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Badgers legend one of Ball's biggest fans LUCAS AT LARGE MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM R on Dayne, the NCAA's all- time rushing leader, was genuinely excited last Sat- urday for Montee Ball, the NCAA's all-time touchdown leader. Why wouldn't he be, Dayne asked. Both are Badgers. "I was excited,'' Dayne reiterated, "because it really makes our school 'Running Back U.' Why wouldn't you want to come to Wisconsin if you were a running back?'' On Nov. 13, 1999, Dayne ran into history against Iowa. UW quarterback Brooks Bol- linger called a "23 Zone'' in the huddle. On the snap, right guard Dave Costa slid off nose tackle Corey Brown and blocked middle line- backer Aaron Kampman, who would go on to be a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Packers. Right tackle Mark Tauscher locked up the Iowa defensive end Anthony Herron, and fullback Chad Kuhns kicked out on linebacker Fred Barr. In the backfield, Dayne took the handoff from Bollinger and cut effortlessly from left to right; deftly executing a cutback into the hole. The running seam opened up between Costa and Tauscher. Once Dayne got to the second level of the defense, he used a nifty juke on free safety Shane Hall, who swung and missed on air. Veering to the sidelines, Dayne slowed down long enough to allow wide receiver Chris Chambers to get a blocking angle on cornerback Joe Slattery. He didn't need the block. 16 » VARSITY NOVEMBER 29, 2012 Instead, he used another juke and cut back sharply inside, which left Slattery standing flat-footed and out of position. Dayne then muscled through Chambers and Slattery for extra yardage before being knocked out of bounds by the backside corner- back Tarig Holman. At the conclusion of the 31-yard run, Dayne bounced to his feet to accept the hugs and chest bumps from his teammates as Camp Ran- dall Stadium exploded. Back then, Bret Bielema was coaching the linebackers for first- year Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. Bielema conceded it was the only time ― as a player or a coach ― where he heard the crowd noise and the public address announcer, Mike Mahnke, who turned every Dayne run into a singalong. "It wasn't funny at the time,'' Bielema said afterward. "But the next day, we're back home in Iowa City and we're all saying Rooooooonnnn Daaaaayynnnee.'' On Nov. 24, 2012, Ball ran into history against Penn State. UW quarterback Curt Phillips called a toss sweep in the huddle. Tight end Jacob Pedersen mo- tioned from left to right across the formation. On the snap, he sealed inside while right guard Kyle Costi- gan and right tackle Rob Haven- stein drove to the second level. Havenstein tied up Penn State linebacker Mike Hull and fullback Derek Watt chopped Penn State safety Jacob Fagnano with such ferocity and precision that Fagnano flipped airborne. Ball bounced to the boundary and got another block from wide receiver Jeff Duckworth on the goal line, which allowed him to score untouched on his record-settings 79th career touchdown. "The one thing I'll always remember is how well it was blocked,'' Ball said of his 17-yard run. "Everyone did a great job, but one player in particular, Derek Watt, actually got two (blocks). "After he cut the one guy, his feet kicked up and tripped the next guy behind him, who probably would have tackled me.'' Like he had after tying Travis Prentice's record against Ohio State, Ball presented the keepsake football ball to his parents. "It's a huge thank-you to them for every- thing they've sacrificed,'' he said. How would Ball put his historic achievement and career into con- text? "That I was one of the hardest workers to ever come through the program,'' Ball said, "and it showed on game days by how I finished on all of those touchdowns.'' Ball admitted that he has thought about having his No. 28 retired. "Like every player,'' he said, "you want to leave a legacy and you'd like to have your name up there. If not, I'm definitely not going to hang my head.'' "He's going to be a good pro because he's smart,'' said Dayne, adding, "Now that Montee has the record, he has nothing to worry about excepting winning the (title) game.''