in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Both programs were on a roll, having won 21 of their last 25 games.
"We knew that we should have won that game in East Lansing," said UW cornerback Anthony Fenelus. "I wouldn't necessarily say it was revenge. We wanted to go to the Rose Bowl. That was motivation enough. We just got them when it counted the most."
The Badgers pulled it out with two fourth-quarter touchdowns and an improbable completion.
On fourth-and-6 from the MSU 43, Russell Wilson bought time in the pocket before unleashing a pass that seemed to hang in the air forever. When it finally came down, 36 yards later, Jeff Duckworth made the catch between two defenders, Trenton Robinson and Isaiah Lewis, on the Spartans' 7.
"I knew he'd come down with it once I put it in the air," said Wilson, who excelled in extending plays with his feet. "It was a pretty spectacular play."
Duckworth, who scored the first TD in the title game, was on the field for that possession because Nick Toon had left with an injury. Duckworth's reception led to a Montee Ball rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion as Wilson found Jacob Pedersen with a dart.
Reconstructing his fourth-down catch — preserved in time by Gus Johnson's over-modulated play-by-play — Duckworth said, "Russell bought time and gave me a chance. He was always big at throwing jump balls and giving guys the opportunity to make plays. He threw it up … I made a play."
The Badgers held on to the 42-39 victory thanks in part to a roughing the punter penalty on Lewis (who ran into Brad Nortman) that wiped out a long Keshawn Martin return to the UW 3.
"This was the culmination of our season," said sophomore offensive lineman Travis Frederick. "From starting out strong, to having a few road bumps (gut-wrenching back-to-back losses at Michigan State and Ohio State), to picking it up toward the end to make it successful.
"It couldn't have been a more defining game for us."
