# 2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Bret Bielema, the Badgers completed the season with a 12–1 record, including a 7–1 mark in the Big Ten Conference, good for a second-place tie with Michigan.
The season was one of the most successful in Badgers football history. The 11 regular-season wins and 12 overall wins were both single season records for the Badgers, and the season ended with a second straight victory in the Capital One Bowl, over Arkansas, 17-14. The Badgers, who were not ranked in the preseason and were expected to finish in the middle of the Big Ten, surprised many with their success and ended the season ranked #7 in the AP Poll and #5 in the Coaches' Poll.

## Preseason

The Badgers were picked to finish in the middle of the Big Ten conference and were not ranked in the preseason for a number of reasons. Early defections to the National Football League by second-team All-Americans Brandon Williams and Brian Calhoun left the Badger offense with only three returning starters. Additionally, with the departure of Barry Alvarez – who had just completed his final season with 10 wins and a Capital One Bowl victory – the head coaching job was taken over by Bret Bielema, then the youngest head coach in Division I-A football.
Bright spots for the Badgers included returning All-American offensive tackle Joe Thomas, who was coming off an ACL injury. John Stocco resumed the starting position at quarterback for his senior season, and P. J. Hill, Jr. won the starting tailback job. The defense was to be led by senior linebacker Mark Zalewski and senior strong safety Joe Stellmacher. The special teams unit was considered strong, with All-American candidate Ken DeBauche punting the ball.
Some sportswriters felt that the non-conference schedule was fairly weak. Early in the season, the team's non-conference schedule was placed on the "waiting list" of ESPN.com's Bottom 10 rankings.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | vs. Bowling Green* | | Cleveland Browns StadiumCleveland, OH | ESPN+ | W 35–14 | 30,307 |
| September 9 | 2:30 p.m. | Western Illinois* | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ESPNU | W 34–10 | 80,845 |
| September 16 | 2:30 p.m. | San Diego State* | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ESPN+ | W 14–0 | 81,090 |
| September 23 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 6 Michigan | | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | ESPN | L 13–27 | 111,058 |
| September 30 | 11:00 a.m. | at Indiana | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | ESPN2 | W 52–17 | 32,142 |
| October 7 | 11:00 a.m. | Northwestern | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ESPN360 | W 41–9 | 81,704 |
| October 14 | 11:00 a.m. | Minnesota | No. 25 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe) | ESPN | W 48–12 | 82,010 |
| October 21 | 11:00 a.m. | at Purdue | No. 21 | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | ESPN | W 24–3 | 58,111 |
| October 28 | 11:00 a.m. | Illinois | No. 17 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ESPN2 | W 30–24 | 81,300 |
| November 4 | 11:00 a.m. | Penn State | No. 17 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ABC | W 13–3 | 81,777 |
| November 11 | 11:00 a.m. | at Iowa | No. 16 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA (Battle for the Heartland Trophy) | ESPN | W 24–21 | 70,585 |
| November 18 | 11:00 a.m. | Buffalo* | No. 12 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ESPNU | W 35–3 | 80,850 |
| January 1, 2007 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 12 Arkansas* | No. 6 | Citrus BowlOrlando, FL (Capital One Bowl) | ABC | W 17–14 | 60,774 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Bowling Green

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium
* Date: September 2, 2006
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); Mostly cloudy; Wind at E 14 MPH
* Game attendance: 30,307
* Referee: Steve Newman
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
BGU – Freddie Barnes 21-yard TD run (Sean Ellis kick), 10:40. Bowling Green 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:20.
WIS – Dywon Rowan 7-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:34. Tie 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:55.
Second quarter
WIS – Jonathan Casillas 0-yard block punt return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:58. Wisconsin 14–7.
WIS – John Stocco 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:17. Wisconsin 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:15.
Third quarter
BGU – Freddie Barnes 2-yard TD run (Sean Ellis kick), 6:58. Wisconsin 21–14. Drive: 16 plays, 79 yards, 6:41.
WIS – Bill Rentmeester 4-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 2:36. Wisconsin 28–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:14.
Fourth quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 10-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:19. Wisconsin 35–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:38.
Top passers
BGU – Freddie Barnes – 12/19, 82 yards
WIS – John Stocco – 9/15, 124 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BGU – Freddie Barnes – 29 rushes, 158 yards, 2 TD
WIS – P. J. Hill – 22 rushes, 130 yards, TD
Top receivers
BGU – Ken Brantley – 2 receptions, 27 yards
WIS – Travis Beckum – 3 receptions, 49 yards
Top defenders
BGU – Kenny Lewis – 10 tackles, INT
WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 12 tackles, 2.5 TFL, blocked punt, TD :
In his debut, P. J. Hill, Jr. had 130 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead the Badgers to a victory over the hometeam Falcons. The Badgers broke a 7–7 tie in the second quarter when a Alonso Rojas punt was blocked by Jonathan Casillas and he recovered the punt in the end zone for a touchdown. John Stocco finished 9-of-15 for 124 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

### Western Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Badgers | 3 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 34 |
at Camp Randall Stadium
* Date: September 9, 2006
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); Cloudy; Wind at NE 10-20 MPH
* Game attendance: 80,845
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV: ESPNU
Game information :
First quarter
WIU – Taylor Rowan 42-yard field goal, 12:43 Western Illinois 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:03.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 28-yard field goal, 6:15. Tie 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:20.
Second quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:19. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 7:02.
WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 2:04. Wisconsin 17–3. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 7:20.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 46-yard field goal, 0:04. Wisconsin 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 0:30.
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 2-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:10. Wisconsin 27–3. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 1:40.
WIS – Andy Crooks 24-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:04. Wisconsin 34–3. Drive: 2 plays, 43 yards, 1:01.
WIU – Kevin Almlie 17-yard interception return (Taylor Rowan kick), 5:51. Wisconsin 34–10.
Top passers
WIU – Steve LaFalce – 20/41, 168 yards, 3 INT
WIS – John Stocco – 15/25, 227 yards, TD
Top rushers
WIU – Herb Donaldson – 17 rushes, 70 yards
WIS – P. J. Hill – 22 rushes, 101 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
WIU – Marco Thomas – 8 receptions, 54 yards
WIS – Paul Hubbard – 4 receptions, 87 yards
Top defenders
WIU – Jason Williams – 8 tackles, 2.0 TFL, sack, QB hurry
WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 7 tackles, INT :
P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for over 100 yards for the second game in a row and the Badgers overcame a rocky first quarter to beat the Leathernecks. After a fumble on the kickoff led to a WIU field goal, the Badgers reeled off 34 straight points – 17 in the second quarter – to effectively put the game away. John Stocco was 15–25 for 227 yards and another touchdown and Hill collected three touchdowns on the ground for the Badgers.

### San Diego State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aztecs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Badgers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
at Camp Randall Stadium
* Date: September 16, 2006
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); Cloudy; Wind at NE 10-20 MPH
* Game attendance: 81,090
* Referee: Ron Torbert
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
No scoring
Third quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 53-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:49. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 1 plays, 53 yards, 0:22.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Paul Hubbard 6-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 7:06. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:59.
Top passers
SDS – Darren Mougey – 15/27, 102 yards
WIS – John Stocco – 12/23, 85 yards, TD
Top rushers
SDS – Lynell Hamilton – 11 rushes, 19 yards
WIS – P. J. Hill – 26 rushes, 184 yards, TD
Top receivers
SDS – Brett Swain – 5 receptions, 33 yards
WIS – Paul Hubbard – 3 receptions, 18 yards, TD
Top defenders
SDS – Joe Martin – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, forced fumble, pass breakup
WIS – Mark Zalewski – 8 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 sacks :
P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for 184 yards and a touchdown and the defense shut out the Aztecs in the last game before the start of conference play. The Badgers allowed just 153 yards but the offense was out of sync for the third straight week as Stocco completed just 12 of his 23 passes for 85 yards. Paul Hubbard registered a six-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.

### #6 Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| No. 6 Wolverines | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at Michigan Stadium
* Date: September 23, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C); Cloudy; Wind at SW 5-10 MPH
* Game attendance: 111,058
* Referee: Dan Capron
* TV: ESPN
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 29-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 9:08. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:44.
Second quarter
MIC – Mario Manningham 24-yard pass from Chad Henne (Garrett Rivas kick), 13:19. Tie 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:22.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 39-yard field goal, 5:37. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:56.
MIC – Garrett Rivas 31-yard field goal, 2:45. Tie 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:57.
Third quarter
MIC – Mario Manningham 38-yard pass from Chad Henne (Garrett Rivas kick), 3:11. Michigan 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:55.
Fourth quarter
MIC – Mike Hart 5-yard TD run (Garrett Rivas kick), 11:33. Michigan 24–10. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:39.
MIC – Garrett Rivas 32-yard field goal, 5:29. Michigan 27–10. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:15.'
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 26-yard field goal, 2:19. Michigan 27–13. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 3:10.
Top passers
MIC – Chad Henne – 18/25, 211 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
WIS – John Stocco – 22/42, 236 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIC – Mike Hart – 23 rushes, 91 yards, TD
WIS – P. J. Hill – 20 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
MIC – Mario Manningham – 7 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD
WIS – P. J. Hill – 5 receptions, 64 yards, TD
Top defenders
MIC – David Harris – 10 tackles, 2.0 TFL
WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack :
Wisconsin performed admirably in the first half, scoring 10 points but special teams miscues led to 10 Wolverine points by the break. P. J. Hill, Jr. was held to 54 yards against the stout Michigan run defense and Mario Manningham had 113 yards and two touchdowns through the air as Michigan raced out to 17 straight points in the second half to beat the Badgers, 27–13. The Badgers intercepted Chad Henne three times, but it was not enough to overcome the Wolverines' powerful offense. Wisconsin, which had beaten Michigan in 2005, had a five-game winning streak snapped. Michigan moved to 4–0 on the season.

### Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 14 | 21 | 17 | 0 | 52 |
| Hoosiers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
at Memorial Stadium
* Date: September 30, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); Sunny; Wind at SW 14 MPH
* Game attendance: 32,142
* Referee: Dan Capron
* TV: ESPN2
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:21. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:42.
WIS – Travis Beckum 35-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:39. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:29.
Second quarter
WIS – Paul Hubbard 15-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:22. Wisconsin 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 1:29.
WIS – Andy Crooks 3-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:04. Wisconsin 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 1:44.
WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:52. Wisconsin 35–0. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:28.
Third quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 9:28. Wisconsin 42–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:53.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 28-yard field goal, 2:27. Wisconsin 45–0. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 5:07.
WIS – Lance Smith 4-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:55. Wisconsin 52–0. Drive: 1 plays, 4 yards, 0:26.
Fourth quarter
IND – Austin Starr 21-yard field goal, 9:54. Wisconsin 52–3. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:14.'
IND – Troy Grosfield 15-yard fumble return (Austin Starr kick), 9:41. Wisconsin 52–10.
IND – Josiah Sears 8-yard TD run (J. Gilmore kick), 3:25. Wisconsin 52–17. Drive: 7 plays, 94 yards, 2:49.
Top passers
IND – Kellen Lewis – 13/29, 113 yards
WIS – John Stocco – 15/17, 304 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
IND – Josiah Sears – 9 rushes, 100 yards, TD
WIS – P. J. Hill – 23 rushes, 129 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
IND – Nick Polk – 4 receptions, 45 yards
WIS – Paul Hubbard – 6 receptions, 122 yards, TD
Top defenders
IND – Troy Grosfield – 15 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery, TD
WIS – Elijah Hodge – 6 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack :
The Badgers bounced back from their first loss of the season, racing out to a 52–0 lead over the hometeam Hoosiers en route to a dominating 52–17 victory. John Stocco threw for 304 yards and had three touchdown strikes by halftime, and P. J. Hill, Jr. had 129 yards and another three touchdowns for the Badgers. The Hoosiers were held to just 147 yards through three quarters. Paul Hubbard caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown for the Badgers.

### Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Badgers | 10 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 41 |
at Camp Randall Stadium
* Date: October 7, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); Sunny; Wind at S 10 MPH
* Game attendance: 81,704
* Referee: Bill LeMonnier
* TV: ESPN360
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 60-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 12:54. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 1:06.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 40-yard field goal, 7:51. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 3:38.
NU – Andrew Brewer 1-yard TD run (Joel Howells kick blocked), 6:28. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:10.
Second quarter
NU – Joel Howells 22-yard field goal, 13:10. Wisconsin 10–9. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 4:47.'
WIS – Luke Swan 14-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 6:55. Wisconsin 17–9. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:13.
Third quarter
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 42-yard field goal, 7:23. Wisconsin 20–9. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:21.
WIS – Dywon Rowan 4-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:22. Wisconsin 27–9. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:17.
WIS – Joe Stellmacher 25-yard interception return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:14. Wisconsin 34–9.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Lance Smith 25-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:54. Wisconsin 41–9. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:48.
Top passers
NU – Andrew Brewer – 10/24, 94 yards, INT
WIS – John Stocco – 16/21, 220 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NU – Andrew Brewer – 13 rushes, 80 yards, TD
WIS – P. J. Hill – 35 rushes, 249 yards, TD
Top receivers
NU – Eric Peterman – 3 receptions, 26 yards
WIS – Travis Beckum – 8 receptions, 107 yards
Top defenders
NU – Marquice Cole – 9 tackles, fumble recovery, INT
WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 6 tackles, INT, TD :
For the second straight week, the Badger defense stepped up big, holding NU tailback Tyrell Sutton to just 18 yards on the ground. Wisconsin avenged last year's loss to the Wildcats with a punishing ground game, highlighted by P. J. Hill, Jr.'s rumbling 60-yard touchdown in the first quarter. In his best effort to date, Hill piled up 249 of the Badgers' 316 yards on the ground as the Badgers prevailed.

### Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 12 |
| No. 25 Badgers | 14 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 48 |
at Camp Randall Stadium
* Date: October 14, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C); Partly cloudy; Wind at W 10 MPH
* Game attendance: 82,010
* Referee: Dennis Lipski
* TV: ESPN
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Jack Ikegwuonu 50-yard fumble return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:25. Wisconsin 7–0.
WIS – P. J. Hill 5-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:24. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:59.
MIN – Jason Giannini 37-yard field goal, 3:14. Wisconsin 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:06.'
Second quarter
WIS – Luke Swan 8-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:37. Wisconsin 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:54.
WIS – Andy Crooks 2-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:59. Wisconsin 28–3. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 5:12.
Third quarter
WIS – Travis Beckum 40-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:01. Wisconsin 35–3. Drive: 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:50.
WIS – P. J. Hill 2-yard TD run (Ken DeBauche pass intercepted), 10:11. Wisconsin 41–3. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:57.
MIN – Mario Reese 98-yard PAT return (Jason Giannini kick), 10:11. Wisconsin 41–5.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Amir Pinnix 2-yard TD run (Jason Giannini kick), 14:49. Wisconsin 41–12. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 2:56.
WIS – Travis Beckum 4-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:52. Wisconsin 48–12. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:48.
Top passers
MIN – Bryan Cupito – 13/28, 94 yards, INT
WIS – John Stocco – 12/19, 193 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Amir Pinnix – 19 rushes, 97 yards, TD
WIS – P. J. Hill – 25 rushes, 164 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIN – Matt Spaeth – 4 receptions, 42 yards
WIS – Travis Beckum – 5 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
MIN – Trumaine Banks – 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL
WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL :
The Badgers hosted Minnesota in the battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. The Badgers, who had moved into the AP rankings for the first time this season, prevailed 48–12 behind John Stocco's four touchdown passes, two to Travis Beckum, who also had 118 receiving yards. Stocco finished 12-of-19 for 193 yards. Jack Ikegwuonu opened the scoring by returning Amir Pinnix's first-quarter fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. P. J. Hill, Jr. racked up 164 yards and two more scores as the Badgers defended the Axe.

### Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Badgers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Boilermakers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Ross–Ade Stadium
* Date: October 21, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C); Partly cloudy; Wind at SW 11 MPH
* Game attendance: 58,111
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV: ESPN
Game information :
First quarter
PUR – Chris Summers 47-yard field goal, 5:16. Purdue 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:13.'
Second quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 8:13. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 5:28.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 51-yard field goal, 1:15. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 0:48.
Third quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 3-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:38. Wisconsin 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:10.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Lance Smith 8-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 5:11. Wisconsin 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:29.
Top passers
PUR – Curtis Painter – 20/40, 187 yards, INT
WIS – John Stocco – 13/21, 201 yards, INT
Top rushers
PUR – Jaycen Taylor – 8 rushes, 46 yards
WIS – P. J. Hill – 29 rushes, 161 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
PUR – Greg Orton – 6 receptions, 83 yards
WIS – Paul Hubbard – 4 receptions, 80 yards
Top defenders
PUR – Cliff Avril – 7 tackles, 1.0 TFL, sack
WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 8 tackles, 1.0 TFL, INT, pass breakup :
The Badgers moved into the Coaches Poll for the first time, ranked #22 going into their showdown against Purdue. The Badger defense figured to get a good test against the Boilermakers offense, which led the Big Ten at over 470 yards a game entering the contest. Purdue managed only 299 yards and a field goal as the Badgers limited Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter to just 187 yards on 20-of-40 passing and an interception. P. J. Hill, Jr. ran for another two touchdowns and 161 yards.

### Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Illini | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| No. 17 Badgers | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
at Camp Randall Stadium
* Date: October 28, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C); Sunny; Wind at W 10 MPH
* Game attendance: 81,300
* Referee: Todd Geerlings
* TV: ESPN2
Game information :
First quarter
ILL – Travon Bellamy 41-yard interception return (Jason Reda kick), 3:34. Illinois 7–0.
Second quarter
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 21-yard field goal, 14:57. Illinois 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:52.
ILL – Pierre Thomas 2-yard pass from Juice Williams (Jason Reda kick), 10:42. Illinois 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:09.
ILL – Pierre Thomas 1-yard TD run (Jason Reda kick), 5:45. Illinois 21–3. Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 4:28.
WIS – Lance Smith 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:44. Illinois 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 3:56.
ILL – Jason Reda 20-yard field goal, 0:08. Illinois 24–10. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 1:28.'
Third quarter
WIS – Luke Swan 17-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 10:36. Illinois 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:26.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 21-yard field goal, 3:57. Illinois 24–20. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:53.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Andy Crooks 0-yard fumble return (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:50. Wisconsin 27–24.
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 33-yard field goal, 4:27. Wisconsin 30–24. Drive: 11 plays, 30 yards, 5:46.
Top passers
ILL – Juice Williams – 13/29, 171 yards, TD, INT
WIS – John Stocco – 15/26, 217 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ILL – Pierre Thomas – 8 rushes, 23 yards, TD
WIS – Lance Smith – 21 rushes, 46 yards, TD
Top receivers
ILL – Derrick McPhearson – 1 receptions, 52 yards
WIS – Luke Swan – 4 receptions, 85 yards, TD
Top defenders
ILL – Jeremy Leman – 13 tackles, 2.5 TFL
WIS – Matt Shaughnessy – 8 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2 sacks, QB hurry :
The visiting Illini gave the #18 Badgers a scare, as Illinois quarterback Juice Williams engineered three scoring drives in the second quarter to give the Illini a 24–10 lead at halftime. P. J. Hill, Jr. suffered a pinched nerve and left the game in the first quarter. Backup Lance Smith scored the Badgers' only touchdown of the first half. John Stocco threw for two touchdowns and Taylor Mehlhaff kicked two field goals in the second half, and the defense held Illinois scoreless throughout the second half to prevail victorious, 30–24.

### Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nittany Lions | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 17 Badgers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Camp Randall Stadium
* Date: November 4, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C); Cloudy; Wind at S 12 MPH
* Game attendance: 81,777
* Referee: Dave Witvoet
* TV: ABC
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 37-yard field goal, 0:01. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:10.
Second quarter
PSU – Kevin Kelly 39-yard field goal, 12:17. Tie 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:39.'
WIS – Paul Hubbard 14-yard pass from John Stocco (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:23. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:27.
Third quarter
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 20-yard field goal, 2:42. Wisconsin 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:35.
Fourth quarter
No scoring
Top passers
PSU – Anthony Morelli – 19/35, 165 yards, INT
WIS – John Stocco – 15/25, 172 yards, TD
Top rushers
PSU – Tony Hunt – 11 rushes, 35 yards
WIS – P. J. Hill – 31 rushes, 148 yards
Top receivers
PSU – Andrew Quarless – 5 receptions, 62 yards
WIS – Paul Hubbard – 5 receptions, 77 yards, TD
Top defenders
PSU – Sean Lee – 13 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery
WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 6 tackles, 2.5 TFL, sack, QB hurry :
The Badger defense stepped up in a huge way against Penn State, yielding only a field goal and 244 yards. Consistent pressure frustrated Nittany Lions quarterback Anthony Morelli, and the offense controlled the clock with 148 yards from P. J. Hill, Jr.. The Badgers won 13–3 to move to 9–1 on the season and their sixth straight victory. John Stocco suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.
This game drew the ire of Penn State head coach Joe Paterno as the first half came to a close. Under the clock rules introduced at the beginning of the season, the clock began running immediately as the ball was kicked, rather than when it was fielded by the receiving team. Following a Stocco touchdown that gave the Badgers a 10–3 lead with 23 seconds to go, Coach Bielema deliberately ordered his kickoff unit to run offsides before Taylor Mehlhaff kicked off. Because the Badgers were offsides (and thus further downfield), the Penn State special teams were unable to field the ball well, and thus would have had awful field position; they instead elected to rekick. Wisconsin repeated the tactic, essentially running out the clock on the first half. Bielema's strategy was decried by many as unsportsmanlike; others praised him for bringing light to a loophole in the new clock system. After the regular season, the clock rules were reverted to their pre-2006 form.

### Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Badgers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Kinnick Stadium
* Date: November 11, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C); Cloudy; Wind at N 7 MPH
* Game attendance: 70,585
* Referee: Bill LeMonnier
* TV: ESPN
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Taylor Mehlhaff 31-yard field goal, 2:16. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:36.
WIS – Travis Beckum 3-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:51. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 26 yards, 0:55.
Second quarter
IOW – Tony Moeaki 4-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 8:27. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 3:56.
IOW – Tom Busch 3-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 2:16. Iowa 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:12.
WIS – Luke Swan 42-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:39. Wisconsin 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 1:37.
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 13:49. Wisconsin 24–14. Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 7:40.
IOW – Trey Stross 24-yard pass from Drew Tate (Kyle Schlicher kick), 10:20. Wisconsin 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 0:44.
Top passers
IOW – Drew Tate – 10/31, 170 yards, 3 TD, INT
WIS – Tyler Donovan – 17/24, 228 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
IOW – Damian Sims – 7 rushes, 53 yards
WIS – P. J. Hill – 28 rushes, 77 yards, TD
Top receivers
IOW – Trey Stross – 1 receptions, 24 yards, TD
WIS – Luke Swan – 4 receptions, 113 yards, TD
Top defenders
IOW – Marcus Paschal – 14 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery
WIS – Joe Stellmacher – 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 3 pass breakups :
After moving up to #16 in the coaches poll, Wisconsin ended a two-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes with a 24–21 victory in Iowa City. With John Stocco sitting out due to injury, backup Tyler Donovan played an efficient game, going 17-of-24 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Hawkeyes quarterback Drew Tate threw for Iowa's three touchdowns but was frustrated all game, completing fewer than a third of his attempts. With the win, the Badgers completed conference play with a 7–1 mark, wrapping up a second place tie in the Big Ten.

### Buffalo

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 12 Badgers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Camp Randall Stadium
* Date: November 18, 2006
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C); Cloudy; Wind at N 7 MPH
* Game attendance: 80,850
* Referee: Steve Newman
* TV: ESPNU
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Paul Hubbard 26-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 14:04. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 1 plays, 26 yards, 0:29.
BUF – Adam Tanalski 34-yard field goal, 11:07. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:52.
Second quarter
WIS – P. J. Hill 3-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 1:24. Wisconsin 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:13.
WIS – Luke Swan 35-yard pass from Tyler Donovan (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 0:27. Wisconsin 21–3. Drive: 3 plays, 46 yards, 0:23.
Third quarter
WIS – Lance Smith 1-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 4:59. Wisconsin 28–3. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:03.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Dywon Rowan 11-yard TD run (Taylor Mehlhaff kick), 7:59. Wisconsin 35–3. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:20.
Top passers
BUF – Tony Paoli – 6/23, 107 yards, INT
WIS – Tyler Donovan – 16/26, 308 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – James Starks – 15 rushes, 31 yards
WIS – P. J. Hill – 19 rushes, 86 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Naaman Roosevelt – 2 receptions, 90 yards
WIS – Travis Beckum – 5 receptions, 135 yards
Top defenders
BUF – Kareem Byrom – 9 tackles, 2.0 TFL, forced fumble
WIS – Jonathan Casillas – 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL, fumble recovery :
On Senior Day, the #10 Badgers started sluggishly, but scored two touchdowns just before halftime and added two more in the second half to win decisively over Buffalo, 35–3. Tyler Donovan once again performed proficiently, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 16-of-26, and the defense forced four turnovers and held Buffalo to just 159 yards. P. J. Hill, Jr. scored a touchdown and picked up 86 yards on the ground.
With the win, the Badgers finished 11–1, the best regular season in school history. There was a minor controversy concerning the Bowl Championship Series, whose rules state that only two teams from one conference may receive bids to BCS bowl games. Ohio State and Michigan were ranked ahead of the Badgers in the final BCS standings, granting those two schools BCS invitations and relegating the Badgers to a lesser bowl. Nevertheless, Wisconsin again accepted an invitation to the Capital One Bowl, where it would defend its championship against Arkansas.

### Capital One Bowl – Arkansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #13 Arkansas | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| #5 Wisconsin | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
The Badgers returned to Orlando to face the #13 Razorbacks, led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden. McFadden burst for 45 yards on his first carry but was brought down from behind by Jack Ikegwuonu at the 9-yard line, a pivotal play that led to a missed field goal by Arkansas. The Badgers led 17–7 at halftime behind John Stocco's two touchdown passes, and eventually survived a nailbiting second half in which the Razorbacks continually had great field position but failed to capitalize. Despite being held to -5 rushing yards while giving up 232, including 150 from Arkansas' Felix Jones, the Badgers won 17–14. John Stocco, playing in his final collegiate game, was named the game's MVP.
The Badgers finished the season on a nine-game winning streak to reach #5 in the final coaches poll and #7 in the final AP poll. The 12 wins were a new single season record.

## Regular starters

| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | John Stocco |
| Running Back | P.J. Hill |
| Fullback | Andy Crooks/Bill Rentmeester |
| Wide Receiver | Luke Swan |
| Wide Receiver | Paul Hubbard |
| Tight End | Travis Beckum |
| Left Tackle | Joe Thomas |
| Left Guard | Andy Kemp |
| Center | Marcus Coleman |
| Right Guard | Kraig Urbik |
| Right Tackle | Eric Vanden Heuvel |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Joe Monty |
| Defensive tackle | Jason Chapman |
| Defensive tackle | Nick Hayden |
| Defensive End | Matt Shaughnessy |
| Outside Linebacker | DeAndre Levy |
| Middle Linebacker | Mark Zalewski |
| Outside Linebacker | Jonathan Casillas |
| Cornerback | Allen Langford |
| Strong Safety | Joe Stellmacher |
| Free Safety | Roderick Rogers |
| Cornerback | Jack Ikegwuonu |

## Team players selected in the 2007 NFL Draft

| Player | Position | Round | Overall Selection | NFL Team |
| Joe Thomas | Offensive Tackle | 1 | 3 | Cleveland Browns |