Today in Wisconsin Football History: 9/16

Badgers Win a Thriller Against the Bearcats

Today in Wisconsin Football History takes us back to the 2000 season where the 4th ranked Badgers took on the Cincinnati Bearcats. A season before the Bearcats upset the then 8th ranked Badgers and a year later it seemed as though the Badgers might let it happen again. Early in the first quarter Quarterback Brooks Bollinger led a drive and capped it with an 8 yard TD run to give the Badgers the early lead. The Bearcats held tough however as they rallied for two field goals to close out the first. The score remained tight in the second quarter as the Bearcats put up a touchdown and the Badgers put up a field goal to close out the half.

After a scoreless third quarter the action picked up as Wisconsin kicker Vitaly Pisetsky knocked in a 40 yard field goal to tie the game at 13 but the Bearcats struck soon after for a quick 51 yard touchdown. But a strike of luck hit for the Badgers as the Bearcats kicker pushed the extra point wide to put the score at 19-13. Late in the fourth quarter the Badgers still trailed but had the Bearcats pushed against their own goal line. In a bizarre move the Bearcats took an intentional safety to pull the Badgers within 4. Bearcats coach Rick Minter thought the field position change and the time remaining would work and allow them to win the game. Unfortunately for the Bearcats the strange strategy would force them to play catchup as Bollinger led the Badgers down the field and plunged in a touchdown run with 23 seconds to play. On the ensuing kickoff the Bearcats returner brought the ball out 33 yards. Following that the Bearcats completed 3 passes of 13 yards to set up a 56 yard field goal try to tie the game. Ruffin redeemed his missed extra point by booting in the school record 56 yarder and tying the game at 22 as time expired.

In overtime the Badgers held tough as they forced Cincinnati to a field goal, 25-22. Shortly after the Badgers rallied behind backup running back Eddie Faulkner, as star Michael Bennett was sidelined because of suspension along with 10 other Badgers including Jamar Fletcher and Chris Chambers after they received extra benefits from a local shoe store. Faulkner rose to the occasion and busted a 16 yard touchdown to give the Badgers a 28-25 victory and move the Badgers to 4-0.