27. Wisconsin 23, USC 21 (2015)

The Badgers were entering the Holiday Bowl with a record of 9-3, but people were skeptical due to Wisconsin not having any wins over teams that had a winning record. Wisconsin was facing a USC team, led by Cody Kessler and one of the best receivers in the country, Juju Smith-Schuster. The Trojans were coming in at 8-5 after losing the Pac-12 Championship game to Stanford. They were having a tumultuous season, having fired Steve Sarkisian in October. It would be a matchup of one of the top offenses in the country (USC) against one of the top defenses (Wisconsin). The defense would prevail, as the Badgers used two stops in the final minutes to close the door on their second consecutive bowl win.

After a scoreless first quarter, Bucky finally was able to break the ice and score the first points. Facing a 3rd-and-5 from the USC 33, Joel Stave threw a pass to Rob Wheelwright, who made one of the best catches of the bowl season. It was not bad coverage, but Stave threw a nice ball and Wheelwright reached up with one hand to make the one-handed catch along the sideline to give the Badgers a first down. The spectacular grab set up a field goal and Bucky took a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Following a USC punt, Wisconsin blew down the field to score the game’s first touchdown. The Badgers went 74 yards on a six-play drive that ended with a touchdown by Corey Clement from six yards out. It was a good ending for Clement, who had missed most of the season after being hurt in the season-opening loss to Alabama.

USC was able to get on the board on the next drive. The Trojans started with very good field position at their own 45 after a 32-yard kickoff return by Justin Davis. USC converted two fourth downs on the drive, including the touchdown on a 1-yard run by Davis. Adoree’ Jackson had the longest play on the drive, a 33-yard catch to put USC inside the Badgers 5.

Wisconsin was able to close out the scoring in the first half, going 71 yards in 12 plays to tack on a field goal with a half minute to go in the first half. Clement rushed for 28 yards on the drive and fullback Derek Watt even had a 19-yard run. But once Wisconsin hit the USC 15, it was stopped on three straight Stave passes and Rafael Gaglianone booted a 33-yard field goal and the Badgers had a 13-7 lead at the break.

On Wisconsin’s first possession of the second half, it drove 64 yards in 12 plays and took six minutes off the clock and the Badgers were able to punch it in the end zone on a Stave pass to tight end Austin Traylor. Despite the touchdown being through the air, this was a run-oriented drive. Only three of the 12 plays on the drive were passes, and USC was probably expecting the run on the touchdown. Stave faked a handoff to Alec Ingold and found Traylor all alone in the end zone and Wisconsin led 20-7.

USC was able to come right back, though, and Kessler found Smith-Schuster for 39 yards on the first play of the drive to move the Trojans into the red zone. Four plays later, Davis scored once again and it was back to a one possession game.

A Wisconsin three and out, followed by a short punt from Drew Meyer set USC in great position to take the lead for the first time in the game. Enter Jack Cichy. In one of the most memorable moments from bowl season, Cichy sacked Kessler on three consecutive plays and single-handedly forced a 4th-and-38 for the Trojans.

However, USC would score to take the lead on the following drive. On a 3rd-and-4 from the Wisconsin 7, Kessler found Darreus Rogers for the score and the extra point gave USC its first lead of night, 21-20.

After back-to-back punts, Wisconsin received the ball with a chance to take the lead. Starting with great field position at their own 47, the Badgers had back-to-back 17-yard passes to put the ball in the red zone. Gaglianone would kick a 29-yard field goal on the drive to put Bucky back in front 23-21.

On the following possession, USC was trying to put together a game-winning drive and completed a pass to get a first down to its own 37. However, on the following play, Cichy pressured Kessler, forcing a bad throw, which was intercepted by junior cornerback Sojourn Shelton.

Following the interception, Wisconsin gained nine yards in three plays and punted. USC started at its own 10 with just over a half minute to play. However, in four plays, the Trojans gained 40 yards up to midfield. But that is where the drive ended, as Kessler threw four consecutive incompletions and the Badgers took home the 23-21 victory, its second bowl win in as many seasons.

The offensive MVP in the game was Stave and the defensive MVP was Cichy, both former walk-ons. Those were just two of the former walk-ons who helped the Badgers win 10 games in 2015 and another bowl.