Fred Jetstone Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Bollinger credited with Badger resurgence Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Brooks Bollinger got his first collegiate start in front of 93,524 fans at Ohio State. Wisconsin fell behind 17-0 before the freshman quarterback led the Badgers to two second-quarter scores. Senior offensive tackle and team captain Chris McIntosh was amazed by what happened next. "He came into the huddle and said, "OK, we're taking it to the house,"' McIntosh recalled. "He just became a leader. It kind of blew my mind, but after that, we didn't miss a beat." Bollinger led Wisconsin to eight straight scores in all as the Badgers embarrassed the Buckeyes 42-17. The freshman generated 245 total yards rushing and passing. It was the first of seven straight wins by Wisconsin, which went on to win the Big Ten title. "Teams have to respect Brooks, because he can beat them with his running or his passing," Ron Dayne said. "He's one of the most multitalented quarterbacks I've seen." Dayne says Bollinger was the reason the Badgers rebounded from a 2-2 start. His offensive numbers aren't impressive, but the impact Bollinger makes on opponents' defensive plans is enormous. "Brooks enables us to have a completely different look, if we choose to," coach Barry Alvarez said. "We're a grind-it-out run team usually, but when we want to, we can do several different things because of Brooks' talents." Bollinger was redshirted last season, and he spent Wisconsin's Rose Bowl win over UCLA picking up the phone for quarterback Mike Samuel and "trying to stay out of the way." He'll be at center stage on Saturday, when the fourth-ranked Badgers face No. 22 Stanford. "This year, I'm trying to focus on the game and not so much on the people in the stands and planes flying overhead, that stuff," he said with a grin. An intelligent, self-effacing 20-year-old from Grand Forks, N.D., Bollinger has taken in stride the accolades he is receiving, including the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. He passed for 1,028 yards and rushed for 445 and five touchdowns. He laughs when asked if he expected so much so soon. "I'm kind of spoiled," he said. "I've been here two years, and I've been to two Rose Bowls. I remember standing on the sideline last year and thinking, 'This is going to be on the Classic Sports Network someday."' Before Bollinger's emergence, Wisconsin was a one-dimensional offensive team struggling to distract teams from stopping Dayne. Senior quarterback Scott Kavanagh was Samuel's backup for three seasons, but he was a tentative passer and not a running threat. Bollinger and Kavanagh fought a close battle for the starting job during the preseason, and the freshman played briefly in Wisconsin's first three games. When the Badgers fell behind Michigan on Sept. 25, Alvarez inserted Bollinger to give the team a jump-start. It worked, as Bollinger directed a 10-play, 80-yard drive near the end of Wisconsin's 21-16 loss. Dayne, who also became a starter early in his own freshman year, said Bollinger's emergence was the reason Dayne rushed for 981 yards in Wisconsin's last five games, a string of performances that locked up the Heisman Trophy. Wisconsin averaged 37.7 points in Bollinger's seven starts. Bollinger doesn't seem to worry much about the pressure of being the starting quarterback on the nation's fourth-ranked team. He plans to enjoy the entire Rose Bowl week. He even got the chance to appear on "The Tonight Show" on Tuesday when he was picked out of the Badgers' group to participate in a skit. When he got back to the hotel, he called his parents -- Rob, a former offensive coordinator at North Dakota, and Lisa -- and told them to tape the show that evening. "I guess that was my 10 seconds of fame," he said. If Bollinger continues to play at his current level, that's not likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Wisconsin Badgers and the CFL as the next stop for Bollinger to achieve greatness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor99 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 It's too bad, he peaked as a freshman. It's been all downhill since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Unless we carry a 4th QB it's bye-bye Brooksie, Fred. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to keep him seeing as Ramsey is a FA after this season and you never know with Chad but it's unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I'm pulling for Brooks to be the starter next year. Just imagine Fred's excitement should that happen. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L.I.MikeBleedsGreen Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 BOLLY SUCKS FRED'S BALLS ,AND FRED LETS HIM ,BOTH YOU GUYS SUCK HEY FRED DON'T FORGET TO SWALLAA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 the only quality item wisconsin produces is cheese and beer,, certainly not players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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