The Associated Press

Pasadena, Calif.

Saturday, January 01, 2000

Pasadena, Calif. – Ron Dayne picked up his second straight Rose Bowl MVP award, running for 200 yards and a touchdown as Wisconsin beat Stanford 17-9 and became the first Big Ten team to win consecutive Rose Bowls.

The Heisman Trophy winner had a touchdown and 154 yards in the second half as No. 4 Wisconsin won the lowest-scoring Rose Bowl since 1977, when USC beat Michigan 14-6.

Dayne, who passed 7,000 career rushing yards in the game, joined Washington quarterback Bob Schloredt as the only players in Rose Bowl history with consecutive MVP awards. Schloredt won in 1960-61.

Dayne was held to just 46 yards in the first half by a Stanford defense that ranked fifth worst in the nation this season, but broke loose for a 64-yard gain on the second play after halftime and scored on a 4-yard run two plays later.

Brooks Bollinger added a 1-yard TD on a quarterback sneak for Wisconsin and Vitaly Pisetsky had a 31-yard field goal. Kerry Carter had a 1-yard scoring run for Stanford, and Mike Biselli added a 28-yard field goal.

Though the game was listed as a sellout, the attendance of 93,731 was the smallest Rose Bowl crowd since 1955 – perhaps adding fuel to complaints the Bowl Championship Series has diluted interest in other bowls. The BCS showdown for No. 1 is in the Sugar Bowl this year.

Troy Walters, expected to miss the game after dislocating his right wrist in practice Tuesday, caught three passes for 52 yards for Stanford. Walters, winner of the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver this season, played with a wrap on the wrist.

Defensive tackle Willie Howard, who was expected to miss the game with a torn knee ligament, also played for the Cardinal.

But Stanford long snapper Jon Sande missed part of the game with an ankle injury, and it was costly. Backup Anthony Gabriel had two bad snaps, leading to a missed extra point and a blocked field goal.

Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, on the sideline after spending most of the season in the press box while recovering from knee surgery, said the Badgers were rusty after not playing since Nov. 13.

”We had a long layoff after that last game, and it took us a little while to get in a rhythm,” said Alvarez, who hobbled along the sideline with a cane. ”Big 33 (Dayne) got lathered up a little bit and that seemed to help a little.”

Each team punted three times in the first quarter. But while Wisconsin failed to pick up a first down in the period, Stanford ended the quarter with four straight completions to set up Biselli’s field goal early in the second period.

Wisconsin finally got its offense going with a 71-yard drive that led to Pisetsky’s field goal with 9:19 left before halftime.

After an exchange of punts, Walters’ 19-yard reception and a couple Wisconsin penalties helped the Cardinal march 45 yards on a drive capped by Carter’s scoring run. Gabriel’s high snap foiled the extra point, though, leaving the score at 9-3.

On the second play after halftime, Dayne broke two tackles on his 64-yard run up the middle to the Stanford 11. Two plays later, he bounced outside to become the career Rose Bowl scoring leader with his fifth touchdown.

Dayne, who scored four times in Wisconsin’s 38-31 Rose Bowl victory over UCLA last year, also surpassed 7,000 career yards rushing on the play. He had an NCAA-record 6,397 yards in the regular season, and finished with 728 yards in bowl games.

Bollinger, who has not lost since becoming Wisconsin’s starting quarterback eight games ago, struggled most of the afternoon – going 7-for-14 for 105 yards. But he completed two key passes to backup tight end John Sigmund on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive.

Sigmund made a juggling 7-yard catch on fourth-and-2 at the Stanford 32 with 8:48 left, then caught a 22-yarder to get to the Cardinal 3. Dayne was stopped on two runs, but Bollinger scored on a sneak to make it 17-9.

The Badgers had a chance to widen the lead when Dayne ran for 33 yards on a 46-yard drive to the Stanford 17, but Pisetsky missed a 33-yard field goal to give Stanford one more chance.

Husak, who was 17-of-34 for 258 yards, completed four straight passes as the Cardinal reached the Wisconsin 41, but was sacked on fourth-and-12 to end the comeback attempt.