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SAN ANTONIO, Texas- Mike Allen was just a walk-on kicker when the
Alamo Bowl presented by MasterCard started. His Wisconsin teammates were
ready to carry him off on their shoulders when it was all over. Allen's
37-yard field goal in overtime sent the Badgers to a 31-28 win over No.
14 Colorado on Saturday night (video). The
sophomore had to shake some jitters before his winning kick.
"I haven't been automatic from 37,'' said Allen, who was 11-of-18 this
season with a long of 48 yards. Luckily today I was.''
Brooks Bollinger threw two touchdown passes and ran for the tying score
with 51 seconds left in regulation for Wisconsin. The Badgers (8-6)
improved to 7-1 in bowl games under coach Barry Alvarez.
Colorado (9-5) got the ball first in overtime but Patrick Brougham
missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. Wisconsin then gained 5 yards on
three straight runs to set up the winning kick by Allen, who was mobbed
by his teammates on the field.
Bollinger passed for 163 yards and ran for 82 more in the senior's ninth
career fourth-quarter comeback. He completed a key 4th-down pass to keep
the game-tying drive alive and was named outstanding offensive player of
the 10th annual Alamo Bowl.
Wisconsin started the season 5-0 before fading badly down the stretch.
Chris Brown rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on an Alamo Bowl-record
28 carries for Colorado. Don Strickland set an Alamo Bowl record with a
91-yard interception return and D.J. Hackett caught two touchdown
passes.
 Brown, who rushed for 1,744 yards during the season but missed the last
two games with a bruised sternum, also missed most of the fourth quarter
with a mild concussion. Colorado badly missed Brown as it tried to nurse
a 28-21 lead after backup quarterback Zac Colvin threw an 11-yard TD
pass to Hackett in the third. Colorado starting quarterback Robert Hodge
threw a touchdown and three interceptions in the first half before he
was lifted for Colvin late in the second quarter.
Wisconsin, which ranked second in the nation in turnover ratio, nearly
gave the game away with four against Colorado. The Badgers led 21-14
before a pair of fumbles changed momentum in the third. Jim Leonhard's
botched punt return set up Brown's 4-yard TD run that tied it at 21.
Anthony Davis then fumbled on Wisconsin's next play from scrimmage to
set up Colvin's scoring toss to Hackett.
Wisconsin set up its first-half TD’s with interceptions of its own.
Leonhard's Big Ten record-tying 11th interception of the season set up
Brandon Williams' 10-yard touchdown catch from Bollinger. Bollinger's
7-yard pass to Darrin Charles gave Wisconsin a 21-14 lead.
Brown took a while to get cranked up. He had just 34 yards in the first
half against a gang-tackling Wisconsin defense that bottled him up three
and four at a time. |
