PASADENA, Calif.—After a roller coaster season that included some of college football's most memorable finishes, Wisconsin's 2011 football campaign has come to a close after a heartbreaking 45-38 loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game. And just as it did with the first loss back in October, the Badgers' final contest ended with a replay, this time confirming the call that senior quarterback Russell Wilson's spiked pass did not hit the ground before the clock hit zero.
This Rose Bowl Game was one for the ages even before the frantic finish. The Badgers (6-2 Big Ten, 11-3 Overall) and Ducks (8-1 Pac-12, 12-2 Overall) traded scores throughout the first half, with Rose Bowl records set for highest scoring first quarter (28) and half (56). But after leading throughout the first half and having to kick to begin the second, the halftime draw at 28 felt like a certain deficit.
Even while it was turning into a shootout, this game looked like it would end, as it did, with the Badgers regretting two consecutive red zone possessions that ended with a combined three points.
Late in the 2nd quarter, Wisconsin drove to the Oregon 17 yard line facing 3rd and 1. After junior running back Montee Ball was stopped for no gain, Wisconsin shunned a field goal attempt in favor of a fourth down try, remembering a similar situation last season that ended with kicker Philip Welch missing a crucial field goal. Instead of trying to run up the gut again, UW tried to roll Wilson out on a play action fake but Oregon's defense was ready, sacking Wilson for a three-yard loss and a huge shift in momentum.
"We came in before the game with the idea that on third down we would make the decision whether or not to go for it on fourth down," UW head coach Bret Bielema said. "We had a third and short and felt we had an opportunity to get it in two downs
"[We] definitely wanted to think that when we got down near the end zone we wanted to get touchdowns, not field goals."
Ultimately, the Badgers' inability to do just that proved costly. After Wisconsin gave up a quick score on just the third play of the second half to give Oregon their first lead of the game, sophomore receiver Jared Abbrederis returned the kickoff 66 yards to the Oregon 36.
Yet again, Wisconsin stalled down near the end zone, picking up a big third down conversion before calling a timeout on first down that not only proved to loom large later, but also seemed to stunt the offense's momentum. Welch's 29-yard field goal only got UW within four points.
After Wisconsin held the lead throughout a first half that seemed to resemble a gridiron version of penalty kicks in soccer, Oregon returned the favor in the second half, scoring on the opening possession and holding on for the duration. While both defenses were able to make big plays, Wisconsin's inability to capitalize on Oregon's few offensive mistakes left the Badgers gasping for air.
"The game was basically 0-0 the whole game," Wilson said after the game. "No matter if the score is 35-35 or 7-7. It's a 0-0 game the way I look at it. There at the end it was 7-0 and we thought we could come back and score."
Although at the time it appeared as if Abbrederis' fumble inside Oregon territory with just over four minutes remaining would be the infamous play of the 2012 "granddaddy of them all," Wisconsin gave itself that one final shot, taking over at its own 13 with just 16 seconds on the clock trailing by seven points.
Wilson nearly pulled off the miracle, starting off the drive with a quick pass for 29 yards to Abbredaris out at the UW 42. With just nine seconds left, Wilson then found senior receiver Nick Toon near the left sideline for 33 yards, but Toon was unable to get out of bounds as the clock temporarily paused with two seconds remaining and the chain gang scrambling to get into position.
Amazingly, Wilson and the Badgers were able to line up before the clock started, giving themselves a shot to spike the ball in the remaining two ticks. Somehow, though, the spike went down with the clock showing all zeros.
The play headed to review, but UW again came out on the losing end, falling just 25 yards and potentially one second from a game-tying score.
"As soon as the referee blew the whistle, I snapped it and spiked it," Wilson said. "I didn't think there was any way that two full seconds ran off the clock there. They made the call and it is what it is."
"With one second left, I think we could have capitalized there."
Once again, the Badgers found themselves on the losing end of a classic finish. And once again, UW can point to just a few plays that ultimately turned potential tears of joy into tears of sadness.
"What I brought from last year to this year is that you have to capitalize on every play and every opportunity, " said junior running back Montee Ball, who tied Barry Sanders' NCAA record with his 39th touchdown of the season. "Obviously, we fell short once again. "
Wisconsin's inability to do the things it does better than anyone ultimately left the Badgers winless in the past two Rose Bowl games. They couldn't finish off drives in the red zone, wasting those two opportunities in the middle of the game and leaving 11 points on the table to Oregon's four.
Just as importantly, Wisconsin couldn't take care of the ball. The Badgers turned the ball over twice on Monday night, both times turning potentially game-changing drives into lost opportunities.
"Obviously, you never want to turn the ball over" Wilson said. "Especially when you are playing a team like Oregon that can score so quickly."
Those few mistakes ultimately cost the Badgers dearly, with a second straight year coming to a close in heartbreaking fashion.
"Obviously [the game didn't end with] an outcome that we're happy with, something that we'll carry with us for the rest of our lives" Bielema said. "As far as us moving forward, I'm kind of tired of tears of sadness. I wanted to come out here and experience tears of joy at some point."
Given the way the game and the season played out, Badgers are obviously heartbroken from this final loss. But in a season that included three such last-second defeats, they feel there is plenty to gain even in the midst of a tough loss.
"We lost three games, basically within a total of maybe 40 seconds" Wilson said. "It's pretty crazy how each one panned out. But for whatever reason, I think that next year's team is going to have a great bunch of guys that, one, have a lot of experience now, and two, have a lot of determination to be great."
