Best of the decade: How I voted

Here's how I voted:

Best play of the decade
Football (Oct. 15, 2005) Jonathan Casillas blocks a punt that Ben Strickland recovers for a touchdown with 30 seconds left to complete a 10-point comeback in the final three minutes and give UW a 38-34 win at Minnesota.

Maybe the most excited I've ever been at a Badger sporting event. Those of us who were in that dump of a dome will never forget it.

Close #2: Men’s Hockey (March 26, 2006) Jack Skille scores the game-winning goal in the third overtime against Cornell to advance to the Frozen Four. My brother and I were there, what a tremendous game. The aftermath of this one was a little different than the Casillas-Strickland game, since they'd been playing for about six hours, we were dead tired, and had a long drive home ahead of us. Andy and I waited in line at a concession stand behind Darrell Bevell during one overtiem intermission, he had just been named the Vikings' offensive coordinator, good guy.

But it's hard to argue with Michael Flowers' shot to beat Texas (watched it in my bedroom) or the Scott Starks Purdue play (watched it somewhere in Central Washington at in-laws' house).

Best Student-Athlete of the Decade
I chose Devin Harris. Chris Solinsky, Joe Thomas, Dany Heatley and Alando Tucker are my runners-up. Jimmy Leonhard, too.

Best Team of the Decade
2005-06 men's hockey. Why them and not any of the women's national champions, who were more dominant? Because there are a lot more teams playing Division 1 men's hockey, tougher to reach the top of the mountain.

Who did you vote for?

Rushing toward a new identity?

Wisconsin's 3-0 start to the year has not been entirely unexpected, but some parts of the Badgers' play have been. Most notable, I think you'd agree, has been the proficiency of Scott Tolzien and the passing game.

After last year's Allen Evridge-Dustin Sherer nightmare, this year's passing numbers are stunning. A 69% completion ratem, 9.2 yards per pass, 13.3 yards per catch, 226 yards per game. Great distribution to our various talented receivers. If that completion percentage were to somehow hold up, it would be the best mark in school history; the previous was 67.5% in 1993, led by Darrell Bevell.

Thing is, we're only averaging 199.3 rushing yards per game. This is only 12 yards per game less than last year's conference-leading total, and within a yard of where we were in 2007. But ...

-Take out Curt Phillips' 126 yards, and that average falls to 176 yards per game. True, Phillips' running is not a fluke, it's a legitimate facet of our offense. But it's not powerful, up-the-gut, Badger rushing.
-The per-rush average is 5.0, but take out Phillips' contribution, and the average falls to 4.76 yards per carry.
-These numbers would be just fine if we had played three BCS schools, but we didn't. We gained 258 against Wofford, when an appropriate number would have been, oh, 450.

With Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, et al still to go on the schedule, it's a safe bet that the per-game and per-carry rushing averages will decrease significantly by season's end. The passing proficiency too.

But if these trends hold to some extent, is it necessarily a bad thing? One of the things I've loved about Wisconsin football since Barry Alvarez came to Madison was the power football mentality. The big linemen, the big backs -- pound the rock! Love it.

However, our best offenses, and most often our best teams, have featured better passing teams and better offensive balance (1998 notwithstanding, sorry Mike Samuel). You don't see too many overly one-dimensional teams playing in BCS bowl games nowadays.

So I guess as long as we're gaining yards and scoring points somehow, I'll be happy. But if we could somehow get 300 yards rushing on Sparty this Saturday, I'll be happiest.

How does Evridge compare?

Following the Ohio State loss there was grumbling about Allan Evridge's play, perhaps made more raw by his game-ending interception thrown back across his body right to a Buckeye defender. Edward opined that this is the worst quarterback play we've gotten since Mike Samuel.

Knee-jerk, I agreed with him. But, because I'm a nerd, I decided to check the numbers and see just how his performance compares to the Badgers' starting quarterbacks of the last 16 seasons. Let me roll them out there, then tell me what you think.

Quarterback rating: Average - 130.6, Evridge - 125.4 (Note: I couldn't find Brooks Bollinger's 1999 rating anywhere, and he only threw 140 passes that season)

Completion percentage: Average - 57.8%, Evridge - 56.6%

Yards per completion: Average - 13.2, Evridge - 13.1

Touchdowns: Average - 12, Evridge (projected) - 13

Interceptions: Average - 7.6, Evridge (projected) - 10

Attempts per interception: Average - 31.8, Evridge - 30.5

Seems like if anything, Evridge is negligibly below average in most of these categories. Now let's see where Evridge ranks among the other 15 starting quarterbacks' seasons in key statistical categories. Average would be eighth or ninth in these rankings.

Quarterback rating: Best - 1993 Darrell Bevell, 155.2, Worst - 2004 John Stocco, 109.8, Evridge - ninth, 125.4

Completion percentage: Best - 1993 Darrell Bevell, 67.8%, Worst - 2001 Brooks Bollinger, 51.4%, Evridge - 11th, 55% (Note: Bevell holds the top three spots on this list, Bollinger three of the lowest five — and he's the one who's had an NFL playing career!)

Yards per completion: Best - 2003 Jim Sorgi, 16.1 (thank you Lee Evans!), Worst - 1994 Darrell Bevell, 11.1 (that's why he was so accurate), Evridge - 10th, 13.1

Yards per game: Best - 2005 John Stocco, 224.6, Worst - 1998 Mike Samuel, 97.9 (how does a team go to the Rose Bowl throwing for less than 100 yards per game?), Evridge - seventh, 179.8

Touchdowns: Best - 2005 John Stocco, 21, Worst - 1998 Mike Samuel/1999 Brooks Bollinger, 6, Evridge - ninth, 13 (projected)

Interceptions: Best - 1998 Mike Samuel/2001 and 2002 Brooks Bollinger, 4, Worst - 1997 Mike Samuel, 13 (maybe that's why he threw 82 fewer passes the next year), Evridge - sixth, 10 (projected)

Attempts per interception: Best - 1999 Brooks Bollinger, 70, Worst - 1997 Mike Samuel, 19.5, Evridge - eighth, 30.5

Here again, Evridge's numbers are average or slightly below average. So from a strictly statistical standpoint, Evridge really isn't horrible, he's middle of the road for Badger quarterbacks in the last 16 seasons. That would be OK if expectations were for this to be a middle of the road Wisconsin team. This had a chance to be a really good one, but mediocre quarterback play has been one of the factors why it is now staring down a .500 record halfway through the regular season.

Statistical leaders: Offense

Okay nerds, you sick of these numbers yet? I'm not. (Please, Michigan Week, get here soon!)

Here are the leaders of the Alvarez-Bielema era in key statistical categories.

OFFENSE
Yards per game: 1993 (455.2), 1994 (423.6), 1999 (417.2), 2007 (408.8). I don't think people remember just how explosive that 1993-94 offense was. Had Lee Deramus not been injured that '94 team could have been absolutely awesome. And that '07 average being so high is a testament to Paul Chryst.

Rushing attempts per game: 1999 (53.0), 1993 (50.3), 1998 (50.0). Whether rushing attempts are a cause or an effect is debatable, but the fact is our three Great Teams rushed the ball more than the other 12. The first two are the same in rushing yards per game, but the 2006 team is third ... thank you, Ron Dayne.

Passing yards per game (fixed, thanks Toohey): 2005 (228.4), 1995 (221.7), 2003 (217.9), 2001 (213). Several points here:

1. John Stocco's 2005 was so overlooked because for three-quarters of the season everyone was still bitching about how bad he played in 2004. But what a season!

2. 1995 and 2001 are our only two non-bowl years since 1993. They were also seasons that got Darrell Bevell and Brooks Bollinger's butt whipped.

3. Is it really that surprising that Jim Sorgi ('03) has stuck in the NFL this long? He was a nice quarterback in college, and more pro-style than just about anyone we've had.

4. Last on this list: 1998, when Mike Samuel and friends passed for just 113.6 yards per game. Unreal.

Third-down conversion percentage: 1993 (58.3%!), 1996 (47.4%), 2005 (46.6%). The '93 team's margin of 'victory' here is staggering. Imagine how demoralizing it had to be playing against that team, when it converted so many of its third-down chances. Remember, UW's average in this period is 43.6%. Why again did the '96 team only go 8-5?

Turnovers per game: 1998 (0.8), 1999 (0.9), 2005 (1.1). On the other end of the spectrum, the '94 team turned it over 2.2 times per game. Obviously an important factor in a team's success.

Penalty yards per game: 1995 (25), 1997 (34.4), 1993 (35.1), 1998 (35.3). Funny, I don't remember that '95 team being an exceptionally disciplined bunch.

Points per game: 2005 (34.3), 1999 (34.1), 1998 (31.8), 1994 (29.8), 1993 (29.5). Few surprises here, except that the '98 team averaged almost 32 points per game while throwing for just over 100. A testament to Ron Dayne and, I presume, Jamar Fletcher.

So there you have it, another post that reinforces that we win big when we run the ball well and run it a lot. It's fun seeing a stat, seeing where it ranks, and remembering who was involved in making it happen.

Bevell tampering with Favre?

The Brett Favre mess has added a Badger component to it, so I finally feel compelled to comment on it in this space:

FoxSports.com is reporting that the Packers are pursuing tampering claims against the Vikings, alleging that Minnesota offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has been speaking with Favre inappropriately since the latter began contemplating a comeback. Bevell, remember, was Favre's position coach in Green Bay, which I always thought was funny, since they both assumed starting quarterback positions in the state at about the same time in 1992.

Gee, I hope the Vikings don't get penalized for this in any way, it would take some of the luster off such a classy franchise.

Seriously, I think Bevell is a good guy and doesn't get hurt by this, given his up-and-comer status in the NFL coaching ranks. Especially since the Vikings, along with the Bears, are such obvious landing spots for Favre if he returns and is released. Which is why the Packers shouldn't grant him his wish.

Thousands of words of have written and spoken on this subject around the state and the country in the last week or so, and I certainly can't add much to the discussion. I'm just sad that it's come to this for my favorite NFL team and favorite player.

Ten years from now hopefully this will all be forgotten, but in the short term, Brett is just coming off as a wishy-washy and immature. You weren't sure about retiring in early March? Than don't do it! You're thinking about coming about changing your mind in late March but then change your mind? Don't tell the team in the first place!

He's mad at Ted Thompson for not trading for Randy Moss and not resigning Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera? The team went 13-3 with the youngest roster in the league last year, man, how can you criticize the GM's roster assembling?

I sure as hell am not losing an sleep over it, but I know people who are, and for everyone's sake I hope for a speedy resolution to this mess.

Five great players, continued

The Five Great Players post yesterday got me thinking: how has each team since the 1993 Big Ten championship team stacked up using this measuring stick? Here's what I'm thinking:

Great Players
1993 (10-1-1): Brent Moss, Joe Panos, Lamark Shackerford, Mike Thompson, Lee DeRamus
1994 (7-4-1): Terrell Fletcher, Joe Rudolph, Jeff Messenger, Cory Raymer
1995 (4-5-2): Eric Unverzagt, Darrell Bevell
1996 (8-5): Ron Dayne, Tarek Saleh, Pete Monty, Jerry Wunsch
1997 (8-5): Tony Simmons, Dayne
1998 (11-1): Dayne, Aaron Gibson, Tom Burke, Matt Davenport, Kevin Stemke
1999 (10-2): Dayne, Chris McIntosh, Wendell Bryant, Jamar Fletcher, Nick Davis, Casey Rabach
2000 (9-4): Michael Bennett, Chris Chambers, Kevin Stemke, Rabach, Bryant, Fletcher
2001 (5-7): Anthony Davis, Lee Evans, Bryant
2002 (8-6): Davis, Al Johnson, Jim Leonhard
2003 (7-6): Evans, Leonhard
2004 (9-3): Dan Buenning, Erasmus James, Anttaj Hawthorne, Leonhard
2005 (10-3): Brian Calhoun, Joe Thomas, Brandon Williams, Ken DeBauche
2006 (12-1): Thomas, Travis Beckum, P.J. Hill, Jack Ikegwuonu
2007 (9-4): Taylor Mehlhaff, Beckum

No surprise, but there's definitely a correlation between great players and great seasons.

What do you think about the players I have on here? Discuss.

Thanks for the memories, Brett

Over the past few years I found myself wondering what it would be like when Brett Favre retired. Not just the following season with Aaron Rodgers or Tim Couch whoever starting at quarterback and getting hurt every fifth game, but the day news of his retirement came out.

Here's how: I'm sitting in my office when one of our sales reps comes into my office and says "Guess we'll be drafting a quarterback, huh?" Not being a morning person, and having just read a Favre-less Journal Sentinel online, I didn't make the connection and thought I'd missed the story where Rodgers had gotten hurt mowing his lawn. But he explained it to me, and then the emails, IMs, shouts over the cubicle walls, etc., started pouring in. It wasn't as surreal as I thought it'd be.

No sense in analyzing this, as a million people already have. Why did he do it? Did Ted Thompson force him out? What does Travis Jervey think about it? All interesting questions if you have an endless amount of time to obsess over it.

It does surprise me. It wouldn't have surprised me last year or the year before, when he was coming off marginal to bad seasons on marginal to bad teams. He played well in 2007, his last pass notwithstanding, and the Packers are the youngest team in the league.

Here are my top Favre memories:

-The day Ron Wolf traded for him, I was watching one of Andy's basketball games at St. Mary's in West Bend, and my dad and one of the other parents asked this sports nerd what he knew about him. "Big arm, gunslinger, had a few feet of intestines removed in college," I said.

-Early in his career, when he would send my dad into alternating fits of joy and madness, I often thought that Don Majkowski could have been just as effective in Mike Holmgren's system. Blasphemy, but there's the opinion.

-I was working at Pick 'n Save when he threw that bomb back across the field to Sterling Sharpe at the Silverdome to beat the Lions in the playoffs. Big arm, indeed.

-Hill always called him "Bart Farve" and "cheater" on account of the vicodin addiction.

-A girl who worked with me at Pick 'n Save told me I looked like Favre. You can't see it now, but 17 years ago it wasn't that far-fetched. Maybe she had a thing for me.

-There was a time when Favre had been in the league for a few years and he was still younger than the Badgers' starting quarterback, Darrell Bevell.

-Favre's reaction after throwing that early touchdown to Andre Rison in the Super Bowl win over New England was priceless, made us all remember why we play and love to follow sports.

-I was at Lambeau for the game I thought would end his consecutive-games played streak, when Lavar Arrington just about ripped him in half. That's one tough sonofabitch we had there.

-Could have sworn his last game was the win over the Bears at Soldier Field last New Year's Eve.

Just hope we don't have to see what it's like to be a Bears, Lions or Vikings fan and start every season with a different guy under center. I've got faith in Thompson, although if it is ever definitively proven that he chased my favorite player of all time to his lawn mower before before he was 100% ready, that faith will forever be shaken.

Great career, Brett, thanks for making Sundays fun.

Badger coaching tree

Last week, when Purdue was pursuing Paul Chryst to be its next head coach, one thought that crossed my mind was that it would be a blow to the program, but it would extend the Wisconsin coaching tree. Coaching trees are such a strong indicator of a program's success - a strong coaching staff produces strong coaches, which then go build their own strong staffs elsewhere.

Think about the North Carolina basketball coaching tree. Or the Packers' staff under Mike Holmgren, which at times had Steve Mariucci, Jon Gruden, Dick Jauron, and others.

This also applies to former players. If your program is producing players who go on to become coaches, it is an indicator that you have intelligent athletes with leadership skills. That's why I have a soft spot for Tracy Webster, even if he was coaching at Illinois for four years before moving on to Kentucky.

Yesterday I read that Mel Tucker had been named defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns. Tucker will always be remembered as the defensive back who made the hit on a Minnesota tight end to secure Barry Alvarez's first road win as Wisconsin coach. After graduating from UW with an ag journalism major, Tucker coached under Nick Saban at Michigan State, then moved on to Miami (Ohio), LSU, and Ohio State before joining Romeo Crennel's staff. Here's hoping Mel gets the Browns' defense in shape and becomes a head coaching candidate.

This all got me thinking about other prominent coaches who played or coached at UW:

-Jay Norvell, just hired today as Oklahoma's co-offensive coordinator. As long as he keeps the Sooners' offense humming, he'll be a head coaching candidate next winter.

-Brad Childress, former UW offensive coordinator, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

-Darrell Bevell, former UW quarterback, Chilly's offensive coordinator.

-Jim Hueber, Chilly's offensive line coach. All the UW ties on the Vikings make me slightly nauseous.

-Bill Callahan, former UW offensive line coach, recently fired as Nebraska's coach. Led the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl.

-Jay Hayes, defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals.

-Rob Ianello, Notre Dame's recruiting coordinator. As he did in Madison, Rob is tearing it up on the recruiting trail, as the Irish currently have the nation's #1 recruiting class.

-Ron McBride, head coach at Weber State.

-Packers special teams coordinator Mike Stock.

-Mike Cassity is Louisville's defensive coordinator.

-Jeff Horton, St. Louis Rams offensive assistant.

-Brian White, recently fired as Syracuse's offensive coordinator.

-Phil Elmassian, who seems to change jobs every year, was recently let go along with Callahan and is now interested in the defensive coordinator position at Louisiana-Monroe.

-Darrell Wilson, Iowa's outside linebackers and special teams coach.

-And last but not least, Bears coach Lovie Smith. Not kidding - he was a UW assistant in 1987. Perhaps the only coaching positive to come out of the Don Morton era.

That's all the energy I have to research tonight after a tough evening of shoveling in 25 mph winds. Please post a comment if you can think of anyone I'm forgetting here. Will try to tackle a Badger basketball coaching tree in the next couple days.