2003 Wisconsin Badgers football
Music City Bowl, L 14–28 vs. Auburn
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record7–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBrian White (5th as OC; 9th overall season)
Defensive coordinatorKevin Cosgrove (9th as DC; 14th overall season)
Base defense4–3
MVPLee Evans
Captains
Home stadiumCamp Randall Stadium
2003 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
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  
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

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.

Schedule

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

[1]

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.

Roster

2003 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
G 58 Kalvin Barrett  Jr
TE 88 Mark Bell  Jr
FB 45 Matt Bernstein  So
WR 1 Byron Brown  Sr
G 67 Dan Buenning  Jr
WR 87 Darrin Charles Jr
G 50 Jonathan Clinkscale  Jr
WR 11 Owen Daniels  So
RB 28 Anthony Davis  Jr
OT 75 Morgan Davis  Jr
WR 3 Lee Evans (C)  Sr
WR 26 Zach Hampton  Fr
WR 13 Travann Hayes  Jr
WR 29 Paul Hubbard Fr
G 76 Matt Lawrence  So
OT 61 Mike Lorenz  Jr
WR 7 Ernest Mason  Fr
OT 68 Fred Nieforth  Sr
TE 84 Jason Pociask  So
WR 9 Jonathan Orr  So
TE 85 Tony Paciotti  Jr
C 52 Jason Palermo  So
RB 20 Jerrone Pettus  Jr
TE 84 Jason Pociask  So
C 53 Donovan Raiola  So
FB 37 Greg Root  So
QB 16 Matt Schabert  Jr
RB 30 Dwayne Smith  So
QB 19 Jim Sorgi (C)  Sr
RB 32 Booker Stanley  Fr
QB 2 John Stocco  Fr
WR 15 Luke Swan Fr
OT 72 Joe Thomas Fr
WR 8 Brandon White So
WR 25 Brandon Williams So
OT 78 Jake Wood  So
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
S 7 Ryan Aiello Sr
CB 6 Brett Bell Injured Jr
S 42 Robert Brooks Jr
LB 10 Chris Catalano  Jr
LB 56 Jason Clemens  Sr
DT 97 Nick Cochart  Sr
CB 4 Chuckie Cowans  Jr
S 44 Patrick Ellestad  Jr
DT 73 Matt Gajda  Sr
LB 47 Elliot Goode So
DT 77 Anttaj Hawthorne Jr
DE 90 Erasmus James Sr
DT 74 Jason Jefferson  Jr
DE 98 Darius Jones  Jr
S 18 Jim Leonhard (C) Jr
LB 12 Alex Lewis Sr
DE 91 Traison Lewis  Jr
LB 46 Jeff Mark (C)  Sr
LB 43 Kyle McCorison  Sr
DE 95 Joe Monty  Fr
DB 22 Roderick Rogers Fr
CB 21 Levonne Rowan So
S 14 Dontez Sanders  So
CB 2 Scott Starks Jr
S 16 Joe Stellmacher  Fr
LB 34 Kareem Timbers  Jr
LB 24 LaMarr Watkins So
DE 92 Jonathan Welsh  Jr
LB 41 Mark Zalewski  Fr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 99 Mike Allen Jr
K 29 Scott Campbell Sr
P 94 Ken DeBauche Fr
LS 86 Matt Katula  Jr
P 31 R. J. Morse Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Brian White – Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
  • Kevin Cosgrove – Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
  • Jeff Horton – Quarterbacks
  • Jim Hueber – Offensive Line and Run Game Coordinator
  • Rob Ianello – Tight Ends
  • Ron Lee – Defensive Backs
  • Henry Mason – Wide Receivers
  • Brian Murphy – Outside Linebackers/Special Teams
  • John Palermo – Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

West Virginia

Wisconsin vs West Virginia – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 21 Badgers 7 0 31424
Mountaineers 10 0 7017

at Milan Puskar Stadium

  • Date: August 30, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C); Overcast; Wind at SW 10 MPH
  • Game attendance: 60,663
  • Referee: John Carson
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (Play-by-play), Bob Davie (Color) & Holly Rowe (Sideline)
Game information

Akron

Akron vs Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Zips 3 7 14731
No. 18 Badgers 17 14 31448

at Camp Randall Stadium

  • Date: September 6, 2003
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C); Clear; Wind at SW 10 MPH
  • Game attendance: 75,401
  • Referee: Steve Newman
  • TV: ESPN+
Game information

UNLV

UNLV vs Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rebels 10 6 7023
No. 14 Badgers 0 5 005

at Camp Randall Stadium

  • Date: September 13, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C); Light rain; Wind at S 9 MPH
  • Game attendance: 78,043
  • Referee: Dave Witvoet
  • TV: ESPN2
Game information

North Carolina

North Carolina vs Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Tar Heels 7 10 3727
Badgers 14 7 71038

at Camp Randall Stadium

  • Date: September 20, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); Clear; Wind at SE 6 MPH
  • Game attendance: 77,439
  • Referee: Jack Childress
  • TV: ESPN
Game information

Illinois

Wisconsin vs Illinois – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Badgers 14 7 71038
Fighting Illini 0 10 10020

at Memorial Stadium

  • Date: September 27, 2003
  • Game time: 5:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C); Partly Cloudy; Wind at W 15 MPH
  • Game attendance: 58,495
  • Referee: Richard Honig
  • TV: ESPN
Game information

Penn State

Wisconsin vs Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Badgers 7 10 6730
Nittany Lions 3 6 7723

at Beaver Stadium

  • Date: October 4, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C); Rainy; Wind at SW 10-20 MPH
  • Game attendance: 107,851
  • Referee: D. Lipski
  • TV: ESPN
Game information

#3 Ohio State

Ohio State vs Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 3 Buckeyes 0 3 0710
No. 23 Badgers 0 7 3717

at Camp Randall Stadium

  • Date: October 11, 2003
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C); Light Rain; Wind at S 15 MPH
  • Game attendance: 79,793
  • Referee: Dave Witvoet
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Ron Franklin (Play-by-play), Mike Gottfried (Color) & Adrian Karsten (Sideline)
Game information

#13 Purdue

Purdue vs Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 13 Boilermakers 14 3 3626
No. 14 Badgers 7 6 01023

at Camp Randall Stadium

  • Date: October 18, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C); Clear; Wind at W 5-10 MPH
  • Game attendance: 79,541
  • Referee: Steve Newman
  • TV: ESPN
Game information

Northwestern

Wisconsin vs Northwestern – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 20 Badgers 0 7 007
Wildcats 6 3 7016

at Ryan Field

  • Date: October 25, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); Cloudy; Wind at W 6 MPH
  • Game attendance: 36,233
  • Referee: Richard Honig
  • TV: ESPN2
Game information

Minnesota

Wisconsin vs Minnesota – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Badgers 3 10 14734
No. 24 Golden Gophers 10 14 31037

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

  • Date: November 8, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C); Dome
  • Game attendance: 59,543
  • Referee: Bill LeMonnier
  • TV: ESPN
Game information

#21 Michigan State

Michigan State vs Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 21 Spartans 0 7 7721
Badgers 14 14 21756

at Camp Randall Stadium

  • Date: November 15, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C); Dome
  • Game attendance: 79,256
  • Referee: Stave Pamon
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Pam Ward (Play-by-play) & Chris Spielman (Color)
Game information

#17 Iowa

Iowa vs Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 17 Hawkeyes 7 10 7327
Badgers 14 7 0021

at Camp Randall Stadium

  • Date: November 22, 2003
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C); Drizzle; Wind at NE 13 MPH
  • Game attendance: 79,931
  • Referee: Dennis Lipski
  • TV announcers (ABC): Tim Brant (Play-by-play) & Ed Cunningham (Color)
Game information

Auburn

Wisconsin vs Auburn – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Badgers 0 6 0814
Tigers 0 7 71428

at The Coliseum

  • Date: December 31, 2003
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m.
  • Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C); Mostly sunny; Wind at Var. 7 MPH
  • Game attendance: 55,109
  • Referee: Jack Childress
  • TV: ESPN
Game information

Regular starters

Players selected in the 2004 NFL Draft

PlayerPositionRoundOverall SelectionNFL Team
Lee EvansWide Receiver113Buffalo Bills
Alex LewisLinebacker5140Detroit Lions
Jim SorgiQuarterback6193Indianapolis Colts

[3]

References

  1. ↑ "2003 Wisconsin Football". University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Individual Game-by-Game Summaries". University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  3. ↑ "2004 NFL Draft". Pro-Football Reference. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
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