A look at Wisconsin's 10 most memorable games under Paul Chryst

Jeff Potrykus

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

UW head coach Paul Chryst is interviewed after his team's victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl. It was one of Wisconsin's most memorable games under Chryst.

2017 Orange Bowl

One month after suffering a six-point loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, UW overcame an early double-digit deficit to defeat Miami, 34-24, on the Hurricanes’ home field. Alex Hornibrook completed 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns as UW finished 13-1 to record the most victories in program history. Wide receivers Danny Davis (five catches, 56 yards, three TDs) and A.J. Taylor (eight catches, 105 yards, one TD) burned Miami’s secondary all night and UW intercepted three passes.

2017 Big Ten title game

Ohio State used big plays to roll up 314 yards of offense in the first half to build an 11-point lead and then used a late defensive stand to hold on for a 27-21 victory over UW. The Badgers entered the game 12-0 and one victory away from qualifying for the College Football Playoff. They settled for an Orange Bowl berth against Miami.

UW quarterback Bart Houston drops back to pass in the first quarter against LSU on Sept. 3, 2016, in Green Bay. Houston threw for 205 yards in the Badgers' 16-14 victory.

2016 opener

UW entered the 2016 season unranked and facing a daunting schedule beginning with No. 5 LSU in Lambeau Field. Led by a tenacious defense that allowed just 257 yards and one score and the leg of Rafael Gaglianone, UW pulled off the 16-14 upset. Gaglianone hit field goals of 30, 48 and 47 yards, with his final kick the game-winner with 3 minutes 47 seconds left. Safety D’Cota Dixon sealed the victory with an interception at the UW 25 with 57 seconds remaining.

Wisconsin running back Corey Clement looks to get past Penn State safety Malik Golden as Clement scores on a 67-yard touchdown run in the Big Ten football championship game in 2016.

2016 Big Ten title game

One week after rallying from a double-digit deficit for a 31-17 victory over rival Minnesota, UW faced Penn State in Indianapolis. The Badgers were looking for their first Big Ten title since 2012. Led by tailbacks Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale and a tenacious defense, UW built a 21-point lead late in the opening half. Penn State cut the deficit to 14 by the half and then rallied for a 38-31 victory. The Nittany Lions went to the Rose Bowl and UW settled for a trip to the Cotton Bowl.

2017 victory over Michigan

UW was 7-0 in the Big Ten and 10-0 overall when the 19th-ranked Wolverines visited Madison on Nov. 18. The Wolverines held a 10-7 lead in the third quarter before Hornibrook led touchdown drives of 77 and 61 yards to help UW rally for a 24-10 victory. UW’s defense limited the Wolverines to 58 rushing yards and only 234 total yards as the Badgers remained unbeaten.

Dare Ogunbowale runs for a touchdown in overtime against Nebraska in 2016.

2016 overtime victory over Nebraska

UW entered the night 2-2 in the Big Ten, thanks to seven-point losses to Michigan and Ohio State, and couldn’t afford a third loss in its quest to win the West Division title. The Badgers got the critical 23-17 victory in dramatic fashion as Ogunbowale scored on an 11-yard run in the overtime and then, after Andrew Endicott missed the extra-point attempt, Dixon broke up a fourth-down pass on Nebraska’s possession.

2015 home finale

UW was 5-1 in the Big Ten and still in the chase for the West Division title when it faced No. 20 Northwestern on Nov. 21. The Wildcats forced five turnovers and benefited from a controversial ruling by the replay official to hold on for a 13-7 victory. Joel Stave appeared to forge a 13-13 tie with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jazz Peavy with 24 seconds remaining but the replay official overturned the call on the field. He ruled Peavy did not maintain possession as he went to the ground. Stave was sacked for a 10-yard loss on the next play and UW eventually failed to score on fourth down.

Joel Stave passes the ball during the first quarter against USC during the Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in 2015.

2015 Holiday Bowl

UW entered the bowl game with a 9-3 record and an opportunity to win at least 10 games for the second consecutive season with a victory over USC. Stave overcame a broken nose suffered in the fourth quarter to engineer a seven-play, 42-yard drive capped by Gaglianone’s third field goal of the game, this time from 29 yards. UW made two more defensive stands to secure the 23-21 victory. Stave was named the offensive player of the game and linebacker Jack Cichy, who recorded sacks on three consecutive plays in the second half, was the defensive player of the game.

2015 at Nebraska

One week after suffering an ugly 10-6 home loss to Iowa in the Big Ten opener, UW was minutes away from falling to 0-2 in league play. The Badgers trailed Nebraska by a point after Gaglianone missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt with 1:26 remaining in the game. UW had three timeouts left, however, and the defense forced a three-and-out. Stave completed three passes to move the ball from the UW 30 to the Nebraska 28 and Gaglianone drilled a 46-yard field goal with four seconds left to give UW the 23-21 victory.

2018 loss to Minnesota

UW entered the regular-season finale with a 14-game winning streak against rival Minnesota. The Gophers, led by second-year coach P.J. Fleck, weren’t impressed. They built a 17-point lead through the first 28:55 and rolled up 201 rushing yards in a stunning 37-15 victory. Paul Bunyan’s Axe was heading to Minnesota for the first time since the 2003 season.