Ron Dayne was already a Wisconsin legend entering his 1999 senior season with the Badgers. He had rushed for 339 yards in a game in his freshman season in 1996. He ran four 200 or more yards four times as a freshman. He ran for over 2,000 yards in his freshman season. His 1997 and 1998 seasons weren’t as great as 1996. Dayne rushed for “only” 1,457 and 1,525 yards, with “only” 15 touchdowns in each of those seasons. Dayne rushed for over five yards per carry in those two seasons. His 1998 campaign carried Wisconsin to a Rose Bowl triumph over UCLA, the second time in six seasons Wisconsin had won the Rose Bowl under Barry Alvarez.
Then came his senior season.
Dayne became the Big Ten’s all-time leading rusher (at the time) in the early stages of the 1999 season against Cincinnati. He sprained his left ankle in that same game against Cincy, but played on and didn’t allow hardships to slow him down.
Dayne ran for 167 yards against Ohio State, and later 214 against Michigan State.
Against Purdue, Dayne passed Indiana running back Anthony Thompson on the Big Ten’s all-time career touchdown list with 69.
Then, in the regular-season finale against Iowa, Dayne passed Ricky Williams of Texas to set the new NCAA Division I career rushing record. Williams had set the record the year before, in 1998. Dayne finished his collegiate career with 6,397 regular-season rushing yards. Including bowl games, Dayne collected 7,125 rushing yards in his four seasons at UW.
The final tally for Dayne’s 1999 season: 337 carries for 2,024 rushing yards, six yards per carry, and 20 touchdowns.
The big-picture reality which magnifies Ron Dayne the most: His statistics and production went hand in hand with team success. These weren’t empty-calorie stats for a bad team. Wisconsin needed the yards Ron Dayne gained. The Badgers needed the touchdowns Ron Dayne scored.
Ohio State had a top-two-caliber team in 1996. Michigan won the national championship (split with Nebraska) in 1997. Ron Dayne then helped Wisconsin win Big Ten and Rose Bowl championships in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. A legendary runner who created legendary successes, Ron Dayne will always remain a Badger football — and sports — icon.