Tag: C.J. Goetz

Badger Countdown: Could number 98 be in for a big year in Madison?

The start of Badger football is now 98 days away and heading into the 2023 CFB season, Wisconsin may need their number 98 to step up in 2023.

The start of Badger football is now 98 days away and heading into the 2023 college football season, Wisconsin may need their number 98 to step up on defense.

With defensive leaders Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton and John Torchio heading to the NFL, linebacker C.J. Goetz could step into a prominent role in his final year of eligibility.

Goetz had his most productive season with the Badgers in 2022, recording 62 tackles, including two sacks, while also deflecting two passes over 13 contests.

As head coach Luke Fickell and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel bring their defensive mentality over from Cincinnati this year, Goetz will look to carve out a significant role under their leadership.

Report: Linebacker Goetz returning in 2023

C.J. Goetz is expected to return and play for the Badgers in 2023 after finishing third on the team in tackles this season.

With Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton and John Torchio heading to the NFL after the conclusion of the Badgers’ 2022 campaign, the Badgers’ defense will look much different in 2023, but the team will retain a key starter in linebacker C.J. Goetz next season. The Muskego native will exercise an additional year of eligibility with Wisconsin and will likely operate in a leadership role on Mike Tressel’s defense.

Goetz played in all 13 of the Badgers’ games this season, recording 62 tackles, including two sacks, while also deflecting two passes over those contests.

Along with Jordan Turner and Maema Njongmeta, the return of Goetz in 2023 will provide Wisconsin with each of their top three tackle-getters from this campaign once again next year.

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Seven Badgers earn Big Ten Honors on special teams and defense

Seven Badgers were selected by coaches and media to the Big Ten All-Conference teams:

On Tuesday afternoon, the Big Ten released its All-Conference teams chosen by coaches and media for defense and special teams. There were five Badgers selected in the coaches’ Big Ten Honors, while there were seven picked by the media.

Related: LOOK: New Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell arrives in Madison

Outside linebacker Nick Herbig was the only Badger to be consensus first-team All-Big Ten, because of his excellent play off the edge for Wisconsin this season. Herbig finished the regular season with a conference-high 11 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. It is also worth noting that he has only played in 11 full games this year, after missing the Purdue matchup due to injury.

Although this season has been disappointing for the Badgers as a team, it is great to see individual players get recognized for their exceptional performance throughout the year.

Below are the Badgers named to the Big Ten’s All-Conference teams for defense and special teams:

Badgers PFF grades: Top 5 defensive players from the win over Purdue

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded defensive players from Wisconsin’s victory over Purdue, according to Pro Football Focus:

Madison, Wis. – In his first home game as interim head coach, Jim Leonhard and the Wisconsin Badgers (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten), who were one-and-a-half point favorites, took care of business, winning 35-24 at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Against Purdue, the Wisconsin Badgers’ defense was missing some pretty important tools from its toolbox – but in the end, it didn’t matter.

Outside linebacker Nick Herbig didn’t play, and nose tackle Keeanu Benton was on a pitch count – but the defense as a whole found a way to slow down one of the Big Ten’s best offenses.

In total, UW allowed 431 total yards on 5.5 yards per play and won the turnover battle, forcing O’Connell to throw three interceptions on the day – one of which was a pick-six returned by safety John Torchio for a touchdown.

Inside linebacker play has been a real question mark so far this season, but I thought Maema Njongmeta and Jordan Turner played one of their best games as a pairing – which made a significant difference.

The Jewelry Thief stole the show on homecoming weekend, registering 10 tackles, two interceptions, a pass deflection, and a touchdown.

Here’s a look at the five highest-graded defensive players from Wisconsin’s victory over Purdue, according to Pro Football Focus.

Badgers PFF grades: Top 5 defensive players from Week 5 loss to Illinois

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded defensive players from Wisconsin’s home loss to Illinois, according to Pro Football Focus:

Madison, Wis. – Head coach Paul Chryst and the Wisconsin Badgers (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten), who needed a bounce-back performance, lost their second straight contest embarrassingly on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. 

Wisconsin’s defense allowed an efficient 307 yards of offense to the Illini (167 passing, 137 rushing), failing to make life difficult for Tommy Devito and the nations leading rusher, Chase Brown. 

Jim Leonhard’s young defense is a far cry from UW’s defenses of recent years. They’ve continued to make the same mistakes we’ve seen up to all season: poor tackling, getting pushed around in the trenches, and failure to create pressure of any kind.

The defense registered only four pressures all day long, all of which came from Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton, who had two apiece. 

It’s hard to take away many positives from this one.

Here’s a look at the five highest-graded defensive players from Wisconsin’s loss to Illinois, according to Pro Football Focus.

Five Badgers that boosted their stock during spring football practice

Five players that boosted their stock during spring football practice:

Spring football has officially come to a close for the Wisconsin Badgers, who wrapped up their spring evaluation period last Friday night.

Head coach Paul Chryst made a significant amount of changes along the coaching staff this offseason, so this initial installation period allowed those coaches their first real look at their respective position groups.

UW essentially has players competing for meaningful snaps at every position heading into fall camp. The offense lost six preferred starters from last season, while the nation’s top defensive unit needs to replace eight starters of their own in 2022.

Spring football is about trying new things, generating competition, and forcing players out of their comfort zones.

So, it’s important that fans understand no starting positions are going to be won in the spring. However, it can lead to additional opportunities once camp opens in the fall.

Today, we’re going to examine five players that boosted their stock during the Badgers 15 spring practices:

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin: Second-Quarter Analysis

This is looking better.

We’ve reached halftime of this Shamrock Series game, and we still don’t have a clear direction of where this is going. There have been some plays that had potential to turn the tide, but they mostly haven’t meant much. We say “mostly” because Notre Dame has been able to separate itself from Wisconsin a bit as it holds a 10-3 lead.

The Irish began the second quarter with a long possession, converting on two third downs and one fourth down, the latter of which came on a Kyren Williams run against a tough Badgers run defense. That defense came alive once the Irish reached the Badgers’ 30-yard line as Jack Coan found him swarmed by Badgers on every play during that series of downs. Faced with a fourth-and-14 after a C.J. Goetz sack, Jonathan Doerer came on to attempt a 51-yard field goal after missing from 39 in the first quarter. This time, he converted to tie the game.

The Badgers nearly went three-and-out on their first possession of the quarter but for a roughing-the-passer call against Kyle Hamilton of all people. It turned out not to matter because on the next third down, Cam Hart came up with an interception near midfield. Coan nearly gave the ball right back two plays later on a Leo Chanel interception. That turnover was wiped out when Noah Burks was called for pass interference, allowing the Irish to keep the ball.

The negated turnover ended up costing the Badgers more than only the ball. The drive culminated in the game’s first touchdown as Coan found Kevin Austin for a 36-yard completion. There was a review to determine whether Austin maintained control of the ball as he fell in the end zone, but it didn’t take long to confirm the ruling.

Both teams went three-and-out on their next drives, but it led to a big play on special teams for the Irish. Jay Bramblett punted the ball a career-high 72 yards to pin the Badgers at their own 9. That, in turn, led to the Badgers failing to pick up a first down and punting once again. Having the lead and with little time remaining, Coan opted to take a knee, and that’s all she wrote for the first 30 minutes.