January 1, 2008
Ainge leads Tennessee past Wisconsin 21-17 in Outback Bowl
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Erik Ainge ensured No. 16 Tennessee wouldn't leave the Outback Bowl with another disappointing loss.
Capping a roller coaster career, the Volunteers star threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns Tuesday to pace a 21-17 victory that stopped No. 18 Wisconsin from joining Michigan as the only Big Ten teams to beat Southeastern Conference opponents in bowl games three consecutive seasons.
A month after having an interception returned for the winning score in a 21-14 loss to LSU in the SEC championship game, Ainge completed 25 of 43 passes without a turnover to win MVP honors and help the Vols (10-4) erase unpleasant memories of a 10-point loss to Penn State in last year's Outback game.
Antonio Wardlow sealed Tennessee's first 10-win season since 2004 when he intercepted Tyler Donovan's deep throw intended for Paul Hubbard in the end zone in the final minute. The Vols also thwarted another fourth-quarter drive by stopping Wisconsin on downs at the Tennessee 10.
Receiver Gerald Jones took a direct snap from center and scored on a 3-yard run, then Ainge tossed TD passes of 29 yards to Josh Briscoe and 31 yards to Brad Cottam to help Tennessee build a 21-7 lead.
Donovan's 4-yard TD throw to Andy Crooks trimmed Wisconsin's deficit to 21-14 at the half. The Badgers then pulled within four points on Taylor Mehlhaff's 27-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the third quarter.
The Wisconsin quarterback shrugged off several big hits, including helmet-to-helmet contact when he dove into the end zone on a 6-yard first-quarter run, to help Wisconsin (9-4) stay close by completing 14 of 24 passes for 155 yards.
P.J. Hill returned to Wisconsin's offense after sitting out two games and missing part of two others, running for 132 yards on 16 carries. His 50-yard run was the big play in the drive that stalled at the Tennessee 10 with six minutes left.
Donovan launched Wisconsin's last drive from his own 12 with 1:26 to go. The Badgers marched to the Tennessee 36 before the senior overthrew Hubbard, who was racing up the left side of the field.
Tennessee played without six players who were declared academically ineligible, including defensive tackle Demonte Bolden, linebacker Rico McCoy and leading receiver Lucas Taylor, who had 73 receptions for 1,000 yards and five TDs this season.
Briscoe took up the slack in the absence of Taylor, finishing with seven catches for 101 yards.
Both teams rebounded from tough stretches that ruined any hopes they had of contending for the national title to finish the regular season with nine victories.
Tennessee lost two of its first three games before winning eight of nine to earn a berth in the SEC championship game, where the Vols lost to LSU.
Wisconsin started 5-0 before losses at Illinois and Penn State dropped the Badgers out of the Top 25.
A lopsided loss at Ohio State eliminated any chance of winding up in the Rose Bowl, but the team regrouped to beat Michigan and Minnesota to head to Tampa for its fourth consecutive appearance in a January bowl.
The Badgers beat Auburn and Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl the previous two years and would have become just the second Big Ten program to beat SEC opponents in three straight bowl games.
1 2 3 4 Total
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Tennessee 7 14 0 0 21
Wisconsin 7 7 3 0 17
2007 Big Ten Conference Football Standings
(through January 7)
School W L PF PA Pct W L PF PA Pct
--------------------------------------------------------
Ohio State 7 1 245 103 .875 11 2 408 166 .846
Illinois 6 2 221 157 .750 9 4 362 283 .692
Michigan 6 2 203 148 .750 9 4 354 278 .692
Wisconsin 5 3 215 212 .625 9 4 383 301 .692
Penn State 4 4 204 177 .500 9 4 394 228 .692
Iowa 4 4 139 179 .500 6 6 222 225 .500
Purdue 3 5 213 226 .375 8 5 446 345 .615
Indiana 3 5 208 243 .375 7 6 412 370 .538
Michigan State 3 5 278 260 .375 7 6 430 346 .538
Northwestern 3 5 207 307 .375 6 6 310 372 .500
Minnesota 0 8 183 304 .000 1 11 315 440 .083
*** Final 2008 NCAA Football Team Statistics - Wisconsin Badgers ***
(Complete through Tuesday, January 1st)
From The Sports Network
Won 9 Lost 4
Sep 1 - W vs. Washington St, 42-21
Sep 8 - W at U-N-L-V, 20-13
Sep 15 - W vs. Citadel, 45-31
Sep 22 - W vs. Iowa, 17-13
Sep 29 - W vs. Michigan State, 37-34
Oct 6 - L at Illinois, 26-31
Oct 13 - L at Penn State, 7-38
Oct 20 - W vs. Northern Ill, 44-3
Oct 27 - W vs. Indiana, 33-3
Nov 3 - L at Ohio State, 17-38
Nov 10 - W vs. Michigan, 37-21
Nov 17 - W at Minnesota, 41-34
Nov 24 - Open
Dec 1 - Open
Jan 1 - L at Tennessee, 17-21
Wisconsin
First downs 270
Rushes-yards 587-2610
Passing yards 2704
Passing (Att-Comp-Int) 347-199-11
Punts-Average 59-41.9
Fumbles-Lost 17-10
Penalties-Yards 73-571
RUSHING No. Yds Avg TD
P.Hill 233 1212 5.2 14
Z.Brown 119 568 4.8 5
L.Smith-William 71 429 6.0 3
T.Donovan 112 277 2.5 5
C.Pressley 8 56 7.0 1
B.Rentmeester 9 39 4.3 1
Q.Landingham 5 19 3.8 0
D.Gilreath 7 15 2.1 0
K.Jefferson 2 11 5.5 0
T.Beckum 4 6 1.5 0
K.Debauche 1 -2 -2.0 0
A.Evridge 2 -3 -1.5 0
Team 14 -17 -1.2 0
TEAM TOTAL 587 2610 4.4 29
RECEIVING No. Yds Avg TD
T.Beckum 75 982 13.1 6
G.Graham 30 328 10.9 4
K.Jefferson 26 412 15.8 2
L.Swan 25 451 18.0 2
P.Hubbard 14 305 21.8 0
P.Hill 14 89 6.4 1
Z.Brown 4 23 5.8 0
X.Harris 2 30 15.0 0
C.Pressley 2 8 4.0 1
P.Standring 1 31 31.0 0
D.Gilreath 1 10 10.0 0
M.Randle El 1 9 9.0 0
D.Jones 1 9 9.0 0
S.Lewis 1 7 7.0 0
L.Smith-William 1 6 6.0 0
A.Crooks 1 4 4.0 1
TEAM TOTAL 199 2704 13.6 17
PASSING Att. Cmp Yds Cmp% Yds/Att TD TD% Int Int% Rating
T.Donovan 333 193 2607 58.0 7.83 17 5.1 11 3.3 134.0
A.Evridge 12 5 66 41.7 5.50 0 0.0 0 0.0 ---
K.Debauche 1 1 31 100.0 31.00 0 0.0 0 0.0 ---
Team 1 0 0 0.0 0.00 0 0.0 0 0.0 ---
TEAM TOTAL 347 199 2704 57.3 7.79 17 4.9 11 3.2 ---
