Tag: Badger Football

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers: Series history, all-time record

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) will travel to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) at Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. CT. It will be the 18th all-time meeting between the two programs.

The Badgers own a 13-4 overall advantage. They’ve won the last 10 matchups dating back to 2012 — that streak began with Wisconsin defeating Nebraska 70-31 in the Big Ten Championship game in December of 2012.

In that contest, the Badgers compiled 529 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground with their three-headed backfield attack. Montee Ball turned 21 carries into 202 yards and three touchdowns, James White had 109 yards and four scores on 15 carries, while Melvin Gordon added nine carries for 216 yards and a touchdown.

Wisconsin fell to No. 1 Oregon 16-13 in Week 12 and they were in a very similar position when they squared off with Nebraska last season, entering the game with a 5-5 overall record. The Badgers knocked off the Cornhuskers in overtime 24-17 at Camp Randall.

Nebraska enters Saturday’s matchup having lost four games in a row after a 5-1 start to the year, dropping their contest against USC 28-20 on the road last weekend.

Although the Badgers have a 13-4 advantage all-time, they are just 4-3 in games against the Cornhuskers on the road, leaving the door open for Nebraska to snap its extensive losing streak.

Badgers class of 2025 LB commit named Wisconsin’s top senior linebacker

Badgers class of 2025 LB commit named Wisconsin’s top senior linebacker

Wisconsin class of 2025 linebacker commit Cooper Catalano was named the 2024 recipient of the John Anderson Award on Wednesday.

The honor annually recognizes the most outstanding senior linebacker in Wisconsin. Catalano, who committed to UW’s program nearly one year ago, was the obvious choice for the honor.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound game-wrecker registered 178 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles and three interceptions for Germantown High School this season. On top of that, he became Wisconsin’s all-time career tackles leader in late September after he recorded tackle No. 463 with the program.

Since that point, he’s added over 100 more tackles to his total.

247Sports considers Catalano the No. 894 overall recruit, No. 92 linebacker and No. 7 recruit from the state of Wisconsin for the class of 2025. He earned offers from the likes of Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, and Michigan State before ultimately deciding to join the Badgers.

Outside Catalano, two other class of 2025 linebackers have committed to Wisconsin — four-star Mason Posa and three-star Samuel Lateju.

The award is named after John Anderson, a former Waukesha South star in the 1970s who became the Green Bay Packers’ all-time leader in tackles before his retirement in 1989.

Report: Wisconsin quarterback to enter transfer portal

Report: Wisconsin quarterback to enter transfer portal

Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Cole LaCrue is expected to enter the transfer portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

LaCrue, who committed to Wisconsin on Nov. 7, 2022, did not take a snap with UW in either 2023 or 2024. Following a season-ending injury to Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke, LaCrue served as Wisconsin’s third-string quarterback this season behind Braedyn Locke and true freshman Mabrey Mettauer.

A native of Broomfield, Colorado, LaCrue departed Broomfield High School as a three-star recruit with offers from Wisconsin, Colorado, Central Michigan, South Dakota, Northern Colorado and Tulane. Roughly one week after receiving his offer from the Badgers, LaCrue committed to join the program.

LaCrue tossed 57 touchdowns at Bloomfield and compiled more than 6,000 yards in three varsity seasons. In 2022, his final year in high school, he threw for 2,647 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, per UW Athletics.

That same season, he led the Bengals to a 2022 Class 4A state title and was named Colorado 4A Player of the Year.

Wisconsin’s future at quarterback is unlikely to be on the current roster. The program’s decision to fire offensive coordinator Phil Longo may lead to a personnel overhaul. At the least, the new offensive coordinator will want to hand-pick a quarterback that fits the new scheme.

Badgers class of 2025 commit earns Kevin Stemke Award for top Wisconsin specialist

Badgers class of 2025 commit earns Kevin Stemke Award for top Wisconsin specialist

Wisconsin class of 2025 commit Erik Schmidt was named the 2024 recipient of the Kevin Stemke Award on Wednesday.

The award is presented annually to the top Wisconsin high school senior specialist — kicker or punter. Schmidt joins fellow in-state 2025 recruit Cooper Catalano to receive an honor from the Wisconsin Sports Network Senior Football Awards — Catalano who notably set the state record for tackles at the high school level in September.

Schmidt is widely considered one of the nation’s best kickers in the class, and is ranked as a five-star by Kohl’s. The outlet has Schmidt as the No. 1 punter in the nation and No. 8 kicker, per the Wisconsin Sports Network.

This season, Schmidt has converted 9-of-12 field goals and all 57 extra-point attempts. He also averaged over 45 yards per punt. Most notably, the Marquette University High School attendee drilled a 55-yard field goal in the 2024 playoffs.

The 6-foot-1 prospect committed to Wisconsin in late June over walk-on opportunities at Notre Dame, Boston College and Michigan. He projects to join a specialist group currently headlined by kicker Nathanial Vakos and punter Atticus Bertrams.

Based off his recruiting profile, he won’t take long to contribute for Luke Fickell’s program.

Kickoff time, TV channel for Wisconsin Badgers’ Week 14 game vs. Minnesota

Kickoff time, TV channel for Wisconsin Badgers Week 14 game vs Minnesota

This story was updated to add new information.

The Wisconsin Badgers will play host to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on Nov. 29.

The Week 14 contest will mark Wisconsin’s ninth and final Big Ten game of the 2024 season: The first eight were at USC (a 38-21 loss), vs. Purdue (a 52-6 win), at Rutgers (a 42-7 win), at Northwestern (a 23-3 win), vs. Penn State (a 28-13 loss), at Iowa (a 42-10 loss), vs. Oregon (a 16-13 loss) and at Nebraska (Nov. 23). The game against the Golden Gophers will be televised nationally on CBS.

After firing offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Nov. 17, Wisconsin could head back to Madison for the Nov. 29 contest with a 5-6 mark if it drops the Week 13 game at Nebraska. If that’s the case, the Badgers’ 23-year bowl game streak would be in jeopardy.

Minnesota, meanwhile, is on an opposite trajectory. The Golden Gophers are 6-4 and seventh in the 18-team Big Ten conference. Unexpected victories over USC and No. 24 Illinois have altered the course of Minnesota’s season.

In Wisconsin’s last game against its bitter rival, the Badgers won 28-14 in Minneapolis. UW is 3-3 in its last six games against Minnesota dating to 2018.

On Monday, coach Luke Fickell indicated redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke will take snaps as UW’s quarterback for the rest of the season. He may be required to play a nearly perfect game if the Badgers enter Week 14 in need of the coveted sixth win of the season.

Wisconsin class of 2025 cornerback commit upgraded to four-star recruit

Wisconsin class of 2025 cornerback commit upgraded to four-star recruit

Rivals elevated Wisconsin Badgers class of 2025 cornerback commit Jahmare Washington to a four-star recruit on Tuesday.

Washington, who committed to UW’s program on June 9, was considered a three-star recruit at the time of his announcement. Rivals, one of the big four recruiting outlets alongside ESPN, 247Sports and On3, boosted his recruiting profile on Tuesday.

The move makes sense. In seven games as a senior at Morgan Park High School in Chicago, Illinois, Washington has registered 33 total tackles and four interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. He has also snatched four passes for 58 receiving yards and two touchdowns at wide receiver.

Back when he was contemplating his collegiate decision, the cornerback chose UW over other top offers from Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State and Michigan State.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 now includes eight four-star commits, per Rivals. Washington joins offensive lineman Hardy Watts, defensive end Nicolas Clayton, wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr., linebacker Mason Posa, offensive lineman Logan Powell, offensive lineman Cam Clark and defensive back Jaimier Scott as 2025 Badger commits to hold that honor.

Wisconsin football offers Virginia Tech commit, top class of 2026 quarterback

Wisconsin football offers Virginia Tech commit, top class of 2026 quarterback

The Wisconsin Badgers extended an offer to top class of 2026 quarterback Peyton Falzone on Sunday.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound prospect joins three-star Ryan Hopkins as notable quarterback recruits for the class of 2026 to receive offers from Wisconsin over the past month. And, like fellow 2026 recruit Jonathan Hatton Jr., Falzone announced his collegiate decision last summer.

However, Falzone’s decision to commit to Virginia Tech appears nowhere near finalized. Despite offering his pledge in late June, the Nazareth, Pennsylvania product looks like he could flip his decision before beginning his college career in 2026.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine deems Falzone’s choice as amendable. The outlet currently projects the Penn State Nittany Lions to land the pass-thrower with over a 37.3% likelihood. Syracuse, at 32.6%, also holds a higher chance than the Hokies do at this stage of the process.

Another plus for the Badgers — only seven programs are listed on Falzone’s offer sheet. That list includes Virginia Tech, Penn State, Syracuse, Kent State, Lehigh and Bucknell, per 247Sports.

247Sports currently considers the junior as the No. 195 overall prospect, No. 16 quarterback and No. 5 recruit from his home state of Pennsylvania for the class of 2026. On3, ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports all consider Falzone a four-star prospect.

Outside of Penn State, Wisconsin holds the most alluring situation for a player hungry to showcase his prowess at a Power 4 university. While the 2024 Badgers haven’t looked as powerful as they did a decade ago, the atmosphere, attention and potential to succeed rivals just one university on his offer sheet as of Nov. 19.

Falzone’s situation is one to monitor before he is tasked with officially signing down the line.

Wisconsin Badgers all-time winningest quarterback offers advice to Braedyn Locke

Wisconsin Badgers all-time winningest quarterback offers advice to Braedyn Locke

Wisconsin’s all-time winningest quarterback, Joel Stave, offered candid advice to current Badgers starter Braedyn Locke on Tuesday.

Stave was asked during a radio interview what he’d say to Locke about how he should handle ongoing criticism amid the Badgers’ rough stretch of play.

Here’s what Stave told host Jim Rutledge:

“The big thing is do everything you can to ignore the noise,” Stave said. “Focus on you. Focus on what you can control. It’s been a tough year. There have certainly been some high points, (and) there have obviously been some low points, too. He’s played a tough, tough schedule. I think he does have a lot of positive things to draw back on, but it’s ignoring anything that’s not focused on the team.”

Here is his full answer:

Stave represented Wisconsin from 2011-15 and left Madison with a 31-10 record as a starter. The 31 victories made him the winningest quarterback in program history, and his .756 win percentage is No. 3 among UW quarterbacks all time, per Wisconsin athletics.

As a starter, Stave experienced excellence for Wisconsin football. He played in three bowl games and captured Offensive MVP honors in the 2015 Holiday Bowl.

Locke, meanwhile, has struggled this season, leading some fans to call for true freshman Mabrey Mettauer to suit up under center for the remainder of the season,

In nine games as a redshirt sophomore, Locke has completed 129 pass attempts for 1,514 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has 10 turnovers in seven starts since taking over for Tyler Van Dyke against Alabama.

Stave’s comments come at the perfect time for Locke. After completing 12 of 28 passes for 96 yards, one touchdown and one interception in UW’s loss to No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16, the critics have grown louder.

UW is tasked with defeating Nebraska on Nov. 23 in Lincoln. If the program wishes to reach its 23rd straight bowl game, Locke needs to protect the ball and drown out the noise.

Wisconsin class of 2025 OL commit named Central Region Offensive Player of the Year

Wisconsin class of 2025 OL commit named Central Region Offensive Player of the Year

Wisconsin class of 2025 offensive line commit Logan Powell was named AIA 6A Conference Central Region Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday.

Powell, who committed to Wisconsin on June 1, pocketed the honor following his final season at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. Given his position and inability to record traditional offensive statistics such as passing, receiving, or rushing yardage, the distinction is all the more impressive.

Brophy went 9-2 during the 2023-24 season and is considered the fifth-best high school team in Arizona, per MaxPreps.

Powell committed to Wisconsin over notable programs such as Alabama, Arizona State, Oklahoma and Tennessee this summer. In total, he received nearly 30 offers, and other suitors outside of his top batch included Michigan, Kansas State, Oregon, Texas A&M, USC and Washington State.

Powell is currently 247Sports’ No. 373 player in the class of 2025, No. 24 offensive tackle and No. 4 recruit from his home state of Arizona. He was Wisconsin’s third blue-chip commit in of the 2025 cohort and twelfth overall player to offer his commitment. That class is now up to 23 total commits and six blue-chip players.

Powell also possesses a background as a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball. 247Sports’ national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins believes Powell a high-major Power 4 recruit with potential to land in the NFL.

Where Wisconsin lands in Action Network bowl projections after Week 12

Where Wisconsin lands in Action Network bowl projections after Week 12

The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy released his bowl predictions ahead of Week 13 of the 2024 college football season on Monday.

For the fourth time in five weeks, McMurphy predicts Wisconsin to return to the Pinstripe Bowl. And, as he did after Week 10, the analyst has the Badgers facing Pittsburgh.

The Panthers, the No. 8 team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, are on a three-game skid. At 7-3, Pittsburgh has fallen into the ‘receiving votes’ category in the latest installation of the AP top 25 poll.

Still, the Panthers have beaten Kent State, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Youngstown State, North Carolina, California and Syracuse. Their recent losses have arrived against No. 13 SMU, No. 17 SMU and Virginia.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, is 5-5 after Week 12 after losing its most recent game against Oregon by three points in the fourth quarter. The Badgers also dropped their previous two games to No. 4 Penn State and Iowa by a combined 57 points.

Luke Fickell’s program also elected to fire offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Saturday. At No. 11 in the Big Ten, the organization appears to be amid an identity crisis.

If McMurphy’s prediction rings true, this will be the first time UW will participate in the Pinstripe Bowl since 2018 when it defeated Miami 35-3.

Four Big Ten teams are currently projected to land in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff this winter. No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Indiana are included in the AP’s top 5 ahead of Week 12.

Wisconsin in still search of its 23rd consecutive bowl game appearance. It needs a win over its final two games against Nebraska and Minnesota.