Badgers send Alvarez out with a bowl victory
ORLANDO, Fla. – With a masterful offensive performance and a surprisingly stingy defense, the Wisconsin Badgers gave coach Barry Alvarez a proper send-off.
Brian Calhoun rushed for 213 yards, John Stocco passed for 301 and Brandon Williams had 173 yards receiving, lifting the No. 21 Badgers to a 24-10 victory over No. 7 Auburn in the Capital One Bowl on Monday.
It was the perfect tribute to a coach who restored pride to the program.
“We wanted to be on,” said Stocco, who threw two touchdown passes. “We just wanted to thank him for everything he’s done, not just this year but since he’s been here.
“This is coach’s day. It just feels great to send him out of here like this.”
The 10 1/2 -point underdog Badgers (10-3) were in control throughout against the Tigers (9-3), who flopped after ending the regular season with wins over Georgia and Alabama.
Alvarez never let his coaching finale be about himself, but the Badgers’ near-flawless performance offered a fine opportunity to reflect.
“The main thing I’m most proud of is we brought pride back to our fans for our football program,” he said.
It was a fitting farewell for Alvarez, who led Wisconsin to eight bowl wins in 16 seasons and now will focus on his duties as athletic director. The Badgers were 1-5 all-time in the postseason before his arrival and sent him off with his fourth 10-win season.
Defensive coordinator Bret Bielema will take over as coach.
Wisconsin amassed 311 yards and a 17-0 lead in the first half.
Calhoun, a junior pondering a leap to the NFL, rushed 30 times and scored on a 33-yard run in the fourth quarter. Then he got the highest praise from a coach who had Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne.
“We’ve had MVPs of three Rose Bowls and they’re all running backs,” Alvarez said. “When we win big games, our running backs play well. This one happens to be the most talented one that we’ve had.”
Williams also had four carries for 35 yards as the Badgers dismantled a defense that came in allowing only 294 yards per game.
The Tigers tried to edge back into the game in the second half, rallying to close the deficit to 17-10, but the Southeastern Conference’s top offense never got going.
“We didn’t have the answer,” Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. “We never got anything going. Offensively, we couldn’t make a first down. That’s not like us.”
The Badgers quickly got the momentum back as Calhoun sprinted for the clinching TD. He also had a 60-yard run, a 27-yarder and a 17-yarder to set up Wisconsin’s first three scores.
Calhoun became just the second player in Division I history to have 1,500 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season. Pacific’s Ryan Benjamin did it in 1991.