The 2013 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers, led by first year head coach Gary Andersen, were members of the Leaders Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium.
Recruiting
Watchlists and preseason awards
Jared Abbrederis Fred Biletnikoff Award Paul Hornung Award Chris Borland Bednarik Award Bronko Nagurski Trophy Butkus Award Lombardi Award Lott IMPACT Trophy Melvin Gordon Doak Walker Award Ryan Groy Outland Trophy Lombardi Award Jacob Pedersen John Mackey Award James White Doak Walker Award Maxwell Award
Schedule
Rankings
Regular season
Massachusetts
The Badgers' first game of the 2013 season was a first for many. It was new Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen's first game and it was the first time the Badgers had ever squared off against the UMass Minutemen.
Wisconsin received the opening kickoff and marched right down the field and scored on a 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Joel Stave. On the Minutemen's first offensive play, Wisconsin's linebacker Brendan Kelly forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow linebacker Ethan Armstrong. On the very next play, Joel Stave threw an interception. The Badgers managed a 21-yard field goal by Kyle French before the end of the first quarter for a 10–0 lead. After a UMass punt, Wisconsin missed a 40-yard field goal and then UMass missed a 47-yard field goal. On the second play of the next Badgers drive, running back Melvin Gordon sprinted down the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown run. The Badgers led 17–0 at the half.
UMass started with the ball in the second half but after a three-and-out, the Badgers scored on their first offensive play of the second half with Joel Stave connecting with wide receiver Jared Abbrederis on a 65-yard touchdown pass. Another UMass punt and then three plays later running back James White scores on a 51-yard touchdown run. UMass then put together a nice drive that got down to the Badgers 38-yard line but Wisconsin CB Sojour Shelton intercepted the UMass pass. The Badgers took over at their own 22-yard line and five plays later they were in the end zone again with a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jared Abbrederis from Joel Stave. At the end of the third quarter, Wisconsin led 38–0. The Badgers would close out the scoring less than two minutes into the fourth quarter with a 23-yard touchdown run by true freshman running back, Corey Clement, his first career touchdown. UMass then used a 12-play drive to get down to the Badgers 33-yard line but failed on a fourth down conversion. A heavy dose of running the ball with Corey Clement help the Badgers run off the final seven and a half minutes of the game and giving Wisconsin a 45–0 victory.
Game notes It was Wisconsin's 17th straight home opener, dating to 1996. It was the first shutout for Wisconsin since blanking Oregon State, 35–0, on September 10, 2011. It was also their most lop-sided shutout since a 65–0 win over Temple on September 10, 2005. Wisconsin converted 8 of 11 third downs (72.7%), its highest single-game conversion percentage since converting 11-of-15 third downs (73.3%) against Washington State on September 1, 2007. Joel Stave scored the Badgers’ first TD of the season on a 4-yard run. It was Stave's first career rushing touchdown. Jared Abbrederis entered the game as the leader among active FBS players in yards per reception at 16.6 ypc. He has 13 career catches of at least 40 yards. He finished with two catches for 122 yards (61.0 ypc). James White entered the game with the best career yards per carry average in school history and among active FBS running backs (6.1 ypc.). He rushed 11 times for 143 yards in the game, an average of 13.0 ypc. Included among his runs was a 47-yarder in the first quarter and a 51-yard TD run in the third quarter. He now has 10 career runs of 40+ yards. Sophomore RB Melvin Gordon led the nation with a 10.0 average yard per carry last year. He gained 144 yards on 13 carries in the game (11.1 ypc.), including a 70-yard TD run in the second quarter. That was his longest career run, surpassing a 60-yard run he had against Nebraska in last year's Big Ten Championship game. True freshman RB Corey Clement made his UW debut, finishing with 16 carries for 101 yards and scoring his first career touchdown on a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter. Clement is the first true freshman at UW to run for at least 100 yards in a season opener since the NCAA rule allowing true freshmen to play came into effect for the 1972 season. Corey Clement is the first Badger to rush for 100 yards in his debut since P. J. Hill ran for 130 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown in a 35–14 win at Bowling Green on September 2, 2006. Melvin Gordon, James White and Corey Clement all surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for just the third time in school history. UW also had three 100-yard rushers against Nebraska in the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game on December 1, 2012, and vs. Indiana on November 8, 2008. Freshman CB Sojourn Shelton was the first true freshman to start a season-opener for the Badgers since Travis Frederick started at center vs. Northern Illinois in 2009. Shelton picked up an interception in his debut, coming in the third quarter.
Statistical leaders Rushing: Melvin Gordon – 13 Car, 146 yds, 1 TD Passing: Joel Stave – 9/17, 197 yds, 2 TDs, INT Receiving: Jared Abbrederis – 2 Rec, 122 yds, 2 TDs Defense: Chris Borland – 9 Tkls
Tennessee Tech
In the Badgers' second game, they faced another opponent whom they had never faced in the school's history, the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.
Tennessee Tech received the opening kickoff. On the second play of the game, the Golden Eagles fumbled and Badgers safety Dezmen Southward recovered at Tech's 22-yard line. Six plays later, Joel Stave connected with fullback Derek Straus on a 3-yard touchdown pass. It was Straus' first career start and his first career touchdown. After two Tech punts and a Wisconsin punt, the Badgers took over at their own 24-yard line just under seven minutes left in the first quarter. After a Melvin Gordon 5-yard run, Gordon ripped off a 65-yard run and was pushed out-of-bounds at the Golden Eagles 6-yard line. The very next play, Joel Stave hit Jared Abbrederis with a 6-yard touchdown pass giving the Badgers a 14–0 lead. The first quarter end after a Tech punt and the Badgers driving into Tech territory. At the start of the second quarter, the Badgers got down to the Golden Eagles 37-yard line but Joel Stave threw an interception that was returned to Tech's 39-yard line. After a Tech punt, a Wisconsin punt and another Tech punt, the Badgers took over at their own 48-yard line. It only took Wisconsin three plays to drive 52 yards and score on a 37-yard touchdown run by Melvin Gordon stretching the lead to 21. After a Tech punt and Wisconsin penalty on the punt return, the Badgers were backed up at their own 6-yard line with 1:49 left until halftime. The Badgers put together an impressive 11-play 94-yard scoring drive that only took one minute and 37 seconds. Joel Stave was 10–10 passing during the drive and capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brian Wozniak. The Golden Eagles then took the kickoff to their own 19-yard line and took a knee on the final play of the half with the Badgers leading 28–0.
The second half started with the Badgers receiving the kickoff. Wisconsin put together a scoring drive using 12 plays to go 76 yards. The drive was closed out by a James White 2-yard touchdown run but kicker Kyle French missed the extra point; the Badgers led, 34–0. Punt by Tech, punt by Wisconsin and punt by Tech again. The Badgers took over at their own 20-yard line and got to Tech's 42-yard line as the third quarter came to a close. Wisconsin then turned the ball over on downs. The Badgers just looking to run the clock down, true freshman running back Corey Clement eight times on the next drive and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run extending the Wisconsin led to 41–0. On the next Tech drive, Badgers redshirt freshman safety Leo Musso got his first career interception. On the very next play, Corey Clement scampered 75 yards for his second touchdown of the game. After a Tech turnover-on-downs, a Wisconsin missed field goal, the Golden Eagles ran the clock out and the Badgers start the season 2–0 after a 48–0 victory over Tennessee Tech.
Game notes The Badgers recorded back-to-back shutouts to open the season for the first time since opening the 1958 season with a 20–0 win at Miami (Fla.) and a 50–0 win over Marquette. The last time UW recorded two shutouts in the same season was 1998 with a 45–0 vs. Ohio on September 12 and a 31–0 win at Iowa on October 24. The last Big Ten team to open the season with consecutive shutouts was Ohio State in 1963 when it beat Texas A&M, 17–0, and Indiana, 21–0 Dating back to the 2013 Rose Bowl, UW has not allowed a touchdown in its last 11 quarters. Head coach Gary Andersen is just the third coach in the modern era (since 1946) of UW history to begin his career 2–0. The other two coaches were Dave McClain (1978) and Bret Bielema (2006). UW allowed just 113 total yards on defense, equaling the ninth-lowest total in school history and the Badgers’ best effort since giving up 99 to Northern Illinois (October 20, 2007). Wisconsin has won its last 26 games when rushing for more than 230 yards. After having only one game with three 100-yard rushers heading into the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game, the Badgers have had three 100-yard rushers in three of their past four games. UW has had at least two 100-yard rushers in six of the last 10 games. After the game, Gordon now has 1,003 career rushing yards on 104 carries for a career average per carry of 9.6. Senior WR Jared Abbrederis caught a 6-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. It was his third touchdown reception of the season and 19th of his career. That ties him with Jonathan Orr and Al Toon for third all-time in UW history. Lee Evans is the school's all-time leader with 27. With a career-high eight receptions in the game, Abbrederis moved into fifth place on UW's career receptions list (134), passing Chris Chambers and Al Toon. Playing in his 37th career game, senior TE Brian Wozniak caught his first career TD pass, hauling in a 6-yard scoring strike late in the first half. Playing in his 42nd career game, senior LB Conor O’Neill made his first career start. O’Neill tallied a career-high nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Statistical leaders Rushing: Corey Clement – 13 Car, 149 Yds, 2 TDs Passing: Joel Stave – 24/28, 219 Yds, three touchdowns, 1 INT Receiving: Jared Abbrederis – 8 Rec, 62 Yds, 1 TD Defense: Conor O'Neill – 9 Tkls, 1.5 TFL
At Arizona State
The Badgers' first road game of the 2013 season was against the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Badgers were 1–2 all-time vs. the Sun Devils and Wisconsin won the last meeting, 20–19, on September 10, 2010, in Madison.