2003 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2003 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by Barry Alvarez, the Badgers completed the season with a 7–6 record, including a 4–4 mark in the Big Ten Conference, finishing in a tie for 7th in the Big Ten.

2003 Wisconsin Badgers football
Music City Bowl, L 14–28 vs. Auburn
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
2003 record7–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coachBarry Alvarez (14th season)
Offensive coordinatorBrian White
Defensive coordinatorKevin Cosgrove
MVPLee Evans
Captains
Home stadiumCamp Randall Stadium
(Capacity: 76,634)
2003 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 6 Michigan $  7 –1     10 –3  
No. 4 Ohio State %  6 –2     11 –2  
No. 18 Purdue  6 –2     9 –4  
No. 8 Iowa  5 –3     10 –3  
No. 20 Minnesota  5 –3     10 –3  
Michigan State  5 –3     8 –5  
Wisconsin  4 –4     7 –6  
Northwestern  4 –4     6 –7  
Penn State  1 –7     3 –9  
Indiana  1 –7     2 –10  
Illinois  0 –8     1 –11  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3011:00 a.m.at West Virginia*No. 21
ESPNW 24–1760,663[1]
September 62:30 p.m.Akron*No. 18
ESPN+W 48–3175,401[1]
September 1311:00 a.m.UNLV*No. 14
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
ESPN2L 5–2378,043[1]
September 2011:00 a.m.North Carolina*
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
ESPNW 38–2777,439[1]
September 275:00 p.m.at Illinois
ESPN2W 38–2058,495[1]
October 411:00 a.m.at Penn State
ESPNW 30–23107,851[1]
October 118:00 p.m.No. 3 Ohio StateNo. 23
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
ESPNW 17–1079,793[1]
October 1811:00 a.m.No. 13 PurdueNo. 14
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI (College GameDay)
ESPNL 23–2679,541[1]
October 2511:00 a.m.at NorthwesternNo. 20
ESPN2L 7–1636,233[1]
November 811:00 a.m.at No. 24 Minnesota
ESPNL 34–3759,543[1]
November 1511:00 a.m.No. 21 Michigan State
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI
ESPN2W 56–2179,256[1]
November 222:30 p.m.No. 17 Iowa
  • Camp Randall Stadium
  • Madison, WI (rivalry)
ABCL 21–2779,931[1]
December 3111:00 a.m.vs. Auburn*
ESPNL 14–2855,109[1]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

Season summary

Wisconsin entered the 2003 season ranked, after an 8–6 campaign the year before. The Badgers defeated West Virginia and Akron to open the season, but then were shocked by perennially underachieving UNLV at home, 23–5. The stunning upset knocked the Badgers (then ranked 14th) out of the polls entirely, and they would not return until after wins in their first two Big Ten games, against Illinois and Penn State (teams that would combine for a 1–15 Big Ten record). With defending National Champion Ohio State coming to town on a 19-game winning streak, the Badgers put together a solid game, and ended the Buckeyes' winning streak in a 17–10 upset.

At 3–0 in the Big Ten and having defeated Ohio State, the Badgers were looking to put together a run at a Big Ten title. Unfortunately for the Badgers, Kyle Orton and the Purdue Boilermakers ended Wisconsin's undefeated Big Ten campaign with a 26–23 win in Camp Randall. The next week in Evanston, the 20th ranked Badgers lost 16–7 to Northwestern.

With Paul Bunyan's Axe on the line against Minnesota, the Badgers were unable to avoid giving up another late drive, and Minnesota beat the Badgers in Minneapolis for the 2nd time in a row, 37–34. Disheartened but not yet finished, the Badgers dealt a massive blow to Michigan State (which was riding a losing streak of its own) as they routed the Spartans, 56–21. It was their second straight win over MSU. WR Lee Evans caught 10 passes for 258 yards and 5 touchdowns[2] in the game.

Against Iowa the next week, the Badgers took a 21–7 lead, which they proved unable to hold. Iowa defeated Wisconsin 27–21, a devastating loss on Senior Day that left the Badgers tied for 7th in the Big Ten. The Badgers accepted an invitation to the 2003 Music City Bowl against Auburn, a team ranked 6th in the nation in the preseason. The Badgers lost 28–14, closing out their 3rd season in a row with 6 or more losses.

FS Jim Leonhard caught 7 interceptions on defense for Wisconsin, leading the Badgers and the Big Ten. However, Wisconsin's defense gave up late scoring drives against Purdue, Minnesota, and Iowa, all games the Badgers lost.

West Virginia
#21 Wisconsin at West Virginia
1 234Total
• Wisconsin 7 0314 24
West Virginia 10 070 17

[3]

Ohio State
#3 Ohio State at #23 Wisconsin
1 234Total
Ohio State 0 307 10
• Wisconsin 0 737 17

[4]

Wisconsin snapped Ohio State's 19-game winning streak and handed them their first loss since the 2002 Outback Bowl.

Michigan State
#21/#22 Michigan State at Wisconsin
1 234Total
Michigan State 0 777 21
• Wisconsin 14 14217 56

Lee Evans tied the Big Ten record for touchdowns receptions in a single game while breaking the school records for single-game receiving yardage and career receiving touchdowns.

Iowa

Roster
2003 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
G 67 Dan Buenning Jr
RB 2 Brian Calhoun So
TE 11 Owen Daniels So
RB 28 Anthony Davis Jr
WR 3 Lee Evans Sr
TE 38 Jason Pociask So
WR 9 Jonathan Orr So
C 53 Donovan Raiola So
QB 19 Jim Sorgi Sr
QB 7 John Stocco Fr
T 72 Joe Thomas Fr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DT 77 Anttaj Hawthorne Jr
DE 90 Erasmus James Jr
DT 74 Jason Jefferson Jr
S 18 Jim Leonhard Jr
LB 12 Alex Lewis Sr
CB 2 Scott Starks Jr
DE 92 Jonathan Welsh Jr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Regular starters

Players selected in the 2004 NFL Draft
See also: 2004 NFL Draft
PlayerPositionRoundOverall SelectionNFL Team
Lee EvansWide Receiver113Buffalo Bills
Alex LewisLinebacker5140Detroit Lions
Jim SorgiQuarterback6193Indianapolis Colts

[5]

References
  1. "2003 Wisconsin Football". University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  2. "Individual Game-by-Game Summaries". University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on 2014-12-22. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  3. "Davis Scores Winning Touchdown with 2:57 Left". ESPN. August 30, 2003. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  4. "Buckeyes' 19-Game Win Streak Snapped". ESPN. October 11, 2003. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  5. "2004 NFL Draft". Pro-Football Reference. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
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