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Barry Alvarez
UW Director of Athletics
MADISON, Wis. — I've told this story many times. When I was at Burgettstown (Pennsylvania) High School, I seriously considered playing my college football in Miami.
I wanted to go there. But my mom wouldn't let me.
The Miami coaches would call the house and she would tell them, "He's not interested." She thought I might have too much fun in South Florida. She was afraid I'd party too much.
Miami was the site of my first bowl game as a Nebraska player and my final game as a Notre Dame assistant. I've got some not-so-fond and fond memories from those Orange Bowl trips.
When I was a sophomore (1965), I was a backup linebacker and we were unbeaten going into the game. But Alabama threw the ball all over the place with Steve Sloan and Ray Perkins and beat us.
We had a better team. But I thought Bear Bryant outcoached Coach (Bob) Devaney. We had too many turnovers and breakdowns on special teams that allowed them to recover some onside kicks.
With the top two teams in the country losing in their bowls — Michigan State in the Rose and Arkansas in the Cotton — Alabama was named the national champion that year.
I have another memory from that Orange Bowl. But let me give you some background.
When I was coaching, I always encouraged my players to take advantage of everything that was planned for them at the bowl site. I wanted them to respect and appreciate the bowl experience.
That was something that I didn't do as a player. On that first bowl trip to Miami, instead of taking in SeaWorld and some other sights, me and some guys from Pittsburgh went to the dog track.
Since the activities were optional, I passed on them. The following year, we played in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, and I did the same thing. I was a knucklehead and didn't think it was a big deal.
Years later, I was a high school coach with two kids making $7,000 a year and watching bowl games on TV and thinking, "Look at what you missed out on and all the things you took for granted."
That's why I've always looked at bowls as being a reward.
During my last year on Lou Holtz's staff at Notre Dame (1989), we played in the Orange Bowl twice. We lost our final game of the regular season to Miami in late November. It was our first loss.
And, then, we came back to play No. 1-ranked Colorado in the Orange Bowl game itself.
Throughout the week of practice, Lou would come down to our end of the field and check on the defense. I finally asked him, "Why are you down here? Don't you think we can stop these guys?"
He said, "No, because no one has stopped them. They're 100 percent in the red zone."
I promised him, "Coach, we'll stop them."
And I reminded him that we went goal-line against Tony Rice in practice — No. 1 defense versus No. 1 offense — and we stopped Rice, who was every bit as good of a quarterback as Darian Hagan.
Lou didn't bother me anymore that week and we did stop them and beat Colorado. They were averaging 34 points and 473 yards. And we held them to six points and less than 300 yards.
This summer, Lou was in Madison and he was telling me that he lost a lot of memorabilia when his house burned in Florida. One of his favorite pictures in his office was from that Orange Bowl game.
The picture was of nine guys on our defense penetrating the line of scrimmage after Colorado had a first-and-goal from our 1-yard line.
We forced them to settle for a field-goal attempt on fourth down and they ran a fake that we stopped. That goal-line stand set the tone for the whole game.
Besides playing and coaching in the Orange Bowl, I was also part of the FOX broadcasting team — along with Kenny Albert and Moose Johnston — for Kansas' upset of Virginia Tech in the '08 game.
Last year, I was honored to be inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame and I spent three days in Miami at the various functions. It was a lot of fun and I have many good friends connected with the bowl.
Obviously, I'm really excited about this year's Orange Bowl because we're making our first appearance in the game and we've drawn a strong opponent in Miami.
I can't say enough about the job Paul Chryst has done and all the work our coaches and players have put into this season. So many good things have happened and now we can win a 13th game.
Not many can say that. I know we never have been in this position at Wisconsin. The only Big Ten programs to win 13 games in a season are Ohio State (2002, 2014) and Michigan State (2013).
You always want to end the season with a good taste in your mouth. And now we'll get that opportunity and a chance to make school history in the Orange Bowl with another victory.
I can't think of a better way to celebrate a birthday.
Editor's note: Barry Alvarez will turn 71 on December 30. Happy birthday!
