The 1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Barry Alvarez, the Badgers compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing fifth in the Big Ten. Wisconsin was invited to the Outback Bowl, where the Badgers lost to Georgia. The team played home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
After suffering a humiliating loss at the hands of Donovan McNabb and the Syracuse Orangemen in their season opener, the Wisconsin Badgers sprang back to win eight of their next nine games. After defeating Boise State, San Jose State, and San Diego State, the Badgers won consecutive games with field goals as time expired against Indiana and Northwestern. In the course of this streak, the Badgers snapped a long losing streak to Iowa with a 13–10 win over the Hawkeyes, the first Wisconsin win over a Hayden Fry-coached team. After defeating Iowa, Alvarez's team dropped the final three games of the season, losing to eventual national champion Michigan, Penn State, and Georgia in the Outback Bowl.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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August 24 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. No. 17 Syracuse* | No. 24 | | ABC | L 0–34 | 51,185 | |
September 6 | 2:00 p.m. | Boise State* | | | | W 28–24 | 73,209 | |
September 13 | 5:30 p.m. | at San Jose State* | | | | W 56–10 | 23,042 | |
September 20 | 1:00 p.m. | San Diego State* | | - Camp Randall Stadium
- Madison, WI
| | W 36–10 | 76,864 | |
September 27 | 11:20 a.m. | Indiana | | - Camp Randall Stadium
- Madison, WI
| ESPN Plus | W 27–26 | 78,211 | |
October 4 | 6:00 p.m. | at Northwestern | | | ESPN | W 26–25 | 47,129 | |
October 11 | 11:20 a.m. | Illinois | | - Camp Randall Stadium
- Madison, WI
| ESPN Plus | W 31–7 | 79,327 | |
October 18 | 1:00 p.m. | at Purdue | No. 24 | | | L 20–45 | 54,252 | |
October 25 | 11:30 a.m. | at Minnesota | | | ESPN2 | W 22–21 | 57,563 | |
November 8 | 11:30 a.m. | No. 12 Iowa | | - Camp Randall Stadium
- Madison, WI (rivalry)
| ESPN | W 13–10 | 79,864 | |
November 15 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 1 Michigan | No. 23 | - Camp Randall Stadium
- Madison, WI
| ABC | L 16–26 | 79,806 | |
November 22 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 6 Penn State | No. 24 | | ABC | L 10–35 | 96,934 | |
January 1, 1998 | 10:00 a.m. | vs. No. 11 Georgia* | | | ESPN | L 6–33 | 56,186 | [1] |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
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Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked | Week |
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
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AP | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | 23 | 24 | — | — | — | — |
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Coaches | 24 | | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | 24 | 24 | — | — | — | — |
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Game summaries
Syracuse
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Syracuse |
10 |
14 | 7 | 3 |
34 |
Wisconsin |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
[2]
Boise State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Boise St |
10 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
24 |
• Wisconsin |
7 |
7 | 7 | 7 |
28 |
[3]
San Jose State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Wisconsin |
14 |
28 | 14 | 0 |
56 |
San Jose St |
10 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
10 |
[4]
San Diego State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
San Diego St |
0 |
0 | 3 | 7 |
10 |
• Wisconsin |
17 |
5 | 7 | 7 |
36 |
[5]
Indiana
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Indiana |
7 |
10 | 6 | 3 |
26 |
• Wisconsin |
7 |
10 | 0 | 10 |
27 |
[6]
Northwestern
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Wisconsin |
13 |
3 | 7 | 3 |
26 |
Northwestern |
6 |
8 | 11 | 0 |
25 |
[7]
Illinois
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Illinois |
0 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
• Wisconsin |
14 |
7 | 10 | 0 |
31 |
[8]
Purdue
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Wisconsin |
0 |
10 | 7 | 3 |
20 |
• Purdue |
21 |
7 | 7 | 10 |
45 |
[9]
Minnesota
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Wisconsin |
7 |
6 | 0 | 9 |
22 |
Minnesota |
8 |
0 | 13 | 0 |
21 |
Scoring summary |
Q1 | 12:00 | WIS | Simmons 53 yard pass from Samuel (Davenport kick) | WIS 7–0 |
|
Q1 | 3:50 | MINN | Bailey 30 yard field goal | WIS 7–3 |
|
Q1 | 1:55 | MINN | Safety | WIS 7–5 |
|
Q1 | :10 | MINN | Bailey 42 yard field goal | MINN 8–7 |
|
Q2 | 11:52 | WIS | Hayes 53 yard pass from Samuel (two-point conversion failed) | WIS 13–8 |
|
Q3 | 7:57 | MINN | Nelson 11 yard pass from Sauter (two-point conversion failed) | MINN 14–13 |
|
Q3 | 3:50 | MINN | Evans 4 yard run (Bailey kick) | MINN 21–13 |
|
Q4 | 13:18 | WIS | Davenport 38 yard field goal | MINN 21–16 |
|
Q4 | 7:10 | WIS | Dayne 1 yard run (two-point conversion failed) | WIS 22–21 |
[10]
Iowa
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Iowa |
0 |
0 | 7 | 3 |
10 |
• Wisconsin |
0 |
13 | 0 | 0 |
13 |
[11]
Michigan
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Michigan |
7 |
9 | 0 | 10 |
26 |
Wisconsin |
0 |
3 | 7 | 6 |
16 |
[12]
Penn State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Wisconsin |
3 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
10 |
• Penn St |
7 |
14 | 14 | 0 |
35 |
[13]
Outback Bowl
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Wisconsin |
0 |
0 | 0 | 6 |
6 |
• Georgia |
12 |
7 | 7 | 7 |
33 |
[14]
Personnel
Roster
1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster
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Players
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Coaches
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Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Brad Childress – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Kevin Cosgrove – Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
- Tim Davis – Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends
- Phil Elmassian – Defensive Backs
- Jay Hayes – Outside Linebackers/Strong Safeties/Special Teams
- Jim Hueber – Guards and Centers
- Henry Mason – Wide Receivers
- John Palermo – Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line
- Brian White – Running Backs
- Bernie Wyatt – Director of Football Operations
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Roster Last update: 1997-06-17
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[15]
Regular starters
Team players selected in the 1998 NFL draft
[16]
References
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Culture & lore | |
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