Football: Rose Bowl facts and notes
By Max Sternberg | Jan. 1, 2013PASADENA, Calif.—With just over two hours before kickoff at the Rose Bowl, here are some pre-game notes about Wisconsin and Stanford.
PASADENA, Calif.—With just over two hours before kickoff at the Rose Bowl, here are some pre-game notes about Wisconsin and Stanford.
PASADENA, Calif.—When the Wisconsin football team meets No. 6 Stanford in the 99th Rose Bowl later this afternoon, there appear to be more known qualities about the matchup. The Badgers’ opponent is not a little-tested but very talented Texas Christian team or an exotic, high-powered Oregon attack. This is power against power. Strength against strength. Each team relies on fundamentals to power stout front-sevens on defense. Each team has an offense built around a cornerstone talent at running back—Montee Ball for UW and Stepfan Taylor for Stanford (11-2).
LOS ANGELES—Stanford head coach David Shaw addressed the media Saturday morning at LA Hotel Downtown and praised his freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan and junior tight end Zach Ertz.
LOS ANGELES—Saturday morning, Stanford and Wisconsin players and coaches participated in the Rose Bowl’s media day, giving reporters access to everybody on both rosters. Here are some quick bits and pieces from both teams. Wisconsin’s practice and media availability scheduled for this afternoon has been cancelled, likely because it has rained all morning here. Look for more Daily Cardinal coverage this evening and leading up to kickoff Tuesday afternoon.
New Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen had to do some thinking when interviewed by a couple of athletic directors over the past few weeks while still with Utah State.
University of Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced Thursday the Badger football program has hired former Utah State head coach Gary Andersen to the same position at Wisconsin.
Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin’s Director of Athletics and head coach for the upcoming Rose Bowl game against Stanford, met with the media Sunday after practice and assured everyone that the Wisconsin football team is not in panic mode.
Ball sets all-time touchdown record against Penn State
The 99th Rose Bowl game kicks off at 2 p.m. (pst), but there’s much more to be had in the Pasadena, Los Angeles and Santa Monica areas than the 60 minutes of football Jan. 1. While none of these gigs will likely top the main event, we’d like to suggest a few things to do for those trekking west to watch the Badgers face Stanford.
The Wisconsin football team conducted practice without Bret Bielema at the helm of the program for the first time in seven years Saturday afternoon. With Barry Alvarez adding interim head coaching duties to his standing duties as the school’s director of athletics, the energy level appeared to be high throughout.
If it was not for a meeting put together by team captains following the news that former head coach Bret Bielema had bolted to Arkansas, Barry Alvarez would still be carrying out normal duties of Director of Athletics and searching for a new head football coach. Now, Alvarez’s next month will be even busier.
Bret Bielema’s seven-year tenure as the Wisconsin football team’s head coach came to a sudden, unexpected end Tuesday when he was hired by the Arkansas Razorbacks, throwing the UW program into a state of turmoil four weeks before the Badgers face Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
UPDATE: UW Athletic Director Barry Alvarez has issued a press release stating:
INDIANAPOLIS—Moments after Montee Ball hoisted the Grange-Griffin trophy, presented to the Big Ten Football Championship Game’s most valuable player, he tried to hand it off the stage to Melvin Gordon.
INDIANAPOLIS—It isn’t hard to imagine Wisconsin (4-4 Big Ten, 8-5 overall) offensive coordinator Matt Canada licking his chops leading up to the rematch with Nebraska (7-1, 10-3) in the Big Ten Championship game.
INDIANAPOLIS—When No. 14 Nebraska (10-2 overall, 7-1 Big Ten) and Wisconsin (7-5, 4-4) square off here tonight, an appearance in the Rose Bowl will be on the line. The Badgers have made the trip to Pasadena, Calif. and lost each of the last two years, while the Cornhuskers—previously of the Big 12 Conference—have made just two appearances in school history, losing to Stanford in 1941 and Miami in 2002.
If sitting in his Kingsport, Tenn., home watching the Badgers pull off a stunning 42-39 victory over Michigan State in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game last year didn’t add even more motivation to Curt Phillips’ comeback attempt, it’s likely nothing would have.
INDIANAPOLIS—As kickoff between No. 14 Nebraska (10-2 overall, 7-1 Big Ten) and Wisconsin (7-5, 4-4) approaches, The Daily Cardinal will have full coverage of the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Check back this afternoon for more pregame coverage. Here are some quick hits about the matchup.
It’s safe to say Wisconsin (4-4 Big Ten, 7-5 overall) expected to be in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship for the second consecutive year prior to the season opener against Northern Iowa Sept. 1.
Thanksgiving: A time to get together with family and friends to appreciate all the things we have and find one last moment of respite before the hectic holiday season.