INFOCUS
BEAUTIFUL BC Men’s hockey won two exhibition games at the University of British Columbia last weekend, saw freshman forwards Cole Caufield (4) and Dylan Holloway (2) score multiple goals, and gained valuable bonding time for the young, but extremely talented squad. PHOTOS BY PAUL CAPOBIANCO AND RICH LAM
INFOCUS
CATCHING ON QB Jack Coan and the Badgers were all smiles after Jonathan Taylor made the first touchdown reception of his career in last Friday’s opener at South Florida. Taylor finished with two TD catches — and four total touchdowns — in the 49-0 rout of the Bulls. PHOTO BY DAVID STLUKA
INFOCUS
DOUBLE THE FUN Twice as nice! The Badgers enjoyed quite the celebrations this past weekend after earning a pair of overtime wins at home, defeating Marquette, 1-0, on Thursday before taking down Butler, 2-1, on Sunday. PHOTOS BY DAVE GAUSTAD
INFOCUS
OH YEAH! Jumping off the floor with excitement, Wisconsin volleyball opened its fourth-straight season with a 2-0 record after winning two matches at the sixth-annual ACC/ Big Ten Challenge. The Badgers swept Florida State and North Carolina at the tournament. PHOTO BY BIANCA MICELI
INFOCUS
LONG TIME COMING Senior RB Bradrick Shaw found his way back to the end zone to put the finishing touches on UW’s 49-0 win over South Florida last Friday. The TD run capped the first game action since November 2017 for Shaw, who has battled back from a torn ACL. PHOTO BY DAVID STLUKA
CONTENTS
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 ▪ VOLUME 10, ISSUE 2
TOM LYNN
28 RAISE THE BAR Standing on the shoulders of giants, Jonathan Taylor is building a new legacy and honoring his brothers here at ‘Running Back U.’
FEATURES 2
LUCAS AT LARGE
IN FOCUS
UNDERDOG MENTALITY
16 LUCAS AT LARGE
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20 WHAT TO WATCH 23 BADGERING
27 VIRAL VIDEO 37 INSIDE FOOTBALL 39 INSIDE VOLLEYBALL 40 INSIDE SOCCER 43 INSIDE CROSS COUNTRY 46 INSIDE GOLF
DARREN LEE
25 FORWARD360
DAVID STLUKA
Sophomore safety Reggie Pearson has challenged himself since his youth. His physicality is now aiding the Badgers’ defense.
19 BY THE NUMBERS
VOLLEYBALL
39 SEEING RED No. 4 Wisconsin opens its 2019 home season by hosting the HotelRED Invitational in the UW Field House this weekend. 13
Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711
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LUCAS AT LARGE
BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM
Underdog mentality serving Pearson well
DAVID STLUKA
R
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eginald Pearson’s first instinct was to go on Twitter to share a story and the historical context behind his youngest son’s infatuation with Wisconsin after Reggie Jr., a ball-hawking safety, committed to the Badgers before the start of his junior year of high school. When Reggie Jr. was in the eighth grade, the story goes, he wrote down on a piece of paper the top five college programs that he wanted to play for. Keep in mind that he grew up in Inkster, Michigan; 30 minutes from the Big House in Ann Arbor and three hours from Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. “If you look at my Twitter feed from a long time ago, I posted that piece of paper, and the first school was Wisconsin,” said Pearson, Sr. “He was a Michigan State fan coming up. But his thing was, ‘I’m an underdog and
I want to play for a top-notch program that has high academics and can compete.’” Compete for Big Ten championships. “He has been talking about playing in the Big Ten,” Reggie Sr. said, “all his life.” Underdog is often synonymous with undersized, which no longer applies to Reggie Pearson, Jr., a 5-foot-10, 197-pound redshirt freshman who takes special delight in punishing ball-carriers, an attitude that he had from the first time he put on a helmet for the Southwest Warriors, a youth team in Detroit. “I’ve always had a ‘dog’ mentality,” Reggie Jr. said. “I was never afraid of anybody.” He got that from his dad. “He always instilled, ‘You’ve got to be physical because if you’re not, you’ll let people run over you, and you don’t want
that,’” said Pearson, Jr., who lined up as the slot corner in the UW’s three-safety nickel defense and forced a fumble in the season opener against South Florida. “Everyone knows him (Pearson) as a hard hitter, but he’s got good feet, too,” said junior safety Eric Burrell, who will start alongside of Pearson in Saturday’s home opener against Central Michigan. “He brings a presence to the defense.” He also got that from dad who founded and coached the Warriors in the Police Athletic League. “There was no youth league team in that area; it’s a poverty-stricken area in southwest Detroit with maybe the biggest gang violence in the city,” explained Pearson, Sr., who was raised in those neighborhoods. “We were trying to help kids enjoy football and stop them from joining the gangs.
“At 4 or 5 years old, Reggie was too young to play, but we convinced them to allow him to play anyway. Instantly, he loved it. He became, I guess, a little superstar at that age. And it started early with him as far as his physicality. He was always a physical kid, laying hits on kids that would shock me. “On the weekend, when we were out and about, he didn’t want to play with the little kids, he wanted to play with the 12and 13-year-olds. I said, ‘Man, you’ve got to be careful.’ But he insisted.” Pearson, Jr., has seen videos from when he was 6 years old playing quarterback and safety. “It’s funny, I was extremely small, extremely skinny,” he said. “When I went to high school, I was 5-5, 140 before I got my growth spurt. It helped me stay focused and grind harder because I was so small.” Size was never a factor to his thinking. But it was to some powerhouse high school programs in the Detroit area. Whereas his cousin Ambry Thomas (now at Michigan) went to Martin Luther King and teammate K.J. Hamler (Penn State) to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Pearson took a different path at River Rouge High School. “He wanted to go to River Rouge because of the simple fact that they never had a Big Ten player come out of the school,” said Pearson, Sr., pointing out that the Panthers’ most prominent football alum was running back Chester Taylor, who played at Toledo and had a 10-year NFL career.
To prepare his son for the rigors of high school football, and beyond, he enlisted the services of a personal trainer, Christopher Huff, the founder of Performance 80 Fitness in Oak Park, Mich. Since he was in the seventh grade, Pearson, Jr., has worked with Huff, who has trained other Big Ten players. “He has been through a lot of adversity with people saying how small he was,” Pearson, Sr., said. “But he put on muscle mass and gained weight. I remember during his junior year of high school, he visited Missouri and benched 225 pounds 18 times. He was growing and staying in the weight room.”
“I WAS NEVER AFRAID OF ANYBODY. (MY DAD) ALWAYS INSTILLED, ‘YOU’VE GOT TO BE PHYSICAL BECAUSE IF YOU’RE NOT, YOU’LL LET PEOPLE RUN OVER YOU, AND YOU DON’T WANT THAT.’”
Off the field, Pearson, Jr., attacked the barbells. “I had a grit mindset,” he said. “Always have.” On the field, he attacked the ball when it was in the air. He had 21 career interceptions. “Instincts, born instincts,” Pearson, Sr., suggested of his son. “He played for Ron Rice (a former NFL safety with the Detroit Lions) and Rice told me, ‘Reggie probably has some of the best instincts I’ve ever seen in a kid his age. He reminds me of a young Ed Reed.’ “He has always been instinctive. By playing quarterback
most of the time when he was in the Little League, the quarterback in him helped him understand plays — to see them and dissect them.” Pearson, Sr., is presently coaching another team in the Police Athletic League. “We’re servicing almost 300 kids in the west side of Detroit; kids that need that focus or maybe that father figure, and I try to reach out and help as much as I can,” he said. “When Reggie comes back, he does a lot of community service — coaching and mentoring the kids in Little League and high school. “If you ever talk to Reggie, he’ll make a comment that I tell him all the time and that is, ‘It’s bigger than you.’ I’ve instilled that in him because that’s what I live by, ‘It’s bigger than us.’” Pearson, Sr., and his wife Nicole have instilled something else in their son: academics. “It’s an absolute must, first and foremost for us, that’s non-negotiable,” Pearson, Sr., said. “I was an OK student, but my wife was an exceptional student. She excelled in the classroom. She’s the brains of the bunch.” Pearson, Jr., got rewarded for good grades from his late grandfathers. “He got 10 bucks for an A and five dollars for a B,” Reggie Sr. said. “Getting good grades became a norm for him.” At that, Pearson, Sr., and Nicole have the utmost respect for their son’s current teachers: Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Click to read more » 17
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BY THE NUMBERS
DARREN LEE
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3 6 49
◀ VOLLEYBALL Kelly Sheffield picked up two wins on the weekend to move into second place on UW’s all-time coaching wins list, with 162. He passed John Cook (1992-98), who won 161 matches in seven years with the Badgers.
MEN’S HOCKEY ▶ Freshman Cole Caufield scored three goals — his first hat trick as a Badger — to lead Wisconsin to a 7-5 exhibition win against British Columbia. Caufield finished the weekend with four goals overall.
RICH LAM
TOM LYNN
◀ WOMEN’S SOCCER Junior Lauren Rice scored her sixth game-winning goal on Thursday night as the junior launched a rocket into the net against Marquette to give the Badgers a 1-0 overtime victory.
DAVID STLUKA
FOOTBALL ▶ Wisconsin’s 49-0 shutout win over South Florida marked the Badgers’ largest margin of victory on the road since a 59-10 triumph in the 1996 regular-season finale at Hawaii.
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WHAT TO WATCH GREG ANDERSON
SEEING RED
VOLLEYBALL VS. MARQUETTE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 ▪ 7PM UW FIELD HOUSE ▪ FOX SPORTS 1 No. 4 Wisconsin opens the home season with the HotelRED Invitational this weekend with Baylor, Syracuse and Marquette. The Badgers open play against 11th-ranked Marquette on Thursday at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports 1 and will face No. 17 Baylor on Friday at 8 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
buy tickets
FOOTBALL VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 ▪ 2:30PM CAMP RANDALL STADIUM ▪ BTN
DAVID STLUKA
JUMP AROUND
No. 17 Wisconsin returns home on Saturday to face Central Michigan in its home opener at Camp Randall Stadium. Watch the afternoon matchup live on Big Ten Network at 2:30 p.m.
buy tickets
CLAIM THE STATE
WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. GREEN BAY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 ▪ 1PM McCLIMON COMPLEX ▪ BTN PLUS Undefeated in the last 10 contests at home, Wisconsin returns to the McClimon Complex on Sunday to play Green Bay at 1 p.m. Catch the action vs. the Phoenix streamed live on BTN Plus ($).
ticket info 20
WEDNESDAY 9/4
THURSDAY 9/5
FRIDAY 9/6
VOLLEYBALL HotelRED Invitational vs. #11 Marquette Madison, Wis. 7 p.m. Watch: Fox Sports 1 Buy tickets » WOMEN’S SOCCER at Loyola-Chicago Chicago 7 p.m.
SUNDAY 9/8 MEN’S SOCCER vs. Lehigh Evanston, Ill. Noon
MONDAY 9/9 MEN’S GOLF Badger Invitational Madison, Wis. All day
MEN’S SOCCER vs. Bowling Green Evanston, Ill. 5 p.m. MEN’S & WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Badger Classic Madison, Wis. 6 p.m. Event info »
SATURDAY 9/7 FOOTBALL vs. Central Michigan Madison, Wis. 2:30 p.m. Watch: BTN Buy tickets »
VOLLEYBALL HotelRED Invitational vs. #17 Baylor Madison, Wis. 8 p.m. Watch: BTN Buy tickets »
TUESDAY 9/10
WEDNESDAY 9/11
MEN’S GOLF Badger Invitational Madison, Wis. All day
WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Green Bay Madison, Wis. 1 p.m. Ticket info » MEN’S GOLF Badger Invitational Madison, Wis. All day
ALL TIMES CENTRAL
VIEW FULL CALENDAR ON UWBADGERS.COM »
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BADGERING...
PETE KUHL MEN’S GOLF ▪ SENIOR MORTON, ILL. GREG ANDERSON
BY TIA MARTIN ▪ UW BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
What are you most looking forward to during your senior season? “I’m excited for our team. I think we have a really deep team this year, that is going to be a lot of fun. Through my first three years I’ve been able to see the teams develop and I think that this year is something really special. Now that I’m a senior a lot of the pressure is off and I just want to go have fun and enjoy my last year. I think that’s what’s most important to me.” How do you plan to step up and lead as a senior this year? “I’ve been blessed to play a lot of events my first three years so I’ve seen a lot of what college golf is like — been able to see the ups and downs of it. I think that I can really use that to help our freshmen who are very talented this year, get them acclimated to college golf a little faster. I feel like many programs have seniors who maybe haven’t played that much, so I’m excited to take my experience and show them the ropes to hopefully help us be the best team we can be this year.” How do you feel that Wisconsin has prepared you for post-graduate success? Where do you see yourself one to two years from now? “Coming to Wisconsin is the best decision I have ever made in my entire life. The support staff, coaches, everyone in the athletic department has prepared me to be successful after school. I don’t exactly know where I want to be in one to two years. I know that playing golf would be my dream, but there are other things I’d like to pursue. I’m trying to figure that out right now. But I know that no matter what I do, Wisconsin has prepared me to have the best future I could possibly have.” What is the biggest takeaway you have experienced from being a student-athlete at Wisconsin? “Some of the memories I’ve made — whether it’s on the course, off the course, in the classroom — I’m going to remember them for the rest of my life. There’s no other place in the world that I would rather be and I’m very proud to tell people I go to the University of Wisconsin and that I’m a student-athlete. That’s really special to me. I’ve made so many friends and so many memories and that’s really cool.” ▪
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FORWARD360 SPOTLIGHT
Forward360: Give Us Your All and We’ll Give You Ours
Badgers’ holistic wellness program helps student-athletes reach full potential BY MAYA SHEA ▪ UW BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
F
orward360 is Wisconsin Athletics’ holistic wellness program that gives athletes the tools, opportunities, resources and support they need to reach their full potential. Through nine multi-dimensional programs, student-athletes grow in ways that empower them to bring the Wisconsin Idea forward and impact lives far beyond their own. Meet our starting nine: Academic Services maximizes each student’s academic achievement opportunities through personalized learning strategies and developmental planning. Badgers Give Back sits at the heart of Wisconsin Athletics through volunteer opportunities allowing athletes to be a game-changer within the community. Career & Leadership strives to connect today’s opportunities with tomorrow’s possibilities and secure meaningful career outcomes for 100 percent of graduating student-athletes. Clinical & Sport Psychology focuses on the importance of mental health and overall well-being of all student-athletes.
Inclusion & Engagement works to ensure that all policies, programming and initiatives encompass a wide range of perspectives and experiences. Performance Nutrition provides education, food and nutrition products to help student-athletes maximize their performance potential and overall health. Strength & Conditioning engages student-athletes in year-round programs that use baseline performance data to guide and gauge personal progress and reach each athlete’s untapped potential. Sports Medicine ensures that student-athletes have access to personal, high-quality care. The W Club nurtures the legacy, tradition and values that come from participation in intercollegiate athletics, and enhance letterwinners’ lives through connections to each other, Wisconsin Athletics, the University and Badger Nation. Put in the effort. See the results. Check out Forward360 on UWBadgers.com for more information. ▪
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VIRAL VIDEO
MEN’S HOCKEY STARTS INTERNATIONAL TRIP WITH 3-0 WIN UP NEXT:
LOUIS RIDDICK PRAISES JONATHAN TAYLOR
RICE SCORES GAME WINNER IN OVERTIME VS. MARQUETTE
FOLLOW THE BADGERS ▶
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TOM LYNN
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STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS, JONATHAN TAYLOR IS BUILDING A NEW LEGACY AND HONORING HIS BROTHERS HERE AT ‘RUNNING BACK U.’
BOB CAMPBELL
I
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’m sitting alone in a place that inspires me. It’s the meeting room for the Wisconsin running backs, which is located on the second level of Camp Randall Stadium. It’s one floor above the weight room, where we push ourselves to be the best, and two stories above the football field, where we try to prove we are the best. I spend a lot of time in this windowless room, sitting with the fullbacks and tailbacks — my brothers — listening and learning as much as I can from our position coach, John Settle. It’s where we meet almost daily to watch video, go over scouting reports and review game plans. The walls are dominated by large white boards that Coach Sett uses to diagram plays and schemes. Sometimes he has us step up to those boards, black marker in hand, to show that we understand what’s going on. As soon as you walk through the door, there are two displays that are hard to miss. On one wall are the All-Americans that have carried the ball for the Badgers over the years, 15 plaques
in all going back to 1898. On the other side of the room are pictures of the latest Wisconsin backs that have gone on to play in the NFL. It’s an honor to have my name on one of those boards. It’s my intent to be on both of them before all is said and done. Since coming to Madison in the summer of 2017, I’ve gotten to know some of the guys pictured on those displays. I met Ron Dayne, the best of the best, on my official campus recruiting visit. I met Billy Marek, the first guy in the program with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, at a golf outing. I ran into John Clay, who had two 1,000-yard showings, and Brian Calhoun, who had a crazy 402 touches in 2005, at a campus restaurant. I had my first conversation with Melvin Gordon, who owns the best game (408 yards) and season (2,587) in program history, in the Wisconsin weight room. They all told me essentially the same thing. Be better than the last guy. Raise the bar.
DAVID STLUKA
I didn’t know it at the time, but I joined a frasomeone out there working as hard as you are. ternity when I came to Madison from little SaWhen he was here he was famous for doing lem, New Jersey. Once you get recognized as workouts outside his apartment at night while a Wisconsin back, it’s an instant connection. I a lot of guys might be going out on the town was linked in right away with cell numbers and and having fun. contact info from the others. They all told me A lot of Ron’s thing was making sure that to reach out anytime I needed anything. you and the guys on the offensive line are on I feel it’s genuine, the same page. He that this Running was really tight with Back U. fraternity is his O-line. Those guys “I FEEL IT’S GENUINE, THAT THIS forever. We may have take a lot of pressure RUNNING BACK U. FRATERNITY IS FOREVER. come from differoff of the backs, so WE MAY HAVE COME FROM DIFFERENT TIMES AND ent times and backyou have to keep the BACKGROUNDS, BUT WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.” grounds, but we have lines of communicaa lot in common. We tion open. I can relate all know and respect the guys that came beto that. My guys have taken a lot of pressure fore us. We all know the work — the time, the off of me. I’ve been fortunate to be blessed effort, the sacrifices — that were put in to be with great offensive linemen each year I’ve able to play here on Saturdays. Of course, we been here. all know the pressure that comes from trying Montee’s big thing was telling me to stay foto keep moving the torch along. cused off the field as well as on it. There are a Someone told me that there have been 25 lot of things out there that can cause setbacks. 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Wisconsin in the last 25 years. That’s crazy. Fourteen different guys have had at least one. Back in 1994, Brent Moss gave the torch to Terrell Fletcher, who handed it to Carl McCullough, who gave it to Ron, another Jersey guy. All he did was win the Heisman Trophy before giving it to Michael Bennett and Anthony Davis, yet another Jersey guy. Calhoun was next, then P.J. Hill, Clay, James White, Montee Ball, Gordon and Corey Clement, another Jersey legend in his own right. I’ve learned a lot from talking to the ones I’ve met. A couple bits of wisdom stand out. A big chunk of Melvin’s message is that you’ve got to be working continuously, that there’s always
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MIRANDA & ADAM KNEELAND
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TOM LYNN
and Bradrick Shaw is the only senior. We’re all doing the best we can to set the tone for the next group of Wisconsin backs. I’ve spent my first two seasons with the Badgers trying to raise the bar. It’s something I take very seriously. So far, it’s gone well, better than I thought when I first arrived here. There’s been a lot of attention and personal satisfaction. I’m proud of the work I’ve put in, proud of the player I’ve become. But there’s always more to do and I’m my own worst critic. The awards and records are nice. The compliments are appreciated. Seeing my name on the same lists as Herschel Walker, LaDainian Tomlinson, Troy Davis and Adrian Peterson is exciting and humbling at the same time. Meeting someone like Walker at an awards dinner and hearing the 1982 Heisman winner tell me that he’s keeping close tabs on me was gratifying. Before I leave Wisconsin I want to create a new challenge for the next backs. I know the next one to raise the bar past me, whoever it is, it’s going to be insane. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds with the next group in the room. The youngest of five kids, I grew up loving school, especially science and especially anything to do with space. I didn’t necessarily want to be an astronaut, but I knew I wanted to research space and be a part of NASA. I was always fascinated with that. I always imagined myself being a part of some team that involved researching or going to space. Football became a focus when I started playing in seventh grade. I started out as a tight end, but was moved to running back when the coaches noticed that I could run pretty fast.
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He said it was easy to focus and lock in on the field. A lot of distractions come off the field, so make sure that you understand your purpose. Is it to get involved in things off the field, or is it being laser focused on your craft? Coach Sett always says, “The standard is the standard.” You take a look at who came before you and that’s the standard. At worst you want to maintain the standard, but you really want to raise it. That’s the priority here. Melvin told me something I think about every day. “Try to be better than the next guy in the room,” he said. “That’s going to force that guy to try and be better. That’s how you’re going to have an elite running back room.” Our room is pretty young right now. There are 11 backs in all and five are freshmen. Me and Garrett Groshek and Mason Stokke are juniors
Salem, population 5,146, is one of those The next level isn’t for everybody. Think small towns where everyone knows everyabout it. Every year there are thousands of body. I walked from my house to school with running backs playing in high school, almost all my buddies every day. There are places to get in trying to get offers to play college ball. There’s trouble if that’s what you’re looking for, but my a crazy amount of talent at the running back mom, Elizabeth, a certified medical technician, position. The best get picked. and my dad, Jonathan, a supervisor at an asYou’d think with the reputation Wisconsin bestos removal company, kept close tabs on me has, the coaches would find somebody else even though they lived besides me. For them apart. Once I got into to turn on my tape and sports — I ran track, too say, “This guy has the “BEFORE I LEAVE WISCONSIN I WANT TO — they became my pri- CREATE A NEW CHALLENGE FOR THE NEXT BACKS. potential to be one of ority along with school. those guys on the wall,” I KNOW THE NEXT ONE TO RAISE THE BAR PAST Growing up in Salem, that pushed me to a ME, WHOEVER IT IS, IT’S GOING TO BE INSANE. playing in the smallest new level. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HOW IT UNFOLDS WITH division in the state, Getting an offer from THE NEXT GROUP IN THE ROOM.” I didn’t know if I’d be the coaches here boostable to make it to the ed my confidence and next level. We had 30-some guys on the team, my work ethic. I thought, “If I got an offer from a lot of us going both ways. I played outside RBU, if I’m going to go run with this, I’ve got to linebacker when we didn’t have the ball. My make sure I’ve got to do it the right way.” coach, Montrey Wright, is one of the most inReporters have asked me if I’m the best runfluential people in my life. He grew up in Salem ning back in the country. All I can say is that I’m and treats all his players like family. He’s a big trying to be. stickler for listening. He said a lot of players get One of the things that comes with that is beweeded out of the process because they either ing a complete back and doing everything condon’t pay attention or they’re not coachable. sistently well. When I was a freshman, I didn’t
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ALLEN KEE RICH GRAESSLE PHIL ELLSWORTH
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know all I needed to know about the position and the playbook, so I was more of a first- and second-down back. I got up to speed on third down packages as a sophomore and showed flashes of being able to handle more responsibility. Transitioning to this season, I want to put it all on tape. I want to be consistent and not just show flashes of what I can do. That’s the next step I want to take. I want to be an every-down back in the NFL. During spring break, Grosh and I went down to Florida and trained with Melvin and James, two guys who’ve made it in the pros as every-down guys. One of the biggest things we learned about playing at the next level is that you have to push yourself without someone in your ear. We had this one technique and sprint drill where there were four cones spaced at various intervals. The second-to-last cone was blue and the last one was red. On the rep we were on — transitioning from a butt-kicking stride to an open sprint — we were supposed to run to the second-to-last cone. Well, Melvin said, “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m going to the red cone.” That kind of made it an open challenge. In his own way, Melvin said, “I don’t know about anybody else, but this is my standard. This is how I work.” Of course, me and Grosh did what Melvin did. We had to. We couldn’t let Melvin go to the last cone and not do the same thing. One of the coolest experiences I had this summer was sitting down and talking with another JT, Joe Thomas, the greatest offensive lineman in Wisconsin history. He’s a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer who shared a lot of insights and experiences. It was great to be able to pick his brain. It was an honor to spend time with him. At one point, Joe asked me what goals I had for this season. There’s only one. I want to win a Big Ten Conference title. I never won a championship in high school.
Since I’ve been here we’ve won two trophies: that championship game. Once you’re there, The Pinstripe Bowl last season and the Orange you’ve got to find a way to win. You have to. Bowl when I was a freshman. Someone asked me to choose between winIt’s one thing to be champions of the Orange ning the Heisman Trophy and winning a Big Bowl or the Pinstripe Bowl, but that doesn’t Ten title. say we were the best team in our conference. Here’s how I feel about that: Just because That’s one of the things I still want to accomyou’re the best player — a Heisman winner — plish. I want to be a Big Ten champion. you’re still not a champion. You’re just the best I look at the guys who came before me. player. You want to go down as a champion with Montee and James won three Big Ten titles. the guys you worked with each and every day. Ron won two. Melvin I’m sure if you win the and John Clay won one Heisman your teamapiece. That goes to mates will be happy for “TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW, IF YOU RUN INTO raising the bar. Those you — just as they were AN OLD TEAMMATE YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SAY, guys have won a Big for Ron in 1999 and ‘HEY, REMEMBER WHEN I WON THE HEISMAN Ten championship. You Alan Ameche in 1954 — TROPHY?’ YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO SAY, ‘HEY, can’t raise the bar and but it’s not something REMEMBER WINNING THAT BIG TEN TITLE?’” have something missyou celebrate with eving. That’s what chasing erybody. If you’re Big greatness is all about. That’s something those Ten champions, it’s something you can celeguys have done and I’ve got to find a way to brate together forever. match it. Twenty years from now, if you run into an Coach Sett always talks about that. Whether old teammate you’re not going to say, “Hey, you’re blocking a 250-pound linebacker comremember when I won the Heisman Trophy?” ing right down the pipe or it’s fourth-and-1 and You’re going to want to say, “Hey, remember your number is called, you have to find a way. I winning that Big Ten title?” feel the same thing applies to winning a chamIf you win a Big Ten championship, you’re pionship. You’ve got to find a way, each and connected for life by something very special. every week, to win that game in order to get to That’s what I want more than anything.
“
TOM LYNN
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INSIDE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (1-0, 0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Aug. 30 at South Florida W, 49-0 Sept. 7 Central Mich.
2:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 #7 Michigan
11 a.m.
Sept. 28 Northwestern Oct. 5
Kent State
Oct. 12 #19 Michigan St. 2:30 p.m.
Homecoming
Oct. 19 at Illinois
11 a.m.
Oct. 26 at #5 Ohio State Nov. 9
#20 Iowa
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Highlights: Wisconsin Football vs. South Florida
THIS WEEK Coming off its most lopsided win in a road game in 23 years, the No. 17-ranked Wisconsin (1-0) football team returns home Saturday to face Central Michigan (1-0) in its home opener at Camp Randall Stadium. LAST WEEK The Badgers were dominant in a 49-0 shutout win over South Florida last Friday in Tampa. UW’s defense limited the Bulls to just 157 total yards while the offense torched USF behind 183 total yards and four touchdowns from Heisman Trophy contender Jonathan Taylor.
GOOD TO KNOW Wisconsin has won 23 straight home openers, a run that dates to 1996 and trails only Florida (29 entering Saturday) among active streaks in the FBS.
Nov. 23 Purdue Nov. 30 at Minnesota Dec. 7
Big Ten Championship
Indianapolis
DAVID STLUKA
Nov. 16 at #25 Nebraska
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Saturday’s game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. CT and airs live on BTN, with Lisa Byington and J Leman on the call. Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas, Mark Tauscher and Patrick Herb will call the game statewide on the Badger Sports Network and worldwide via iHeartRadio. Live stats are available via UWBadgers.com and the Badger Gameday app.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Talk of the Town: Taylor makes a splash in opener
FOLLOW US:
▶ Badgers show defensive depth in season-opening shutout ▶ How UW’s dominant defense put 2018 in the rearview
37
INSIDE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE (2-0, 0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. at Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Chapel Hill, N.C.:
Aug. 30 vs. Florida St.
W, 3-0
Aug. 31 at N. Carolina
W, 3-0
HotelRED Invitational, Madison, Wis.:
Sept. 5
#11 Marquette
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
#17 Baylor
8 p.m.
at Clemson Invitational, Clemson, S.C.:
Sept. 13 vs. South Carolina 5 p.m. Sept. 14 at Clemson
2 p.m.
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Wisconsin Volleyball: Kelly Sheffield Press Conference
THIS WEEK No. 4 Wisconsin (2-0) opens its 2019 home season by hosting the sixth-annual HotelRED Invitational in the UW Field House. The tournament opens when No. 17 Baylor (2-0) takes on Syracuse (0-0) Thursday at 4 p.m. The Badgers face No. 11 Marquette (3-0) in the nightcap at 7 p.m., live on Fox Sports 1. UW faces Baylor on Friday at 8 p.m. live on the Big Ten Network to wrap up the invitational. LAST WEEK For the fourth straight season, the Badgers opened their season with a 2-0 mark. Wisconsin swept now-No. 22 Florida State and North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
GOOD TO KNOW UW faces its first two ranked opponents of the season in its home opening. The Badgers will play 16 matches against teams ranked or receiving votes in this week’s AVCA top-25 coaches’ poll. NEED TO KNOW Badger fans can watch both matches this weekend on live television. Thursday night’s match vs. Marquette will be shown on Fox Sports 1 while Friday’s match vs. Baylor airs live on Big Ten Network. Fans can also listen to Jon Arias and Pete Waite call the matches live on 100.9 FM in the Madison area or anywhere using the iHeartRadio app. Live updates will also be available on Twitter.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ 2-0 Again! Badgers sweep North Carolina
Sept. 21 at #16 Washington 8 p.m. Sept. 27 #18 Purdue
7 p.m.
Sept. 29 Indiana
1 p.m.
Oct. 2
#6 Penn State
8 p.m.
Oct. 5
at #2 Nebraska
7 p.m.
Oct. 9
at Northwestern 6 p.m.
Oct. 13 #8 Minnesota
3 p.m.
Oct. 18 #5 Illinois
8 p.m.
Oct. 19 Northwestern
7 p.m.
DARREN LEE
Sept. 19 #16 Washington 8 p.m.
Oct. 25 at Michigan State 6 p.m. View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
FOLLOW US:
▶ As expected: Fifth-ranked Badgers open season with win ▶ Danielle Hart ready for big role as Badgers' middle blocker
39
INSIDE MEN’S SOCCER SCHEDULE (1-1-0, 0-0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Aug. 30 UC Davis Sept. 1
UAB
L, 0-2 W, 2-1
Sept. 6
vs. Bowling Green 5 p.m.
Evanston, Ill.
Sept. 8
vs. Lehigh
Evanston, Ill.
12 p.m.
Sept. 12 at Butler
6:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 Portland
7 p.m.
Sept. 20 at #2 Indiana 4:30 p.m. Sept. 24 Marquette
7 p.m.
Sept. 27 #3 Maryland 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2
at Milwaukee 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 6
#16 Michigan St. 12:30 p.m.
6 p.m.
Oct. 15 SIUE
7 p.m.
Oct. 19 Penn State
7 p.m.
Oct. 25 at Michigan
5 p.m.
Oct. 30 Northwestern
7 p.m.
View full schedule/results »
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers Down UAB 2-1
THIS WEEK The Badgers take on Bowling Green at 5 p.m. on Friday and Lehigh on Sunday at noon in a pair of neutral-site contests in Evanston, Illinois. LAST WEEK Wisconsin (1-1-0 overall, 0-00 B1G) opened its 2019 season with split results, falling to UC Davis last Friday at home, 2-0, before upending UAB with a 2-1 victory on Sunday.
GOOD TO KNOW UW’s senior captains and preseason All-Big Ten picks factored heavily in last weekend’s results with Noah Leibold scoring the first goal of the year, Robin Olofsson tallying the second and goalkeeper Dean Cowdroy making seven saves. NEED TO KNOW Find updates and results @BadgerMSoccer on Twitter.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Badgers fire past Blazers 40
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
▶ Wisconsin falls to UC Davis in season opener
FOLLOW US:
TIA MARTIN
Oct. 11 at Rutgers
INSIDE WOMEN’S SOCCER SCHEDULE (3-1-0, 0-0-0) Home events in bold. All times CT. Aug. 22 at UCF
W, 1-0
Aug. 25 at #1 Florida St. L, 0-1 OT Aug. 29 Marquette Sept. 1
Butler
Sept. 5
at Loyola-Chicago 7 p.m.
Sept. 8
Green Bay
Sept. 20 at Maryland
3 p.m.
Sept. 29 #8 Penn State
LAST WEEK UW (3-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 B1G) earned a pair of OT wins at home, first beating in-state rival Marquette, 1-0. Lauren Rice scored the game-winning goal for the Badgers. Wisconsin topped Butler in its second
overtime contest in a row at McClimon, 2-1, as Cameron Murtha collected the game-winning OT goal.
1 p.m. 8 p.m.
Sept. 27 Ohio State
THIS WEEK No. 16 UW heads to Loyola-Chicago on Thursday before returning to the McClimon Soccer Complex to host Green Bay on Sunday at 1 p.m.
W, 2-1 OT
Sept. 14 at #2 UCLA Sept. 22 at #21 Rutgers
▲ TAP TO WATCH - Another OT Win for Badgers
W, 1-0 OT
11 a.m. 5 p.m. 12 p.m.
Oct. 3
Michigan
8 p.m.
Oct. 6
at Purdue
12 p.m.
Oct. 11 Minnesota
5 p.m.
Oct. 17 Iowa
7 p.m.
Oct. 20 Nebraska
1 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Illinois
8 p.m.
Oct. 27 at Northwestern 2:30 p.m. View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
GOOD TO KNOW The Badgers are undefeated in their last 10 contests at McClimon with a 6-0-4 record. NEED TO KNOW Sunday’s game will be streamed on BTN Plus while fans can follow the action for both games on Twitter (@BadgerWSoccer).
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
▶ Clutch Cammie: Murtha scores game-winner vs. Butler
FOLLOW US:
▶ Rice’s strike leads No. 15 Badgers over Golden Eagles ▶ On Wisconsin: Rose Lavelle: Soccer’s New Superstar
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INSIDE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE Home events in bold. All times CT. Sept. 6
Badger Classic 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at John McNichols Invitational 8 a.m.
Terre Haute, Ind.
Oct. 4
at Joe Piane Invitational Notre Dame, Ind. 12 p.m.
Oct. 18 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational 11 a.m. Nov. 3
at Big Ten Championships Columbus, Ohio 11:45 a.m.
Nov. 15 NCAA Great Lakes Regional 12:30 p.m. Nov. 23 at NCAA Cross Country Championships
Terre Haute, Ind.
View full schedule/results » TOM LYNN
THIS WEEK The Badgers open the 2019 season hosting the Badger Classic at the Zimmer Championship course. Wisconsin takes on DePaul and an open team in the meet, which begins at 6:30 p.m. LAST SEASON Wisconsin won the 2018 Big Ten Championship and finished eighth at the NCAA championship.
GOOD TO KNOW UW returns five of its top seven runners from last season, but must replace NCAA and Big Ten individual champion Morgan McDonald. Senior Olli Hoare finished second to McDonald at the Big Ten championship and also earned All-America honors as a junior.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Live results from the meet will be available on PTTiming and on Twitter @BadgerTrackXC.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
FOLLOW US:
▶ UW Athletic Hall of Fame 2019: Donovan Bergstrom ▶ Badgers finish third in Men’s Program of the Year standings
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INSIDE WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE Home events in bold. All times CT. Sept. 6
Badger Classic
6 p.m.
Sept. 21 at John McNichols Invitational 8:45 a.m.
Terre Haute, Ind.
Oct. 4
at Joe Piane Invitational Notre Dame, Ind. 12 p.m.
Oct. 18 Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational 11 a.m. Nov. 3
at Big Ten Championships Columbus, Ohio 10:45 a.m.
Nov. 15 NCAA Great Lakes Regional 12 p.m. Nov. 23 at NCAA Cross Country Championships
Terre Haute, Ind.
THIS WEEK The Badgers open the 2019 season hosting the Badger Classic at the Zimmer Championship course. Wisconsin takes on DePaul in the meet at 6 p.m. LAST SEASON Wisconsin finished third at the 2018 Big Ten Championship and finished 10th at the NCAA championship. Junior Alicia Monson won the Big Ten title and finished fourth at the NCAA championship.
GOOD TO KNOW UW returns six of its top seven runners from last season, including reigning Big Ten champion and All-American Alicia Monson. Redshirt senior Amy Davis finished second or third on the team in all six meets last season.
TOM LYNN
View full schedule/results »
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Live results from the meet will be available on PTTiming and on Twitter @BadgerTrackXC.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
FOLLOW US:
▶ Wartenberger named women’s cross country coach ▶ UW Athletic Hall of Fame 2019: Gwen Jorgensen
45
INSIDE MEN’S GOLF SCHEDULE Home events in bold. Sept. 8-10 Badger Invitational Sept. 29-30 at Bearcat Invitational
Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct. 6-8 at Marquette Intercollegiate
Erin, Wis.
Oct. 13-14 at Pleasant View Invitational
Middleton, Wis.
Oct. 21-22 at Musketeer Classic
Cincinnati, Ohio
THIS WEEK The Badgers open the 201920 season, hosting the Badger Invitational on Sept. 8-10 at University Ridge Golf Course. Wisconsin will take on 15 teams in the tournament: Abilene Christian, Coastal Carolina, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, Miami of Ohio, Mississippi, Nevada, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Rutgers, South Dakota State, UNC Greensboro, Wofford and Xavier. LAST SEASON UW won the 2018 Pinetree Intercollegiate and recorded six top-10 finishes. Wisconsin is looking to improve upon
last season’s 14th-place finish at the 2019 Big Ten Championships. GOOD TO KNOW UW returns five of their top seven golfers from 2018-19, including junior Griffin Barela, who averaged 72.78 strokes per round ranks second on the team. Barela had five top25 finishes last season, including tying for fourth at the Hawkeye Invitational.
Nassau, Bahamas
Feb. 7-8
at Big Ten Match Play
Palm Coast, Fla.
Mar. 9-10 at General James Hackler Collegiate Championship
▶ Big Ten Announces Preseason Golf Honorees ▶ UW Athletic Hall of Fame 2019: Ben Walter
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Mar. 22-24 at Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate
Awendaw, S.C.
View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
NEED TO KNOW Live results will be available on BirdieFire while live updates will also be available on Twitter @BadgerMGolf.
RELATED STORIES (Click to read)
46
FOLLOW US:
GREG ANDERSON
Nov. 1-3 at White Sands Intercollegiate