Cardinal regain rosy glow

That’s where Usua Amanam made the interception that stopped Wisconsin’s final drive with 2:30 to play in a grind-it-out game.

That’s where Kevin Hogan grinned broadly as he took the final snap on Stanford’s first Rose Bowl victory since 1972.

And it was the spot where the once-struggling team from a school better known for brains than brawn raised the West Coast’s most coveted bowl trophy after a 20-14 victory over the Badgers on Tuesday.

“There’s a sense of accomplishment, because we got somewhere we hadn’t been yet,” said Skov, who made eight tackles while leading Stanford’s second-half shutout. “If you looked at our goals at the beginning of the season, this was on top of the list, and we got it done. We’re extremely satisfied.”

Stepfan Taylor rushed for 89 yards and an early touchdown, and Hogan passed for 123 yards, but Stanford (12-2) won the 99th Rose Bowl with a shutdown effort by its defense. The Cardinal held Wisconsin (8-6) to 82 yards in the second half.

Stanford had not won the Rose Bowl since a 13-12 victory over unbeaten Michigan on Jan. 1, 1972.

After winning the Orange Bowl two years ago and losing the Fiesta Bowl in overtime last season, Stanford earned its first conference title and its first trip to the Granddaddy of Them All in 13 years, which is what most Pac-12 players really want.

“We’ve been in BCS games the past two years, but neither of those mean as much as this one did,” said Ertz, the tight end who had three catches for 61 yards. “This is the one we play for every year. It shows Stanford is here to stay.”

The Cardinal finished with 12 victories for the second time in school history, both during the last three years in a surge begun by Andrew Luck and coach Jim Harbaugh. Many Pac-12 observers expected a sharp decline at Stanford this season, but coach David Shaw and Hogan achieved something even Harbaugh and Luck couldn’t.

“We knew this was going to be a battle, and we wouldn’t expect it any other way,” Shaw said. “We know it’s going to be tight, going to be close, and we’re going to find a way to win. That’s the way it’s been all year.”

Stanford clamped down on the Big Ten champion Badgers, who lost the Rose Bowl in heartbreaking fashion for the third consecutive season. Montee Ball rushed for 100 yards and his major college record 83rd touchdown, but Wisconsin managed only four first downs in its scoreless second half.

“This stings just as much, because we fell extremely short when we had the opportunity to win,” Ball said. “We had numerous opportunities to capitalize on big plays, and we fell short. … This is not the way we want to be remembered. Speaking for the entire senior group, this is not the way we wanted to go out.”

With impressive defense of their own, the Badgers stayed in position for an upset in the one-game return of Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez, who was back on the sideline in his red sweater vest seven years after hanging up his whistle.

“This group of kids has been through a lot, and they competed extremely hard against a very high-quality team,” said Alvarez, the Wisconsin athletic director who nearly pulled off a stunner while bridging the gap between coaches Bret Bielema and Gary Andersen. “We’ve played three very good football games here. These guys played hard. In fact, most people would like to get here once. But we just didn’t get it done.”

Kelsey Young took his only carry 16 yards for a score on Stanford’s opening possession, and Taylor scored on the second drive after a big catch by Ertz.

Wisconsin kept the Cardinal out of the end zone for the final 51 minutes, holding them to three points in the second half, but Stanford’s defense didn’t need any more help in the Cardinal’s eighth straight victory.

Wisconsin quarterback Curt Phillips went 10 for 16 for 83 yards passing and that crucial interception, and added 64 yards rushing. Jordan Fredrick caught his first career touchdown pass right before halftime, but no Badgers receiver had more than Jared Abbrederis’ three catches.