2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Schedule

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Preseason

The Badgers were picked to finish in the middle of the Big Ten conference and were not ranked in the preseason for a number of reasons. Early defections to the National Football League by second-team All-Americans Brandon Williams and Brian Calhoun left the Badger offense with only three returning starters. Additionally, with the departure of Barry Alvarez – who had just completed his final season with 10 wins and a Capital One Bowl victory – the head coaching job was taken over by Bret Bielema, then the youngest head coach in Division I-A football.

Bright spots for the Badgers included returning All-American offensive tackle Joe Thomas, who was coming off an Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. John Stocco resumed the starting position at quarterback for his senior season, and P. J. Hill won the starting tailback job. The defense was to be led by senior linebacker Mark Zalewski and senior strong safety Joe Stellmacher. The special teams unit was considered strong, with All-American candidate Ken DeBauche punting the ball.

Some sportswriters felt that the non-conference schedule, featuring Bowling Green, Western Illinois (an FCS team), San Diego State, and Buffalo, was weak. Early in the season, the team's non-conference schedule was placed on the "waiting list" of ESPN.com's Bottom 10 rankings.

Game summaries

Bowling Green

| |home=Falcons | |stadium=Cleveland Browns Stadium ;First quarter

• BGU – Freddie Barnes 21-yard TD run (Sean Ellis kick), 10:40. Bowling Green 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:20.
• WIS – Dywon Rowan 7-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:34. Tie 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:55. ;Second quarter
• WIS – Jonathan Casillas 0-yard block punt return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:58. Wisconsin 14–7.
• WIS – John Stocco 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:17. Wisconsin 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:15. ;Third quarter
• BGU – Freddie Barnes 2-yard TD run (Sean Ellis kick), 6:58. Wisconsin 21–14. Drive: 16 plays, 79 yards, 6:41.
• WIS – Bill Rentmeester 4-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 2:36. Wisconsin 28–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:14. ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 10-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:19. Wisconsin 35–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:38. Top passers
• BGU – Freddie Barnes – 12/19, 82 yards
• WIS – John Stocco – 9/15, 124 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

• BGU – Freddie Barnes – 29 rushes, 158 yards, 2 TD
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 22 rushes, 130 yards, TD

Top receivers

• BGU – Ken Brantley – 2 receptions, 27 yards
• WIS – Travis Beckum – 3 receptions, 49 yards

Top defenders

• BGU – Kenny Lewis – 10 tackles, INT
• WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 12 tackles, 2.5 TFL, blocked punt, TD

In his debut, P. J. Hill, Jr. had 130 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead the Badgers to a victory over the hometeam Falcons. The Badgers broke a 7–7 tie in the second quarter when a Alonso Rojas punt was blocked by Jonathan Casillas and he recovered the punt in the end zone for a touchdown. John Stocco finished 9-of-15 for 124 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

Western Illinois

| |home=Badgers | |stadium=Camp Randall Stadium ;First quarter

• WIU – Taylor Rowan 42-yard field goal, 12:43 Western Illinois 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:03.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 28-yard field goal, 6:15. Tie 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:20. ;Second quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:19. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 7:02.
• WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 2:04. Wisconsin 17–3. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 7:20.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 46-yard field goal, 0:04. Wisconsin 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 0:30. ;Third quarter No scoring ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 2-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:10. Wisconsin 27–3. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 1:40.
• WIS – Andy Crooks 24-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:04. Wisconsin 34–3. Drive: 2 plays, 43 yards, 1:01.
• WIU – Kevin Almlie 17-yard interception return (Taylor Rowan kick), 5:51. Wisconsin 34–10. Top passers
• WIU – Steve LaFalce – 20/41, 168 yards, 3 INT
• WIS – John Stocco – 15/25, 227 yards, TD

Top rushers

• WIU – Herb Donaldson – 17 rushes, 70 yards
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 22 rushes, 101 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

• WIU – Marco Thomas – 8 receptions, 54 yards
• WIS – Paul Hubbard – 4 receptions, 87 yards

Top defenders

• WIU – Jason Williams – 8 tackles, 2.0 TFL, sack, QB hurry
• WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 7 tackles, INT

P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for over 100 yards for the second game in a row and the Badgers overcame a rocky first quarter to beat the Leathernecks. After a fumble on the kickoff led to a WIU field goal, the Badgers reeled off 34 straight points – 17 in the second quarter – to effectively put the game away. John Stocco was 15–25 for 227 yards and another touchdown and Hill collected three touchdowns on the ground for the Badgers.

San Diego State

| |home=Badgers | |stadium=Camp Randall Stadium ;First quarter No scoring ;Second quarter No scoring ;Third quarter

• WIS – P. J. Hill 53-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:49. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 1 plays, 53 yards, 0:22. ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – Paul Hubbard 6-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 7:06. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:59. Top passers
• SDS – Darren Mougey – 15/27, 102 yards
• WIS – John Stocco – 12/23, 85 yards, TD

Top rushers

• SDS – Lynell Hamilton – 11 rushes, 19 yards
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 26 rushes, 184 yards, TD

Top receivers

• SDS – Brett Swain – 5 receptions, 33 yards
• WIS – Paul Hubbard – 3 receptions, 18 yards, TD

Top defenders

• SDS – Joe Martin – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, forced fumble, pass breakup
• WIS – Mark Zalewski – 8 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 sacks

P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for 184 yards and a touchdown and the defense shut out the Aztecs in the last game before the start of conference play. The Badgers allowed just 153 yards but the offense was out of sync for the third straight week as Stocco completed just 12 of his 23 passes for 85 yards. Paul Hubbard registered a six-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.

Michigan

| |home=No. 6 Wolverines | |stadium=Michigan Stadium ;First quarter

• WIS – P. J. Hill 29-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 9:08. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:44. ;Second quarter
• MIC – Mario Manningham 24-yard pass from Chad Henne (Garrett Rivas kick), 13:19. Tie 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:22.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 39-yard field goal, 5:37. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:56.
• MIC – Garrett Rivas 31-yard field goal, 2:45. Tie 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:57. ;Third quarter
• MIC – Mario Manningham 38-yard pass from Chad Henne (Garrett Rivas kick), 3:11. Michigan 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:55. ;Fourth quarter
• MIC – Mike Hart 5-yard TD run (Garrett Rivas kick), 11:33. Michigan 24–10. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:39.
• MIC – Garrett Rivas 32-yard field goal, 5:29. Michigan 27–10. '''''Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:15.''''''
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 26-yard field goal, 2:19. Michigan 27–13. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 3:10. Top passers
• MIC – Chad Henne – 18/25, 211 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
• WIS – John Stocco – 22/42, 236 yards, TD

Top rushers

• MIC – Mike Hart – 23 rushes, 91 yards, TD
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 20 rushes, 54 yards

Top receivers

• MIC – Mario Manningham – 7 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 5 receptions, 64 yards, TD

Top defenders

• MIC – David Harris – 10 tackles, 2.0 TFL
• WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack

Wisconsin performed admirably in the first half, scoring 10 points but special teams miscues led to 10 Wolverine points by the break. P. J. Hill, Jr. was held to 54 yards against the stout Michigan run defense and Mario Manningham had 113 yards and two touchdowns through the air as Michigan raced out to 17 straight points in the second half to beat the Badgers, 27–13. The Badgers intercepted Chad Henne three times, but it was not enough to overcome the Wolverines' powerful offense. Wisconsin, which had beaten Michigan in 2005, had a five-game winning streak snapped. Michigan moved to 4–0 on the season.

Indiana

| |home=Hoosiers | |stadium=Memorial Stadium ;First quarter

• WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:21. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:42.
• WIS – Travis Beckum 35-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:39. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:29. ;Second quarter
• WIS – Paul Hubbard 15-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:22. Wisconsin 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 1:29.
• WIS – Andy Crooks 3-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:04. Wisconsin 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 1:44.
• WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:52. Wisconsin 35–0. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:28. ;Third quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 9:28. Wisconsin 42–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:53.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 28-yard field goal, 2:27. Wisconsin 45–0. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 5:07.
• WIS – Lance Smith 4-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:55. Wisconsin 52–0. Drive: 1 plays, 4 yards, 0:26. ;Fourth quarter
• IND – Austin Starr 21-yard field goal, 9:54. Wisconsin 52–3. '''''Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:14.''''''
• IND – Troy Grosfield 15-yard fumble return (Austin Starr kick), 9:41. Wisconsin 52–10.
• IND – Josiah Sears 8-yard TD run (J. Gilmore kick), 3:25. Wisconsin 52–17. Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 2:49. Top passers
• IND – Kellen Lewis – 13/29, 113 yards
• WIS – John Stocco – 15/17, 304 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

• IND – Josiah Sears – 9 rushes, 100 yards, TD
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 23 rushes, 129 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

• IND – Nick Polk – 4 receptions, 45 yards
• WIS – Paul Hubbard – 6 receptions, 122 yards, TD

Top defenders

• IND – Troy Grosfield – 15 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery, TD
• WIS – Elijah Hodge – 6 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack

The Badgers bounced back from their first loss of the season, racing out to a 52–0 lead over the hometeam Hoosiers en route to a dominating 52–17 victory. John Stocco threw for 304 yards and had three touchdown strikes by halftime, and P. J. Hill, Jr. had 129 yards and another three touchdowns for the Badgers. The Hoosiers were held to just 147 yards through three quarters. Paul Hubbard caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown for the Badgers.

Northwestern

| |home=Badgers | |stadium=Camp Randall Stadium ;First quarter

• WIS – P. J. Hill 60-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:54. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 1:06.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 40-yard field goal, 7:51. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 3:38.
• NU – Andrew Brewer 1-yard TD run (Joel Howells kick blocked), 6:28. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:10. ;Second quarter
• NU – Joel Howells 22-yard field goal, 13:10. Wisconsin 10–9. '''''Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 4:47.''''''
• WIS – Luke Swan 14-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:55. Wisconsin 17–9. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:13. ;Third quarter
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 42-yard field goal, 7:23. Wisconsin 20–9. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:21.
• WIS – Dywon Rowan 4-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:22. Wisconsin 27–9. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:17.
• WIS – Joe Stellmacher 25-yard interception return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:14. Wisconsin 34–9. ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – Lance Smith 25-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:54. Wisconsin 41–9. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:48. Top passers
• NU – Andrew Brewer – 10/24, 94 yards, INT
• WIS – John Stocco – 16/21, 220 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

• NU – Andrew Brewer – 13 rushes, 80 yards, TD
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 35 rushes, 249 yards, TD

Top receivers

• NU – Eric Peterman – 3 receptions, 26 yards
• WIS – Travis Beckum – 8 receptions, 107 yards

Top defenders

• NU – Marquice Cole – 9 tackles, fumble recovery, INT
• WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 6 tackles, INT, TD

For the second straight week, the Badger defense stepped up big, holding NU tailback Tyrell Sutton to just 18 yards on the ground. Wisconsin avenged last year's loss to the Wildcats with a punishing ground game, highlighted by P. J. Hill, Jr.'s rumbling 60-yard touchdown in the first quarter. In his best effort to date, Hill piled up 249 of the Badgers' 316 yards on the ground as the Badgers prevailed.

Minnesota

| |home=No. 25 Badgers | |stadium=Camp Randall Stadium ;First quarter

• WIS – Jack Ikegwuonu 50-yard fumble return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:25. Wisconsin 7–0.
• WIS – P. J. Hill 5-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:24. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:59.
• MIN – Jason Giannini 37-yard field goal, 3:14. Wisconsin 14–3. '''''Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:06.'''''' ;Second quarter
• WIS – Luke Swan 8-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:37. Wisconsin 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:54.
• WIS – Andy Crooks 2-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:59. Wisconsin 28–3. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 5:12. ;Third quarter
• WIS – Travis Beckum 40-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:01. Wisconsin 35–3. Drive: 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:50.
• WIS – P. J. Hill 2-yard TD run (Ken DeBauche pass intercepted), 10:11. Wisconsin 41–3. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:57.
• MIN – Mario Reese 98-yard PAT return (Jason Giannini kick), 10:11. Wisconsin 41–5. ;Fourth quarter
• MIN – Amir Pinnix 2-yard TD run (Jason Giannini kick), 14:49. Wisconsin 41–12. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 2:56.
• WIS – Travis Beckum 4-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:52. Wisconsin 48–12. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:48. Top passers
• MIN – Bryan Cupito – 13/28, 94 yards, INT
• WIS – John Stocco – 12/19, 193 yards, 4 TD

Top rushers

• MIN – Amir Pinnix – 19 rushes, 97 yards, TD
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 25 rushes, 164 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

• MIN – Matt Spaeth – 4 receptions, 42 yards
• WIS – Travis Beckum – 5 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD

Top defenders

• MIN – Trumaine Banks – 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL
• WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL

The Badgers hosted Minnesota in the battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. The Badgers, who had moved into the AP rankings for the first time this season, prevailed 48–12 behind John Stocco's four touchdown passes, two to Travis Beckum, who also had 118 receiving yards. Stocco finished 12-of-19 for 193 yards. Jack Ikegwuonu opened the scoring by returning Amir Pinnix's first-quarter fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. P. J. Hill, Jr. racked up 164 yards and two more scores as the Badgers defended the Axe.

Purdue

| |home=Boilermakers | |stadium=Ross–Ade Stadium ;First quarter

• PUR – Chris Summers 47-yard field goal, 5:16. Purdue 3–0. '''''Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:13.'''''' ;Second quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:13. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 5:28.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 51-yard field goal, 1:15. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 0:48. ;Third quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 3-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:38. Wisconsin 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:10. ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – Lance Smith 8-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:11. Wisconsin 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:29. Top passers
• PUR – Curtis Painter – 20/40, 187 yards, INT
• WIS – John Stocco – 13/21, 201 yards, INT

Top rushers

• PUR – Jaycen Taylor – 8 rushes, 46 yards
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 29 rushes, 161 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

• PUR – Greg Orton – 6 receptions, 83 yards
• WIS – Paul Hubbard – 4 receptions, 80 yards

Top defenders

• PUR – Cliff Avril – 7 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack
• WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, INT, pass breakup

The Badgers moved into the Coaches Poll for the first time, ranked #22 going into their showdown against Purdue. The Badger defense figured to get a good test against the Boilermakers offense, which led the Big Ten at over 470 yards a game entering the contest. Purdue managed only 299 yards and a field goal as the Badgers limited Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter to just 187 yards on 20-of-40 passing and an interception. P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for another two touchdowns and 161 yards.

Illinois

| |home=No. 17 Badgers | |stadium=Camp Randall Stadium ;First quarter

• ILL – Travon Bellamy 41-yard interception return (Jason Reda kick), 3:34. Illinois 7–0. ;Second quarter
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 21-yard field goal, 14:57. Illinois 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:52.
• ILL – Pierre Thomas 2-yard pass from Juice Williams (Jason Reda kick), 10:42. Illinois 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:09.
• ILL – Pierre Thomas 1-yard TD run (Jason Reda kick), 5:45. Illinois 21–3. Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 4:28.
• WIS – Lance Smith 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:44. Illinois 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 3:56.
• ILL – Jason Reda 20-yard field goal, 0:08. Illinois 24–10. '''''Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 1:28.'''''' ;Third quarter
• WIS – Luke Swan 17-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:36. Illinois 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:26.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 21-yard field goal, 3:57. Illinois 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:53. ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – Andy Crooks 0-yard fumble return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:50. Wisconsin 27–24.
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 33-yard field goal, 4:27. Wisconsin 30–24. Drive: 11 plays, 30 yards, 5:46. Top passers
• ILL – Juice Williams – 13/29, 171 yards, TD, INT
• WIS – John Stocco – 15/26, 217 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

• ILL – Pierre Thomas – 8 rushes, 23 yards, TD
• WIS – Lance Smith – 21 rushes, 46 yards, TD

Top receivers

• ILL – Derrick McPhearson – 1 receptions, 52 yards
• WIS – Luke Swan – 4 receptions, 85 yards, TD

Top defenders

• ILL – Jeremy Leman – 13 tackles, 2.5 TFL
• WIS – Matt Shaughnessy – 8 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2 sacks, QB hurry

The visiting Illini gave the #18 Badgers a scare, as Illinois quarterback Juice Williams engineered three scoring drives in the second quarter to give the Illini a 24–10 lead at halftime. P. J. Hill, Jr. suffered a pinched nerve and left the game in the first quarter. Backup Lance Smith scored the Badgers' only touchdown of the first half. John Stocco threw for two touchdowns and Taylor Mehlhaff kicked two field goals in the second half, and the defense held Illinois scoreless throughout the second half to prevail victorious, 30–24.

Penn State

| |home=No. 17 Badgers | |stadium=Camp Randall Stadium ;First quarter

• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 37-yard field goal, 0:01. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:10. ;Second quarter
• PSU – Kevin Kelly 39-yard field goal, 12:17. Tie 3–3. '''''Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:39.''''''
• WIS – Paul Hubbard 14-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:23. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:27. ;Third quarter
• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 20-yard field goal, 2:42. Wisconsin 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:35. ;Fourth quarter No scoring Top passers
• PSU – Anthony Morelli – 19/35, 165 yards, INT
• WIS – John Stocco – 15/25, 172 yards, TD

Top rushers

• PSU – Tony Hunt – 11 rushes, 35 yards
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 31 rushes, 148 yards

Top receivers

• PSU – Andrew Quarless – 5 receptions, 62 yards
• WIS – Paul Hubbard – 5 receptions, 77 yards, TD

Top defenders

• PSU – Sean Lee – 13 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery
• WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 6 tackles, 2.5 TFL, sack, QB hurry

The Badger defense stepped up in a huge way against Penn State, yielding only a field goal and 244 yards. Consistent pressure frustrated Nittany Lions quarterback Anthony Morelli, and the offense controlled the clock with 148 yards from P. J. Hill, Jr.. The Badgers won 13–3 to move to 9–1 on the season and their sixth straight victory. John Stocco suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.

This game drew the ire of Penn State head coach Joe Paterno as the first half came to a close. Under the clock rules introduced at the beginning of the season, the clock began running immediately as the ball was kicked, rather than when it was fielded by the receiving team. Following a Stocco touchdown that gave the Badgers a 10–3 lead with 23 seconds to go, Coach Bielema deliberately ordered his kickoff unit to run offsides before Taylor Mehlhaff kicked off. Because the Badgers were offsides (and thus further downfield), the Penn State special teams were unable to field the ball well, and thus would have had awful field position; they instead elected to rekick. Wisconsin repeated the tactic, essentially running out the clock on the first half. Bielema's strategy was decried by many as unsportsmanlike; others praised him for bringing light to a loophole in the new clock system. After the regular season, the clock rules were reverted to their pre-2006 form.

Iowa

| |home=Hawkeyes | |stadium=Kinnick Stadium ;First quarter

• WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 31-yard field goal, 2:16. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:36.
• WIS – Travis Beckum 3-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:51. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 26 yards, 0:55. ;Second quarter
• IOW – Tony Moeaki 4-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 8:27. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 3:56.
• IOW – Tom Busch 3-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 2:16. Iowa 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:12.
• WIS – Luke Swan 42-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:39. Wisconsin 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 1:37. ;Third quarter No scoring ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:49. Wisconsin 24–14. Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 7:40.
• IOW – Trey Stross 24-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 10:20. Wisconsin 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 0:44. Top passers
• IOW – Drew Tate – 10/31, 170 yards, 3 TD, INT
• WIS – Tyler Donovan – 17/24, 228 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

• IOW – Damian Sims – 7 rushes, 53 yards
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 28 rushes, 77 yards, TD

Top receivers

• IOW – Trey Stross – 1 receptions, 24 yards, TD
• WIS – Luke Swan – 4 receptions, 113 yards, TD

Top defenders

• IOW – Marcus Paschal – 14 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery
• WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 3 pass breakups

After moving up to #16 in the coaches poll, Wisconsin ended a two-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes with a 24–21 victory in Iowa City. With John Stocco sitting out due to injury, backup Tyler Donovan played an efficient game, going 17-of-24 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Hawkeyes quarterback Drew Tate threw for Iowa's three touchdowns but was frustrated all game, completing fewer than a third of his attempts. With the win, the Badgers completed conference play with a 7–1 mark, wrapping up a second place tie in the Big Ten.

Buffalo

| |home=No. 12 Badgers | |stadium=Camp Randall Stadium ;First quarter

• WIS – Paul Hubbard 26-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:04. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 1 plays, 26 yards, 0:29.
• BUF – Adam Tanalski 34-yard field goal, 11:07. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:52. ;Second quarter
• WIS – P. J. Hill 3-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:24. Wisconsin 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:13.
• WIS – Luke Swan 35-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:27. Wisconsin 21–3. Drive: 3 plays, 46 yards, 0:23. ;Third quarter
• WIS – Lance Smith 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:59. Wisconsin 28–3. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:03. ;Fourth quarter
• WIS – Dywon Rowan 11-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 7:59. Wisconsin 35–3. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:20. Top passers
• BUF – Tony Paoli – 6/23, 107 yards, INT
• WIS – Tyler Donovan – 16/26, 308 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

• BUF – James Starks – 15 rushes, 31 yards
• WIS – P. J. Hill – 19 rushes, 86 yards, TD

Top receivers

• BUF – Naaman Roosevelt – 2 receptions, 90 yards
• WIS – Travis Beckum – 5 receptions, 135 yards

Top defenders

• BUF – Kareem Byrom – 9 tackles, 2.0 TFL, forced fumble
• WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery

On Senior Day, the #10 Badgers started sluggishly, but scored two touchdowns just before halftime and added two more in the second half to win decisively over Buffalo, 35–3. Tyler Donovan once again performed proficiently, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 16-of-26, and the defense forced four turnovers and held Buffalo to just 159 yards. P. J. Hill, Jr. scored a touchdown and picked up 86 yards on the ground.

With the win, the Badgers finished 11–1, the best regular season in school history. There was a minor controversy concerning the Bowl Championship Series, whose rules state that only two teams from one conference may receive bids to BCS bowl games. Ohio State and Michigan were ranked ahead of the Badgers in the final BCS standings, granting those two schools BCS invitations and relegating the Badgers to a lesser bowl. Nevertheless, Wisconsin again accepted an invitation to the Capital One Bowl, where it would defend its championship against Arkansas.

Capital One Bowl – Arkansas

Main article: 2007 Capital One Bowl

The Badgers returned to Orlando to face the #13 Razorbacks, led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden. McFadden burst for 45 yards on his first carry but was brought down from behind by Jack Ikegwuonu at the 9-yard line, a pivotal play that led to a missed field goal by Arkansas. The Badgers led 17–7 at halftime behind John Stocco's two touchdown passes, and eventually survived a nailbiting second half in which the Razorbacks continually had great field position but failed to capitalize. Despite being held to -5 rushing yards while giving up 232, including 150 from Arkansas' Felix Jones, the Badgers won 17–14. John Stocco, playing in his final collegiate game, was named the game's MVP.

The Badgers finished the season on a nine-game winning streak to reach #5 in the final coaches poll and #7 in the final AP poll. The 12 wins were a new single season record.

Statistical achievements

The Badgers gained an average of 211.5 passing yards and 161.7 rushing yards per game. On defense, they gave up an average of 138.3 passing yards and 114.8 rushing yards per game.

Quarterback John Stocco completed 158 of 268 passes (59.0%) for 2,185 yards, 17 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 143.9 passer rating.

Running back P. J. Hill gained 1,569 rushing yards and scored 15 touchdowns on 311 carries, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He also caught 18 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. He led the team in scoring with 96 points.

Tight end Travis Beckum was the team's leading receiver, making 61 receptions for 903 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Paul Hubbard was the teams number two receiver with 38 receptions for 627 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Luke Swan followed with 35 receptions for 595 yards and five touchdowns.

Kicker Taylor Mehlhaff converted all 47 extra-point kicks and 15 of 20 field goals for a total of 92 points.

Awards and honors

Offensive tackle Joe Thomas received the Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman. He was the first Wisconsin player to receive the award. He was also a consensus pick on the 2006 All-America team, receiving first-team honors from, among others, the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, and Football Writers Association of America.

Running back P. J. Hill was selected by Rivals.com as the national freshman of the year.

Bret Bielema won the Big Ten coach of the year award.

Seven Wisconsin players received first- or second-team honors on the 2006 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Thomas at offensive tackle (Coaches-1, Media-1); Hill at running back (Coaches-1, Media-2); Jack Ikegwuonu at defensive back (Coaches-1, Media-2); Matt Shaughnessy at defensive line (Coaches-2, Media-2); Taylor Mehlhaff at kicker (Coaches-2, Media-2); Travis Beckum at tight end (Media-2); and Roderick Rogers at defensive back (Media-2).

Personnel

Roster

Offensive Line

• Paul Chryst – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
• Mike Hankwitz – Defensive coordinator
• Dave Doeren – Co-defensive Coordinator/inside linebackers/recruiting coordinator
• Bob Bostad – Tight ends
• Kerry Cooks – Defensive backs
• Henry Mason – Wide receivers/Assistant Recruiting Coordinator
• Randall McCray – Defensive line
• Bob Palcic – Offensive line
• John Settle – Running backs

Regular starters

2007 NFL draft

The following Wisconsin player was selected in the 2007 NFL draft.

References

References

1. "2006 Football Cumulative Statistics". University of Wisconsin.
2. "2006 Wisconsin Badgers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
3. "Wisconsin Football 2020 Fact Book". University of Wisconsin.
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6. (September 10, 2006). "Hill powers Badgers' rout over W. Illinois". [[The Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin).
7. Tom Mulhern. (September 17, 2006). "Sweet, but sour: Defense gains shutout but offense struggles". Wisconsin State Journal.
8. John Heuser. (September 24, 2006). "Michigan 27, Wisconsin 13: Defined by defense; Wolverines harass Badgers, allow just 12 yards rushing". The Ann Arbor News.
9. Michael Marot. (October 1, 2006). "Badgers go to air to crush Hoosiers: Stocco lights up IU with 304 yards". Green Bay Press-Gazette.
10. Tom Mulhern. (October 8, 2006). "Mission complete: Dominating win avenges embarrassing loss last year". Wisconsin State Journal.
11. Chip Scoggins. (October 15, 2006). "Another Red-Faced Exit". Minneapolis Star Tribune.
12. Tom Mulhern. (October 15, 2006). "Border control: Another rout gets early bowl eligibility". Wisconsin State Journal.
13. Tom Kubat. (October 22, 2006). "Boiler offense misfires: Painter, receivers not in rhythm". Journal & Courier.
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16. Andy Hamilton. (November 12, 2006). "The Same Ol' Story: Same Iowa mistakes, same result". Iowa City Press-Citizen.
17. Tom Mulhern. (November 19, 2006). "Badgers 35, Bulls 3: Senior send-off". Wisconsin State Journal.
18. Tom Mulhern. (January 2, 2007). "Air of confidence: Badgers get record 12th win". Wisconsin State Journal.
19. Andrew Carter. (January 2, 2007). "Badgered". Orlando Sentinel.
20. "Game-by-Game Statistics". University of Wisconsin-Madison.
21. Hernandez, Rob. (September 2, 2006). "Badgering UW's Non-Conference Schedule". [[Wisconsin State Journal]].
22. "2006 Wisconsin Badgers Stats". Sports Reference LLC.
23. Tom Mulhern. (December 8, 2006). "Outlandish comeback: UW's Joe Thomas recovers from injury to become the nations' top interior lineman". Wisconsin State Journal.
24. (2016). "Football Award Winners". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA).
25. Ralph D. Russo. (December 13, 2006). "Wisconsin's Thomas to AP All-American team". Daily Tribune.
26. (December 1, 2006). "Thomas honored". Wausau Daily Herald.
27. (December 1, 2006). "Wisconsin's Hill. Thomas recognized". Wausau Daily Herald.
28. Mike Lucas. (November 22, 2006). "Big praise for Bielema". The Capital Times.
29. (November 22, 2006). "UW's Thomas again 1st team". The Capital Times.
30. (November 21, 2006). "Big Ten Announces 2006 Football All-Conference Teams And Individual Honors". Big Ten Conference.
31. "2007 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com".