The most amazing play of the Wisconsin football season in 2023 wouldn't count in 2024

The University of Wisconsin football season in 2023 will be remembered as something that finished south of expectations, with a 7-6 finish despite a much-buzzed-about offseason under first-year coach Luke Fickell. But we'll always have the Nolan Rucci touchdown against Illinois.

Although 2023 is the last time you'll see anything quite like that in NCAA football.

A rule adjustment put forth by the NCAA rule book in 2024 would have eliminated a pretty important tool of deception that Wisconsin used to pull off the play, a touchdown pass to offensive lineman Nolan Rucci with less than 30 seconds left that helped the Badgers steal the win in Champaign, 25-21.

The rule book now stipulates if a player enters the game after changing a jersey number or a number different than the game day roster, the player must report that change to the referee, who in turn reports that change to the opposing sideline. Failure to do so would result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Rucci did not have to report his jersey switch from 66 (an offensive lineman's number) to 93 (a change required to be catch-eligible) in 2023. That caught Illinois off guard.

Former Badgers head coach Bret Bielema, whose Illini took the heartbreaking loss that day, spoke to the Big Ten league offices afterward, frustrated that his team wasn't informed of the switch. He called the entire experience a learning process.

“We saw 93 lineup at the tackle," Bielema said at the time. "Our players didn’t see it because he was covered up with the Y-Y. It’s a totally legal play, but again, he warmed up as No. 66 before the game, so that’s what we checked him off on our 2-deep lineup. And when you report into the game with any number other than what you reported in, you have to tell us. We’ve done it — I’ve probably done it 30 times in my coaching career… It’s very frustrating and had a huge impact on the game.”

Bielema took notice when the rule was tweaked.

"Isn’t it crazy how rules are emphasized on a yearly basis after a year in review," he posted Monday night.

The Badgers, who rallied for 18 points in the fourth quarter to stage the improbable win, also caught a break when defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton was ejected for targeting early in the fourth quarter.

Newton had six tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in the game before the play that led to his ejection. With the future 36th overall pick in the NFL draft off the field, the Badgers were finally able to move the football, capped with the crazy finish.

Rucci, a five-star offensive line recruit in the Class of 2021, wasn't able to work into the regular rotation on the line during his tenure, which ended when he transferred to Penn State this offseason. The play will stand as the last of its kind and a lasting visual from his time in Madison.