Alabama Crimson Tide

Wisconsin-Alabama pregame notes

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:06 p.m. ET

Dave Heller

The college football season is underway and Wisconsin has arguably its toughest opener in over 20 years. We're back at it for the usual this year, which means a few notes, tidbits and stats heading into Saturday's game between the Badgers and Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

(During the game be sure to check me out on Twitter @dave_heller for observations, stats and conversation.)

-- This is the 2nd meeting between Wisconsin and Alabama. The Badgers won the lone meeting 15-0 way back on Nov. 3, 1928.

-- Wisconsin is 10-10-1 when opening a season against a non-Big Ten Power Five school.

-- This is the fourth time the Badgers have opened with a neutral site game. Wisconsin is 1-2 in those games, losing to Syracuse in East Rutherford, N.J., in 1997 and to LSU last year in Houston. The lone win came against Bowling Green in 2006 in Cleveland.

-- Wisconsin is 1-4-1 all-time in the regular season against SEC teams. The only win is the one over Alabama in 1928. The other games vs. SEC teams came in 1931, 1971, 1972, 1984 and 2014.

-- The Badgers are 1-5 all-time when opening a season against a team ranked in the top three of the Associated Press top 25 poll. The lone win came against No. 1 Michigan in 1981.

-- Wisconsin has not faced a non-conference opponent ranked in the AP top 5 in a regular-season game since Sept. 12, 1992 (at No. 2 Washington).

-- Wisconsin is 3-2 in its last five games overall vs. teams ranked in the AP top 25, dating back to 2003.

-- The Badgers have had two 100-yard rushers vs. SEC teams in the regular season: Melvin Gordon, 140 vs. LSU in 2014 and Alan Thompson, 109 vs. LSU in 1971.

-- Wisconsin has had three 300-yard passers vs. SEC teams and they all came in bowl games: Mike Howard vs. Kentucky in 1984 and John Stocco twice in 2005 vs. Auburn and 2006 vs. Arkansas (note: that was the season the games were played).

-- Wisconsin has had one 100-yard receiver vs. an SEC team: Brandon Williams, 173 vs. Auburn in 2005.

-- A Badgers tight end hasn't had a 100-yard receiving game since Lance Kendricks did it in back-to-back weeks in 2010 vs. Arizona State on Sept. 18 and Austin Peay on Sept. 25, a 64-game drought.

-- Corey Clement needs 214 rushing yards to tie and 215 to pass Dave Mohapp for 20th place and 218 to tie and 219 to pass Larry Canada for 19th place on UW's all-time list.

-- Stave's next win as starting quarterback will be his 22nd, breaking a tie with Scott Tolzien for 5th place on UW's all-time list.

-- Stave needs 42 passing yards to pass Mike Samuel for 6th place, 56 yards to pass Randy Wright for 5th place and 324 to pass Scott Tolzien for 4th place on UW's all-time list.

-- Stave needs 3 pass completions to pass Mike Samuel for 5th place, 23 to pass Scott Tolzien for 4th place and 27 to pass Brooks Bollinger for 3rd place on UW's all-time list.

-- Stave needs 1 passing touchdown to tie and 2 to pass Randy Wright and Brooks Bollinger for 3rd place on UW's all-time list.

-- Alex Erickson needs 148 receiving yards to pass Luke Swan for 25th place, 150 to pass Isaac Anderson for 24th place and 179 to pass David Gilreath on UW's all-time list.

-- Rafael Gaglianone needs 2 extra points to tie and 3 to pass Roger Jaeger for 10th place on UW's all-time list.

-- Gaglianone needs one more 50+-yard field goal to join Taylor Mehlhaff and Philip Welch as the only to have three FGs from 50+ in Wisconsin history (Mehlhaff 52, 51, 51; Welch 57, 52, 50; Gaglianone 51, 50).

Follow Dave Heller on Twitter