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2003 Wisconsin Badgers football team

2003 Wisconsin Badgers football
University of Wisconsin Waving W.svg
Music City Bowl, L 14–28 vs. Auburn
Conference Big Ten Conference
2003 record 7–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach Barry Alvarez (14th year)
Offensive coordinator Brian White
Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove
MVP Lee Evans
Captain Lee Evans
Captain Jim Leonhard
Captain Jeff Mack
Captain Jim Sorgi
Home stadium Camp Randall Stadium
(Capacity: 76,634)
Seasons
← 2002
2004 →
2003 Big Ten football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
#6 Michigan $   7 – 1         10 – 3  
#4 Ohio State %   6 – 2         11 – 2  
#18 Purdue   6 – 2         9 – 4  
#8 Iowa   5 – 3         10 – 3  
#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 representative as conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
#21 Wisconsin at West Virginia
1 2 3 4 Total
• Wisconsin 7 0 3 14 24
West Virginia 10 0 7 0 17
#3 Ohio State at #23 Wisconsin
1 2 3 4 Total
Ohio State 0 3 0 7 10
• Wisconsin 0 7 3 7 17
#21/#22 Michigan State at Wisconsin
1 2 3 4 Total
Michigan State 0 7 7 7 21
• Wisconsin 14 14 21 7 56

The 2003 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2003 NCAA Division I FBS 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.

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 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.


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