SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- For much of the Alamo Bowl, Wisconsin looked like a team that had lost six of its final eight regular-season games. Then Brooks Bollinger and Mike Allen played like world-beaters.
Bollinger came up with a series of clutch plays at the end of regulation, including the tying touchdown in the final minute, and Allen kicked a 37-yard field goal in overtime as the Badgers overcame four turnovers to defeat No. 14 Colorado, 31-28.
The Badgers (8-6) won the coin toss in overtime and elected to play defense first. They pushed the Buffaloes (9-5) backward, forcing a 45-yard field goal attempt by Pat Brougham that was pushed well right.
Wisconsin ran the ball up the middle three straight plays, setting up Allen's kick, which sailed through the middle of the uprights to give the Badgers a fourth straight bowl victory and seventh in eight tries under coach Barry Alvarez.
Wisconsin tied it, 28-28, on a one-yard keeper by Bollinger with 51 seconds left in regulation. Bollinger, a senior, completed two fourth-down passes on the drive, including a 30-yarder to Darrin Charles to the Colorado 1.
One play earlier, freshman Jonathan Orr got behind the defense but let a sure TD pass slip through his hands at the Buffaloes' 5.
"I don't know if I've ever been with anyone that has competed as hard and led the way Bollinger did," Alvarez said. "I really feel he saved his best for last because it was an awesome ballgame."
Colorado trailed at halftime, 21-14, after Wisconsin converted three interceptions by Robert Hodge into touchdowns.
But early in the third quarter, Jim Leonhard fumbled a punt at the Badgers' 26, setting up a five-yard TD run by Chris Brown that tied it.
On Wisconsin's ensuing possession, running back Anthony Davis lost the ball after a hit by safety Medford Moorer, who recovered the fumble at the Badgers' 17. Backup quarterback Zac Colvin threw an 11-yard TD pass to D.J. Hackett to give Colorado a 28-21 lead with 5:58 left in the quarter.
Brown left with a concussion early in the fourth quarter after rushing an Alamo Bowl-record 28 times for 97 yards. The Buffaloes also were down two starting offensive lineman by the end of the game.
"I'm not trying to make excuses, but a lot of guys got hurt," Colorado coach Gary Barnett said. "We lost a lot of guys that had experience and that were ready to play. I thought we were going to win tonight's game; I wasn't sure how we were going to do it, we just didn't have anybody left."
Davis carried 25 times for 99 yards and a touchdown and Bollinger had 82 yards and a score on 20 rushes. Bollinger also completed 12-of-24 passes for 163 yards with two TDs and an interception.
Hodge was harried into 6-of-13 passing for 62 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Colvin was 3-of-5 for 15 yards and a score.
"We had planned to play Zac Colvin at some point in the game but originally hadn't planned to use him this much," Barnett said. "After the three interceptions, we had to make a change to get us back into this game."
Colorado lost its second straight bowl game after winning its previous six. The Buffaloes fell to 4-1-1 all-time against the Badgers.
Barnett is 1-4 all-time in bowls, losing two of three with Colorado.
The Buffaloes took a 7-0 lead on an Alamo Bowl-record 91-yard interception return by cornerback Donald Strickland 3:53 into the contest.
Wisconsin tied it with 4:54 left in the quarter on a four-yard run by Davis after Scott Starks intercepted Hodge deep in Colorado territory.
The Buffaloes went back in front on a 10-yard fade pass from Hodge to Hackett on the final play of the first quarter.
But Wisconsin took advantage of two more interceptions by Hodge in the second quarter, scoring on an 11-yard pass from Bollinger to Brandon Williams and a seven-yard toss to Darrin Charles to take a seven-point lead into halftime.
"Tonight we had some missed opportunities," Bollinger said. "I just told the guys to keep their heads up, and tonight we got that chance. It doesn't always work out that way, but we just took advantage of some opportunities and it worked out."
"We did it the hard way, but I'm really proud," Alvarez added. "We never quit. They were determined to win this football game."