The 1999 Wisconsin Badgers football team was an American football team that represented the University of WisconsinâÂÂMadison as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their tenth year under head coach Barry Alvarez, the Badgers compiled a 9âÂÂ2 record (7âÂÂ1 in conference games), won the Big Ten championship (the program's first outright championship since 1962), and outscored opponents by a total of 409 to 153. After starting the season ranked No. 9, the Badgers lost back-to-back games against Cincinnati and No. 4 Michigan and dropped from the rankings. In their fifth game, they came back from a 17âÂÂ0 deficit to beat No. 12 Ohio State and went on to win eight straight games, including a record-setting 59âÂÂ0 victory over Indiana. The season concluded with a 17âÂÂ9 victory over No. 22 Stanford in the 2000 Rose Bowl. The Badgers were ranked No. 4 in the final AP and Coaches polls.
Senior running back Ron Dayne gained 2,034 rushing yards and scored 120 points. He won, among other awards, the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Chicago Tribune Silver Football. Having rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his four years at Wisconsin, Dayne broke the NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) career rushing record, ending his career with 6,397 rushing yards (7,125 including bowl games).
Other key players included offensive tackle Chris McIntosh who was selected as a consensus All-American, cornerback Jamar Fletcher who led the Big Ten in interceptions and won first-team All-America honors, quarterback Brooks Bollinger who was named Big Ten freshman of the year, and wide receiver Nick Davis who tallied over 1,000 total yards on receptions and kickoff and punt returns.
The team played its home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Team statistics<br> For the 1999 season, inclusive of the Rose Bowl, the Badgers outscored opponents by a total of 409 to 153, averaging 34.08 points per game and allowing 12.83 points per game by opponents. They gained an average of 417.2 yards of total offense per game, consisting of 275.4 rushing yards and 141.75 passing yards. On defense, they allowed opponents to gain an average of 298.1 yards per game, consisting of 109.9 rushing yards and 188.17 passing yards per game.
Ron Dayne<br> Senior running back Ron Dayne gained 2,087 rushing yards on 337 carries for an average of 6.0 yards per carry. Dayne also led the team with 120 points scored on 20 touchdowns. Dayne rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his four years at Wisconsin; he was only the fifth player to accomplish that feat, following Tony Dorsett (1973-1976), Amos Lawrence (1977-1980), Denvis Manns (1995-1998), and Ricky Williams (1995-1998). On November 12, 1999, Dayne broke the NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) career rushing record of 6,279 yards set the prior season by Ricky Williams. Dayne concluded his college career with 6,397 rushing yards (7,125 including bowl games). (Dayne's career rushing record was surpassed in 2016 by Donnel Pumphrey.)
Other individual statistical leaders<br> Quarterback Brooks Bollinger completed 82 of 140 passes (58.57%) for 1,138 yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 142.55 passer rating. He also tallied 454 rushing yards. Scott Kavanagh was the starting quarterback at the beginning of the season, completing 40 of 79 passes for 568 yards with a 116.85 passer rating.
Wide receiver Chris Chambers led the team with 41 receptions for 578 yards and four touchdowns.
Kicker Vitaly Pisetsky converted 46 of 48 extra-point kicks and 16 of 20 field goal attempts for a total of 94 points scored.
The team's leaders on defense included defensive back Jamar Fletcher (seven interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns), linebacker Chris Ghidorzi (115 total tackles), defensive back Jason Doering (79 solo tackles), and defensive tackle Wendell Bryant (seven sacks).
Wide receiver Nick Davis returned 16 kickoffs for 409 yards and two touchdowns, an average of 25.56 yards per return. He also returned 20 punts for 252 yards, an average of 12.6 yards per return. He was also the team's No. 2 receiver with 19 catches for 346 yards.
Ron Dayne<br> Senior running back Ron Dayne swept college football's major awards, including:
Dayne's achievements were selected by Wisconsin newspaper editors as the top sports story in Wisconsin for 1999. Dayne supplanted the Green Bay Packers who had won the recognition the prior three years.
Others<br> Offensive tackle Chris McIntosh, from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, was also a consensus pick on the 1999 All-America team, receiving first-team honors from the AFCA, AP, FWAA, TSN, WCFF, PFW, FN, and CNNSI. McIntosh was also one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy and set a Wisconsin record with 49 consecutive games started.
Cornerback Jamar Fletcher, from St. Louis, received first-team All-America honors from TSN, PFW, FN, and CNNSI.
Seven Wisconsin players received first-team honors on the 1999 All-Big Ten Conference football team:
Quarterback Brooks Bollinger was selected by the Big Ten coaches and media as the Big Ten freshman of the year.
Five Wisconsin players were selected in the 2000 NFL draft:
Eight others were selected in the 2001 NFL draft:
Also, defensive tackle Wendell Bryant was selected in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft, the fifth player from the 1999 Wisconsin team to be drafted in the first round.