BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — A year removed from his sensational college debut, Wisconsin sophomore running back Ron Dayne had an uneven start to 1997.
He was limited to a career-low 46 yards on 13 carries in the 34-0 season-opening loss to Syracuse in the Kickoff Classic and missed his first game due to injury the following week when the Badgers escaped with a 28-24 victory over Boise State.
But Dayne appeared to be in a major groove heading into a prime time Big Ten Conference duel with Northwestern at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill., on Oct. 3.
Dayne ran for 254 yards and three scores in a 56-10 blowout of San Jose State; 145 yards and a career-best-tying four touchdowns in a 36-10 rout of San Diego State; and a milestone effort — 202 yards and two scores — during a 27-26 win over Indiana in the league opener.
The effort versus the Hoosiers enabled Dayne to assume sole possession of the program record for most rushing performances of 200 yards or more. He had been tied with Billy Marek with five. Marek did it over a span of 32 games over three seasons (1973, '74 and '75). Dayne did it in a span of 17 games in less than a season-and-a-half.
Dayne, who set the school record with 2,106 rushing yards as a true freshman in 1996, largely nickel-and-dimed his way to the milestone against Indiana. Eleven of 34 carries went for 2 yards or fewer. Five of his rushes went for double-figures, including a 34-yarder that set up a late first-half field goal and a 35-yarder that set the stage for his second TD of the day.
"Not a lot of holes," Dayne said.
"Not a lot of holes," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said, "but Ron still found a way to get 200."
Here are five more things to know:
Pass It On
Three of the top 10 passers in Wisconsin history registered their career yardage highs vs. Northwestern. Tony Lowery, No. 10 on the list, totaled 355 in 1990. John Stocco, No. 3 on the list, accounted for 326 in 2005. Mike Samuel, No. 8 on the list, hit for 271 in 1997. Samuel is the only one to emerge with a win, a 26-25 decision.
Snap To It
Mike Solwold is one of 17 former Wisconsin players to reach the NFL and emerge with a Super Bowl ring. He did so as a long snapper with Tampa Bay in 2003. That's pretty cool when you consider his jarring, humbling debut against Northwestern in 1997. He replaced the injured Mike Schneck and made mistakes that led to nine points for the Wildcats. One snap to freshman punter Kevin Stemke was low and was blocked out of the end zone for a safety. Another sailed over Stemke's head and was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. But Solwold, a tight end by trade, was good when the game was on the line. His snap to sophomore holder Tim Rosga was true, enabling junior Matt Davenport to convert the game-winning kick with six seconds left.
Making A Point
Wisconsin experienced something unprecedented when it registered one-point wins over Indiana (27-26) and Northwestern (26-25). It was the first time in program history that the Badgers won consecutive games by a single point. They also experienced back-to-back one-point outings in 1982, knocking off Michigan State 24-23 and falling to Illinois 29-28.
Ron Dayne, Chris McIntosh and Barry Alvarez celebrating post-game against Iowa 1999 while wearing Big Ten Championship hats
Setting The Foundation
The Badgers had eight starters in 1997 that formed the nucleus of the back-to-back Big Ten titlists in 1998 and '99: Dayne, left tackle Chris McIntosh, left guard Bill Ferrario, center Casey Rabach, right guard Dave Costa, defensive end Ross Kolodziej, defensive end John Favret and linebacker Donnel Thompson.
Defying The Odds
The Badgers finished the 1997 season with an 8-5 overall record despite being outscored by their opponents 306-291. The last time Wisconsin finished above .500 while being outscored by the opposition was 1978 when it finished 5-4-2, allowing 277 points and generating 223.
