Posted: December 30, 2010 4:03 p.m. CT
By BENJAMIN WORGULL
Badgernation.com
Los Angeles -- Growing up 60 miles apart in southern Wisconsin, Patrick Butrym and Jordan Kohout were under the impression that the Rose Bowl was the final game of every Wisconsin season.
To a couple young kids growing up in the 90s, it was a reasonable assumption, seeing as the Badgers had played in and won three Rose Bowls by the time Butrym was 11 years old.
"Growing up, I just assumed Wisconsin always went to the Rose Bowl," said Kohout, a native of Waupun. "Now that I am here, I realize the amount of hard work it takes day in and day out and the amount of focus it takes to get to a position like that. It definitely means more than just a bowl game. Everybody in the state wants to go."
Thanks to the Badgers' defensive line, this trip may not be a one-time experience. Unheralded entering the season for the second straight year, the Wisconsin d-line contains no seniors and only one four-star athlete (Kohout). Still, it has led a group that has allowed only seven rushing touchdowns all season and only three running backs to gain 100 yards in the last two seasons.
"I love the ways these guys have progressed throughout the year," Butrym, a Waukesha native, said. "The depth was really a question at the beginning of the year, but the group has really matured."
Entering the season, the Badgers' two proven commodities were juniors J.J. Watt and Butrym. Watt has been an animal all season, registering 59 tackles and winning the Lott IMPACT award on his way to a first-team all-Big Ten season.
Entering the season with only two starts, Butrym has quietly filled his role, ranking third on the team in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss in 12 starts, but the players next to him have provided a real boost for Wisconsin.
After being overwhelmed and not getting his footing until the end of his redshirt season, Kohout used a strong offseason to start seven games and make 22 tackles, seven of which came in the Michigan State game Oct. 2.
"The old saying is, 'You have to go through hell before you get to heaven,' and everything that's worth having, you have to work for because it doesn't come easy," Kohout said. "When you get the chance, it just comes full circle and adds more value and prestige to it."
The Badgers have also seen Platteville's Louis Nzegwu make 44 tackles in 12 starts at the other defensive end position, defensive end David Gilbert (Oakland Park, Fla.) register 20 tackles, defensive tackle Pat Muldoon (Cincinnati, Ohio) overcome two knee surgeries, four-star defensive tackle Beau Allen play older than a true freshman, and Medford walk-on Ethan Hemer see meaningful snaps in all 12 games this season.
As promising as that depth is, the fact that none of the aforementioned group our seniors is what really excites the coaching staff.
"It's exciting that all those guys are going to be back," defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said. "As the season wore on, because of the experienced they gained, they really aren't playing like freshmen right now. Sometimes I have to remind myself that they are freshmen, so it's exciting for the future."
A near future that could once again see Wisconsin finishing its season with a win in Pasadena.
"Those are special times for the program and for the state," Butrym said. "We take a lot of pride in making the state proud because we know those that don't come to the game will be watching on their TV sets at home. We remember where we were when we watched those games, and want to create similar memories for our fans."
Benjamin Worgull is the publisher of Badger Nation and BadgerNation.com. Click here to subscribe. Sign up for a total access pass subscription to Badgernation.com between now and Jan. 1 and not only get a free 10-month subscription to Badger Nation Magazine (a $39.95 value), but get an official copy of the 2011 Rose Bowl DVD (a $24.95 value) for FREE.
