BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Three weeks after LSU lost to the Badgers in Lambeau Field, snapping a streak of 52 consecutive victories over non-conference opponents, the school fired head coach Les Miles following an 18-13 loss at Auburn, dropping the Tigers record to 2-2. Also fired was offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.
Miles took over the LSU program in 2005 and won a national title in 2007. While his overall mark was 114-34, he was only 15-11 against SEC foes since 2013. Replacing Miles on an interim basis was Ed Orgeron, who was elevated to the permanent head coach in November of 2016.
Last season, Orgeron guided the 15-0 Tigers to the College Football Playoff national championship.
Miles is entering his second year at the University of Kansas.
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Wisconsin Badgers kicker Rafael Gaglianone (27) celebrates a field goal during an NCAA college football game against the LSU Tigers
Rafael Gaglianone, who converted on all three of his field goal attempts against LSU, including his fourth career game-winner, had his 2016 season cut short with a back injury. Before being sidelined, he was 7-of-8 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points in three appearances. Andrew Endicott took over the kicking assignment in his absence and went 13-of-19 on field goals and 35-of-37 on PATs.
Gaglianone returned for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and ended his career as Wisconsin's all-time leader in field goals made and attempted (70-of-92) and extra points made and attempted (216-of-218).
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In 2016, the Badgers went 3-3 against six opponents ranked in the Top 10 of the Associated Press poll. They beat No. 5 LSU, No. 7 Nebraska and No. 8 Michigan State while losing to No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Michigan and No. 8 Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game. They also defeated No. 12 and unbeaten Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl.
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In fashioning an 11-win season – only the sixth in school history, but the second in the span of three years – the Badgers got maximum production out of their quarterback tandem of Bart Houston, who started the first three games and the last two, and Alex Hornibrook, who started nine games.
"I didn't know how they would both approach it and take it," UW coach Paul Chryst admitted. "But I feel now what I felt all along: both earned the right to play. They gave us some things and they made it work through their preparation. I didn't think we were necessarily settling when we did it."
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Under coordinator Justin Wilcox's direction, the 2016 defense was a consistent force and ranked among the Top 10 nationally in most categories, including No. 4 in scoring defense (15.6 points per game). The ball-hawking secondary had 22 interceptions to lead all Power Five programs.
Leo Musso had five picks, D'Cota Dixon and Sojourn Shelton had four each for first-year secondary coach Jim Leonhard, who made a successful transition from NFL player to college assistant. In 2017, Wilcox accepted the Cal head coaching job and Leonhard replaced him as UW's defensive coordinator.
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Wisconsin Badgers linebackers Ryan Connelly (43) and Jack Cichy (48) tackle LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7)
Outside linebacker T.J. Watt and left tackle Ryan Ramczyk made their first career starts against LSU. Both proved to be up to the challenge. Watt and Ramczyk were recognized as first-team All-Americans in 2016 in what was their final season at Wisconsin. Both declared for the 2017 NFL Draft. Both were taken in the first round: Watt by the Steelers (No. 30) and Ramczyk by the Saints (No. 32).
In 2019, Watt and Ramczyk were both named first-team All-Pro.
As it turned out, the 2016 season was Jack Cichy's final one with the Badgers. Despite missing the last seven games with a pectoral injury, he still finished as the fourth leading tackler with 60. Cichy was named a team captain for 2017 but suffered an ACL injury during the August training camp and missed the season. Rather than petition for another year of eligibility, he opted to enter the draft.
Cichy still has the two-tone cleats that he wore against LSU to go along with a couple of framed photos and the postgame video of him doing the Lambeau Leap. "With the adrenaline after the win, it was easy," he said. "That was just a great team win. I definitely still have some good memories from it. I thought it was an instant classic and the epitome of a team football game."
