20. Wisconsin 20, Miami 14 (2009)

The 30 for 30 “The U” had just been released on ESPN and people seemingly thought that the 2009 Miami team was a force based solely on the documentary. I remember Hurricanes fans coming over onto the Wisconsin Scout message board and yapping about how Badgers defenders would get whiplash watching those speedy Miami players run past them. If the Hurricanes players were trying to be as intimidating as those teams in the 1980s, they did a really poor job of it. The temperature was in the late 40s in Orlando and No. 15 Miami showed more speed running to the heaters on the sideline than it showed during the game. The No. 25 Badgers only won 20-14, but Bucky dominated the game statistically. Wisconsin outgained Miami 430-249, but turnovers and settling for field goals kept the Hurricanes in the game.

The only time Miami showed more speed on the field than the sidelines was the opening kickoff. Graig Cooper received the kickoff and Miami ran a reverse and future Green Bay Packers cornerback was given the ball. Shields received a block right away and found a lot of green in front of him and ran it back for a touchdown. However, maybe trying to intimidate Wisconsin a bit, Miami’s Cory Nelms drilled a Wisconsin player in the back when Shields was already inside the 10. The ball was placed at the Badgers 16 and Cooper ran a counter play around the left side virtually untouched on the first offensive play to now give the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead. That would be all the scoring for Miami until the final two minutes.

Wisconsin punted on its next possession, but Brad Nortman pinned Miami back inside its own 10 and the Badgers defense forced a three-and-out. Bucky received terrific field position after the Miami punt and it did not take the Badgers long to tie the game. On the opening play of the drive, Tolzien pump faked and found Lance Kendricks down the left sideline for a 37-yard gain down to the Miami 4. Kendricks would have a huge game, catching seven passes for 128 yards. Two plays later, John Clay would run it in from three yards out to tie the game up. It would stay 7-7 after the first quarter.

Wisconsin would score all 10 points in the second quarter. On a 2nd-and-10, Tolzien handed the ball off to Clay and the big running back lumbered through a huge hole 52 yards all the way down to the Hurricanes 12. Three plays later, Clay went into the end zone again, hurdling over Kendricks in the process. The Badgers had a 14-7 lead and would tack on a field goal toward the end of the first half and Bucky had a 17-7 halftime lead over favored Miami.

The Badgers had their chances to extend the lead and virtually KO the Hurricanes. The biggest chance was early in the fourth quarter. Wisconsin was on the move and facing a 2nd-and-14 from the Miami 25. Tolzien was under a blitz and threw it to an open Garrett Graham, but Graham caught it and fumbled into the end zone and it was recovered by Miami’s Randy Phillips in the end zone for the touchback. So instead of Wisconsin having a 24-7 lead, it remained 17-7.

Miami had its only turnover in the final quarter on a fumble recovery by J.J. Watt off a sack to give the Badgers great field position at the Miami 34 with less than eight minutes to play in the game. Wisconsin would drive it to the Miami 11, but would settle for a field goal and a 13-point lead with four minutes to play.

Jacory Harris and the Miami offense finally got going on the following drive. He connected with Leonard Hankerson for 28 yards on a 3rd-and-15 to move to the Wisconsin 45. Miami was able to move down the field and score on a touchdown pass from Harris to Thearon Collier from 14 yards out to cut it to 20-14.

The Hurricanes would also recover the onside kick and have one more chance to come out on top. But a Watt sack and three consecutive incompletions sealed the game up and Wisconsin came away with a 20-14 win. This win would help as a spring board into the 2010 season, where Wisconsin would win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl.