Orlando, Fla.'??The only thing more surprising than Wisconsin's 24-10 victory over then-No. 7 Auburn in the Capital One Bowl was the complete performance and dominating fashion executed by both the players and coaching staff.
It was only fitting that head coach Barry Alvarez saved one of his best performances for last, as he will hand over the reigns of the UW program to Bret Bielema beginning Feb. 1.
Though it appeared the Badgers rallied around Alvarez, a man who has resurrected the football program during his 16-year tenure, in his final game at UW, Auburn senior linebacker Travis Williams hinted simply that the better team came out with the victory.
'Their coach don't play,' he said. 'Their coach can't take a snap. They just came ready to play.'
The game also marked the end of another Badger's career as UW running back Brian Calhoun all but punched his ticket into the NFL with an MVP performance against the Tigers.
Calhoun torched the Tigers, who entered the contest No. 16 nationally, against the run and allowed only four runners to break the 100-yard mark prior to the bowl game for 213 yards in 30 attempts (7.1 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
'We've had three MVPs in the Rose Bowl and they've all been running backs,' Alvarez said, referring to former backs Brent Moss and Ron Dayne. 'When we win big games, our running backs play well.\
'This one happens to be the most talented one we've had. We've had great ones and we've had Heisman Trophy winners, but he is the best one we've had,"" he said.
Holding true to form, the star from Oak Creek High School remained humble and was quick to praise his teammates immediately after the game.
""This definitely is a testament to my offensive line,' Calhoun said. 'They deserve this award. They did a great job and I'm going to share this with them.'
In a game where everything seemed to favor the underdog Badgers, one glaring negative surfaced when junior offensive lineman Joe Thomas suffered a knee injury in the third quarter, ironically while playing on the defensive side of the ball.
'The only negative was Joe Thomas' injury,' Alvarez said. 'It just makes you sick when something like that happens.'
The injury, which occurred with 7:53 left in the third quarter after a six-yard gain by the Tigers, sidelined the All-Big Ten Conference selection for the remainder of the game. Though the severity of the injury was not immediately known after the game, a UW press release earlier this week confirmed what many had feared.
""An MRI exam, which I had this past Friday, showed that I tore the anterior cruciate ligament in my right knee during the Capital One Bowl game against Auburn,"" said Thomas through a UW release. ""Now, I will have surgery and begin the rehabilitation process as soon as possible. I am looking forward to next season, and I am anxious for our program to continue where it left off in Orlando. I want to thank all of our fans for their support.'
A timetable for Thomas' return has not been set, but players can typically return from a torn ACL anywhere from six to nine months after surgery.
Ideally, the anchor of the offensive line could be ready to play by the Sept. 3 opener, yet it is too early to gauge Thomas' healing process.
Bielema said he was optimistic that Thomas would be able to contribute in 2006.
'Joe Thomas is one of the top players in college football, and I am confident he will be back stronger and better than ever in 2006,' he said in a UW release. 'I know Joe will turn this temporary setback into a positive.\
