The University of Wisconsin Badgers were down to their final chance for Merrill native Sam Arneson and his fellow seniors to collect a victory in a college football bowl game when they faced Auburn of the vaunted SEC in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Things were looking somewhat sketchy when Wisconsin took the ball on their own 36 yard line trailing by three points late in the fourth quarter, and it took a grim turn when the Tigers put Bucky in a fourth-and-five situation at the Auburn 33 with just 56 seconds left on the clock.
But the senior tight end Arneson sprinted off the line past the Auburn 25, then button-hooked back to the 27 to snare a hot pass from quarterback Joel Stave. First down, Wisconsin.
“That was a pretty big play in the game, I guess,” Arneson said. “It’s awesome to get your number called in that situation. It was a pretty cool moment and something I’ll always remember.”
Seven plays later, Rafael Gaglionone kicked a chip-shot field goal to tie the score at 31-31 with just :07 left in the game.
In overtime, the two defenses that seemed to be waving surrender flags in the second half both stiffened.
In college ball, both teams get a chance to score from the 25. Auburn won the flip and not surprisingly chose to put the ball in Wisconsin’s hands first.
A big third-down completion to tight end Troy Fumagalli at the Auburn nine and a couple of short Derek Watt and Melvin Gordon carries gave Gaglianone a 25-yard kick for the 34-31 lead.
On Auburns’ turn, the UW defense was even more effective, dropping Cameron Artis-Payne for a two-yard loss and holding two completions to minus-one yard. Kicker Daniel Carlson – who had missed a 44-yarder after hitting from 51 yards, both in the third quarter – clanged his 45-yard attempt off the right upright and the Badger celebration began in earnest.
“It’s so great,” Arneson said. “After three years of losses, I think this is something the whole team needed. We’ve played a lot of big games, but come up short all of the time. Especially since it was against an SEC opponent, this was a great win for our program and the kids here.
“(The seniors) definitely talked a lot about it how good it felt to get over the hump. It really sets them up for next year with a new coach (Paul Chryst). It was cool to get Coach (Barry) Alvarez (the athletic director who filled in for departed coach Gary Anderson) another bowl win. That meant a lot to a lot of guys.
“It was a great way to send off the seniors and a great way to finish off my career.”
A potential NFL career will be left on the table with Arneson’s recent decision to make this victory his final one.
“That was my last game,” he said. “It’s a combination of injuries and such, and what’s right for me. I’ve had knee troubles since high school and I had a concussion. I didn’t play in the second half of the Big 10 championship game. It’s time for me. For my future, it’s what’s right for me.”
Will he miss the limelight and the stadium-pounding cheers after making a big play?
“It was definitely a great experience,” Arneson said. “It’s something I’ll miss a little bit, that’s for sure. But I’m ready to move on.”
Arneson will be closing out his undergraduate degree in kiniesiology after two more semesters, then will attend graduate school for physical therapy.
“That’s something I’ve been around since high school,” he said. “I’ll enjoy helping athletes getting back to health. Anthony (Gerlach, of Merrill Physical Therapy) has been friend of mine and my family, forever. I’ve always loved the way he’s worked. He’s definitely an inspiration for me.”
Another source of inspiration was his friend Emily Artus, a young friend that suffers from Aperts Syndrome who was able to attend the game in Tampa Bay due to community donations.
“It was great to see her down there,” Arneson said. “She had been at every home game. The whole community got behind her and I thank them for that. She’s been there for me since I was a sophomore in high school, so it’s pretty cool.”