Oct. 2, 2007

Without question, Wisconsin sophomore running back P.J. Hill is one of the most dominant rushers in the country this season. The 227-pound reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year is ranked in the nation's top 10 in rushing yards per game and appears to be on his way toward a very successful tenure in Madison.

However, two former Badgers in the backfield have already staked their claim as the top rushers in Wisconsin history. At tailback, Ron Dayne powered through defenses during the late 1990s, rushing for more yards in his career than anyone who has ever played the college game. More than forty years earlier, Alan Ameche was the Badgers' prized fullback in Madison.

Together the two are the lone Heisman Trophy winners in school history.

WINNING WITH `THE HORSE'
Ameche, a 212-pound rusher from Kenosha, Wis., ventured to Madison in 1951 to play for Ivy Williamson, who was hired by UW in 1949 to turn around the stagnant program. The freshman fullback did not start in the first JV game against Iowa in September 1951, but managed to get into the lineup later in the contest and rushed for two touchdowns. In a time where freshmen were eligible for varsity competition without restriction, Ameche played the following day for the varsity in a game against Marquette. By the end of October, he had established himself as a starter and even rushed for 148 yards against Purdue.

With his brute strength, his everlasting stamina and his high-stepping attack, Ameche was quickly dubbed `The Horse' by the Badger coaching staff. The name fit because Ameche galloped to a Big Ten record 774 yards on 147 attempts his first season, becoming the first freshman to ever lead the conference in rushing. In all games, Ameche scampered for 824 yards on 157 carries. The Badgers' 1951 squad went 7-1-1 on the year and produced one of the nation's best defenses. However, Wisconsin's Big Ten Championship hopes were gone early in the season, following a heartbreaking loss to Illinois.

In 1952, Ameche and the Badgers finished the year tied with Purdue for the conference title. Ameche had once again staked claim to the conference's top rusher, recording 721 yards on 146 carries during the Big Ten campaign and an impressive 1,079 yards on 233 carries for the year. In addition to his seven touchdowns, he became the first Badger to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a season. The 1952 ballclub was invited to participate in the Rose Bowl that year - the Badgers' first-ever postseason bid. Despite falling to USC, 7-0, Ameche rushed for 133 yards on 28 carries.

The 1953 season was one that saw Ameche carry the ball less, but at the same time, earn much more responsibility. Coach Williamson had decided to go more frequently to the air, while players were expected to contribute on both the offense and defense. In addition to fullback, Ameche played linebacker his final two seasons and often played up to 55 minutes per game. He rushed 165 times for 801 yards, was awarded the Walter Camp Award as the nation's outstanding college player, and was named to 10 All-America squads.

Despite playing through injuries his senior year in 1954, Ameche rushed for 641 yards on 146 carries and ended his career in Madison as the NCAA's all-time career rusher. He was a runaway winner for the 1954 Heisman Trophy and the first Badger to ever win the award. Ameche was also tabbed as the honoree for the Big Ten Silver Football in 1954, awarded to the conference's Most Valuable Player. In 37 games over four years, Ameche scored 25 touchdowns, gained 3,345 scrimmage yards, and was primarily responsible for the Badgers' 26 victories during 1951-54. He held all rushing records for single game and season performances at Wisconsin, scoring more points and touchdowns at that time than any player in the school's history.

Until of course, the Great Dayne came to Madison.

THE GREAT DAYNE
Dayne came to Wisconsin from Berlin, N.J., where his 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash amazed college coaches because it was coming from his 266-pound frame. Raised by his minister uncle, the relatively shy and quiet recruit was lured to Madison by coach Barry Alvarez primarily because Wisconsin was the lone school that was offering him a shot at playing tailback, not fullback.

During his freshman year, then up to 274 pounds, Dayne earned a starting role in the backfield in the fifth game of the season. After being named starter, he averaged a mind-blowing 195.8 rushing yards per game and amassed 1,863 yards on the ground during the regular season. That total surpassed Herschel Walker's NCAA freshman rushing record and his 2,109 total yards, which included 246 yards in a Copper Bowl win over Utah, was a Big Ten single-season record. During the season, he gained 297 yards on a freshman-record 50 carries against Minnesota, scored 21 total touchdowns, and amassed 1,066 yards - more than half of his total production - after initial contact with a defender.

Dayne's sophomore season was less productive than his first, but still the type of season any college rusher would long to have. He ran for 1,457 total yards on 263 carries, averaging 5.5 yards a rush, and recording 15 touchdowns. He only gained 36 yards in the 1998 Outback Bowl loss against Georgia, which left Dayne as hungry as ever for the 1998 regular season.

In his junior campaign, Dayne rushed for another 15 touchdowns en route to 1,525 total yards on the ground on 295 carries. Just as Ameche did, Dayne led the Badgers to the 1999 Rose Bowl, where he dominated UCLA with 246 yards rushing and four touchdowns, earning him Most Valuable Player honors. Dayne considered turning pro after his junior year, but decided to remain in Madison with his girlfriend and daughter. He wanted to complete school and tend to some unfinished business.

Dayne entered his senior year with 4,945 career rushing yards. Two significant marks stood in his path. Ohio State's Archie Griffin rushed for 5,589 yards in his career, which was the Big Ten record, and Ricky Williams' NCAA rushing record of 6,279 yards was achieved while he was at Texas. Having set the Big Ten mark earlier in the year, Dayne entered the final game of the season, a home game against rival Iowa, needing just 99 yards to establish a new NCAA record. Not only did he reach those 99 yards, he gained 216 yards with a touchdown on the day before sitting out the fourth quarter of the Badgers' 41-3 victory. Sitting out a quarter was something Dayne had done seven times in blowouts during his career, but this time he sat as the nation's all-time career rusher with 6,397 yards. Following the game, Wisconsin unveiled Dayne's name and No. 33 on the facade of Camp Randall Stadium, joining the likes of none other than No. 35 Ameche and four other Badgers.

A few weeks after leading Wisconsin to its second-straight Big Ten title and being honored as the conference's Player of the Year, Dayne was presented the 1999 Heisman Trophy. At the turn of the new year, he finished his collegiate career in the 2000 Rose Bowl, rushing for 200 yards and becoming just one of only four players to win two Rose Bowl MVPs with a win over Stanford.

Dayne will long be remembered as the NCAA career rushing leader and he achieved the mark by missing only three games in four years. He fumbled only nine times in his collegiate career and finished with 11 games of 200 yards or mote, which ties an NCAA record set by Williams and Marcus Allen. With bowl games statistics included, Dayne finished his career at Wisconsin with 7,125 rushing yards, becoming the first player in NCAA history to total over 7,000 rushing yards. He is one of five players in NCAA history to rush for over a 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons.

Both Ameche and Dayne went on to play professionally, with Ameche being drafted by the Baltimore Colts and Dayne still managing success with career stops at the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and currently with the Houston Texans. Ameche was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975 and one would imagine Dayne's invitation is coming soon.

The rushing records, the names and numbers painted on Camp Randall Stadium's façade and the two little bronze statues are evidence that a "Horse" and a "Great Dayne" make up the Badgers' best backfield. Yet one can only wonder if a current stocky Wisconsin rusher will continue to carry on the tradition of standout runners in Madison.

In his freshman campaign, Hill was the nation's top freshman rusher and ranked eighth in the country at 120.7 yards per game and a total of 1,569 for the year. He was just the fifth freshman in NCAA Division I history to rush for 1,000 yards in as few as seven games and was one of only three Badger freshmen to eclipse the mark in school history, joining Dayne's 2,109 yards in 1996 and Anthony Davis' 1,466 yards in 2001. Not even midway through his sophomore season, Hill is approaching 2,500 career yards on the ground.

It would be premature to launch this young rusher into the spotlight of Dayne and Ameche, but when looking at the numbers, Wisconsin fans can only be encouraged that great things are to come for another Badger in the backfield.

Some material adapted from The Big Ten, by Kenneth L. (Tug) Wilson and Jerry Brondfield, 1967 and Alan "The Horse" Ameche, by Chris Hartman, UW-Madison: Archives and Records Management Services