Over the course of the season, Wisconsin was the top team in the Big Ten in terms of passing efficiency, with QB
Darrell Bevell recording an impressive 155.2 in that category. RB
Brent Moss ran for 1,637 yards on 312 carries, winning
Big Ten Player of the Year Honors, the first Wisconsin player to receive this award since
Ron Vander Kelen in the
1962 season.
After starting the season 3–0, including a win in their Big Ten opener against Indiana, team co-captain
Joe Panos was asked by a reporter whether he thought Michigan or Ohio State would win the conference, to which Panos sharply responded, "Well, why not Wisconsin?"[1] Panos' words served to inspire the team and the school, using the rally cry of "Why Not Wisconsin?" for the rest of the season.
The Badgers lost in a stunning upset to a mediocre Minnesota team in
their annual rivalry game for their first and only loss of the season. Footage from this game held at the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was used in the television series Coach to represent the fictional Minnesota State and West Texas Universities in the "Pioneer Bowl" at the
Alamodome.
However, in the next game, Wisconsin defeated Michigan for the first time since
1981. After a tie against Ohio State, the Badgers needed to win their final game of the year against Michigan State and an Ohio State loss to Michigan to secure their first trip to the Rose Bowl since
1963. Michigan's 28–0 shut out of Ohio State opened the door, and then Wisconsin defeated #25 Michigan State in the last
Coca-Cola Classic in
Tokyo, Japan to win a share of Big Ten Conference title and the invitation to the
1994 Rose Bowl.
The Badgers finished their most successful season since
1962, highlighted by their first Rose Bowl win, as they defeated the UCLA Bruins 21–16. Unfortunately, the season is also remembered for the tragic "
Camp Randall Crush" where several people were severely injured during a
field rush after the Badgers defeated Michigan.