Mike Leckrone actually rode into Camp Randall on a variety of different things through the years: a camel in 1982, a giant drum in 1987, and, in 1988, an Asian elephant named Molly. The 1988 football season was a long one for the Badgers, and the team would finish with a 1–10 record. Camp Randall struggled to attract fans, and the athletic department was losing money — its deficit was $800,000. On October 15, Illinois came to Madison, and Leckrone was looking for ideas to make game day more exciting, “Let’s do a circus,” he said. “Everybody likes a circus.” The Band’s halftime show included acrobats and jugglers, and the centerpiece was Leckrone riding in on Molly, whom he’d borrowed from Circus World Museum in Baraboo. But though Molly was generally well trained, there are things that animals cannot be prevented from doing. And near the 50-yard line, Molly did one of those things. Keep in mind that the colon of a female Asian elephant is between six and seven meters long, and its diet is high in fiber — very high in fiber. What Molly left near the 50 took so long to clean up that the Badgers were penalized for delay of game. Further, it may have reduced any enthusiasm the UW players had for approaching midfield, let alone crossing, and they didn’t score in the second half. In the end, they lost to Illinois 34–6, and elephants have not returned to Camp Randall since.