My Top Five Moments in Camp Randall History
Jamar Fletcher Returns a Drew Brees pass 52 Yards for Score – It was homecoming 1998 and Wisconsin’s defense had been at the mercy of Drew Brees’ right arm all evening. As the future pro-bowler and Super Bowl MVP continued to zip passes up, over and around the Wisconsin secondary, I remember thinking “eventually, they’re going to step in front of one.” Then in one of those magical moments that make live sports so special, Wisconsin’s eventual Thorpe Award winner Jamar Fletcher answered the call. With just over a minute to play in the third quarter and Purdue once again driving, the freshman left corner read and jumped the out-route just as the receiver cut towards the east sideline of Camp Randall. As I watched the play develop from section II, I knew if Fletcher could just hang on to the ball, no one would catch him. The seemingly always sure-handed cornerback didn’t disappoint, securing the pic and returning it 52 yards to the North endzone. The play would give Wisconsin the break it needed in what had been a back-and-forth contest. Adding to the moment … the now well-known, end-of-third-quarter celebration involving House of Pain’s song Jump Around made its debut at Camp Randall just a few moments later. Between Fletcher’s unforgettable play and the reenergized student section, the Badgers had what they needed to secure an unforgettable, 31-24 victory.
Ron Dayne Breaks College Football’s All-Time Rushing Record – For someone who’s attended Wisconsin football games since 1995, it would be ludicrous to not include at least one of Ron Dayne’s amazing rushing performances. On Nov. 13, 1999, all of Dayne’s incredible runs culminated with him breaking college football’s Division I all-time rushing record. The date is forever engrained in my mind as it was the day after my 16th birthday and subsequently, the day after I received my driver’s license. There was simply no greater birthday present then being able to attend that game with three of my close high school friends. While my dad and sister occupied our usual seats in section II, my friends and I were fortunate enough to land seats in row 14 behind the Wisconsin sideline. The section escapes me but I suspect E or F, as we sat nearly straight up from where Dayne was finally tackled on his record-setting run. It seemed too perfect that the bruising Badger would break the record against the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team that in many ways had helped to shape the Wisconsin program as much as Dayne himself. Coach Barry Alvarez spent a considerable amount of time as an assistant under legendary Hawkeye coach Hayden Frye and in many ways introduced a similar blueprint for success in Madison (although Alvarez’s alma mater Nebraska was also a major influence). Dayne seemed to be the last great piece in establishing Wisconsin as a major power in the college football landscape.
The run that officially broke the record would come in the 2nd quarter on a play in which Dayne burst through a hole between his right guard and tackle. The senior tailback took the handoff from redshirt-freshman quarterback Brooks Bollinger before accelerating and bouncing to the east sideline on a gain of 31 yards. While the play itself was simply one on a long list of great runs by Dayne, it served as a reminder of all the amazing things the New Jersey native was able to accomplish during his time in Madison.
David Gilreath Returns the Opening Kickoff versus Ohio State for a Touchdown – Often times, big games come down to one or two critical plays late in the contest. On Oct. 16, 2010, the Badgers didn’t wait to deliver their biggest punch of the evening. While many students were characteristically still making their way into the stadium, senior David Gilreath gave those in their seats a show they wouldn’t soon forget. The scrappy receiver from Minneapolis took the Buckeye’s opening kick 97 yards to the house, giving Wisconsin an early 7-0 lead on the No. 1 team in the nation.
Watching from my usual seat in section II, I feel comfortable saying I’ve never felt more like a kid than I did on that play. Upon seeing Gilreath burst through the hole and ultimately cross the goal line, I began raucously jumping around and without the aid of House of Pain. I quickly scanned the field, half-expecting to see something ready to rob me of my joy … mainly a yellow flag. After finally confirming an absence of flags, I caught myself thinking that perhaps the Badgers could pull this off. As it turned out, Gilreath’s big play was the catalyst for a day in which Wisconsin would not be denied. After going up 7-0, UW continued to push, steamrolling their way to a 21-0 first-quarter lead. And despite Ohio State’s best efforts at a comeback, the hole would prove too much as Wisconsin earned an impressive 31-18 home victory.
Matt Schabert to Lee Evans – It seems any victory over Ohio State tends to be memorable due mainly to the Buckeyes long history of success and reputation as a strong program. Thus, Matt Schabert’s improbable bomb to Lee Evans is the second Badger moment involving the Buckeyes to make my list. What had been a relatively nice day in Madison turned into a cold, rain soaked evening. It was 2003 and Camp Randall was in the early stages of a $109 million renovation. Memorable in all this was the fact the endzones were not sporting their traditional cardinal paint with white block lettering nor was the school’s motion W present at midfield. Aesthetics aside, no one could have predicted how the game would have ended that day. After seeing starting quarterback Jim Sorgi knocked out thanks to an obviously malicious choking incident on the part of Buckeyes’ linebacker Robert Reynolds, Schabert was forced into action. Now a student at UW, I was once again watching from my usual seats in section II. On a personal note, I remember this being one of the few weekends my dad was unable to make the trip to Madison for the game. Instead, I watched with a childhood friend who had made his way to campus from UW-Platteville for the weekend. As we sat in the stands, soaking wet and cold, it seemed the Badgers simply wouldn’t have enough firepower to keep up with the No. 3 Buckeyes … man, was I wrong. With the game knotted at 10 and roughly five-and-a-half minutes to play, Schabert took the snap and dropped back to pass. Evans, who was running an out-and-up on the play, gave just enough of a fake on his “out” to make Buckeye defender Chris Gamble bite. At that point, it was all over. Schabert’s pass cut threw the rain and wind like a missile and found Evans at midfield. From there, it was a footrace to paydirt and Evans showed why he would soon be playing on Sundays after easily making his way in for the score. The play proved to be the difference, capping what would ultimately be a 17-10 victory for the Badgers.
Jamar Fletcher’s Three-Interception Day vs. Joey Harrington and the Oregon Ducks – The 2000 Wisconsin Badgers gained a lot of hype during the preceding off-season and to this day I maintain it may have been one of the most talented squads UW has ever fielded. That said, the now infamous ordeal involving alleged improper benefits from a local shoestore helped derail the season before it ever began. “Shoegate,” as it’s now conveniently known to some, forced several key players to miss games that season … none of them bigger than Jamar Fletcher. Despite the circumstances, the season still started fairly strong and an undefeated UW team was set to host an equally potent squad in the Oregon Ducks. At the time, the Ducks lacked much of the flash they’re known for today (including the limitless uniform budget from Nike), but it was still a very strong team/program led by future first-round draft pick, quarterback Joey Harrington. After Fletcher had sat out the first two games of the year as part of his suspension for involvement with “shoegate,” the cornerback was called upon to return for the high-profile matchup with Oregon. It should be noted that Wisconsin was granted the right to stagger player suspensions that season, allowing some to fulfill their obligation by sitting out non-consecutive contests. UW took advantage of this with Fletcher. Wisconsin’s number-one cornerback played in his first game of the season versus the Ducks and made an immediate impact, intercepting Harrington on three separate occasions. The performance helped guide No. 6 Wisconsin to a 27-23 victory and further solidified Fletcher’s status as one of the greatest defensive players Bucky has ever seen.
Honorable Mention: John Stocco’s QB draw to beat Michigan in 2005, Wisconsin’s impressive 48-17 victory over Nebraska in the Cornhuskers’ Big Ten debut (also the Big Ten debut of Russell Wilson)
Ron Dayne Breaks College Football’s All-Time Rushing Record – For someone who’s attended Wisconsin football games since 1995, it would be ludicrous to not include at least one of Ron Dayne’s amazing rushing performances. On Nov. 13, 1999, all of Dayne’s incredible runs culminated with him breaking college football’s Division I all-time rushing record. The date is forever engrained in my mind as it was the day after my 16th birthday and subsequently, the day after I received my driver’s license. There was simply no greater birthday present then being able to attend that game with three of my close high school friends. While my dad and sister occupied our usual seats in section II, my friends and I were fortunate enough to land seats in row 14 behind the Wisconsin sideline. The section escapes me but I suspect E or F, as we sat nearly straight up from where Dayne was finally tackled on his record-setting run. It seemed too perfect that the bruising Badger would break the record against the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team that in many ways had helped to shape the Wisconsin program as much as Dayne himself. Coach Barry Alvarez spent a considerable amount of time as an assistant under legendary Hawkeye coach Hayden Frye and in many ways introduced a similar blueprint for success in Madison (although Alvarez’s alma mater Nebraska was also a major influence). Dayne seemed to be the last great piece in establishing Wisconsin as a major power in the college football landscape.
The run that officially broke the record would come in the 2nd quarter on a play in which Dayne burst through a hole between his right guard and tackle. The senior tailback took the handoff from redshirt-freshman quarterback Brooks Bollinger before accelerating and bouncing to the east sideline on a gain of 31 yards. While the play itself was simply one on a long list of great runs by Dayne, it served as a reminder of all the amazing things the New Jersey native was able to accomplish during his time in Madison.
David Gilreath Returns the Opening Kickoff versus Ohio State for a Touchdown – Often times, big games come down to one or two critical plays late in the contest. On Oct. 16, 2010, the Badgers didn’t wait to deliver their biggest punch of the evening. While many students were characteristically still making their way into the stadium, senior David Gilreath gave those in their seats a show they wouldn’t soon forget. The scrappy receiver from Minneapolis took the Buckeye’s opening kick 97 yards to the house, giving Wisconsin an early 7-0 lead on the No. 1 team in the nation.
Watching from my usual seat in section II, I feel comfortable saying I’ve never felt more like a kid than I did on that play. Upon seeing Gilreath burst through the hole and ultimately cross the goal line, I began raucously jumping around and without the aid of House of Pain. I quickly scanned the field, half-expecting to see something ready to rob me of my joy … mainly a yellow flag. After finally confirming an absence of flags, I caught myself thinking that perhaps the Badgers could pull this off. As it turned out, Gilreath’s big play was the catalyst for a day in which Wisconsin would not be denied. After going up 7-0, UW continued to push, steamrolling their way to a 21-0 first-quarter lead. And despite Ohio State’s best efforts at a comeback, the hole would prove too much as Wisconsin earned an impressive 31-18 home victory.
Matt Schabert to Lee Evans – It seems any victory over Ohio State tends to be memorable due mainly to the Buckeyes long history of success and reputation as a strong program. Thus, Matt Schabert’s improbable bomb to Lee Evans is the second Badger moment involving the Buckeyes to make my list. What had been a relatively nice day in Madison turned into a cold, rain soaked evening. It was 2003 and Camp Randall was in the early stages of a $109 million renovation. Memorable in all this was the fact the endzones were not sporting their traditional cardinal paint with white block lettering nor was the school’s motion W present at midfield. Aesthetics aside, no one could have predicted how the game would have ended that day. After seeing starting quarterback Jim Sorgi knocked out thanks to an obviously malicious choking incident on the part of Buckeyes’ linebacker Robert Reynolds, Schabert was forced into action. Now a student at UW, I was once again watching from my usual seats in section II. On a personal note, I remember this being one of the few weekends my dad was unable to make the trip to Madison for the game. Instead, I watched with a childhood friend who had made his way to campus from UW-Platteville for the weekend. As we sat in the stands, soaking wet and cold, it seemed the Badgers simply wouldn’t have enough firepower to keep up with the No. 3 Buckeyes … man, was I wrong. With the game knotted at 10 and roughly five-and-a-half minutes to play, Schabert took the snap and dropped back to pass. Evans, who was running an out-and-up on the play, gave just enough of a fake on his “out” to make Buckeye defender Chris Gamble bite. At that point, it was all over. Schabert’s pass cut threw the rain and wind like a missile and found Evans at midfield. From there, it was a footrace to paydirt and Evans showed why he would soon be playing on Sundays after easily making his way in for the score. The play proved to be the difference, capping what would ultimately be a 17-10 victory for the Badgers.
Jamar Fletcher’s Three-Interception Day vs. Joey Harrington and the Oregon Ducks – The 2000 Wisconsin Badgers gained a lot of hype during the preceding off-season and to this day I maintain it may have been one of the most talented squads UW has ever fielded. That said, the now infamous ordeal involving alleged improper benefits from a local shoestore helped derail the season before it ever began. “Shoegate,” as it’s now conveniently known to some, forced several key players to miss games that season … none of them bigger than Jamar Fletcher. Despite the circumstances, the season still started fairly strong and an undefeated UW team was set to host an equally potent squad in the Oregon Ducks. At the time, the Ducks lacked much of the flash they’re known for today (including the limitless uniform budget from Nike), but it was still a very strong team/program led by future first-round draft pick, quarterback Joey Harrington. After Fletcher had sat out the first two games of the year as part of his suspension for involvement with “shoegate,” the cornerback was called upon to return for the high-profile matchup with Oregon. It should be noted that Wisconsin was granted the right to stagger player suspensions that season, allowing some to fulfill their obligation by sitting out non-consecutive contests. UW took advantage of this with Fletcher. Wisconsin’s number-one cornerback played in his first game of the season versus the Ducks and made an immediate impact, intercepting Harrington on three separate occasions. The performance helped guide No. 6 Wisconsin to a 27-23 victory and further solidified Fletcher’s status as one of the greatest defensive players Bucky has ever seen.
Honorable Mention: John Stocco’s QB draw to beat Michigan in 2005, Wisconsin’s impressive 48-17 victory over Nebraska in the Cornhuskers’ Big Ten debut (also the Big Ten debut of Russell Wilson)