Bryant Earns a Blue Ribbon for Badgers in the Sack Race

The UCLA Bruins made an agonizing discovery in the Rose Bowl Friday. They found out about a Wisconsin defensive tackle named Wendell Bryant

Bryant, a 290-pound true freshman, was anything but a household name in Wisconsin’s drive to the Big Ten co-championship. But he worked his way into the starting lineup, largely unnoticed, and his sack of UCLA quarterback Cade McNown was the game-saving play of the Badgers’ 38-31 victory.

Facing its last stand, UCLA took over on its own 46 with 1:42 to play. After two incompletions and a seven-yard pass, it had fourth and three on Wisconsin’s 47 with 1:10 remaining.

With one chance left, McNown rolled out and scarcely had time to search for a receiver when Bryant, aided by all-American defensive end Tom Burke, flung him to the turf.

With the Bruins down to their final timeout, the Badgers ran out the clock on three kneel-downs by quarterback Mike Samuel, thus repeating their 1994 Rose Bowl victory over the Pac-10 co-champions.

Afterward, Bryant talked about the play that put his name up front.

“We were in a right rush, and I got outside,” he said. “Tom Burke and John Favret, our all-American ends, forced McNown upfield. I made a move inside, and then I went outside. We knew he had to roll out left, and when he did, I hit him.

“I didn’t know we had the game won until I got to the sideline and all the guys were jumping up and down. Then I looked up at the clock and I realized it was over.

“What a way to wind up my freshman season at Wisconsin. And I owe so much to our defensive line coach, John Palermo. He taught me everything I know about playing this game.

“Now I can’t wait for next season to roll around.”

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Bryant’s last remark was inspired by the fact that the Badgers have only seven seniors on their two starting units, but Coach Barry Alvarez warned that his charges shouldn’t take anything for granted.

“We felt the same way after winning here five years ago,” Alvarez said. “We had most of our players coming back then as well, but we didn’t do a very good job of keeping them hungry. We wound up having a disappointing season [8-3-1].

“I told our players this after the game today, and I hope they got the message.”

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As was the case in the 1994 Rose Bowl game, most of the stadium was a sea of red. Wisconsin’s share of the crowd appeared to be about 60%.

On two occasions when UCLA was deep in Wisconsin territory at the end heavily populated by Badger partisans, the din was so great that McNown had to call timeout. On the first of those, in the third quarter, the Bruins’ DeShaun Foster followed by fumbling the ball away on Wisconsin’s two-yard line.

“We checked off to another play,” McNown said. “Most of the guys got it, but not everybody. It was tough.”

Foster’s fumble occurred with Wisconsin leading, 31-21.

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Forty-nine players participated for UCLA. Larry Clements was not one of them.

Clements, a senior walk-on from LaCrosse, Wis., whose final-game wish was to participate in one play for his parents and hometown fans, was denied an opportunity when the game against Wisconsin was close.

“I know how it goes,” said Clements, a 5-foot-9 defensive back, before the game. “It has to be late, and we have to be up at least two touchdowns.”

That did not happen Friday. Clements, who plays on kickoffs, ended his career with nine plays in five years.

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Ever wonder about the economics of a college football bowl game? Well, some simple math tells a nice story of why the Rose Bowl has always been called the “Granddaddy of Them All.”

The ticket price went up this year to $110. Every ticket, no scaled house.

The attendance was 93,872. Assuming every ticket was paid for--certainly most were but there are always some giveaways to VIPs--the revenue generated from ticket sales alone would be $10,325,920.

And you thought that “Granddaddy” stuff was about tradition and great football.

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Kris Farris, star offensive tackle for the Bruins, has not decided whether to return for his senior year or take the pro money and run. Afterward, he said, “I told myself, no matter what happened in this game, I wouldn’t decide right after it.”

He also said, in a tone of clear frustration that may speak legions about his eventual decision, “The offense and defense talked a lot before this game. We were together, and we talked about the Rose Bowl being this team’s legacy.

“After this, I have no idea what this team’s legacy is.”

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UCLA’s unexpected tumble from 10-0 and a possible national championship to a disappointing 10-2 finish probably brought back bad memories for USC fans. The Trojans did the same thing 10 years ago.

Ranked No. 2 after defeating UCLA, 31-22, to win the Pacific 10 Conference and qualify for the 1989 Rose Bowl game, the Rodney Peete-led Trojans fell apart the next week in a 27-10 loss to top-ranked Notre Dame at the Coliseum.

Then, in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, 1989, they had five turnovers, squandered a 14-3 halftime lead and lost to Michigan, 24-14.

Times Sports Editor Bill Dwyre and staff writers Bill Plaschke and Jerry Crowe contributed to this story.