Outback Bowl

Melvin Gordon

The Wisconsin Badgers put their 59-0 Big Ten title game loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes behind them. They knocked off the Auburn Tigers 34-31 in overtime in the Outback Bowl.

The Badgers captured their first bowl game victory since 2009 and Barry Alvarez returned to the sidelines to earn his 9th (9-4) bowl victory.

Melvin Gordon ran for an Outback Bowl-record 251 yards and three touchdowns and freshman kicker Rafael Gaglianone kicked a 25-yard field goal in overtime to give the 18th-ranked Badgers the victory.

Gordon ran for touchdowns of 25, 53 and 6 yards and finished with 2,587 rushing yards on the season, 41 shy of Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS rushing record. Gordon was named the Outback Bowl MVP.

Joel Stave gave the Badgers the early 7-0 lead, tossing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Corey Clement. [Read more…]

One day after being blown out 59-0 by Ohio State, the Wisconsin Badgers found out they would be facing Auburn in the New Years Day Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

The 19th ranked Tigers (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will kick off at 11am CT on New Years Day against the 17th ranked Badgers (10-3, 7-1 Big Ten).

Wisconsin’s current 13-year bowl streak is tied for the seventh-longest active streak in the country. The Badgers are also just one of two teams to play in a January bowl game each of the last five years, joining Alabama.

This will be Wisconsin’s fifth appearance in the Outback Bowl. UW defeated Duke 34-20, in 1995 in the then-Hall of Fame Bowl. In 1998, Georgia knocked off the Badgers, 33-6. Wisconsin fell to Georgia again, 24-21, in 2005 then lost to Tennessee, 21-17, in their last appearance in Tampa, in 2008.

The Badgers are 1-1-1 in three previous bowl games against Auburn.

Badgers beat Tigers to claim the Outback Bowl in overtime

Badgers get Auburn in the Outback Bowl