REASON TO CELEBRATE Michael Mersch (25) and Derek Lee (23) celebrate with Joseph LaBate (16) after LaBate scored the lone goal in the Badgers’ 1-0 upset over No. 8 Miami at the Kohl Center last Friday. Having won seven of its last eight games, the Badgers are back in the national polls claiming No. 20 in this week’s USCHO.com poll. PHOTO BY DALE STEENBERG IN FOCUS IN FOCUS IN FOCUS FINALLY The women’s basketball coaches celebrate on the bench during the Badgers’ 68-49 win over Ohio State on Sunday. The win snapped a 20- game losing streak to the Buckeyes, dating back to the 2000-01 season. PHOTO BY GREG DIXON IT’S A GREAT DAY FOR HOCKEY Wisconsin’s Dean Talafous capped an incredible comeback in the 1973 NCAA semifinals, scoring at 19:55 of the third period against Cornell to help the Badgers finish a comeback from 4-0 and 5-2 deficits (Stan Hinkley pictured celebrating). He then scored again with 33 seconds left in overtime to send the Badgers to the cham- pionship game against Denver, where they would produce another comeback and defeat the Pioneers, 4-2, for UW’s first NCAA title. Wisconsin’s 1973 NCAA championship team will be honored during Friday’s game against Alaska Anchorage at the Kohl Center. ARCHIVE PHOTO IN FOCUS JANUARY 24, 2013 CONTENTS VOLUME 3, ISSUE 25 » ON TO THE NEXT ONE A big road win followed by a pair of tough losses. DEPARTMENTS Welcome to life in the nation’s most difficult league, where the Badgers must quickly turn the page to 12 LUCAS AT LARGE 22 what comes next — a Border Battle clash. by Mike Lucas 14 BEHIND THE DESK by Barry Alvarez « YOU AGAIN? The Badgers are 16 THE VOICE 30 by Matt Lepay well-acquainted with No. 1-ranked Minnesota, 18 BY THE NUMBERS which comes to Madison for Facts and figures on UW the latest renewal of women’s 20 5 THINGS TO WATCH college hockey’s best rivalry. Where to catch the Badgers on TV and the web 46 INSIDE SPORTS » BALANCED Basketball, Hockey, BADGERS Wrestling 36 Quarterbacks are 56 THIS WEEK IN HISTORY central to Andy Ludwig’s plan Century club of attack, but UW’s tradition of power running is here to stay. 9 Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711 Subscribe to Varsity View All Issues Brian Lucas Director of Athletic Communications Julia Hujet Editor Brian Mason Managing Editor Mike Lucas Senior Writer Matt Lepay Columnist Drew Scharenbroch Video Production Drew Pittner-Smith Advertising Ryan Sedevie Distribution Contributors Paul Capobianco, Tam Flarup, Patrick Herb, Ross LaDue, Diane Nordstrom, Anna Poulter-Hendrickson, Jeremy Wodajo Photography David Stluka, Greg Anderson, Neil Ament, Paul Capobianco Del Brown, Bob Campbell, Ross LaDue, Icon SMI Problems or Accessibility Issues? [email protected] © 2012 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved worldwide. LUCAS AT LARGE MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM Boulware brings ‘special’ skills to Badgers ithin a two-year window, coaching the kids the same way as common goal.’’ Jay Boulware experi- when we won the national cham- In the bigger picture, Boulware Wenced the highest of pionship as when we won three said, “We want to play great special highs ― celebrating a BCS champi- games. I just grinded it out. teams. We don’t want to turn the onship ― and the lowest of lows in “I felt really bad not only for ball over on offense. We want to the coaching profession. those kids but for the (Auburn) score in the red zone and we want In early December, Boulware was fans. I feel like it’s our responsibil- to win the fourth quarter.’’ one of the assistants on the Auburn ity as coaches to put out a better Boulware has learned not to take staff that was not retained after Gus product than what we were doing anything for granted. At the Uni- Malzahn replaced Gene Chizik, who there.’’ versity of Texas, he was an offensive was fired after a 3-9 season. It was during Boulware’s tenure lineman who had to give up the “To win a national champion- with the Tigers that he was able to sport because of a heart condition. ship is what we all hope and dream renew his friendship with Ander- So he turned to coaching. and aspire to do as coaches,’’ said sen from the other side of the field. As a Northern Illinois assistant, Boulware, 40, who has been named Both had coached together at Utah. Boulware learned from head coach as Wisconsin’s tight ends coach on In the 2011 season opener, Joe Novak and offensive coordina- Gary Andersen’s staff. Auburn escaped with a 42-38 win tor Dan Roushar, who has been “But it just kind of happened. over Utah State by overcoming a calling plays for the last seven years You put your head down after a win 10-point deficit in the final minutes at Michigan State. and start thinking about your next on the strength of some big plays It was then that Boulware first opponent and what you could do from Boulware’s special teams. crossed paths with Thomas Ham- better than the week before. In their first game after winning mock, a hardcore Northern Illinois “It wasn’t until the clock hits all the title, Boulware warned everyone tailback who was also forced to stop zeroes and the confetti is coming that Andersen would have his play- playing football because of a heart down that all those things start run- ers ready. “I knew that he was going condition. ning through your mind and you to come after us,’’ he said. “And Boulware has now been reunited think, ‘We did it ― I can’t believe they kicked our butts. with Hammock, who was retained it ― but we did it.’’’ “He had a great passion for his by Andersen. Hammock, a former Auburn capped a perfect 14-0 players.” UW grad assistant under Barry season with a 22-19 win over In turn, they played extremely Alvarez, has coached the running Oregon in the 2011 BCS National hard for Andersen. That will be the backs the last two seasons. Championship Game. Boulware formula at Wisconsin. Boulware remembered driving not only coached the tight ends but “Part of our plan to win here is up from DeKalb, Ill., and visiting coordinated all the special teams to play great special teams,’’ said with Alvarez and his staff in the late for the Tigers. Boulware.”It’s something that we’re ‘90s. “We go out on the field,’’ he Boulware’s units were among the going to preach to our guys and said, “and I saw that Gibson kid do best in college football again last every coach on this staff is going to a handstand at 300 whatever.’’ season. But it mattered little since have a part of it. Aaron Gibson was a 378-pound so many other areas had fallen into “It’s not just a ‘me’ thing, it’s a All-American offensive tackle who disarray, coinciding with Chizik’s ‘we’ thing. We call it ‘we-fense.’ It’s could do the splits. fall from grace. not just offense, not just defense. “I admired Wisconsin from afar,’’ “I had my head down,’’ Boulware It’s a combination of offensive and Boulware said. “And now I’m tick- said, “and I’m just working and defensive kids playing together for a led to death with my opportunity.’’ 12 » VARSITY JANUARY 24, 2013 MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM BEHIND THE DESK BARRY ALVAREZ • UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS NCAA on right track with rule reforms ’ve been impressed by NCAA continually challenging the NCAA, the evaluations, but Rob was the president Mark Emmert and his it has to be addressed. one who organized everything. He Ieffort to streamline and sim- It’s easy for anyone to say, “Clean assigned the assistants to the areas plify the rulebook. He understands it up. There are too many rules.’’ where they would recruit and he set the problems and he’s on the right But I think the NCAA is moving up the schedules. track. in the right direction under Presi- Rob made you work, too. He More importantly, he has some dent Emmert. made guys responsible and ac- solutions. They’re cleaning things up ― countable for their specific recruit- The latest reforms will eliminate things that are very difficult to fol- ing areas and for getting certain about 25 pages from the rulebook, low and trace. people there. He stayed on top of and the NCAA will get away from everything. the micromanaging that has been I think the NCAA is I know it made my job as a head going on with recruiting and some coach a lot easier knowing that he other things. moving in the right had our people in place to handle Coaches can make unlimited direction under Presi- recruiting. He was an indispensable contacts with recruits through tex- dent Emmert. They’re member of our team. ting and social media. If you want In those first few years, we really to work hard, or harder than the cleaning things up. recruited well. It had to do with next guy, and text a lot, you can do having Rob ― who didn’t have a po- that. The NCAA is even going to allow sition to coach ― and having some But everybody has a cell and it schools to have recruiting coordina- assistants who could be trusted in shows who’s contacting them, so tors again.