It hasn’t been this bad since Nov. 5, 1890.
On that date over a hundred years ago, the Badgers lost to Minnesota 63-0, a point tally they wouldn’t give up again — until Saturday.
In Wisconsin’s 63-32 loss to Indiana, head coach Barry Alvarez watched as his team gave up the most points any of his squads have ever allowed.
“I can’t put my finger on anything, but I saw some things out there today that I haven’t seen since we’ve been here, and it’s annoying,” Alvarez said.
What Alvarez was forced to watch in the first quarter was a 32-0 offensive domination by the Hoosiers, and it all started with Indiana’s opening drive.
Hoosier quarterback Antwaan Randle El started the game with a 47-yard completion to Travis Haney, which brought Indiana to Wisconsin’s six-yard line. On the next play Levron Williams found the end zone on a six-yard rush. It took the Hoosiers only two plays and 28 seconds to take the early 7-0 lead.
On Indiana’s next possession it took only one play for another score as Williams rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown. And this time the Hoosiers needed only eight seconds to make the score 13-0.
When all was said and done, Williams scored six touchdowns and ran for 280 yards. With his offensive output, Williams tied the record for most touchdowns scored by any player in a Big Ten Conference game, and he set a new record for rushing touchdowns allowed by a UW opponent.
“There were some things and some gaping holes, and we’re going to have to tear everything apart and we’re going to have to find out why,” Alvarez said.
While Williams was able to run over the Badger defense, the offense was able to regroup after getting off to a shaky start. In the first quarter Lee Evans fumbled a pass that set up Indiana for another touchdown to make the score 20-0, and with just over four minutes left in the quarter Jerone Pettus, who filled in for the injured Anthony Davis (suffering from turf toe), fumbled while rushing. The Hoosiers were once again able to capitalize on the UW turnover and made the score 32-0 to end the first quarter.
The Badgers came out and started the second quarter with a field goal by Mark Neuser (22 yards). On the next drive, quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who did not split time with Jim Sorgi this week, connected with Evans for a 43-yard touchdown reception. Two drives later the Badgers were once again able to find the end zone, this time working their way down the field with passes to Evans (one for 15 yards and one for 42 yards) and tight end Mark Anelli (11 yards). Bollinger finished off the drive with a one yard run for the touchdown.
Bollinger finished the game 15-24 with 222 passing yards and 26 yards rushing. Evans caught a career-high nine receptions for 148 yards, and Anelli also had a career day with five catches for 55 yards. Pettus finished the game with 82 rushing yards in Davis’ absence.
But whatever offense UW could muster up, the Hoosiers always had an answer.
“[It] seemed like anytime we’d get some life they’d answer, and answer fast,” Alvarez said. “So if you had life, they took it away from you.”
While the Hoosiers took away any chance UW had of getting back into the game, they did give them a loss bigger than some players have ever suffered.
“I’ve never been beat this bad,” Anelli said following the 31-point loss.
Anelli’s teammate Wendell Bryant has suffered a loss this bad before — in high school.
And from the sidelines Alvarez said he just felt “helpless” as he watched the points being tallied on the scoreboard.
Helpless or not, there’s one thing Alvarez wouldn’t admit to being on Saturday–embarrassed.
“I’m beyond being embarrassed,” Alvarez said. “I happen to know that this happens every week in football, so I’m not embarrassed at all. I’m disappointed, I’m upset that we didn’t play better, but I’m not embarrassed.”
At least he can take pride in knowing his loss wasn’t as lopsided as the game in 1890 — his team did put 32 points on the board.
