Running back Montee Ball has had quite a junior season for the Wisconsin Badgers. The first half of the 2012 Rose Bowl has been no exception, as Ball has marked his place alongside college greats Barry Sanders and Ron Dayne. Ball ran for a three-yard touchdown with 11:36 remaining in the second quarter to give Wisconsin a 21-14 lead at the time, on his 13th carry of the game.
That touchdown gave Ball 39 for the season, tying Sanders for the most touchdowns in one season in NCAA history:
| Most Touchdowns, NCAA Single Season | |||
| Player | School | Year | TD |
| Montee Ball | Wisconsin | 2011 | 39 |
| Barry Sanders | Oklahoma State | 1988 | 39 |
| Brock Forsey | Boise State | 2002 | 32 |
| Troy Edwards | Louisiana Tech | 1998 | 31 |
| Kevin Smith | Central Florida | 2007 | 30 |
In addition, Ball has run for 118 yards on 20 carries, putting him at 1,877 yards on the season, the most the country. Ball passed 2012 Rose Bowl Hall of Fame inductee Ron Dayne for the most rushing yards in a single season in Wisconsin school history. Dayne ran for 1,863 yards in 1996 and 1,834 yards in 1999. Before Monday, those were the only two seasons in Badgers history with more rushing yards than Ball in 2011.
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