Tag: Badgers

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.

Badgers wing John Tonje earns AP national player of the week honor

John Tonje earns AP national player of the week nods

The Associated Press named Wisconsin Badgers’ wing John Tonje the National Player of the Week in men’s college basketball on Tuesday.

Four days removed from his historic 41-point barrage vs. No. 17 Arizona, Tonje pocketed the honor on Tuesday morning. This follows Tonje reeling in Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Monday, becoming the first UW player to receive the award since Johnny Davis in 2022.

Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn was named runner-up after dropping 29 points and eight rebounds vs. No. 8 Alabama. Ante Brzovic (College of Charleston), Kam Jones (Marquette) and Abdi Bashir Jr. (Monmouth) were included as honorable mentions.

Through five games this season, Tonje is averaging 22.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1 steal per game. The graduate student is also shooting 56.3% from the field, 50.0% from beyond the arc and 95.9% from the free throw line.

Tonje has officially emerged as Wisconsin’s offensive replacement for transfer wing AJ Storr. The volume scorer averaged 16.8 points per game in 36 appearances for Wisconsin a season ago, but he shot just 43.4% from the field and 32.0% from distance.

Obviously, Tonje’s splits will dip as the season progresses. He does, however, possess unquestionable touch from the free throw line and poised shot selection. Some could make the argument that Tonje, who spent the 2023-24 season at Missouri, is a better fit than Storr ever was.

Regardless, the national distinction is worth celebrating. Wisconsin’s next game is on Nov. 22 against UCF at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia.

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 bench guard clinches Badgers win over UT Rio Grande Valley

Wisconsin bench guard clinches Badgers win over UT Rio Grande Valley

Wisconsin basketball guard Kamari McGee has been one of the Badgers’ most valuable players through five games of the 2024-25 season.

On Monday night, the senior guard clinched Wisconsin’s tight 87-84 win over UT Rio Grande Valley on the final play of the evening.

Tasked with defending the Vaqueros’ 6-foot-8 forward Hasan Abdul Hakim at the top of the key, the 6-foot-tall McGee stayed right with Hakim without fouling and forced the versatile playmaker into a tough fadeaway jumper in the lane.

His shot attempt hit the backside of the rim, and sophomore guard John Blackwell scooped in for a strong rebound to secure the victory.

Here’s the full play:

Simply put — the play encapsulates McGee’s impact this season.

Through five games in 2024-25 McGee boasts the the highest +/- of any Badger at +85, per Badger247’s Evan Flood. Only Blackwell, who holds a +84, is within reaching distance of the veteran.

McGee has unquestionably been Gard’s most reliable bench player this season. Sure, he might not bring the height of Carter Gilmore and Xavier Amos, but he is as composed a bench guard as you can find in the nation.

The Racine, Wisconsin, native is responsible for 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2 assists in 23 minutes per game off the bench this season.

He and the Badgers will be back in action on Nov. 22 against UCF in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

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.

Nebraska true freshman quarterback predicts win vs. Badgers

Nebraska true freshman quarterback predicts win vs. Badgers

Nebraska true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola predicted a Cornhuskers over the Badgers on Nov. 23.

Following Nebraska’s 28-20 loss to the USC Trojans in Los Angeles on Saturday, Raiola did not lack confidence when asked about the adjustment process moving to new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

“We’re only gonna keep building on it these next two weeks,” Raiola said. “We’ll get the win next week and get us to a bowl.”

He was referring to Nebraska’s 11th game of the season vs. the Wisconsin Badgers. Like UW, the Cornhuskers are on a multi-game losing streak dating back to October.

Raiola’s crew has dropped four consecutive contests, to No. 5 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, UCLA and USC. The Badgers, meanwhile, have lost three straight to No. 4 Penn State, Iowa and No. 1 Oregon.

Through 10 games as a true freshman this season, the Georgia native has registered 203 completions, 2,112 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. Earlier this season, he led his group to a signature win over Shedeur Sanders and the No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes in Lincoln.

Raiola has attracted a decent amount of media attention this season because of his uncanny physical resemblance to Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. His level of play, however, is far from that caliber — during the four-game skid he’s thrown just two touchdowns to six interceptions.

Wisconsin hasn’t dropped a game to Nebraska since 2012. The Badgers will look to continue that streak when the two teams meet on Saturday.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell cryptic about Badgers play-calling plan after Phil Longo firing

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell cryptic about Badgers play-calling plan after Phil Longo firing

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell offered an update on Wisconsin’s play-calling situation on Monday. Or, he purposely avoided giving one.

Fewer than 24 hours after Wisconsin fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo, Fickell fielded several questions from the media in his weekly press conference on Monday.

When asked about his play-calling plans going forward, Fickell offered somewhat of a cryptic response.

“Why does it matter?” Fickell said. “The offense will be run, and those guys will do a lot of things collaboratively. I don’t think it’s really important as to who is calling it. I guess it gives you the ability to point a finger at somebody. It’s not one of those things I think is that important. Sometimes I think it’s overrated in some ways, but it’ll be a collaborative group and those guys will have to work a lot together.”

Taken literally, Fickell’s answer would be troubling. The more reasonable explanation is that he wanted to avoid questions on the topic — something that wasn’t going to be able to do after firing Longo just one day earlier.

If Wisconsin’s current three-game losing streak, culminating in the crushing 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon on Saturday, impacted Fickell’s long-term vision for the program enough to make a significant coaching move, there was likely a plan in place when the move was made.

If Fickell’s explained blueprint is the way Wisconsin goes, wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton, running backs coach Devon Spalding and tight ends coach Nate Letton are in position to work together to kick-start the offense. In reality, one of them will likely emerge as the play-caller.

Fickell also added that Guiton will inherit quarterback coaching responsibilities alongside his role with the wide receivers.

UW will continue to gear up for its Nov. 23 road game against Nebraska.