By Joshua Mason
Daily Bruin Contributor
When one looks at the shattered goals of this year’s Wisconsin football program, there seems only one adequate explanation for the demise: it had to be the shoes.
With a No. 4 preseason ranking, and a squad that looked to have national championship implications after winning the last two Rose Bowls, such an explanation seems only rational. Not only was it an infamous shoe scandal at the season’s onset that initially threw the Badgers (8-4, 4-4 Big 10) into rough waters, it was that very event that seemed to throw a shadow of uncertainty over the rest of the season.
The controversy stemmed from charges that a Wisconsin booster and shoe store owner gave unadvertised discounts to Wisconsin athletes, a large number of them football players. Of the 26 Badgers who were involved with the scandal and eventually suspended, many were key players, including All-American cornerback Jamar Fletcher, defensive tackle Wendell Bryant, running back Michael Bennett, and receivers Chris Chambers and Nick Davis. Another 21 players weren’t suspended but had to perform 24 hours of community service as punishment.
“It was a black cloud that never left,” Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez told the Los Angeles Daily News. “It affected some individuals more than others. The guys invest an awful lot in preparing for the season, then get the rug pulled out and have to sit for three games.”
The scandal received similar attention to the infamous 1999 disabled parking placard incident that still shadows the careers of a select number of UCLA players. Like the Bruins’ situation, the allegations in Wisconsin were made prior to the start of the season, and suspensions ranging from one to three games were distributed in a stir that crippled team consistency and morale.
Though they struggled to pull together, the Badgers were able to fight through their first three non-conference challenges without a loss. Among the initial victories was a 27-23 finish against Oregon, a team that went on to take a share of the Pac-10 title. The other two wins came against Western Michigan and Cincinnati.
It wasn’t until conference play began that Wisconsin’s shortcomings began to reveal themselves. An emotionally crushing 47-44 defeat to Northwestern was the catalyst for an eventual three-game losing streak.
“We had to deal with a lot of adversity in the first half of the season, much like UCLA did,” said Wisconsin assistant coach Tim Davis. “It was very disappointing to fall so early, and the suspensions and injuries we sustained were no help.”
At the forefront of such struggles was a deficiency the Badgers have traditionally been unaccustomed to – playing with a bad line. Not only were spots juggled because of suspensions in the opening games, but the juggling created inconsistency and led to injuries for several players. The result was an offensive line that changed every week and struggled to provide adequate pass protection.
“The sad thing is we never had a chance to coach the team that we finished camp with,” Alvarez continued. “We never had the continuity for the first four games.”
In fact, the Badgers seemed to lack continuity all season. By the end of the season, only four players had started all 12 Wisconsin games. To make matters worse, senior quarterback Brooks Bollinger was sidelined during the season because of injuries, leading to the emergence of freshman signal-caller Jim Sorgi in the win over Michigan State. The fact that Wisconsin escaped with only four losses is a powerful testament to the program’s overall strength.
A bright spot for the Badgers came from speedster Michael Bennett, whose 1,598 rushing yards on the season alleviated Badger worries that Ron Dayne’s departure to the NFL would diminish the Wisconsin ground attack. Bennett’s numbers are even more impressive when it is taken into consideration that he ran behind a depleted line and served a suspension at the beginning of the season.
Despite the strong defensive work coming from defensive tackle Wendell Bryant (six sacks on the season) and cornerbacks Fletcher (six interceptions) and Mike Echols (five interceptions), the Badgers were only able to split their conference games, falling not only to the Wildcats, but losing close games to Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue as well. The split placed them fifth in Big 10 standings.
A 17-10 Michigan State victory put the Badgers back on track and in the running for a bowl berth. Wisconsin finished the season very strong, capturing wins against Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, and Hawaii.
“The guys responded really well after losing those first three games,” Davis said. “Not only did they not give up on the season, they did a complete turnaround and managed to qualify us for a Sun Bowl berth.”
Much like the Bruins, a victory in El Paso is exactly what the Badgers seek to redeem an otherwise disappointing season.