Wisconsin defensive tackle Erik Waisanen of Fon du Lac, Wisc., stretches during practice Monday morning, Dec. 29, 1997 in Tampa, Fla. Wisconsin plays Georgia on News Years Day in the Outback Bowl. STEVE NESIUS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Web posted December 30, 1997

By Andy Johnston
Staff Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- It hasn't taken Larry Brown long to get back in the swing of things.

Brown, a junior tight end, has been playing with Georgia's basketball team for the past month instead of with the football team. He played in Saturday's 82-80 overtime loss to No. 1 North Carolina, rushed to Atlanta for a 7 p.m. flight and joined the football team that night.

``It wasn't tough to get back out here,'' Brown said. ``It's just different hitting and stuff. Basketball is pretty physical, but not this physical.''

Brown, who has started 33 straight football games, has at least one reception in every game this season and finished the season with 21 catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns, despite splitting time with Jermaine Wiggins.

The court, however, is where Brown became a fan favorite last year. He played in 26 games last year and is a valuable bench player for coach Ron Jirsa. At 252 pounds, he gives the Bulldogs needed beef inside and Georgia fans love to chant ``Larry, Larry'' when he enters games.

``It wasn't that tough putting (Saturday's) game behind me,'' Brown said. ``As you learn to be a competitor, you just take the losses the best you can. I knew it was for the best if I just put that game behind me.''

He will return to the basketball team after Thursday's Outback Bowl against Wisconsin, and is scheduled to join the team for its Southeastern Conference opener at Auburn on Saturday.

BIG-TIME RUNNING: Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez loves to run the ball. That's proven by the fact the Badgers have had five straight 1,000-yard rushers.

The first four efforts were by four players -- Brent Moss (1,637 yards in 1993), Terrell Fletcher (1,476 yards in '94), Carl McCullough (1,038 yards in '95) and Ron Dayne (2,109 yards last year).

Of course, Dayne, a sophomore, has rushed for 1,421 yards this year.

According to the school media relations director Steve Malchow, Nebraska is the only other Division I program to have four different bask rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons -- Derek Brown ('92), Calvin Jones ('93), Lawrence Phillips ('94) and Ahman Green ('95).

``It all starts with the offensive line,'' said Alvarez, who was a three-year letterman at linebacker at Nebraska from '65-'67. ``The one thing I knew we could be consistent in recruiting is the big offensive linemen. So we concentrate on going out to find a good running back and we concentrate on running the football. I don't have the luxury of the skilled position players that Florida or Georgia have in recruiting.''

ALMOST A BADGER: Georgia coach Jim Donnan just missed a chance at becoming the head coach at Wisconsin in December, 1989.

When the Badgers were searching for a new coach, some of the Wisconsin players, who had gotten to know Donnan at a summer camp, mentioned his name to athletic director Pat Richter. Donnan was an assistant at Oklahoma.

However, Richter was already set on hiring Alvarez, but with Donnan any way.

``It wasn't really anything big,'' Donnan said. ``They were further along in the process, so I was never considered a contender. But it was a nice honor for the guy to recommend me to the program.''

COMING BACK: Wisconsin cornerback Jason Suttle has been practicing with the team this week and should be ready for the game. Suttle missed the final four games of the season with a shoulder injury. Prior to that, he had started 27 straight games and has eight career interceptions.

POOCH PUNTS: Of Wisconsin's 85 scholarship players, 61 are either freshmen or sophomores. Only four seniors start for the Badgers. ... The Outback Bowl Preview, hosted by ESPN's Adrian Karsten, will be aired by that network on Thursday at 1:30 a.m., only 9 1/2 hours before the start of the game. ... Alvarez will turn 51 years old today.