Wisconsin

There were very high expectations for 1975 and the uniform was “dressed up” for this occasion. The scarlet oval on each side of the white shell was made larger than it had been for the previous seasons, bringing more attention to the white “W” logo within it. A contrasting red facemask gave the helmet a finished appearance but the expected heights for the ’75 season were never reached. Just as the early season upset of Nebraska had energized the team for '74, the opening-day loss to Michigan demoralized them, leading to a 5-6 mark that wasn't predicted, especially with the talent on hand. Offensive tackle Dennis Lick had a consensus All American year and then played with the Bears for six seasons while All Big Ten linemate Terry Stieve became a member of the Saints for two years, and then played well on a fine Cardinal line from 1979 through '84. Tailback Billy Marek completed his stint in Madison with 3705 rushing yards to rank second best to Archie Griffith in the Big Ten and set a new Wisconsin record. His 278 points earned a new conference record and he had proven that he could compete successfully as a “short back” having gained at least 1200 yards in each of his three starting seasons. The defense tanked, giving up 4207 yards and thirty-four touchdowns despite having the top rated conference pass defense.

Opening again against Michigan set the tone for ‘76 as they statistically matched up well but the Wolverines won going away 40-27. With a three-game skid towards mid-season and a last-minute loss to Indiana on a missed two-point conversion attempt, the 5-6 record seemed worse. Fullback Larry Canada used his 227-pounds to lead the Badger rushing attack and then managed three years with the Denver Broncos. Tight end Ron Egloff also went to Denver, playing from '77 to '83 and then with the Chargers for '84. Quarterback Mike Carrol led the Big Ten in passing with 1171 yards and had 1773 yards in total offense but he also threw twelve interceptions. Wide receiver David Charles was second in the conference with 34 catches for 449 yards. Ira Matthews was the nation's leading kick return man, taking fourteen of them for 415 yards and a 29.6 average and he tacked on another 535 rushing yards. The defense unfortunately was a problem with inconsistent play. Jardine spent the spring of 1977 and early fall interchanging offensive and defensive players like chess pieces in an attempt to bolster the problematic defense and it did improve, giving up 200 points and 2943 yards. Matthews again was a reliable receiver and dangerous return man, and David Charles a two-time second-team All Conference receiver. The fans were giddy with five straight opening wins and then became frustrated with the six losses that closed the season and Jardine was asked to resign. Jardine entered the insurance business but unfortunately passed away from a heart ailment at the age of fifty-four in 1990.

If interested in any of these Wisconsin helmets please click on the photos below.