Auburn Tigers vs Wisconsin Badgers Match Player Stats On Jan 01, 2015

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Jan 1, 2015

No. 17 Wisconsin 34, No. 19 Auburn 31 (OT): Melvin Gordon rushed for an Outback Bowl-record 251 yards and Rafael Gaglianone booted a 25-yard field in overtime as the Badgers edged the Tigers in Tampa, Fla.

Gordon scored three times and finished the season with 2,587 yards - second most in FBS history - as Wisconsin (11-3) rushed for an Outback Bowl-record 400 yards. Joel Stave completed 14-of-27 passes for 121 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions before the Badgers' defense held Auburn to a missed field goal on the second series of OT.

Nick Marshall went 15-of-22 through the air for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Auburn (8-5), which finished the season with four losses in its last five games. Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers, whose chance came to an end when Daniel Carlson’s 45-yard field goal try hit the right goalpost.

Auburn had a pair of interceptions in the first half while Marshall hit Ricardo Louis in stride for a 66-yard touchdown with 8:01 left in the second quarter for a 14-7 lead at intermission. Gordon broke a 25-yard TD run on the first possession of the second half and ran 53 yards for a score on fourth down to give Wisconsin a 21-17 lead late in the third quarter.

Marshall connected with C.J. Uzomah for a 20-yard TD early in the fourth before Gordon bulled in from the 6 with 7:58 to go seven plays later. A pass interference call in the end zone on fourth down helped set up Artis-Payne’s 2-yard scoring run to give Auburn a 31-28 lead with 2:55 to go, but Gaglianone’s 29-yard field goal tied it with seven seconds left.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gordon, a junior who will enter the NFL draft, finished his career third on Wisconsin’s all-time list with 4,915 rushing yards, moving past Anthony Davis (4,676), and topped the Outback record set by Wisconsin's Terrell Fletcher (241) in 1995. … Auburn WR D’haquille Williams (45 receptions, 730 yards, five touchdowns) missed the game due to a suspension for breaking team rules. … The Badgers, who were coached by AD Barry Alvarez after Gary Andersen left for Oregon State following the Big Ten Championship game, won their 50th game in the last five seasons and beat an SEC team in the Outback Bowl for the first time in four attempts.