NATIONAL CHAMPS.NET
Coach: Barry Alvarez
70-44-4, 10 years
1999 Record: 10-2
Sep 04 Murray State Won 49-10
Sep 11 Ball State Won 50-10
Sep 18 @Cincinnati Lost 12-17
Sep 25 Michigan Lost 16-21
Oct 02 @Ohio State Won 42-17
Oct 09 @Minnesota Won 20-17
Oct 16 Indiana Won 59-0
Oct 23 Michigan State Won 40-10
Oct 30 @Northwestern Won 35-19
Nov 06 @Purdue Won 28-21
Nov 13 Iowa Won 41-3
ROSE BOWL
Jan 01 Stanford Won 17-9
1999 Final Rankings
AP-4,  BCS-7,  Coaches-4
2000 Outlook

The Badgers have been a historic Rose Bowl Champion for two years straight now and have the 5th best record in the nation over those seasons with the likes of FSU and Tennessee. Coach Alvarez will be back on the sideline after spending most of the 1999 season in the press box with a knee that required replacement surgery. The keys to 2000 will come in four forms. Finding a replacement running back for Heisman Trophy Winner Ron Dayne, replacing two offensive tackles and a solid strong safety, and how well QB Brooks Bollinger handles the pressure of running the show with no power running game in the fold to start the season. It's a typical Big Ten schedule with a visit from 1999 spoilers Cincinnati and a 12th game Thanksgiving visit to Hawaii. But the Badgers will be back in a New Year's Day Bowl.
Projected Record: 9-4

Wisconsin 2000 Schedule

WISCONSIN
*POWER RATINGS
Offense
Defense
QB - 3 DL - 4
RB - 2.5 LB - 2
WR - 3.5 DB - 4.5
OL - 3  

 

 


WISCONSIN BADGERS
2000 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

2000 OFFENSE
Strengths: Sometimes the best place to start an offense is in the middle and that is exactly where the Badgers will flex their muscles as three interior lineman are back. Playboy Preseason All-American Casey Rabach, voted a captain for the 2000 season, leads the way at center with Bill Ferrario and Dave Costa joining him on both sides at guard. All three are seniors and will go along way in determining Wisconsin's success. At quarterback is sophmore Brooks Bollinger, the North Dakota Gatorade High School Player of The Year in 1997, who finished 8-0 as a starter last season helping him to earn 1999 Big Ten Freshman of The Year honors. Bollinger can also scramble as he finished second on the team in rushing. Possibly the best player on offense will be split end Chris Chambers as he has been the Badger's leading receiver the last two seasons as a sophmore and junior. Chambers has started 26 straight games since walking on. The nations best kicker has been granted a fifth year by the NCAA. Vitaly Pisetsky was one of three finalists in 1999 for the Lou Groza Award as the nations leading kicker.
Weaknesses: How can you talk about Wisconsin football without mentioning the name Ron Dayne. The 1999 Heisman Trophy Winner is now gone after leading the conference in rushing 3 out of the last 4 years. Not all is lost with Mike Bennett stepping in to handle the running chores. Bennett offers a different look from the pound it out style of play Wisconsin is used to and you may see more play calling to the outside as he is an All-American sprinter winning the Big Ten Indoor Track MVP. But beyond that the Badgers are hurting for a backup. The biggest concern for coaches in 2000 will be finding two new tackles where the depth is limited. Some better pass blocking skills on the outside will need to be developed quickly. The biggest backup problem will be at QB. After the spring no one player has emerged between Jim Sorgi and Scott Wille and talk has spread of an incoming freshman earning that spot. Depth at wide receiver will also be key as there are only three dependable players in Chambers, Davis, and Evans.
OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART
QB Brooks Bollinger 6-2 207 So. Jim Sorgi 6-5 183 Fr.
RB Michael Bennett 5-10 205 Jr. Broderick Williams 6-0 202 Fr.
FB Chad Kuhns 6-1 232 Jr.   Carlos Daniels 6-1 245 Jr.
WR Nick Davis 5-10 180 Jr.   Lee Evans 5-11 182 So.
WR Chris Chambers 6-1 206 Sr.   Conroy Whyte 5-7 159 Jr.
T Ben Johnson 6-7 319 So.   Morgan Davis 6-5 300 Fr.
G Bill Ferrario 6-3 302 Sr.   Jason Jowers 6-6 300 So.
C Casey Rabach 6-5 286 Sr.   Al Johnson 6-4 281 So.
G Dave Costa 6-5 300 Sr.   Jeremy Dox 6-3 282 Jr.
T Brian Lamont 6-8 333 Jr.   Josh Jakubowski 6-6 331 Sr.
TE Dague Retzlaff 6-8 273 Sr.   John Sigmund 6-6 273 Sr.
K Vitaly Pisetsky 5-10 228 Sr.   Mark Neuser 5-9 157 Fr.
Returning starters in bold.

Key Losses: Ahmad Merritt-WR, Chris McIntosh-OT, Scott Kavanagh-QB, Ron Dayne-RB


2000 DEFENSE
Strengths: It will be hard to find a better set of starters at defensive back. First year coach Todd Bradford has three gems with the return of Jamar Fletcher, Jason Doering, and Mike Echols as they led Wisconsin to a #5 in the country defensive pass efficiency rating last year. As a junior Fletcher is already being mentioned to be headed to the NFL after picking off opponents 14 times in 22 games. The All-American will be joined by another team captain for the second year in a row, Jason Doering, who finished with 111 stops in '99. The DL could be the most productive unit, rotating in seven players at four positions. Tackle Wendell Bryant will make a run for All-American honors and rush linebacker John Favret, all 230 pounds of him, is back after being a starter on two Rose Bowl teams and starting in 35 games in his career. You have to love this guy as coaches say he will play until he throws up. Punter Kevin Stemke returns to give Wisconsin the best special teams kicking tandem in America.
Weaknesses: The Badgers lost two veteran linebackers in 1999 team leading tackler Chris Ghidorzi and partner Donnel Thompson. Nick Greisen and Bryson Thompson will start but look for young freshman Darius Jones and Jeff Mack to push for playing time. Dan Lisowski has been moved back outside after a brief move to the inside. Probably the biggest talk in Madison has been the move of little Joey Boese from starting corner back to strong safety to fill in for departed senior Bobby Myers. The strong safety spot is key for being able to come up and support the run defense and at 5-11, 170 pounds, Boese will have a tough task to handle.
DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART
DT Ross Kolodziej 6-3 279 Sr. George Pratt 6-5 306 Jr.
NT Eric Mahlik 6-3 265 Sr. Jake Sprague 6-4 278 Jr.
DT Wendell Bryant 6-4 298 Jr.   Chuck Smith 6-6 267 Jr.
RLB John Favret 6-4 230 Sr.   Ben Herbert 6-4 234 Jr.
OLB Roger Knight 6-2 221 Sr.   Dan Lisowski 6-1 218 Jr.
LB Nick Greisen 6-2 239 Jr.   Darius Jones 6-3 250 Fr.
LB Bryson Thompson 6-1 218 Jr.   Jeff Mack 6-0 230 Fr.
CB Jamar Fletcher 5-10 170 Jr.   Byron Brown 6-0 183 Fr.
CB Mike Echols 5-10 169 Jr.   B.J. Tucker 5-11 165 So.
SS Joey Boese 5-11 169 Jr.   Devery Hughes 5-11 175 So.
FS Jason Doering 6-0 200 Sr.   Carlease Clark 5-11 181 Jr.
P Kevin Stemke 6-2 187 Sr.   Vitaly Pisetsky 5-10 228 Sr.
Returning starters in bold.

Key Losses: Chris Ghidorzi-LB, Donnel Thompson-LB, Bobby Myers-DB