Lucas at 50: A thrilling history with the Huskers
November 15, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas
Looking back at memorable moments between the Badgers and Cornhuskers
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. This week's lookback also celebrates Ron Dayne's role in the Badgers' dream season of 1999-2000.
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
While short on history, there has been no shortage of memories.
Ryan to Alvarez. Bohlig to Mack. Wilson to Abbrederis.
Melvin Gordon 408. 70-31. Jonathan Taylor 470.
Raffy's redemption. Dare's dash.
October 8, 1966
Capitalizing on Wisconsin's mistakes (four interceptions, three fumbles and a blocked punt), Nebraska overpowered the Badgers, 31-3, at Camp Randall Stadium.
Cornhuskers junior linebacker Barry Alvarez picked off one of John Ryan's passes and rumbled 25 yards before being chased down from behind by an offensive lineman.
"I wasn't tackled," Alvarez has kidded over the years, "rigor mortis set in."
On his 40-time, he reported, "I ran about a 5.2 …"
For clarification, he noted, "… 5.2 seconds, not minutes."
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September 21, 1974
On second and long, quarterback Greg Bohlig rolled to his right with his two running backs in front of him for protection.
Split receiver Art Sanger was running a 10-yard out pattern to the sideline.
Flanker Jeff Mack was splitting the defensive seam some five yards farther downfield.
Bohlig looked first at Sanger and then lofted a pass to Mack, who was nudged by Nebraska safety George Kyros in his anxiety to go for the interception.
An official threw down his flag on contact, signaling pass interference. Never mind. Mack was already on his way to the end zone, completing a beautifully-executed 77-yard pitch and catch.
Vince Lamia kicked the extra point and the Badgers had a 21-20 fourth-quarter lead. There was still 3:20 on the clock but Steve Wagner intercepted a desperation pass and the fans stormed the field.
Wisconsin had pulled off the improbable by knocking off No. 4 Nebraska, a two-touchdown favorite. Years later, whenever Bohlig thought about that Camp Randall moment he got chills.
"It was so unexpected, so out of the blue," he said. "It's kind of amazing how far-reaching that game was to a lot of people."
October 1, 2011
At the end of a 21-yard punt return, Jared Abbrederis, a walk-on from Wautoma, Wisconsin, fumbled. The Cornhuskers took advantage of the short field and scored first in their debut as a Big Ten member.
Leading up to the game, Alvarez, the director of athletics, spoke to the team about not flinching. Taking the words to heart, Abbrederis said, "I just had to let it go and move on from that (turnover)."
With less than three minutes left in the first half, quarterback Russell Wilson and Abbrederis connected on a 36-yard touchdown pass that pushed the Badgers into a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Wisconsin scored 34 unanswered in a 48-17 rout of the Huskers. Montee Ball rushed for 151 yards and four touchdowns while Wilson completed 14 of 20 passes for 255 yards and two scores.
Wilson never flinched, either.
"I can never tell if Russell is excited … or what exactly is going on in his head," said receiver Jordan Fredrick. "But he does good job of keeping us down to earth yet hungry."
November 15, 2014
Melvin Gordon was not keeping score. At least not his own personal score.
"I was just running to win," he said.
As a result, he had no idea how close he was to the record. Until he broke it.
On an unseasonably frigid day — it was 26 degrees at kickoff, the coldest game at Camp Randall since 1964 — Gordon eclipsed LaDainian Tomlinson's single-game rushing mark.
On 25 carries, Gordon raced for 408 yards with runs of 42 in the first quarter, 44 and 62 in the second quarter and 43 in the third quarter. He didn't play in the fourth quarter.
"The speed of Melvin Gordon," said Huskers defensive coordinator John Papuchis, who had no answers after Gordon fumbled twice early, "is impossible to simulate."
Trailing 17-3, the Badgers scored 56 unanswered and ran for 581 yards.
As the snow fell, the crowd roared for Gordon.
"To be honest," he said, "you never know when you're going to have a special day. But it's a special feeling. Words really can't explain how I feel."
December 1, 2012
It was 21-10 after the first quarter, 42-10 at half, 63-17 at the end of three quarters.
Nobody saw 70-31 coming in a Big Ten Championship Game.
"What is defensive football?" posed Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. "It's play your gaps, handle your responsibilities, be where you're supposed to be and make tackles.
"We did none of the above."
The Badgers had 640 total yards and rushed for 539. Gordon had 216, Ball had 202 and James White had 109 to go along with his four rushing touchdowns and one passing (read: The Barge).
Gordon, Ball and White combined for five runs of 46 yards or longer. Gordon, the third-string tailback, had 152 yards on four rushes by halftime. Ball and White went over 100 in three quarters.
"I definitely knew after I hit a couple of big runs," said Gordon, who sprinted 56 yards for a score on the fourth play of the game, "that it was going to open up for James and Montee."
The lopsided victory sent the Badgers to a third straight Rose Bowl.
Grumbled Pelini, "I've never been a part of a game like that as a coach."
October 7, 2017 and October 6, 2018
In '17, Jonathan Taylor rushed 25 times for 249 yards (10.0) and two touchdowns in Lincoln. He had a long run of 75. He didn't lose a yard. The Badgers won 38-17.
In '18, Taylor rushed 24 times for 221 yards (9.2) and three touchdowns in Madison. He had a long run of 88. He didn't lose a yard. The Badgers won 41-24.
JT 470.
Enough said.
October 10, 2015
Devastated. That was the word that UW placekicker Rafael Gaglianone used.
He felt devastated after his 39-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright with 1:26 left.
"I felt like I let my teammates down," Gaglianone said. "I was biting my nails."
Linebacker Vince Biegel was anything but devastated, though the Badgers still trailed 21-20.
"The only thought in my mind," he said, "was to get the ball back to our offense."
The Badgers forced a punt and took over on their own 30 with 63 seconds remaining.
"We knew if we got a last chance," receiver Alex Erickson said, "that's all you can ask."
Quarterback Joel Stave completed passes to Troy Fumagalli, Jazz Peavy and Erickson to move the ball to the Nebraska 28, putting Gaglianone in a position to redeem himself and win the game.
"Raffy is the kind of guy who will bounce back, he's got that kind of swagger," Biegel said. "I told him, 'Hey, next kick man. The last kick is the last kick, we're going to need you for one more.'"
Stave tapped him on the helmet, and said, "You've got this."
There was never any doubt on the Wisconsin sideline.
"We had all the confidence in the world in him," Fumagalli said.
It was justified as Gaglianone kicked a game-winning 46-yard field goal with 4 seconds to play.
Raffy's redemption.
"Our whole motto this week was family," said Fumagalli, "and sticking together, and we did."
October 29, 2016
Just two weeks removed from a crushing overtime defeat to Ohio State, the Badgers found themselves in another OT with the Cornhuskers at Camp Randall.
During the coin toss, the Nebraska captains called "Foltzy" in tribute to the memory of their late teammate Sam Foltz. And that's what turned up on the Big Ten's commemorative coin honoring Foltz.
"It doesn't matter when you get the ball in overtime," said center Michael Deiter. "If you lose the toss, you can't go, 'Oh, crap, we really have to score now because we have the ball first.'"
Tailback Corey Clement ran for 14 yards on three carries before tagging off with Dare Ogunbowale, who scored on an 11-yard run around left end. Dare's dash.
"I was able to make a guy miss," he said, "and beat them to the end zone."
But the Badgers missed the extra point, leaving the door open for the Huskers.
"I wasn't too nervous about that," Ogunbowale said. "The defense was playing lights-out and I had a lot of confidence in them."
When safety D'Cota Dixon knocked down a Tommy Armstrong pass targeted for Stanley Morgan in the deep corner of the end zone, it sealed the win.
Ogunbowale, who had rushed for 120 yards, raced on to the field to celebrate.
"He played out of his mind," Deiter said. "He was making plays."
Which is what this Nebraska-Wisconsin series has always come down to.
