Lucas at 50: ‘Never stop fighting, never get satisfied’
December 30, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas
Remembering Wisconsin’s last Rose Bowl battle against Oregon in 2012
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.
 |
||
|
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
As a columnist and sports editor of the Milwaukee Journal for well over a decade, Bill Dwyre had a front row seat for some really bad Wisconsin football teams in the '70s. It also afforded him with historical perspective on how far this program has traveled since those bleak seasons. In 1981, Dwyre left his Cheesehead roots (he's a Sheboygan native) to join the staff at the Los Angeles Times where he was the consummate professional whether writing his columns or running the show as the longtime sports editor.
After the Badgers suffered a heartbreaking 45-38 loss to Oregon in the 2012 Rose Bowl, Dwyre offered this insight: "And, so, in defeat, on a day of great competition and entertainment, there was perspective and class. Maybe that's how Wisconsin fans ought to remember this one."
MADISON, Wis. — Kevin Zeitler wasn't about to make a snap judgement, even though he felt like the UW offense had one more coming; one last snap or play against Oregon; one last gasp or hurrah in Pasadena.
Some 30 minutes after yet another game had ended in the replay booth with yet another video review that had gone badly for the Badgers, he said, "I'm still confused about that; I'm not going to lie."
Truth is, Zeitler's confusion wasn't isolated.
Nor was he about to dwell on that, either. Following a heart-stopping, heart-rendering 45-38 loss in the Rose Bowl, he emphasized, "We have to deal with it."
Standing amid his offensive linemates for a final time, Zeitler provided clarity and resolution in his message; so much so that it carried to all corners of the UW locker room.
"A lot of people weren't here for my freshman year when we went 7-6," he said.
Reflecting on how the Badgers were reduced to playing in the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl, where they got crushed 42-13 by Florida State, he said, "Never stop fighting, never get satisfied."
Zeitler's reminder to the younger players on the team was timely on the heels of Wisconsin's back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances and the challenge of sustaining such a high level of play.
Over the previous three seasons, the Badgers had won 32 games, one fewer than LSU (which lost to Alabama in the BCS championship game).
"You have to step up," Zeitler demanded, "and live up to expectations."
More specifically, he stressed, "You have to live up to every position's expectation."
In so many words, he was speaking to offensive line players like Travis Frederick.
"The one thing that I can take from this group of seniors," Frederick said, "was their perseverance and how you always have to move forward no matter what happens."
That was the case in each of Wisconsin's two previous losses in that 2011 season, at Michigan State and Ohio State.
Obviously, too, video review was a common thread (especially on the Hail Mary in East Lansing).
The outcome was no different in the Rose Bowl. The Badgers felt like they had time for one more play from the Ducks' 25. But a review determined that the game was over.
"I knew there were two seconds left on the clock," said quarterback Russell Wilson, who threw for 296 yards and accounted for three touchdowns in his Badgers farewell.
"As soon as the referee blew the whistle, I snapped it and spiked it.
"I didn't think there was any way that two full seconds ran off the clock there."
Center Peter Konz was confident that the Badgers could have pulled off the improbable.
"If only we had one more second," he said wistfully. "I had all the confidence in my teammates and there was no doubt in my mind that we would have scored.
"That would have left us to decide whether we kick the extra point or go for two. But that's neither here nor there.
"What happens is what happens. It's just too bad that another game had to end on another last-second drive."
But he rationalized, "There were a lot of things that we could have cleaned up."
Wisconsin was tied nationally for fewest fumbles lost (4) with LSU, Alabama and Wake Forest. But they lost a fumble on the Oregon 27 in the fourth quarter.
With the Badgers driving for potentially a game-tying touchdown, wide receiver Jared Abbrederis fumbled after a 29-yard pass completion.
Instead of rolling out of bounds, the loose ball sat for what seemed like an eternity on the turf before it was recovered by Oregon linebacker Michael Clay with 4 minutes and 6 seconds left.
"I was fighting for more yards," Abbrederis said, "and they made a good play."
Wisconsin was also tied nationally for fewest interceptions thrown (4) with Army, LSU and Temple. But Wilson threw a third-quarter pick that was converted into a touchdown by the Ducks.
The Badgers couldn't overcome those two turnovers.
"Obviously, you never want to turn the ball over," said Wilson, who was last intercepted on Oct. 22 at Michigan State, "especially when you're playing a team like Oregon that can score so quickly."
The Ducks featured blazing speed. De'Anthony Thomas, for one, had Michael Bennett speed. Bennett, the former UW tailback, was clocked in 20.66 seconds over 200 meters.
As a high school senior, Thomas ran 20.61 over that distance.
"We found that out the hard way," said UW linebacker Chris Borland.
That speed coupled with their cutting ability erased tackling angles.
"The biggest challenge was facing their ability to hit every hole on the line of scrimmage," Borland said. "They'd hand off the ball on the zone read and they could hit holes A through D."
Defensively, the Badgers tried to counter Oregon's athleticism by removing a linebacker (Kevin Claxton) and going with an extra defensive back (safety Dez Southward).
"We felt it gave us a better chance to win," said Shelton Johnson, who was the equivalent of a linebacker or a rover in the scheme. "We expected a lot of bubbles and quick screens to the boundary."
Despite giving up four plays of 40 or more yards (three of which went for scores), the Badgers still "held" Oregon to 45 points which was under the Ducks' season average (46.2).
Consider that Oregon scored 45 or more points eight times in 14 games. That included 53 against Stanford, a team that mirrored Wisconsin.
Also consider that the much-maligned UW defense manufactured a score.
Linebacker Mike Taylor was unblocked on a blitz and knocked the ball free from Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas, affording Louis Nzegwu a flashback to his prep days as a tailback.
Nzegwu nimbly executed a scoop-and-score on the turnover.
Still, it didn't make UW cornerback Antonio Fenelus feel any better about the loss.
"We felt like we should have had more stops as a defense," Fenelus said. "We should have been sounder in not letting them get those deeps throws. That's on us. We should have played better."
That was echoed by Johnson.
"With their talent, you have to be sound on defense," he said. "You can have 10 people doing the right thing, but if you have one person out of position or out of his gap, it can be a home run.
"We gave up too many home runs."
The night before the game, Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema talked to his players about paying attention to all the details, no matter how small.
"He talked about how it can be a game of inches," Johnson said.
Like the Abbrederis fumble that stuck in the grass.
It can also be a game of seconds.
Like the snap that they didn't get off.
"There were a lot of little things that could have changed the outcome against Oregon," Borland reasoned. "But that's always going to be the story. You have to live with no regrets.
"We didn't get the win here, but we learned that you have to fight to the end, and we did. Despite the loss, you've got to respect how hard our guys played."
Bill Dwyer did and wrote so.
