Kim Klement, USA TODAY SPORTS
Barry Alvarez, the athletic director for the Wisconsin Badgers, came out of retirement to coach his school in the 2015 Outback Bowl. And having Alvarez on the sidelines turned out to be just the right formula for the Badgers, who topped the Auburn Tigers 34-31 in overtime on Thursday in Tampa.
Prior to the game, Alvarez said that he would just manage the game and stay out of the way of the offensive and defensive coordinators, who would be calling the plays. While that appeared to be the case in the first half, it was obvious that Alvarez had a hand in the offensive change in the second half.
When Alvarez was the Wisconsin coach, he had several outstanding running backs. This Wisconsin team has perhaps the best Badger running back ever in Melvin Gordon. Alvarez made it clear that in the second half, Gordon would get the ball early and often, and he did. For the game, Gordon rushed 34 times for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
The other great thing for Alvarez was that he had absolutely nothing to lose in the game, so he could take chances. The Badgers converted three fourth downs, including a fourth-and-one that resulted in a 53-yard Gordon touchdown. While other coaches might not have taken such chances, Alvarez was able to do so without a chance of repercussion.
Auburn’s slide continued a horrible postseason for the SEC West. The division, which sent all seven of its teams to bowl games, fell to 2-4 this bowl season with one game remaining. Auburn had a chance to tie the game in overtime, but Daniel Carlson’s field goal clanged off of the right upright.
It was a fitting end to the game for Wisconsin and a satisfying win for Alvarez, who proved to be the difference between winning and losing.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
