University of Wisconsin-Madison
Since 1892 dailycardinal.com l
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
ILLUSTRATION BY WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL PHOTO BY CAMERON-LANE FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
gameday 2
l
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
dailycardinal.com
What Went Wrong
What went wrong against Ohio State: Offensive inefficiency plagues Badgers By Alexis Shavitz THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Wisconsin Badgers (2-0 Big Ten, 5-0 overall) offense was completely shut down last Saturday, only managing seven points in a 7-38 blowout. If the Badgers could have stopped Ohio State defensive end Chase Young they may have had a chance in the game. However, they could not as Young terrorized the Badgers offensive line, racking up four sacks and two forced fumbles. On almost every drive that had scoring potential for the Badgers, Young was able to pressure Badger quarterback Jack Coan, preventing big plays from being made. Coan hasn’t been used to this kind of pressure on him this season, and he didn’t make the necessary adjustments ingame to find success. Coan threw for just 108 yards on 10 completions, most of which went to his favorite receiver, Quintez Cephus. The Wisconsin offense overall was not very good, however, and putting all the blame on Coan is unfair. The offensive line got torched down the stretch,
breaking down in key situations on third and fourth down. Ohio State’s Young looked more like Aaron Donald on the field than a junior in college, blowing up almost every play. The Badgers only had nine first downs and 191 yards to go with two turnovers and only 28 minutes of possession. Ohio State was extremely dominant in all of these categories. Communication was difficult all game between the quarterback and the offensive players, as the Ohio State fans were so loud it was hard to hear anything, which caused mistakes for the Badgers. “There was some miscommunication that didn’t get across the whole line,” Badger offensive lineman Jason Erdmann said to CBS Sports. Pre-snap miscommunication penalties weren’t even the issue for Bucky, as they were only flagged three times throughout the entire contest. The O-line’s problem was consistently missing, or getting blown off of key blocks that would lead to lost yards or turnovers. “The Badgers issues offensively have boiled down to one missed assignment per play,
and that assignment costing the Badgers a big play,” said lineman Cole Van Lanen to CBS Sports. The Buckeyes’ far outpaced Wisconsin in time of possession marking the first time this season the Badgers had less possession than their opponent. They were rarely even able to convert first downs. Jonathan Taylor, usually the star each game, did not perform his best when he was needed. He only gained 52 yards on the ground with a paltry 2.7 yards-per-carry. Taylor struggled finding holes to run, and ran into the piles of players on just about every down. He had only one catch. The performance hurt Taylor’s standing in the Heisman voting as well, as he dropped back down to number six. A lot went wrong in this game for the Wisconsin Badgers, and their offense has a lot to work on. The game against Iowa on Saturday is going to be a make or break type game for Wisconsin, as the team tries to see if they still have life to make a major bowl game.
WILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Badgers offensive line was praised early in the year, but has struggled in the last two games against Illinois and Ohio State.
Players to Watch
Iowa defense, key offensive players need to step up in order to keep winning streak alive against Wisconsin By Anthony Trombi THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2 Big Ten, 6-2 overall) have had a good start to the season thanks to their running back Mekhi Sargent. The junior from Key West, Florida has put up some impressive numbers this season. Brandon Smith a widereceiver from Lake Cormorant Mississippi has also been a huge contributor to the Hawkeyes offense. Mekhi Sargent is averaging 55 rushing yards-per-game with a total of four touchdowns this season. While those numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, remember every school doesn’t have Jonathan Taylor. He leads Iowa in rushing touchdowns, yards, and attempts. Expect to see Iowa leaning on him for continued production on the ground in the upcoming game against Wisconsin. Likewise, Brandon Smith is averaging 58 receiving yardsper-game, recording four touchdowns on the season. He should be the main receiving target for Iowa and Nate Stanley this saturday, seeing many of his targets on important third downs and in end zone situations. Iowa isn’t the most offensively adept team in the entire
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin’s secondary has to come up big Saturday to stop the Big Ten’s passing leader, Nate Stanley. country, but it has come around somewhat in the last two weeks. However, the Badgers top ranked defense will pose the biggest challenge this Iowa team has seen all season. The Hawkeyes don’t have a ton of production behind these two playmakers, so shutting them down will be key. If the Badgers hold off Mekhi Sargent and Brandon Smith to
less than 50 yards each, Iowa’s offensive production will likely be drastically affected. Mekhi Sargent has scored a touchdown in the last two games and ultimately has gained offensive consistency in finding the endzone, while Brandon Smith is coming off of a 100-yard receiving game. If the Badgers can end the offensive momentum those two are building and halt their
offensive production, it could get messy for the Hawkeyes. On the defensive side of the ball, two players to look out for are senior linebacker Krstian Welch and junior defensive end Chauncey Golston. Welch is leading the Hawkeyes defense with 22 solo tackles for a loss, and 25 assisted tackles on the season. He provides strong defensive pressure and consistency
that this Iowa team will need this saturday. Wisconsin has thrived when Coan has plenty of time in the pocket and Taylor can wait to pick and choose his holes, so initial pressure will be huge. Golston has a total of seven tackles for loss for about 21 lost yards for the offenses this season. Watch for his aggressive play that will put pressure on offensive linemen and the quarterback. If Golston and the Hawkeyes can replicate what Chase Young and the Buckeyes did to the Badgers offensive line, it could be another long afternoon for Wisconsin. However, if the Badgers offense is able to stop these two players, a significant part of the Hawkeyes defense will be suppressed. Iowa lacks some depth in their defense this year, with only two upperclassmen in backup roles for the team. While overall this Hawkeye team is well balanced, these key contributors are what truly drive this team. After wins against Northwestern and Purdue, the Hawkeyes aim to continue their win streak; while the Badgers are looking for a shift back in the right direction after tough losses to Ohio State and Illinois in the last two weeks.
gameday dailycardinal.com
Wisconsin vs. Iowa • 3
Iowa Outlook
Despite offensive weaknesses, Iowa defense, special teams play makes them Big Ten West race contenders By Jacob Lebowitz THE DAILY CARDINAL
Iowa’s season seemed to be spinning out of control after back-to-back losses against Michigan and Penn State, despite their hot 4-0 start to the year. In their last two games however, the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2 Big Ten, 6-2 overall) managed to come away with a couple of important wins over Northwestern and Purdue, and regained their momentum for a matchup against the struggling Wisconsin Badgers (3-2 Big Ten, 6-2 overall). The Badgers have lost their last two games, both on the road, and hope to turn their season around at home in a crucial Big Ten West contest on Saturday afternoon. Iowa’s defense has been one of the team’s biggest surprises this season, as only four of their starters from a season ago are still on the team. Their defense is one of only five in the Big Ten that lets up an average of less than 300 yards a game – Wisconsin is also in the top five-- though the defense also allows the third fewest yards per pass attempt in the Big Ten. Senior cornerback Michael Ojemudia is tied for third in the Big Ten with two intercep-
tions so far this season. He has Badgers top-ranked defense if had an impressive season for Iowa hopes to win. the Hawkeyes defense, as he’s Stanley will also need help been able to shut down oppos- from his team’s rush attack ing team’s star receivers. which so far has been incaIowa’s defense hasn’t pable of performing in big allowed more than 20 points games. The Hawkeyes running in any game this season and backs rushed for only one yard have only allowed 81 points to against Michigan, and only 70 opponents this seatotal yards against son, compared to the Penn State. 91 total points the A bright spot for Badgers have given the Iowa team is that up this season. their kicker Keith However, Iowa’s Duncan has been offense has been a coming in huge for the disaster so far this team in big moments. total points season, as senior The junior kicker has allowed by quarterback Nate made 19 of his 22 field Iowa’s defense Stanley has been goal attempts this unable to perform season. Duncan will well in the team’s need to continue his most important impressive start to games. In their game the season to help his yards per against Michigan, team score against a game allowed Stanley threw three tough Badger defense. by Iowa’s defense – sixth interceptions and This game is very best in the 19 incompletions. important for both country Against Penn State, teams. The Badgers Stanley had another and Hawkeyes are subpar game, throwcurrently tied for ing an interception second place in the and 18 incompletions. Big Ten West behind Iowa needed Minnesota, so the Stanley to come up winner of this match big those games, but he only will gain a huge advantage over was able to lead his team to the loser in hopes of trying to a combined 15 points in both win the division. The loser will games. Stanley will need to most likely be out of contention come ready to play against the for winning the Big Ten West.
81
266
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Nate Stanley has carried the Hawkeyes threw the air this year, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards threw Iowa’s first eight games; best in the Big Ten.
Heisman Watch
Three quarterbacks, one running back: Who has best shot of walking home with Hiesman trophy at season ending? By Joe Rickles THE DAILY CARDINAL
Week 11 of the college football season has only intensified an already extremely close heisman race. Some new contenders enter the conversation while others are forced out. Below are my top five contenders for the Heisman trophy this year. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Ohio State’s redshirt freshman phenom has been one of the reasons why this Buckeyes team has looked much improved from last year. He’s led Ohio State to 48.2 points per game, good for the 3rd best scoring offense in the country this year. Fields is also responsible for the third-most points in college football this year with 24 passing touchdowns and nine rushing scores. Fields also boasts top-15 rankings for completion percentage (12th), passing efficiency (4th), and points responsible for per game (4th) with 24.8.
Joe Burrow, QB, LSU Burrow was not in the top20 Heisman candidates in the preseason, but the senior has proven himself to be one of the premier talents in college football. Burrow boasts a 15:2 t o u ch dow n- t o - i nt e r c e p t i o n ratio, a nation-best 78.8% completion rate, and a top-five rated 10.3 yards/pass attempt. Burrow’s Tigers have the second-ranked passing offense in the nation, behind only the air-raid offense of Mike Leach’s Washington State. Perhaps most impressively, he’s brought an already good LSU team to the pinnacle of college football so far; the Tigers currently hold the #1 position in the AP Top 25. Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Hurts held high expectations after transferring from Alabama, and the senior has not disappointed. The Sooners boast the past two Heisman winners in quarterbacks Baker
Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and Hurts has put himself in a position to follow in their footsteps. Hurts has completed over 73% of his passes this year for over 300 yards per game through the air. His contributions on the ground are equally, if not more impressive; Hurts has 13 rushing touchdowns so far and averages over 100 yards/game. He leads the Sooners in rushing from the quarterback position, and it isn’t particularly close; the next leading rusher has 400 yards less than Hurts. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama It seems like every year that at least one player from Alabama is listed here, and 2019 has been no different. Tagovailoa passes for 309 yards per game at a 74% clip. The star junior, aided by NFLcaliber receivers DeVonta Smith and Jerry Jeudy, has thrown 27 touchdowns this year and only two intercep-
tions. While Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide offense do not have the passing statistics of players like Hurts and Fields, the numbers show his proficiency as a game manager. Alabama ranks 2nd in the country in third down conversion percent and fourth in total turnovers lost. Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State Unfortunately for Badger fans, Hubbard has stolen the spotlight as the Heisman committee’s favorite running back thanks to a couple of subpar weeks by Taylor and an explosive game against TCU for Hubbard, in which he rushed for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore back and Alberta, Canada native has averaged 178 yards per contest, which is 60 yards more than Taylor and the best in the NCAA. His clip of 6.8 yards per carry ranks seventh in college football this year, behind other major names like
Clemson’s Travis Etienne and Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins. His 1,686 scrimmage yards lead the NCAA in total all-purpose yards as well. Chase Young, DE, Ohio State It has been 22 years since Charles Woodson became the only defensive player to win the Heisman trophy for Michigan. Now, experts are giving a real chance for the Buckeyes’ star defensive end to take home the award this year. The six-foot-five, 235-pound junior has already recorded 13.5 sacks, four of which came against Wisconsin in Ohio State’s biggest game so far. Young has recorded five forced fumbles and has helped make the Buckeyes the number nine rushing defense in the country. With primetime games against Big Ten rivals #5 Penn State and #14 Michigan, Young will have the chance to prove himself worthy of being the second defensive player ever to take home the Heisman.
gameday 4
l
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
dailycardinal.com
Big Ten Outlook
Big Ten powerhouses rise back to top, Badgers, Gophers look to play spoiler
By Cole Wozniak THE DAILEY CARDINAL
Year in and year out, there is a huge debate on what the best conference in college football is, and it is generally limited to two different conferences: the Big Ten and the SEC. Generally, the difference is that the SEC has a few really, really good teams at the top, while the Big Ten is the best conference from top to bottom. Right now, the Big Ten has six teams in the AP Top 25 in Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The SEC has five with LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and Florida. The Big Ten has more “good” teams, but all of the SEC teams that rank in the Top 25 are all ranked in the top 12. So, basically, the debate hasn’t changed at all; the SEC has some good teams at the top, and the Big Ten has more objectively “good” teams. In the East Division, Ohio State and Penn State are the remaining undefeated teams in the division, and both share the top spot. Although the Nittany Lions have enjoyed a very good record this year, no team in the Big Ten, nor perhaps in the country, has had a more dominant year than the Ohio State Buckeyes. On the offensive side, Justin Fields, J.K. Dobbins, and Chris Olave might make up the best quarterback, running back, wide receiver trio in the entire country, and lead a team that is third in FBS in scoring offense. Defensively, defensive end and Badger offensive-line nightmare Chase Young is perhaps the first serious defensive contender for the Heisman Trophy since University of Michigan legend Charles Woodson. Before playing Wisconsin, Chase Young was only viewed in the Heisman Race as an honorable mention on many lists. Now, he is a major part of the national discussion and should be considered a completely serious contender. This squad, led by Justin Fields and
Chase Young, is a complete national title contender and there is not another team in the country, even LSU, Alabama, or Clemson, that has been more dominant throughout the entire season. In the West, P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota Golden Gophers are the sole undefeated team in the division. The traditional West Division powerhouses in the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes are both two games back behind the Gophers. After this weekend, one of those two teams will see their hopes of an appearance in the Big Ten Championship game likely fade away if they pick up a third loss. Wisconsin’s only path to win the West likely lies in going 4-0 in these last few
weeks of the season. This division likely will not be decided until the last week of the year, when the annual Battle for the Axe between Wisconsin and Minnesota might be one of the most significant matchups of the past few decades. Let’s take a look at this Minnesota Golden Gophers team. Coached by the heavily publicized and outspoken P.J. Fleck, who has been known to tell his coaches to wear different colored clothing on the sideline so his outfit stands out more, has impressively managed to get to an 8-0 record, earning him a seven year contract. Led by quarterback Tanner Morgan, this Golden Gophers side has eked out a relatively impressive undefeated record, although there are a lot of questions about the quality of all of
those wins. Minnesota barely won against South Dakota State, then Georgia Southern, and then barely won against a host of bottom-feeding Big Ten teams. In recent weeks, however, Minnesota has been much more impressive. They have shown a pretty good aptitude for running the football, with tailbacks Rodney Smith, Mohamed Ibrahim, and Shannon Brooks amassing a combined 1500 yards from scrimmage. Wideouts Rashad Bateman and Tyler Johnson are also having amazing years as both are on pace for over 1,000 receiving yards, with the former having some sort of crazy athletic catch seemingly every single week. Defensively, the Gophers have a few standout players in Antoine Winfield Jr., who has five interceptions on the season, and Carter Coughlin, who is the primary defensive playmaker on this team. Overall, this may be the best Gopher teams in recent years, and this weekend’s matchup against No. 5 Penn State may be one of the most important games for Minnesota in this century, as a win could propel them into serious national discussion as one of the better teams in college football. Whether it is Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, or even Illinois, who has not even been mathematically eliminated yet, whatever team wins the West Division and ends up playing likely Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game, will pretty assuredly lose. Ohio State is arguably the best team in the country, and any other Big Ten side outside of Penn State is likely playing for a potential Rose Bowl appearance. A chance at the College Football Playoff is basically not on the table when considering how dominant Ohio State has been this year, and the Rose Bowl is basically all any of these teams are looking forward to. Week 9 will likely bring more clarity to the Big Ten West race.
gameday dailycardinal.com
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
l
5
Josh Seltzner
Right Guard || 6'4'' || 327 lbs.
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
gameday dailycardinal.com
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
l
6
3 Keys to the Game
Nate Stanley’s arm will be key, Badgers must be dominant running By Nathan Denzin
1
3
Ride Nate Stanley’s arm
Contain Jonathan Taylor
Nate Stanley has put up the most yards in the Big Ten this year — racking up nearly 2,000 through eight games — and it’s also his last chance to beat his hometown team. Stanley grew up in nearby Menomonie, Wisconsin and played high school football in the area before choosing to play for the Hawkeyes. Stanley-led Hawkeye teams have lost by a combined 35 points in two contests versus the Badgers, but this year could be different if he has a huge game. The Badgers have hit a rough patch of play recently and look more vulnerable than ever, while Iowa has broken off two impressive wins riding Stanley’s performances. With how good Iowa’s defense is, hypothetically Iowa only needs three touchdowns from the offense. The run game leaves a lot to be desired, but if Stanley can put up another big game Iowa may just knock Wisconsin out of the top 25.
Illinois and Ohio State both were able to do it, and both teams came away with a victory, but it isn’t as easy as people think to contain him. After Alex Hornibrook transferred last year many Badger fans expected a more dynamic passing game that could survive without a 150 plus yard day from Taylor, but here we are. Badger quarterback Jack Coan has been an improvement over Hornibrook, but has yet to prove he can carry the team with his arm. If Iowa’s defense can shut Taylor down, they have a clear road map to victory. The Hawkeye defense is nothing to scoff at either, as it ranks as one of the best in the conference, behind only Wisconsin and Ohio State. If Taylor can’t get going, it would create chaos on the Badger sideline for a third straight week, and could lead Iowa to a victory.
1 Run the ball with success In their last two games Wisconsin has averaged less than four yards-per-carry — their fewest amounts this year — and have lost both games. Coincidance? I think not. Running back Jonathan Taylor is too dominant of a running back to get repeatedly shut down by three consecutive opposing defenses, but Iowa’s defense is one of the top in the Big Ten. Illinois and Ohio State have laid out a blueprint for other teams to follow if they want to beat Wisconsin, and it starts with containing the run. If the run game isn’t working, quarterback Jack Coan will have to shoulder the load and the chances of the Badgers losing a third straight are high. However, if the run game can flourish like it did the first six weeks of the Badgers season, the pressure on quarterback Jack Coan will be relieved and the offensive playbook will stay wide open. Iowa’s defense may be good, but it’s probably not good enough to stop the Badger run game in full force.
2 Continue to build Iowa started the season red-hot, but cooled off in two straight losses to Michigan and Penn State. But, since those games the Hawkeyes won a close contest against Purdue, and a Big Ten blowout against Northwestern. Iowa eclipsed 300 total yards in both of these games, which may not sound initially impressive, but for the Big Ten conference that’s a solid yardage output. Iowa’s offense has been slow to come around, but if the last two contests are any indicator they are on the rise. If the Hawkeyes can continue to build off it’s solid last two outings it could put some serious pressure on the Badgers defense.
3 2 Clean up offensive line play This goes along with running the ball well, but Wisconsin’s offensive line needs to find its early-season form. Against Ohio State Jack Coan was sacked five times, more than any other game this year. While that may be acceptable facing a defensive end like Chase Young for Ohio State, it wont fly against Iowa. Coan was under duress constantly in the second half of the Illinois game and the entire Ohio State game, which is not where he is most comfortable as a quarterback. The line also needs to clean up its shaky play in the run game. In back to back games Jonathan Taylor has looked more mortal than ever before in his college career, and I’m not ready to say it’s his fault yet. The holes haven’t been there for Taylor, as he has been swallowed up by defenses. If the line can block well this game, Taylor should have a huge afternoon.
Stay level-headed Against Illinois the Badgers got complacent and let the game slip away from them, and against Ohio State their will power seemed to get sapped by a touchdown early in the second half. Wisconsin can’t afford to let those mental lapses happen again against a talented Iowa team, because they will take advantage of it. The highs and lows of a game can’t get to this team if they have any hope of still making a major bowl game, or even the Big Ten Championship game. On paper, Wisconsin is the more talented team, and as long as they can not screw up too badly and react well to any adversity thrown at them, it should be a relatively easy victory. However, if something bad happens and the Badgers aren’t able to react well, it could turn into more of a slugfest. Bottom line is the Badgers need to perform at their best if they want to win.
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Jonathan Taylor is a key cog in the Badgers offense, but has struggled mightily in the Badgers last two games, both losing efforts by Wisconsin.
Big Ten West Outlook By Raul Vazquez THE DAILEY CARDINAL
Most of the college football world penciled in a Badgers loss to Ohio State before the season and even after Wisconsin got off to a hot start, but no one could have predicted the meltdown in Champaign. Now with two losses, the Badgers will need some help from Big Ten opponents to knock off long-time rivals Iowa and Minnesota to win the Big Ten West. Iowa, like Wisconsin, sits at 6-2, while the Gophers have shocked just about everyone outside of Minneapolis and sit at 8-0, one of only nine undefeated teams left in the FBS. The Hawkeyes, Badgers, and Gophers have separated themselves from the rest of the Big Ten West and are on a collision course as they each play one another. Which team will head to Indianapolis representing the West in the Big Ten championship? Wisconsin: Current record: 6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten Notable matchups remaining: vs Iowa 11/9, @Minnesota 11/30. After starting 6-0 and making an appearance in the AP Top 10, the Badgers have dropped their last two before a crucial Big Ten West matchup when they host Iowa on Saturday. UW’s last four regular season games will be against Big Ten West opponents, setting themselves up nicely to make a run at the West title and a Big Ten championship game berth. “We got to do whatever it takes to win,” running back Jonathan Taylor said. “We have four Big Ten West games left so we have to make sure we are playing our best ball.” This weekend’s game can be viewed as an elimination game as a third loss would almost certainly eliminate the Badgers from contention. Wisconsin will need help from Iowa and Penn State to knock off Minnesota and set up a game that would decide the West
for the regular season finale. First on the list for the Badgers to climb back would be to take down the Hawkeyes, a feat they’ve been able to accomplish the past three seasons. Minnesota: current record: 8-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten Notable matchups remaining: vs Penn State 11/9, @ Iowa 11/16, vs Wisconsin 11/30. Talk about the biggest surprise of the season so far. A year after improving to 7-6 in 2018 from 5-7 in 2017, Minnesota is still spotless and atop the West. Minnesota built on their border battle win – its first win in the matchup in 14 years – in 2018 to set off a run of 10 straight wins including their Quick Lane Bowl win over Georgia Tech. Minnesota has their toughest test yet when they host the undefeated Nittany Lions this weekend. The Gophers also have matchups against the Hawkeyes and Badgers lined up, making for a tough stretch to close out the year. The Gophers control their destiny and can certainly shut the door on Iowa and Wisconsin if they can pull of the upset of Penn State. Iowa: Current record: 6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten Notable matchups remaining: @Wisconsin 11/9, vs Minnesota 11/16. Iowa’s road to Indianapolis begins in Madison. Any and all talk of playing in the Big Ten title game will have to start with an upset of the Badgers in Camp Randall as both teams fight for their Big Ten lives. Outside of their back-to-back matchups with UW and UM, Iowa closes out with Illinois and Nebraska which are certainly winnable games. Consecutive losses to Michigan and Penn State might be the difference for Iowa’s season, but the Hawkeyes are far from out of it. Iowa seemingly has the toughest road with must-win games coming up these next two weeks.
l
gameday
dailycardinal.com
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
7
Rosters
Wisconsin Badgers 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 32 32 34 36 36 37 38 39 39 41
Cruickshank, Aron Hicks, Faion Pearson, Reggie Wolf, Chase Pryor, Kendric Burton, Donte Taylor, A.J. Mertz, Graham Wildgoose, Rachad Davis III, Danny Engram, Dean Lytle, Spencer Shaw, Bradrick Harrell, Deron Nelson, Scott Currens, Seth Bracey, Stephan Smith, Alexander Toler, Titus Gregoire, Mike DiBenedetto, Jordan Lotti, Anthony Vanden Boom, Danny Dunn, Jack Coan, Jack Phillips, Cam Wilder, Collin Larsh, Collin Torchio, John Guerendo, Isaac Melvin, Semar Nelson, Cooper Williams, Caesar Green. Cade Heyroth, Jacob Taylor, Jonathan Krumholz, Adam Williams, James Burrell, Eric Watson, Nakia Blaylock, Travian Volpentesta, Christian Easterling, Quan Wilcox, Blake Kollath, Jackson Schipper, Brady Mais, Tyler Wanner, Coy Cone, Madison Davis, Julius Strey, Marty Stokke, Mason Johnson, Hunter Knaak, Kobe Groshek, Garrett Caputo, Dante Grass, Tatum Hintze, Zach Burls, Noah
WR CB S QB WR CB WR QB CB WR CB OLB RB CB S ILB WR CB S WR WR P QB WR QB WR S K S RB CB WR CB WR ILB RB WR CB S RB CB CB FB K ILB RB S TE S RB ILB FB RB CB RB S ILB K OLB
5-9 5-10 5-10 6-1 5-11 5-10 5-11 6-3 5-11 6-0 5-9 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-5 5-7 6-3 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-4 6-0 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-9 6-3 6-4 6-1 5-11 6-1 6-3 5-9 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-9 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-0 6-2
161 185 197 196 180 180 200 215 197 194 164 223 216 182 204 224 172 182 192 171 190 187 207 174 221 176 194 184 205 213 166 187 188 185 218 219 193 182 195 229 200 185 238 228 252 206 196 236 182 189 219 239 220 189 220 181 222 190 240
SO SO FR FR JR FR SR FR SO JR FR FR SR SO SO JR FR FR FR FR FR SR SO JR JR FR JR SO FR FR FR FR JR SO FR JR JR FR JR FR FR JR FR FR FR FR SO SO JR FR FR JR SO JR JR FR FR SR JR
41 42 43 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 51 52 52 54 55 56 56 57 57 58 59 59 60 61 62 63 65 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 74 75 76 77 78 81 82 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Eschenbach, Jack Franklin, Jaylan Rucci, Hayden Chenal, John Chenal. Leo Lloyd, Gabe Tiedt, Hegeman Cundiff, Clay Wiltjer, Travis Bell, Christian Brown, Logan Green-May, Izayah Bay, Adam Paez, Gio Bernhagen, Josh Pfaff, David Orr, Chris Njongmeta, Maema Baun, Zack Johnson, Rodas Balistreri, Michael Sanborn, Jack Maskalunas, Mike Johnson, Tyler Lyons, Andrew Bruss, Logan Biadasz, Tyler O’Brien, Logan Bowden, Peter Beach, Tyler Sampson, Cormac Moorman, David Vopal. Aaron Seltzner, Josh Van Lanen, Cole Fenton, Alex Furtney, Michael Roberge, Gunnar Tippmann, Joe Lyles, Kayden Smithback, Blake Erdmann, Jason Mustapha, Taj Perry, Emmet Ferguson, Jake Neuville, Zander Benzschawel, Luke Cephus, Quintez Abbott, A.J. Allen, Connor Williams, Bryson Henningsen, Matt Rand. Garrett Dietzen, Boyd Benton, Keeanu Schlichting, Conor Loudermilk, Isaiahh Goetz, C.J. Mullens, Isaiah
TE OLB TE FB ILB TE OLB TE ILB OLB OL OLB LS DE LS DE ILB ILB OLB DE DE ILB ILB OLB OL OL OL OL LS OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL NT OL OL OL OL WR WR TE TE TE WR WR P NT DE DE DE NT P DE DE DE
Iowa Hawkeyes 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-6 6-6 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-0 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-6 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-4
224 222 250 252 250 231 243 251 225 249 311 221 229 305 241 288 224 220 235 293 288 232 231 241 311 310 321 265 217 309 280 307 312 327 312 308 307 292 312 321 305 328 190 186 246 252 276 207 192 168 300 286 279 264 315 222 293 241 283
Game Information
FR FR FR FR SO FR JR JR FR SR JR FR SO JR FR JR SR SR FR JR FR SO SO JR SR FR SO JR FR FR SO FR SR SO SO JR SO FR SR FR SO SO SR FR SO SR JR JR FR SR SO SO JR FR FR SO JR FR FR
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 26 27 28 28 29 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 41
Donald, Nolan Dvorak, Wes Gersonde, Ryan Mansell, Peyton Duncan, Keith Tracy, Tyrone Jr. Belton, Dane Stanley, Nate Jacobs, Jestin Martin, Oliver Smith-Marsette, Ihmir Petras, Spencer Rastetter, Colten Hankins, Matt Padilla, Alex Combs, Jack Stone, Geno Sargent, Mekhi Shudak, Caleb Kapisak, Connor Ojemudia, Michael Johnson, D.J, Smith, Brandon Evans, Joe Mrachese, Henry Mckinney, Daraun Craddieth, Dallas Goodson, Tyler Jones, Charlie Roberts, Terry Schmidt, Ryan Young, Devonte Cook, Drew Milani, John Cooper, Max Timm, Mike Brents, Julius Luckett, Keontae Hartlieb, Thomas Kelly-Martin, Ivory Evans, Samson Sleep-Dalton, Michael Byrd, Shadrick Merriweather, Kaevon Harris, Jermari Koerner, Jack Young, Toren Castro, Sebastian Ritter, Jackson Schulte, Quinn Campbell, Jack Colbert, Djimon Moss, Riley Welch, Kristian Wade, Barrington Ross, Brady Fisher, Kyler Pottebaum, Monte Wieting, Nate Pallissard, Turner Dinsdale, Colton Plewa, Johnny
RB DB P QB K WR DB QB LB WR WR QB P DB QB WR DB RB K QB DB DB WR LB WR DB DB RB WR DB QB DB TE DB WR LB DB RB DB RB RB P RB DB DB DB RB DB WR WR LB LB DB LB LB FB DB LB TE FB DB FB
5-9 6-0 6-4 6-2 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-1 6-1 6-5 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-10 5-9 5-8 6-5 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-10 5-11 5-10 5-11 5-10 6-5 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-3 5-10 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-4 6-0 5-11 6-0
182 200 198 208 180 200 190 243 220 200 183 230 213 185 193 188 210 212 180 211 200 183 218 249 196 185 205 190 184 176 237 203 252 204 188 229 203 180 186 203 210 212 212 210 177 204 223 195 195 185 218 235 191 239 236 246 201 236 250 242 225 230
FR SR SO SO JR RS FR FR SR FR SO JR RS FR SR JR FR SO JR JR JR RS FR SR RS FR JR RS FR SO FR RS FR FR SO RS FR SR SR SR SR JR RS FR SO FR FR JR RS FR SR FR SO FR SO JR FR FR FR FR SO SO SR JR SR FR RS FR SR RS FR SR FR
42 43 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 50 52 53 54 54 55 55 56 57 57 58 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 66 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 74 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 85 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Beyer, Shaun Doyle, Dillon Benson, Seth Ludwig, Joe Klemp, Logan Kujawa, Tommy Anderson, Nick Schulte, Bryce Niemann, Nick Stec, Louie Subbert, Jackson Jones, Amani Daufeldt, Spencer Fagan, Matt Nixon, Daviyon Empen, Luke Jeudy, Yahweh Dejong, Nick Golston, Chauncey Thurm, Clayton Fox, Taylor Nelson, Nathan Fenske, Noah Banwart, Cole Britt, Justin Schott, Kyler Linderbaum, Tyler Jacobus, Dalles Paulsen, Levi Paulsen, Landan Endres, Tyler Sorensen, Kyle Kallenberger, Mark Kirkpatrick, Coy Ince, Cody Schulte, Austin Wirfs, Tristan Jenkins, Jeff Miller, Erza Jackson, Alaric Plumb, Jack Miamen, Josiah Hutson, Desmond Lockett, Calvin Kritta, Alec Laporta, Sam Spiewak, Austin Lee, Logan Vejvoda, Nate Foy, Javon Frericks, Jackson Ragaini, Nico McCall, Taajhir Reiff, Brady Waggoner, John Karchinski, Jake Epenesa, A.J. Lattimore, Cedrick Amaya, Lucas Vanvalkenburg, Zach Reames, Chris Shannon, Noah
TE 6-5 LB 6-3 LB 6-0 FB 6-0 LB 6-2 TE 6-3 LB 6-2 TE 5-3 LB 6-4 DT 6-0 LS 6-3 LB 5-11 DL 6-1 OL 6-5 DT 6-3 OL 6-4 LB 6-0 OL 6-6 DE 6-5 OL 6-4 OL 6-3 DE 6-3 OL 6-4 OL 6-4 OL 6-5 OL 6-2 OL 6-3 DL 6-0 OL 6-5 OL 6-5 OL 6-6 OL 6-5 OL 6-5 OL 6-4 OL 6-4 DL 6-4 OL 6-5 OL 6-3 OL 6-6 OL 6-6 OL 6-7 TE 6-4 WR 6-3 WR 6-2 WR 5-11 TE 6-4 LS 6-1 DE/TE 6-5 LS 6-5 WR 5-11 TE 6-6 WR 6-0 DL 6-3 DL 6-3 DL 6-5 DL 6-4 DE 6-6 DL 6-3 K 6-3 DL 6-4 DL 6-7 DL 6-0
244 235 227 241 228 235 230 244 235 246 243 244 285 285 309 270 201 275 270 261 280 252 300 300 290 290 286 285 305 305 307 270 291 291 287 287 322 266 305 320 272 235 200 182 185 242 232 251 250 158 200 192 231 277 270 253 280 295 200 270 230 294
JR RS FR RS FR SO RS FR SO SR SO JR FR SR SR FR RS FR SO RS FR FR FR JR FR FR RS FR FR JR FR SO RS FR JR SR SR FR RS FR SO SO RS FR JR JR RS FR FR JR RS FR FR FR RS FR FR FR JR FR SR FR FR RS FR FR SR RS FR FR JR SR FR JR FR RS FR
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI TV: FOX Radio: Badger Sports Network
CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin looks to bounce back after two straight losses as they host No. 18 Iowa
gameday 8
l
Wisconsin vs. Iowa
dailycardinal.com
What We Learned
Overreactability: Badgers guaranteed to make 2019 College Football Playoff By Bremen Keasey THE DAILEY CARDINAL
Editor’s note: College football is nothing without its fans, and its fans are nothing without their passion. In an attempt to capture that unique intensity and Overreactability, we’ve asked washed-up sports editor and Southerner Bremen Keasey to give us a weekly breakdown of college football happenings around the country like only a true fan could. Oh man, it’s been a while since I got this here column space (two-to-three weeks, depending on if you consider BYE weeks a gap in the space-time continuum or not) and I just won’t try and recap anything that happened to Wisconsin football the past few weeks. I think that’s fair. We both don’t want to relive that. Let’s instead look to other places and enjoy their misery as well [puts on a cheesy smile and thumbs up to try and mask the pain]. ‘The Big Machine in Red and Black’ is back Florida-Georgia, occasionally known by the non-NCAA sanctioned name “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” is a fixture on all my friends from back home’s calendars. It is when they go to Jacksonville, get really drunk on a beach, then hope to God their football team can pull it together during a game that is more famous for being ugly and sloppy — it’s more a crab in a bucket experiment than a football game — to get some glorious bragging rights in the Southeastern corner of the U.S. In fact, probably the most famous game featured a touchdown where literally all of the Georgia players ran from the sidelines into the endzone, forcing all the refs to throw their flags as UGA went on to beat Florida for the first time in a while. The game this year was just as sloppy and spite-filled as normal, as the No. 8 Bulldogs managed to edge the No. 6 Florida Gators 24-17 and regain momentum in their chase for a return to the College Football Playoff. Head coach Kirby Smart finally opened up the offense, seemingly begrudgingly, as Jake Fromm finally was allowed to throw the ball down field every so often. The most Georgian man in the world threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, including a 52-yard pass(!!) to tight end Lawrence Cager that ended up being the winning score. Meanwhile, Florida didn’t do much. They ended up running for 21 yards on 19 touches which is pretty darn bad if you ask me. The other pretty darn bad thing was allowing Georgia to convert 12-for-18 of their third downs killing any possible momentum won on defense. So what does this all mean?
VIA KNOW YOUR MEME
Well, it means now UGA is likely in the driver’s seat to reach the SEC Championship game at the end of the season. They’re a whole game ahead of Florida and have the tiebreaker, meaning the Dawgs will likely face a short trip to Atlanta in November to take on either ‘Bama or LSU. LSU vs. ‘Bama will steal literally every headline Speaking of those SEC West heavyweights (Editor’s note: wow, what a smooth transition, you’re such a brilliant writer), they’ll finally face off this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. One versus two. Tigers vs. the Tide. Joey Heisman vs. maybe Tua. Yep, in something out of Nick Saban’s erotic dreams, the Tide is finally technically the disrespected underdog as No. 1 LSU will travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium with its new ravethemed stadium lights to take on No. 2 Alabama. Although our friends in the desert actually say that the Tide are favorites, this feels the most like LSU’s year. And that’s because quarterback Joe Burrow has become a god. LSU tinkered with its ancient offense over the offseason and Joe Burrow has been a perfect specimen of a quarterback. Not only has he thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, 30 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 79 percent, Joey Football has shown off his ability to scamper, scoring a key rushing touchdown against Auburn and frequently escaping rushers in the pocket. Not only is the football part great, but the off field/meme level for Joey Football is also at optimum capacity. First of all, he accidentally showed his ass on national television during the Mississippi State game (objectively a great ass), defended his “flopping” on twitter and has pulled himself
screaming and hollering into the Heisman race. Meanwhile, the Heisman-elect in the preseason race, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, has a sprained ankle. There will be questions surrounding him and his readiness for Saturday, but all the words are saying that Tua is gonna play this weekend. And he is surrounded by a wide receiving core that might have three NFL first rounders in Jerry Juedy, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith alongside stud running back Najee Harris, so that will probably help Tua if he still isn’t 100 percent. In some ways, this game could be a welcome change from the normal stereotypes of LSU‘Bama games in the past. Both team’s offenses have so much firepower, while the defenses have not necessarily struggled, but not necessarily wowed. Especially with LSU picking up some injury issues of their own in the secondary, this game could be a shootout. Either way this game ends up, it’s unlikely that one team would be eliminated from playoff conversation, which might seem annoying to some — I already hear some Big Ten fans screaming “why is E-SEC-PN riding so hard for a team that didn’t even win its own conference,” but they are seriously the two best teams in college football and I hope it’s an instant classic game. That or ‘Bama loses in hilarious fashion and Nick Saban gets all red in the face. I love him when he’s angry. So you’re saying there might a chance? Okay folx, I’ve been in the lab for a couple weeks cooking up how Wisconsin can get back into the playoff hunt. Obviously, Wisconsin must win out. After that, it’s a complicated process, but I think we might be able to do it. Here’s
what we need: Minnesota has to beat Penn State, BUT lose to Iowa and Wisconsin in the final game of the season. They help PSU get knocked to two loses with a presumptive loss to Ohio State included in this equation. Clemson loses in the ACC title game to whatever scrap heap team they meet from the ACC Coastal division. Bonus points if somehow Wake Forest also beats them in the regular season. Baylor loses to Texas, but not Oklahoma. Then, in the rematch in the Big 12 title game, Baylor loses to the two-loss Sooners. What is OU’s best win? A 9-3 Texas team? BYE! LSU beats Alabama and then they somehow go into a tailspin
and never recover, losing to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Nick Saban then retires and then sells rat poison on TV. The Pac 12 eats itself like it’s Kronus eating his own children. This is probably the most likely thing we need. Florida can’t reach the SEC title game, but wouldn’t it be hilarious if they lost to an FSU team that just fired its coach. Oh my! Navy beats Notre Dame. Lol. This is the hardest part of the scenario, so bear with me please. Michigan beats Ohio State in “The Game.” OSU still has one loss, so they get to the title game and face Wisconsin. Because UW already beat Michigan, we will have a tiebreaker in the committee’s eyes. Jim Harbaugh is furious, but he wants to keep Ohio away from the title game. So, with that in mind, he sends a spy into whoever caters Ohio State’s pre-game meal before the Big Ten Title game. The spy puts something into the food that gives all the Buckeyes food poisoning, so they are literally puking and pooping the whole time they play Wisconsin. Somehow, the world is convinced that nothing malicious happened and Wisconsin fairly gets the Big Ten title and gets a playoff spot as a two-loss Big Ten champion. OR, we invent a time machine, stop us losing to Illinois and then if we win out we’re in no matter what. OR [at this point, the editors took away Bremen Keasey’s Macbook and locked him in the newsroom to sweat out the caffeine that made him map out this ridiculous scenario].