BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin football team has come upon a rare moment.
The No. 19 Badgers opened the season losing three of their first four games, but have responded with six consecutive wins heading into their Big Ten Conference matchup with Nebraska on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Camp Randall Stadium.
UW (7-3 overall, 5-2 Big Ten, No. 15 CFP) has not only secured a winning record for the season, it has become just the second team in program history to overcome such a deficit and finish over .500.
In 1982, Wisconsin opened the year with losses to No. 12 Michigan and No. 14 UCLA. Those setbacks gave way to consecutive wins over Toledo, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State. After splitting the next four games — including a 24-0 triumph over Minnesota to end the regular season — the Badgers earned a berth in the Independence Bowl where they topped Kentucky 20-19 in Shreveport, Louisiana, for the first postseason victory in school history.
This edition of the Badgers is already guaranteed to become the first UW outfit since the Big Ten debuted in 1896 to start the conference season 0-2 and finish it with a winning record.
Wisconsin is trying to stretch its winning streak over the Cornhuskers (3-7, 1-6) to eight games dating back to 2012 and prevail in seven consecutive regular-season games for the 12th time in program history.
Here are five more things to know:
Blowing Your Mind
Going back to 2011 when Nebraska played its first season in the Big Ten, UW has faced the Huskers nine times and won eight. In those victories, the Badgers have had five different players rush for 100 yards or more, three different players surpass 200 and one eclipse 400. The per-game rushing average of all five backs — Jonathan Taylor (2017, '18, '19); Dare Ogunbowale (2015, '16); Melvin Gordon (2012, '14); Montee Ball (2011, '12); and James White (2012) — is a staggering 249.6 yards.
Grand-Iose Project
UW freshman running back Braelon Allen has rattled off six consecutive 100-yard performances, pulling him within 166 yards of 1,000 for the season. Ron Dayne, James White and Jonathan Taylor are the only members of that particular 1,000-yard club at Wisconsin. Dayne's longest 100-yard streak in 1996 was three games. Same goes for White in 2010. Taylor's longest was run of consecutive 100-yard outings was four games in 2017 (when he had 10 in total).
Now and Then
During its six-game winning streak, UW has forced an FBS-best 17 turnovers, with 16 coming in the last four outings. During their nine meetings with Nebraska as Big Ten members, the Badgers are plus-9 in takeaways and have never lost the turnover battle.
Not Very Generous
In 10 outings this season, the UW defense has allowed 12 touchdowns. The famed "Hard Rocks" defense of 1951 yielded eight TDs in nine games.
One Last Time
Saturday will mark the final home appearance for 24 Wisconsin seniors who will be acknowledged in a pregame ceremony. The group includes DE Michael Balistreri, OL Tyler Beach, OL Logan Bruss, OLB Noah Burks, FB John Chenal, WR Danny Davis, WR Jack Dunn, TE Jake Ferguson, OLB Izayah Green-May, CB Deron Harrell, DE Matt Henningsen, CB Faion Hicks, S Tyler Mais, ILB Mike Maskalunas, S Scott Nelson, WR Kendric Pryor, ILB Jack Sanborn, OL Josh Seltzner, P Conor Schlichting, OL Blake Smithback, QB Danny Vanden Boom, S Collin Wilder, DE Bryson Williams and CB Caesar Williams.
