- Final019
22HOU
PSU30
1430
14 - Final1OSU
FLA17
2417
24 - Final3OT3OT217
16MSU
UGA33
3033
30 - Final320
9NEB
SCAR13
3013
30 - Final410
5WIS
ORE38
4538
45 - Final OTOT54
3STAN
OKST38
4138
41 - Final6TEM
WYO37
1537
15 - Final7OHIO
USU24
2324
23 - Final8SDSU
ULL30
3230
32 - Final9FIU
MRSH10
2010
20 - Final1018TCU
LT31
2431
24 - Final11
7ASU
BSU24
5624
56 - Final12
21NEV
USM17
2417
24 - Final13MIZZ
UNC41
2441
24 - Final14WMU
PUR32
3732
37 - Final15LOU
NCST24
3124
31 - Final16TOL
AFA42
4142
41 - Final17
24CAL
TEX10
2110
21 - Final18FSU
ND18
1418
14 - Final19
12WASH
BAY56
6756
67 - Final20BYU
TLSA24
2124
21 - Final21RUTG
ISU27
1327
13 - Final22MSST
WAKE23
1723
17 - Final23
14IOWA
OKLA14
3114
31 - Final24TA&M;
NW33
2233
22 - Final OTOT25GT
UTAH27
3027
30 - Final26ILL
UCLA20
1420
14 - Final27CIN
VAN31
2431
24 - Final28
25UVA
AUB24
4324
43 - Final OTOT2913
11MICH
VT23
2023
20 - Final3023
15WVU
CLEM70
3370
33 - Final318
6KSU
ARK16
2916
29 - Final32SMU
PITT28
628
6 - Final33ARST
NIU20
3820
38 - Final342
1ALA
LSU21
021
0
Final
Coverage: ESPN
5:10 PM ET, January 2, 2012
Rose Bowl, PASADENA, CA
PASADENA, Calif. -- The Oregon Ducks had waited 95 years to win another Rose Bowl presented by Vizio, and the last few seconds stretched for an eternity. The players in mirrored helmets held each other back on the sideline, waiting on tiptoes for video review to confirm Wisconsin was out of time.
The call went Oregon's way. The Ducks stormed the hallowed field.
More From ESPN.com
Oregon's bowl drought is over. Chip Kelly finally has a BCS trophy. But freshman De'Anthony Thomas is the real prize, writes Gene Wojciechowski. Story
The Ducks ended 95 years of frustration Monday. And it took every single man on the roster for them to do it, writes Ted Miller. Blog
Wisconsin's X-factor was difference makers. On defense, the Badgers just didn't have enough of them, writes Brian Bennett. Blog
• Stats & Info: All offense everything
The most futuristic team in college football had buried another bit of history, and that revolutionary offense finally has a shiny trophy that will look right at home among those eye-catching uniforms.
Darron Thomas passed for three touchdowns, De'Anthony Thomas scored on runs of 91 and 64 yards, and the Ducks (No. 5 BCS, No. 6 AP) earned their first bowl victory under coach Chip Kelly, holding off the Badgers 45-38 Monday night in the highest-scoring Rose Bowl ever played.
"We had no doubt this year that we were going to come out and do big things," said Darron Thomas, who passed for 268 yards. "It's a big statement for the Oregon program."
Indeed: The last time Oregon won the Rose Bowl, beating Penn 14-0 in 1917, the players wore leather helmets, not those shiny numbers that exemplify every innovation the Ducks have created during Kelly's three-year tenure.
Oregon (12-2) showed off that creativity with 621 total yards -- second-most in Rose Bowl history -- against the tough Badgers, playing at its usual frantic pace until the final whistle. Lavasier Tuinei caught eight passes for 158 yards and two TDs for the Ducks, who had no postseason success to show for Kelly's otherwise wildly successful three-year tenure until this landmark offensive performance.
Two O's, No D in Rose Bowl
Behind 1,129 combined yards, Oregon and Wisconsin combined for the highest-scoring game in Rose Bowl history.
Most Combined Points
Rose Bowl History
Year | Points | Matchup | Score |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | 83 | Oregon def. Wisconsin | 45-38 |
1991 | 80 | Washington def. Iowa | 46-34 |
2006 | 79 | Texas def. USC | 41-38 |
1963 | 79 | USC def. Wisconsin | 42-37 |
2005 | 75 | Texas def. Michigan | 38-37 |
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"None of us were around 95 years ago, and we never talked about it," Kelly said. "We're a forward-thinking operation, and we're always looking ahead."
Maybe so, but it's unlikely anybody from Oregon will forget how this one ended.
With two long passes, Russell Wilson moved the Badgers to the Oregon 25, but with 2 seconds left and no timeouts. After waiting for the ball to be set, he spiked it to set up a last-ditch heave to the end zone, but the clock hit zeroes while he did it.
The Ducks were winners after video review, holding Wisconsin scoreless in the fourth quarter.
"It would have been nice to have a chance there," said Wilson, who passed for 296 yards and two scores. "With 1 second left, I think we could have capitalized."
The Ducks don't doubt it: The 98th Rose Bowl was that kind of game. The Granddaddy of Them All had never seen this many points, beating the record 80 scored by Washington and Iowa in 1991.
"We knew we had to score almost every time we touched the ball," Wisconsin tailback James White said.
Montee Ball rushed for 122 of his 164 yards in the first half for the Badgers (11-3), who lost the Rose Bowl for the second straight year despite managing 508 yards of their own. Ball tied Barry Sanders' FBS record with his 39th touchdown of the season, but the Heisman Trophy finalist was held to three carries for no yards in the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin had two drives to tie it after Oregon kicked a field goal with 6:50 to play, but Jared Abbrederis fumbled near the Oregon sideline after making a long catch. The ball plopped onto the turf without even bouncing, and Oregon's Michael Clay jumped on it with 4:06 left.
That video review went the Ducks' way, too.
Ball So Hard University
Wisconsin running back Montee Ball tied Hall of Famer Barry Sanders' record for the most touchdowns in a single season in FBS history. Sanders scored five touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl that season, but bowl game stats were not counted by the NCAA until the 2002 season.
Most TDs in Single Season
FBS History
Season | Player | School | TDs |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Montee Ball | Wisconsin | 39 |
1988 | Barry Sanders | Oklahoma State | 39 |
2002 | Brock Forsey | Boise State | 32 |
1998 | Troy Edwards | Louisiana Tech | 31 |
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"I have to be more careful with the ball," said Abbrederis, who made a TD catch on the opening drive. "They made a big play. I can't dwell on this. I have to move forward and look towards next year. We're all human. This will make me better."
The Ducks and Badgers produced the highest-scoring first quarter (14-14) and first half (28-28) in Rose Bowl history, eventually surpassing the 80 scored in Washington's 46-34 win over Iowa in 1991. Oregon's yardage fell just short of USC's 633 yards against Illinois in 2008.
Sure, Baylor's 67-56 win over Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl last Thursday might have packed bigger sheer numbers. But Wisconsin and Oregon commanded a much bigger stage -- and the Ducks unleashed every bit of their formidable offensive power.
Tuinei was named the Ducks' offensive player of the game, but their flashiest star in those futuristic helmets was De'Anthony Thomas, the freshman from Los Angeles who showed off his electrifying athleticism on the longest scoring run in Rose Bowl history in the second quarter, going 91 yards up the middle. He added a 64-yard scoring run in the opening minute of the second half as Oregon won the matchup of the last two losers of the Rose Bowl.
Wisconsin lost 21-19 to TCU last season, and the Ducks lost to Ohio State two years ago before losing the BCS title game last year.
"It almost felt like there was some sort of magical force keeping us from getting it done in bowl games," Oregon guard Carson York said. "Glad we did it today."
LaMichael James rushed for 159 yards and an early TD in his likely college finale for the Ducks, and Kenjon Barner caught a TD pass from Darron Thomas.
Nick Toon caught a TD pass for Wisconsin, and defensive end Louis Nzegwu returned a fumble 33 yards for a score in the second quarter.
Both teams won their respective conferences' first-ever league title games to earn this trip to Pasadena. Although the Ducks' drought was generations longer, Wisconsin hasn't won in Pasadena since Jan. 1, 2000, when Ron Dayne led the Badgers to back-to-back Rose Bowl titles.
Oregon quickly debunked the theory that teams with extra time to prepare for the Ducks' inventive offense have a better chance to stop it. The Ducks were 1-4 in bowl games and season openers under Kelly until they carved up Wisconsin with the second-biggest yardage performance in Rose Bowl history.
Wisconsin set the tone from its opening drive, going 77 yards in seven plays for Abbrederis' wide-open 38-yard TD catch just 3:12 in.
De'Anthony Thomas ended the record-breaking first quarter by bursting through the Wisconsin line and sprinting down the Oregon sideline for a 91-yard score, surpassing Tyrone Wheatley's bowl-record 88-yard run in 1993 and capping the second-longest scoring drive in Rose Bowl history at 95 yards with Oregon's longest run all season.
Wisconsin opened the second quarter with Ball's record-tying TD, but Darron Thomas found Barner open down the seam for a 54-yard score on Oregon's next play. Both defenses then got a brief chance to shine: The Ducks stopped Wisconsin on fourth down inside the Oregon 20, but blitzing Wisconsin linebacker Mike Taylor forced Darron Thomas' fumble moments later, and Nzegwu scooped and scored.
Oregon calmly answered with Tuinei's 3-yard TD catch with 30 seconds left. The teams' 56 combined points in the first half surpassed the record 45 scored by Wisconsin and UCLA in 1999.
De'Anthony Thomas' 64-yard TD run put Oregon ahead for the first time, but the Badgers swung ahead with Wilson's 18-yard TD pass to Toon. After the quarterbacks traded interceptions, Darron Thomas found Tuinei for his second score just 25 seconds into the fourth quarter, putting the Ducks ahead to stay.
Game notes
The game-time temperature was 82 degrees, making it the warmest bowl game in Wisconsin history. ... It was also the highest-scoring bowl game in Wisconsin history, and the Badgers tied the school bowl record with 38 points. ... Oregon is 2-4 in the Rose Bowl. ... Oregon LB Kiko Alonso was the defensive player of the game with an interception and 1½ sacks.
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Photo Wire
Bowl Overview
It was over when... Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis fumbled away the ball with 4 minutes remaining.
Gameball goes to... De'Anthony Thomas, who notched touchdown runs of 91 and 64 yards.
Stat of the game... 83. The 83 points scored broke the previous Rose Bowl record of 80, set in 1991.
Team Stat Comparison
WIS | ORE | |
---|---|---|
1st Downs | 23 | 22 |
Total Yards | 508 | 621 |
Passing | 296 | 276 |
Rushing | 212 | 345 |
Penalties | 3-20 | 7-56 |
3rd Down Conversions | 8-13 | 6-13 |
4th Down Conversions | 0-1 | 1-1 |
Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
Possession | 35:42 | 24:18 |
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER | WIS | ORE | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TD | 11:48 | Jared Abbrederis 38 Yd Pass From Russell Wilson (Philip Welch Kick) | 7 | 0 | |
TD | 09:41 | LaMichael James 1 Yd Run (Alejandro Maldonado Kick) | 7 | 7 | |
TD | 05:55 | Russell Wilson 4 Yd Run (Philip Welch Kick) | 14 | 7 | |
TD | 00:00 | De'Anthony Thomas 91 Yd Run (Alejandro Maldonado Kick) | 14 | 14 | |
SECOND QUARTER | WIS | ORE | |||
TD | 10:52 | Montee Ball 3 Yd Run (Philip Welch Kick) | 21 | 14 | |
TD | 10:36 | Kenjon Barner 54 Yd Pass From Darron Thomas (Alejandro Maldonado Kick) | 21 | 21 | |
TD | 03:26 | Louis Nzegwu 33 Yd Fumble Return (Philip Welch Kick) | 28 | 21 | |
TD | 00:30 | Lavasier Tuinei 3 Yd Pass From Darron Thomas (Alejandro Maldonado Kick) | 28 | 28 | |
THIRD QUARTER | WIS | ORE | |||
TD | 14:11 | De'Anthony Thomas 64 Yd Run (Alejandro Maldonado Kick) | 28 | 35 | |
FG | 10:50 | Philip Welch 29 Yd | 31 | 35 | |
TD | 04:44 | Nick Toon 18 Yd Pass From Russell Wilson (Philip Welch Kick) | 38 | 35 | |
FOURTH QUARTER | WIS | ORE | |||
TD | 14:35 | Lavasier Tuinei 11 Yd Pass From Darron Thomas (Alejandro Maldonado Kick) | 38 | 42 | |
FG | 06:50 | Alejandro Maldonado 30 Yd | 38 | 45 |
Research Notes
NEXT LEVEL: Russell Wilson threw his only interception on a six-yard pass to Bradie Ewing with 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The interception led to the go-ahead score for Oregon, a lead it held the rest of the way. Coming into the game, Wilson had thrown only one interception in 172 attempts fewer than 10 yards downfield this season. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
NEXT LEVEL: Oregon had three rushes of 25-plus yards versus Wisconsin, including 91- and 64-yard touchdown runs by De'Anthony Thomas. On the season, no team has more long rushes than the Ducks. [+]Most Rushes of 25+ Yards
Close [X] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
NEXT LEVEL: Oregon running backs entered the Rose Bowl averaging 2.8 more yards outside of the tackles than inside, but on Monday the Ducks were able to find room in regardless of direction. Oregon averaged 5.1 more rushing yards inside of the tackles than Wisconsin running backs James White and Montee Ball. The Wisconsin duo gained 172 yards on 33 rushes up the middle. [+]Oregon Running Backs - Rose Bowl vs Wisconsin
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NEXT LEVEL: Darron Thomas used a play-fake on 15 of his 23 attempts Monday (65 percent) after using play-action on less than 38 percent of his passes entering Monday. The change in philosophy paid off as he was much more effective when using a play-fake in the Rose Bowl. [+]Darron Thomas Passing - 2012 Rose Bowl
Close [X] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
NEXT LEVEL: Both Oregon and Wisconsin were productive on offense Monday, but they went about it in very different ways. All four Badgers scoring drives lasted seven plays or more whereas Oregon scored three times in three plays or fewer. Oregon entered the bowl season leading the FBS in touchdown drives of three plays or fewer since the beginning of last season (36). [+]Offensive TD Drives - 2012 Rose Bowl
Close [X] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Behind 1,129 combined yards, Oregon and Wisconsin combined for the highest-scoring game in Rose Bowl history. Most Combined Points |
Year | Points | Matchup | Score |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | 83 | Oregon def. Wisconsin | 45-38 |
1991 | 80 | Washington def. Iowa | 46-34 |
2006 | 79 | Texas def. USC | 41-38 |
1963 | 79 | USC def. Wisconsin | 42-37 |
2005 | 75 | Texas def. Michigan | 38-37 |
Wisconsin running back Montee Ball tied Hall of Famer Barry Sanders' record for the most touchdowns in a single season in FBS history. Sanders scored five touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl that season, but bowl game stats were not counted by the NCAA until the 2002 season.
Most TDs in Single Season
FBS History
Season | Player | School | TDs |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Montee Ball | Wisconsin | 39 |
1988 | Barry Sanders | Oklahoma State | 39 |
2002 | Brock Forsey | Boise State | 32 |
1998 | Troy Edwards | Louisiana Tech | 31 |
ESPN Stats & Information