Wisconsin Wins in Overtime

Mike Allen kicked a 37-yard field goal in overtime to send Wisconsin to a 31-28 win over No. 14 Colorado in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night.

Wisconsin’s Brooks Bollinger threw two touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown with 51 seconds left in regulation, with Allen kicking the game-tying extra point. The Badgers (8-6) improved to 7-1 in bowl games under Coach Barry Alvarez.

Allen, a walk-on, had to shake some jitters before his winning kick.

“I haven’t been automatic from 37,” said Allen, who was 11of 18 this season with a long of 48 yards. “Luckily today I was.”

Colorado (9-5) got the ball first in overtime but lost 2 yards on three plays before Patrick Brougham missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.

Wisconsin then gained five yards on three consecutive runs to set up the winning kick by Allen, who was mobbed by his teammates on the field.

Bollinger passed for 163 yards and ran for 82 more in the eighth fourth-quarter comeback of the senior’s career.

“No question about it, this program needed this so bad,” Bollinger said. “Especially for the young kids, to point this program in the right direction.”

Wisconsin started the season 5-0 before fading badly down the stretch.

Chris Brown rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on an Alamo Bowl-record 28 carries for Colorado.

Brown, who rushed for 1,744 yards during the season but missed the last two games with a bruised sternum, also missed most of the fourth quarter with a mild concussion.

Don Strickland set an Alamo Bowl record with a 91-yard interception return and D.J. Hackett caught two touchdown passes.

Colorado starting quarterback Robert Hodge threw a touchdown and three interceptions in the first half before he was lifted late in the second quarter for Zac Colvin.

Colorado badly missed Brown as it tried to hold a 28-21 lead after Colvin threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hackett in the third.

Wisconsin, which ranked second in the nation in turnover ratio, nearly gave the game away with four against Colorado.

The Badgers led 21-14 before a pair of fumbles changed momentum in the third.

Jim Leonhard’s botched punt return set up Brown 4-yard touchdown. Anthony Davis then fumbled on Wisconsin’s next play from scrimmage to set up a Colvin scoring strike to Hackett.

Leonhard’s Big Ten record-tying 11th interception of the season set up Brandon Williams’ 10-yard touchdown catch from Bollinger.

“This was the best game of my life,” Leonhard said. “It just proves the character of this team.”

Bollinger’s seven-yard pass play to Darrin Charles gave Wisconsin a 21-14 lead.

Brown took a while to get cranked up. He had just 34 yards in the first half against a gang-tackling Wisconsin defense. He finally got going in the third after Wisconsin’s first fumble gave Colorado the ball on the Badgers’ 25.

Brown carried seven consecutive times before bowling over three defenders on a four-yard touchdown.