2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Bret Bielema, the Badgers completed the season with a 12–1 record, including a 7–1 mark in the Big Ten Conference, good for a second-place tie with Michigan.

2006 Wisconsin Badgers football
Capital One Bowl champion
Capital One Bowl, W 17–14 vs. Arkansas
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 5
AP	No. 7
Record	12–1 (7–1 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bret Bielema (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Paul Chryst (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Mike Hankwitz (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
MVP	John Stocco Joe Thomas Joe Monty Mark Zalewski Joe Stellmacher Roderick Rogers
Captain	John Stocco Joe Thomas Mark Zalewski (4th captain named each game)
Home stadium	Camp Randall Stadium
Seasons ← 2005 2007 →

2006 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 2 Ohio State $		8	–	0					12	–	1
No. 8 Michigan %		7	–	1					11	–	2
No. 7 Wisconsin		7	–	1					12	–	1
No. 24 Penn State		5	–	3					9	–	4
Purdue		5	–	3					8	–	6
Minnesota		3	–	5					6	–	7
Indiana		3	–	5					5	–	7
Northwestern		2	–	6					4	–	8
Iowa		2	–	6					6	–	7
Illinois		1	–	7					2	–	10
Michigan State		1	–	7					4	–	8
$ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative Rankings from AP Poll

The season was one of the most successful in Badgers football history. The 11 regular-season wins and 12 overall wins were both single season records for the Badgers, and the season ended with a second straight victory in the Capital One Bowl, over Arkansas, 17-14. The Badgers, who were not ranked in the preseason and were expected to finish in the middle of the Big Ten, surprised many with their success and ended the season ranked #7 in the AP Poll and #5 in the Coaches' Poll.

Preseason

The Badgers were picked to finish in the middle of the Big Ten conference and were not ranked in the preseason for a number of reasons. Early defections to the National Football League by second-team All-Americans Brandon Williams and Brian Calhoun left the Badger offense with only three returning starters. Additionally, with the departure of Barry Alvarez – who had just completed his final season with 10 wins and a Capital One Bowl victory – the head coaching job was taken over by Bret Bielema, then the youngest head coach in Division I-A football.

Bright spots for the Badgers included returning All-American offensive tackle Joe Thomas, who was coming off an ACL injury. John Stocco resumed the starting position at quarterback for his senior season, and P. J. Hill, Jr. won the starting tailback job. The defense was to be led by senior linebacker Mark Zalewski and senior strong safety Joe Stellmacher. The special teams unit was considered strong, with All-American candidate Ken DeBauche punting the ball.

Some sportswriters felt that the non-conference schedule was fairly weak. Early in the season, the team's non-conference schedule was placed on the "waiting list" of ESPN.com's Bottom 10 rankings.^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	6:00 p.m.	vs. Bowling Green*		Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland, OH	ESPN+	W 35–14	30,307^[2]
September 9	2:30 p.m.	Western Illinois*		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPNU	W 34–10	80,845^[2]
September 16	2:30 p.m.	San Diego State*		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPN+	W 14–0	81,090^[2]
September 23	11:00 a.m.	at No. 6 Michigan		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	ESPN	L 13–27	111,058^[2]
September 30	11:00 a.m.	at Indiana		Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	ESPN2	W 52–17	32,142^[2]
October 7	11:00 a.m.	Northwestern		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPN360	W 41–9	81,704^[2]
October 14	11:00 a.m.	Minnesota	No. 25	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe)	ESPN	W 48–12	82,010^[2]
October 21	11:00 a.m.	at Purdue	No. 21	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	ESPN	W 24–3	58,111^[2]
October 28	11:00 a.m.	Illinois	No. 17	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPN2	W 30–24	81,300^[2]
November 4	11:00 a.m.	Penn State	No. 17	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ABC	W 13–3	81,777^[2]
November 11	11:00 a.m.	at Iowa	No. 16	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (Battle for the Heartland Trophy)	ESPN	W 24–21	70,585^[2]
November 18	11:00 a.m.	Buffalo*	No. 12	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPNU	W 35–3	80,850^[2]
January 1, 2007	12:00 p.m.	vs. No. 12 Arkansas*	No. 6	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL (Capital One Bowl)	ABC	W 17–14	60,774^[2]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Roster

2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Offensive Line Pos. # Name Class WR 11 Isaac Anderson Fr RB 24 Josh Balts Jr TE 9 Travis Beckum So WR 29 Niles Brinkley Fr TE 37 Matt Brown   Jr OL 78 Jake Bscherer Fr RB 27 Jerry Butler Fr OT 68 Gabe Carimi Fr OL 65 Marcus Coleman   Jr TE 43 Andy Crooks Jr TE 45 Kirk DeCremer Fr QB 12 Tyler Donovan   Jr WR 44 Chris Eernisse   Fr QB 4 Allan Evridge   So RB 38 Dion Foster Fr WR 17 Matt Gifford Fr TE 88 Garrett Graham   Fr WR 2 Xavier Harris Fr RB 39 P. J. Hill   Fr WR 85 Jeff Holzbauer   Sr WR 19 Paul Hubbard   Jr WR 22 Diondrae Jenkins Fr OL 64 Danny Kaye   Jr OL 75 Andy Kemp So TE 84 Lance Kendricks Fr WR 17 Richard Kirtley   Fr OL 60 Luke Knauf   Jr WR 20 Derek Konkol   Sr OL 58 Mike Lenzendorf Fr TE 82 Sean Lewis   So TE 47 Jaevery McFadden Fr WR 88 Jarvis Minton Jr TE 23 Joseph Molenda Fr QB 3 Maurice Moore Fr G 76 Bill Nagy Fr TE 81 Dave Peck   So WR 27 Shane Phillips Fr TE 48 Nathan Quist Jr WR 13 Marcus Randle El Jr FB 34 Bill Rentmeester   So RB 24 Dywon Rowan   Sr WR 8 Jarmal Ruffin   Fr QB 18 Dustin Sherer Fr RB 5 Lance Smith Fr QB 7 John Stocco (C)   Sr WR 15 Luke Swan   Jr WR 86 Elijah Theus   Fr OT 72 Joe Thomas (C) Sr QB 16 Scott Tolzien Fr TE 36 Mickey Turner Fr G 63 Kraig Urbik   So OL 71 Eric Vanden Heuvel So OL 62 Mike Van Someren   Jr OL 66 Dirk Watters   Fr OL 70 Andrew Weininger   Jr RB 48 Dan Wiacek Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 37 Phil Ayeni Fr DL 71 Brian Behnke Fr DB 25 Shane Carter So DL 77 Dan Cascone Fr LB 2 Jonathan Casillas So DL 91 Jason Chapman   So DL 5 Jamal Cooper   Jr DL 98 Gino Cruse Jr. So DB 30 Jameson Davis So DB 31 Nate Egholm Jr LB 49 Ryan Flasch   So DB 29 Antonio Freeman So DL 73 Mark Gorman   Sr DB 26 Zach Hampton   Sr DT 96 Nick Hayden Jr DL 59 Brandon Hoey Fr LB 52 Elijah Hodge   Fr LB 12 Casey Hogan   Jr DB 30 Tyler Holland Fr CB 6 Jack Ikegwuonu   Jr DL 90 Terrance Jamison So LB 23 Paul Joran   Sr DB 20 James Kamoku   Jr DL 56 Brandon Kelly   Jr DB 17 Allen Langford   So LB 38 Ben Landgraf So LB 11 DeAndre Levy So LB 30 Adam Ludovic Fr DB 24 Jamathan Lyle Fr DL 74 John Moffitt Fr DE 95 Joe Monty   Sr DB 46 Tony Morrissey Fr LB 51 Joshua Neal   So DB 21 Josh Nettles Fr DE 54 Mike Newkirk   So DL 99 Justin Ostrowski   Jr DB 28 Aubrey Pleasant So DL 55 Adam Purcell Jr LB 50 O'Brien Schofield   Fr CB 22 Roderick Rogers Sr DB 32 Kim Royston Fr DE 92 Matt Shaughnessy So DB 45 Joe Sibley   Jr DB 14 Culmer St. Jean Fr DB 16 Joe Stellmacher   Sr DB 3 Ben Strickland   Jr DB 15 Jay Valai Fr DL 34 Kurt Ware   Jr DB 4 Johnny White Sr DL 94 Derek Yentz   Jr LB 41 Mark Zalewski (C)   Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 94 Ken DeBauche   Jr K 96 Matt Fischer   Fr LS 57 Steve Johnson   Jr K 10 Taylor Mehlhaff Jr K 98 Adam Schober So P 97 Paul Standring   Jr	Head coach Bret Bielema Coordinators/assistant coaches Paul Chryst – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Mike Hankwitz – Defensive coordinator Dave Doeren – Co-defensive Coordinator/inside linebackers/recruiting coordinator Bob Bostad – Tight ends Kerry Cooks – Defensive backs Henry Mason – Wide receivers/Assistant Recruiting Coordinator Randall McCray – Defensive line Bob Palcic – Offensive line John Settle – Running backs Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible   Injured   Redshirt Roster

Game summaries

Bowling Green

See also: 2006 Bowling Green Falcons football team

Wisconsin vs Bowling Green – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Badgers	7	14	7	7	35
Falcons	7	0	7	0	14

at Cleveland Browns Stadium

• Date: September 2, 2006
• Game time: 6:00 p.m.
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); Mostly cloudy; Wind at E 14 MPH
• Game attendance: 30,307
• Referee: Steve Newman
• TV: ESPN+
• [1]

Game information

First quarter BGU – Freddie Barnes 21-yard TD run (Sean Ellis kick), 10:40. Bowling Green 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:20. WIS – Dywon Rowan 7-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:34. Tie 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:55. Second quarter WIS – Jonathan Casillas 0-yard block punt return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:58. Wisconsin 14–7. WIS – John Stocco 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:17. Wisconsin 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:15. Third quarter BGU – Freddie Barnes 2-yard TD run (Sean Ellis kick), 6:58. Wisconsin 21–14. Drive: 16 plays, 79 yards, 6:41. WIS – Bill Rentmeester 4-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 2:36. Wisconsin 28–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:14. Fourth quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 10-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:19. Wisconsin 35–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:38. Top passers BGU – Freddie Barnes – 12/19, 82 yards WIS – John Stocco – 9/15, 124 yards, TD, INT Top rushers BGU – Freddie Barnes – 29 rushes, 158 yards, 2 TD WIS – P. J. Hill – 22 rushes, 130 yards, TD Top receivers BGU – Ken Brantley – 2 receptions, 27 yards WIS – Travis Beckum – 3 receptions, 49 yards Top defenders BGU – Kenny Lewis – 10 tackles, INT WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 12 tackles, 2.5 TFL, blocked punt, TD

In his debut, P. J. Hill, Jr. had 130 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead the Badgers to a victory over the hometeam Falcons. The Badgers broke a 7–7 tie in the second quarter when a Alonso Rojas punt was blocked by Jonathan Casillas and he recovered the punt in the end zone for a touchdown. John Stocco finished 9-of-15 for 124 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

Western Illinois

See also: 2006 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

Western Illinois vs Wisconsin – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Leathernecks	3	0	0	7	10
Badgers	3	17	0	14	34

at Camp Randall Stadium

• Date: September 9, 2006
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); Cloudy; Wind at NE 10-20 MPH
• Game attendance: 80,845
• Referee: John O'Neill
• TV: ESPNU
• [2]

Game information

First quarter WIU – Taylor Rowan 42-yard field goal, 12:43 Western Illinois 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:03. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 28-yard field goal, 6:15. Tie 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:20. Second quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:19. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 7:02. WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 2:04. Wisconsin 17–3. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 7:20. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 46-yard field goal, 0:04. Wisconsin 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 0:30. Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 2-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:10. Wisconsin 27–3. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 1:40. WIS – Andy Crooks 24-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:04. Wisconsin 34–3. Drive: 2 plays, 43 yards, 1:01. WIU – Kevin Almlie 17-yard interception return (Taylor Rowan kick), 5:51. Wisconsin 34–10. Top passers WIU – Steve LaFalce – 20/41, 168 yards, 3 INT WIS – John Stocco – 15/25, 227 yards, TD Top rushers WIU – Herb Donaldson – 17 rushes, 70 yards WIS – P. J. Hill – 22 rushes, 101 yards, 3 TD Top receivers WIU – Marco Thomas – 8 receptions, 54 yards WIS – Paul Hubbard – 4 receptions, 87 yards Top defenders WIU – Jason Williams – 8 tackles, 2.0 TFL, sack, QB hurry WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 7 tackles, INT

P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for over 100 yards for the second game in a row and the Badgers overcame a rocky first quarter to beat the Leathernecks. After a fumble on the kickoff led to a WIU field goal, the Badgers reeled off 34 straight points – 17 in the second quarter – to effectively put the game away. John Stocco was 15–25 for 227 yards and another touchdown and Hill collected three touchdowns on the ground for the Badgers.

San Diego State

See also: 2006 San Diego State Aztecs football team

San Diego State vs Wisconsin – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Aztecs	0	0	0	0	0
Badgers	0	0	7	7	14

at Camp Randall Stadium

• Date: September 16, 2006
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); Cloudy; Wind at NE 10-20 MPH
• Game attendance: 81,090
• Referee: Ron Torbert
• TV: ESPN+
• [3]

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter No scoring Third quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 53-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:49. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 1 plays, 53 yards, 0:22. Fourth quarter WIS – Paul Hubbard 6-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 7:06. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:59. Top passers SDS – Darren Mougey – 15/27, 102 yards WIS – John Stocco – 12/23, 85 yards, TD Top rushers SDS – Lynell Hamilton – 11 rushes, 19 yards WIS – P. J. Hill – 26 rushes, 184 yards, TD Top receivers SDS – Brett Swain – 5 receptions, 33 yards WIS – Paul Hubbard – 3 receptions, 18 yards, TD Top defenders SDS – Joe Martin – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, forced fumble, pass breakup WIS – Mark Zalewski – 8 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 sacks

P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for 184 yards and a touchdown and the defense shut out the Aztecs in the last game before the start of conference play. The Badgers allowed just 153 yards but the offense was out of sync for the third straight week as Stocco completed just 12 of his 23 passes for 85 yards. Paul Hubbard registered a six-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.

#6 Michigan

See also: 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team

Wisconsin vs Michigan – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Badgers	7	3	0	3	13
No. 6 Wolverines	0	10	7	10	27

at Michigan Stadium

• Date: September 23, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C); Cloudy; Wind at SW 5-10 MPH
• Game attendance: 111,058
• Referee: Dan Capron
• TV: ESPN
• [4]

Game information

First quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 29-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 9:08. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:44. Second quarter MIC – Mario Manningham 24-yard pass from Chad Henne (Garrett Rivas kick), 13:19. Tie 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:22. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 39-yard field goal, 5:37. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:56. MIC – Garrett Rivas 31-yard field goal, 2:45. Tie 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:57. Third quarter MIC – Mario Manningham 38-yard pass from Chad Henne (Garrett Rivas kick), 3:11. Michigan 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:55. Fourth quarter MIC – Mike Hart 5-yard TD run (Garrett Rivas kick), 11:33. Michigan 24–10. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:39. MIC – Garrett Rivas 32-yard field goal, 5:29. Michigan 27–10. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:15.' WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 26-yard field goal, 2:19. Michigan 27–13. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 3:10. Top passers MIC – Chad Henne – 18/25, 211 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT WIS – John Stocco – 22/42, 236 yards, TD Top rushers MIC – Mike Hart – 23 rushes, 91 yards, TD WIS – P. J. Hill – 20 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers MIC – Mario Manningham – 7 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD WIS – P. J. Hill – 5 receptions, 64 yards, TD Top defenders MIC – David Harris – 10 tackles, 2.0 TFL WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack

Wisconsin performed admirably in the first half, scoring 10 points but special teams miscues led to 10 Wolverine points by the break. P. J. Hill, Jr. was held to 54 yards against the stout Michigan run defense and Mario Manningham had 113 yards and two touchdowns through the air as Michigan raced out to 17 straight points in the second half to beat the Badgers, 27–13. The Badgers intercepted Chad Henne three times, but it was not enough to overcome the Wolverines' powerful offense. Wisconsin, which had beaten Michigan in 2005, had a five-game winning streak snapped. Michigan moved to 4–0 on the season.

Indiana

See also: 2006 Indiana Hoosiers football team

Wisconsin vs Indiana – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Badgers	14	21	17	0	52
Hoosiers	0	0	0	17	17

at Memorial Stadium

• Date: September 30, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); Sunny; Wind at SW 14 MPH
• Game attendance: 32,142
• Referee: Dan Capron
• TV: ESPN2
• [5]

Game information

First quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:21. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:42. WIS – Travis Beckum 35-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:39. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:29. Second quarter WIS – Paul Hubbard 15-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:22. Wisconsin 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 1:29. WIS – Andy Crooks 3-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:04. Wisconsin 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 1:44. WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:52. Wisconsin 35–0. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:28. Third quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 9:28. Wisconsin 42–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:53. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 28-yard field goal, 2:27. Wisconsin 45–0. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 5:07. WIS – Lance Smith 4-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:55. Wisconsin 52–0. Drive: 1 plays, 4 yards, 0:26. Fourth quarter IND – Austin Starr 21-yard field goal, 9:54. Wisconsin 52–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:14.' IND – Troy Grosfield 15-yard fumble return (Austin Starr kick), 9:41. Wisconsin 52–10. IND – Josiah Sears 8-yard TD run (J. Gilmore kick), 3:25. Wisconsin 52–17. Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 2:49. Top passers IND – Kellen Lewis – 13/29, 113 yards WIS – John Stocco – 15/17, 304 yards, 3 TD Top rushers IND – Josiah Sears – 9 rushes, 100 yards, TD WIS – P. J. Hill – 23 rushes, 129 yards, 3 TD Top receivers IND – Nick Polk – 4 receptions, 45 yards WIS – Paul Hubbard – 6 receptions, 122 yards, TD Top defenders IND – Troy Grosfield – 15 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery, TD WIS – Elijah Hodge – 6 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack

The Badgers bounced back from their first loss of the season, racing out to a 52–0 lead over the hometeam Hoosiers en route to a dominating 52–17 victory. John Stocco threw for 304 yards and had three touchdown strikes by halftime, and P. J. Hill, Jr. had 129 yards and another three touchdowns for the Badgers. The Hoosiers were held to just 147 yards through three quarters. Paul Hubbard caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown for the Badgers.

Northwestern

See also: 2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team

Northwestern vs Wisconsin – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	6	3	0	0	9
Badgers	10	7	17	7	41

at Camp Randall Stadium

• Date: October 7, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); Sunny; Wind at S 10 MPH
• Game attendance: 81,704
• Referee: Bill LeMonnier
• TV: ESPN360
• [6]

Game information

First quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 60-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:54. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 1:06. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 40-yard field goal, 7:51. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 3:38. NU – Andrew Brewer 1-yard TD run (Joel Howells kick blocked), 6:28. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:10. Second quarter NU – Joel Howells 22-yard field goal, 13:10. Wisconsin 10–9. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 4:47.' WIS – Luke Swan 14-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:55. Wisconsin 17–9. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:13. Third quarter WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 42-yard field goal, 7:23. Wisconsin 20–9. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:21. WIS – Dywon Rowan 4-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:22. Wisconsin 27–9. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:17. WIS – Joe Stellmacher 25-yard interception return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:14. Wisconsin 34–9. Fourth quarter WIS – Lance Smith 25-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:54. Wisconsin 41–9. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:48. Top passers NU – Andrew Brewer – 10/24, 94 yards, INT WIS – John Stocco – 16/21, 220 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NU – Andrew Brewer – 13 rushes, 80 yards, TD WIS – P. J. Hill – 35 rushes, 249 yards, TD Top receivers NU – Eric Peterman – 3 receptions, 26 yards WIS – Travis Beckum – 8 receptions, 107 yards Top defenders NU – Marquice Cole – 9 tackles, fumble recovery, INT WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 6 tackles, INT, TD

For the second straight week, the Badger defense stepped up big, holding NU tailback Tyrell Sutton to just 18 yards on the ground. Wisconsin avenged last year's loss to the Wildcats with a punishing ground game, highlighted by P. J. Hill, Jr.'s rumbling 60-yard touchdown in the first quarter. In his best effort to date, Hill piled up 249 of the Badgers' 316 yards on the ground as the Badgers prevailed.

Minnesota

See also: 2006 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team and Paul Bunyan's Axe

Minnesota vs Wisconsin – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Gophers	3	0	2	7	12
No. 25 Badgers	14	14	13	7	48

at Camp Randall Stadium

• Date: October 14, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C); Partly cloudy; Wind at W 10 MPH
• Game attendance: 82,010
• Referee: Dennis Lipski
• TV: ESPN
• [7]

Game information

First quarter WIS – Jack Ikegwuonu 50-yard fumble return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:25. Wisconsin 7–0. WIS – P. J. Hill 5-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:24. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:59. MIN – Jason Giannini 37-yard field goal, 3:14. Wisconsin 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:06.' Second quarter WIS – Luke Swan 8-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:37. Wisconsin 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:54. WIS – Andy Crooks 2-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:59. Wisconsin 28–3. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 5:12. Third quarter WIS – Travis Beckum 40-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:01. Wisconsin 35–3. Drive: 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:50. WIS – P. J. Hill 2-yard TD run (Ken DeBauche pass intercepted), 10:11. Wisconsin 41–3. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:57. MIN – Mario Reese 98-yard PAT return (Jason Giannini kick), 10:11. Wisconsin 41–5. Fourth quarter MIN – Amir Pinnix 2-yard TD run (Jason Giannini kick), 14:49. Wisconsin 41–12. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 2:56. WIS – Travis Beckum 4-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:52. Wisconsin 48–12. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:48. Top passers MIN – Bryan Cupito – 13/28, 94 yards, INT WIS – John Stocco – 12/19, 193 yards, 4 TD Top rushers MIN – Amir Pinnix – 19 rushes, 97 yards, TD WIS – P. J. Hill – 25 rushes, 164 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIN – Matt Spaeth – 4 receptions, 42 yards WIS – Travis Beckum – 5 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD Top defenders MIN – Trumaine Banks – 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL

The Badgers hosted Minnesota in the battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. The Badgers, who had moved into the AP rankings for the first time this season, prevailed 48–12 behind John Stocco's four touchdown passes, two to Travis Beckum, who also had 118 receiving yards. Stocco finished 12-of-19 for 193 yards. Jack Ikegwuonu opened the scoring by returning Amir Pinnix's first-quarter fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. P. J. Hill, Jr. racked up 164 yards and two more scores as the Badgers defended the Axe.

Purdue

See also: 2006 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Wisconsin vs Purdue – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 21 Badgers	0	10	7	7	24
Boilermakers	3	0	0	0	3

at Ross–Ade Stadium

• Date: October 21, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C); Partly cloudy; Wind at SW 11 MPH
• Game attendance: 58,111
• Referee: John O'Neill
• TV: ESPN
• [8]

Game information

First quarter PUR – Chris Summers 47-yard field goal, 5:16. Purdue 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:13.' Second quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:13. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 5:28. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 51-yard field goal, 1:15. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 0:48. Third quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 3-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:38. Wisconsin 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:10. Fourth quarter WIS – Lance Smith 8-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:11. Wisconsin 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:29. Top passers PUR – Curtis Painter – 20/40, 187 yards, INT WIS – John Stocco – 13/21, 201 yards, INT Top rushers PUR – Jaycen Taylor – 8 rushes, 46 yards WIS – P. J. Hill – 29 rushes, 161 yards, 2 TD Top receivers PUR – Greg Orton – 6 receptions, 83 yards WIS – Paul Hubbard – 4 receptions, 80 yards Top defenders PUR – Cliff Avril – 7 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, INT, pass breakup

The Badgers moved into the Coaches Poll for the first time, ranked #22 going into their showdown against Purdue. The Badger defense figured to get a good test against the Boilermakers offense, which led the Big Ten at over 470 yards a game entering the contest. Purdue managed only 299 yards and a field goal as the Badgers limited Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter to just 187 yards on 20-of-40 passing and an interception. P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for another two touchdowns and 161 yards.

Illinois

See also: 2006 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

Illinois vs Wisconsin – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Illini	7	17	0	0	24
No. 17 Badgers	0	10	10	10	30

at Camp Randall Stadium

• Date: October 28, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C); Sunny; Wind at W 10 MPH
• Game attendance: 81,300
• Referee: Todd Geerlings
• TV: ESPN2
• [9]

Game information

First quarter ILL – Travon Bellamy 41-yard interception return (Jason Reda kick), 3:34. Illinois 7–0. Second quarter WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 21-yard field goal, 14:57. Illinois 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:52. ILL – Pierre Thomas 2-yard pass from Juice Williams (Jason Reda kick), 10:42. Illinois 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:09. ILL – Pierre Thomas 1-yard TD run (Jason Reda kick), 5:45. Illinois 21–3. Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 4:28. WIS – Lance Smith 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:44. Illinois 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 3:56. ILL – Jason Reda 20-yard field goal, 0:08. Illinois 24–10. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 1:28.' Third quarter WIS – Luke Swan 17-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:36. Illinois 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:26. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 21-yard field goal, 3:57. Illinois 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:53. Fourth quarter WIS – Andy Crooks 0-yard fumble return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:50. Wisconsin 27–24. WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 33-yard field goal, 4:27. Wisconsin 30–24. Drive: 11 plays, 30 yards, 5:46. Top passers ILL – Juice Williams – 13/29, 171 yards, TD, INT WIS – John Stocco – 15/26, 217 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers ILL – Pierre Thomas – 8 rushes, 23 yards, TD WIS – Lance Smith – 21 rushes, 46 yards, TD Top receivers ILL – Derrick McPhearson – 1 receptions, 52 yards WIS – Luke Swan – 4 receptions, 85 yards, TD Top defenders ILL – Jeremy Leman – 13 tackles, 2.5 TFL WIS – Matt Shaughnessy – 8 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2 sacks, QB hurry

The visiting Illini gave the #18 Badgers a scare, as Illinois quarterback Juice Williams engineered three scoring drives in the second quarter to give the Illini a 24–10 lead at halftime. P. J. Hill, Jr. suffered a pinched nerve and left the game in the first quarter. Backup Lance Smith scored the Badgers' only touchdown of the first half. John Stocco threw for two touchdowns and Taylor Mehlhaff kicked two field goals in the second half, and the defense held Illinois scoreless throughout the second half to prevail victorious, 30–24.

Penn State

See also: 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Penn State vs Wisconsin – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Nittany Lions	0	3	0	0	3
No. 17 Badgers	3	7	3	0	13

at Camp Randall Stadium

• Date: November 4, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C); Cloudy; Wind at S 12 MPH
• Game attendance: 81,777
• Referee: Dave Witvoet
• TV: ABC
• [10]

Game information

First quarter WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 37-yard field goal, 0:01. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:10. Second quarter PSU – Kevin Kelly 39-yard field goal, 12:17. Tie 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:39.' WIS – Paul Hubbard 14-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:23. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:27. Third quarter WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 20-yard field goal, 2:42. Wisconsin 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter No scoring Top passers PSU – Anthony Morelli – 19/35, 165 yards, INT WIS – John Stocco – 15/25, 172 yards, TD Top rushers PSU – Tony Hunt – 11 rushes, 35 yards WIS – P. J. Hill – 31 rushes, 148 yards Top receivers PSU – Andrew Quarless – 5 receptions, 62 yards WIS – Paul Hubbard – 5 receptions, 77 yards, TD Top defenders PSU – Sean Lee – 13 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 6 tackles, 2.5 TFL, sack, QB hurry

The Badger defense stepped up in a huge way against Penn State, yielding only a field goal and 244 yards. Consistent pressure frustrated Nittany Lions quarterback Anthony Morelli, and the offense controlled the clock with 148 yards from P. J. Hill, Jr.. The Badgers won 13–3 to move to 9–1 on the season and their sixth straight victory. John Stocco suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.

This game drew the ire of Penn State head coach Joe Paterno as the first half came to a close. Under the clock rules introduced at the beginning of the season, the clock began running immediately as the ball was kicked, rather than when it was fielded by the receiving team. Following a Stocco touchdown that gave the Badgers a 10–3 lead with 23 seconds to go, Coach Bielema deliberately ordered his kickoff unit to run offsides before Taylor Mehlhaff kicked off. Because the Badgers were offsides (and thus further downfield), the Penn State special teams were unable to field the ball well, and thus would have had awful field position; they instead elected to rekick. Wisconsin repeated the tactic, essentially running out the clock on the first half. Bielema's strategy was decried by many as unsportsmanlike; others praised him for bringing light to a loophole in the new clock system. After the regular season, the clock rules were reverted to their pre-2006 form.

Iowa

See also: 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team and Heartland Trophy

Wisconsin vs Iowa – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Badgers	10	7	0	7	24
Hawkeyes	0	14	0	7	21

at Kinnick Stadium

• Date: November 11, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C); Cloudy; Wind at N 7 MPH
• Game attendance: 70,585
• Referee: Bill LeMonnier
• TV: ESPN
• [11]

Game information

First quarter WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 31-yard field goal, 2:16. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:36. WIS – Travis Beckum 3-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:51. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 26 yards, 0:55. Second quarter IOW – Tony Moeaki 4-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 8:27. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 3:56. IOW – Tom Busch 3-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 2:16. Iowa 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:12. WIS – Luke Swan 42-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:39. Wisconsin 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 1:37. Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:49. Wisconsin 24–14. Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 7:40. IOW – Trey Stross 24-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 10:20. Wisconsin 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 0:44. Top passers IOW – Drew Tate – 10/31, 170 yards, 3 TD, INT WIS – Tyler Donovan – 17/24, 228 yards, 2 TD Top rushers IOW – Damian Sims – 7 rushes, 53 yards WIS – P. J. Hill – 28 rushes, 77 yards, TD Top receivers IOW – Trey Stross – 1 receptions, 24 yards, TD WIS – Luke Swan – 4 receptions, 113 yards, TD Top defenders IOW – Marcus Paschal – 14 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 3 pass breakups

After moving up to #16 in the coaches poll, Wisconsin ended a two-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes with a 24–21 victory in Iowa City. With John Stocco sitting out due to injury, backup Tyler Donovan played an efficient game, going 17-of-24 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Hawkeyes quarterback Drew Tate threw for Iowa's three touchdowns but was frustrated all game, completing fewer than a third of his attempts. With the win, the Badgers completed conference play with a 7–1 mark, wrapping up a second place tie in the Big Ten.

Buffalo

See also: 2006 Buffalo Bulls football team

Bulls vs Badgers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	3	0	0	0	3
No. 12 Badgers	7	14	7	7	35

at Camp Randall Stadium

• Date: November 18, 2006
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C); Cloudy; Wind at N 7 MPH
• Game attendance: 80,850
• Referee: Steve Newman
• TV: ESPNU
• [12]

Game information

First quarter WIS – Paul Hubbard 26-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:04. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 1 plays, 26 yards, 0:29. BUF – Adam Tanalski 34-yard field goal, 11:07. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:52. Second quarter WIS – P. J. Hill 3-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:24. Wisconsin 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:13. WIS – Luke Swan 35-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:27. Wisconsin 21–3. Drive: 3 plays, 46 yards, 0:23. Third quarter WIS – Lance Smith 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:59. Wisconsin 28–3. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:03. Fourth quarter WIS – Dywon Rowan 11-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 7:59. Wisconsin 35–3. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:20. Top passers BUF – Tony Paoli – 6/23, 107 yards, INT WIS – Tyler Donovan – 16/26, 308 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers BUF – James Starks – 15 rushes, 31 yards WIS – P. J. Hill – 19 rushes, 86 yards, TD Top receivers BUF – Naaman Roosevelt – 2 receptions, 90 yards WIS – Travis Beckum – 5 receptions, 135 yards Top defenders BUF – Kareem Byrom – 9 tackles, 2.0 TFL, forced fumble WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery

On Senior Day, the #10 Badgers started sluggishly, but scored two touchdowns just before halftime and added two more in the second half to win decisively over Buffalo, 35–3. Tyler Donovan once again performed proficiently, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 16-of-26, and the defense forced four turnovers and held Buffalo to just 159 yards. P. J. Hill, Jr. scored a touchdown and picked up 86 yards on the ground.

With the win, the Badgers finished 11–1, the best regular season in school history. There was a minor controversy concerning the Bowl Championship Series, whose rules state that only two teams from one conference may receive bids to BCS bowl games. Ohio State and Michigan were ranked ahead of the Badgers in the final BCS standings, granting those two schools BCS invitations and relegating the Badgers to a lesser bowl. Nevertheless, Wisconsin again accepted an invitation to the Capital One Bowl, where it would defend its championship against Arkansas.

Capital One Bowl – Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
#13 Arkansas	7	0	0	7	14
#5 Wisconsin	10	7	0	0	17

The Badgers returned to Orlando to face the #13 Razorbacks, led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden. McFadden burst for 45 yards on his first carry but was brought down from behind by Jack Ikegwuonu at the 9-yard line, a pivotal play that led to a missed field goal by Arkansas. The Badgers led 17–7 at halftime behind John Stocco's two touchdown passes, and eventually survived a nailbiting second half in which the Razorbacks continually had great field position but failed to capitalize. Despite being held to -5 rushing yards while giving up 232, including 150 from Arkansas' Felix Jones, the Badgers won 17–14. John Stocco, playing in his final collegiate game, was named the game's MVP.

The Badgers finished the season on a nine-game winning streak to reach #5 in the final coaches poll and #7 in the final AP poll. The 12 wins were a new single season record.

See also: 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

Regular starters

Position Player Quarterback John Stocco Running Back P.J. Hill Fullback Andy Crooks/Bill Rentmeester Wide Receiver Luke Swan Wide Receiver Paul Hubbard Tight End Travis Beckum Left Tackle Joe Thomas Left Guard Andy Kemp Center Marcus Coleman Right Guard Kraig Urbik Right Tackle Eric Vanden Heuvel

Position Player Defensive End Joe Monty Defensive tackle Jason Chapman Defensive tackle Nick Hayden Defensive End Matt Shaughnessy Outside Linebacker DeAndre Levy Middle Linebacker Mark Zalewski Outside Linebacker Jonathan Casillas Cornerback Allen Langford Strong Safety Joe Stellmacher Free Safety Roderick Rogers Cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu

Team players selected in the 2007 NFL Draft

See also: 2007 NFL Draft

Player	Position	Round	Overall Selection	NFL Team
Joe Thomas	Offensive Tackle	1	3	Cleveland Browns

^[3]

References

1. Hernandez, Rob (September 2, 2006). "Badgering UW's Non-Conference Schedule". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison. Retrieved September 2, 2006.^{[permanent dead link]}
2. "Game-by-Game Statistics". University of Wisconsin-Madison.
3. . Archived from the original on March 11, 2008.