Duke’s Mayo Bowl: 5 things to know

The Wisconsin Badgers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons are set to face off in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Wednesday. Here is five things to know…

The Wisconsin Badgers are off to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl this week as they look to end their season with a victory and finish the year above .500.

Their opponent is the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, a team that also sits at .500 after an up-and-down regular season.

Related: Wisconsin’s bowl-week depth chart sees a few key players return

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl wasn’t necessarily what the Badgers–or Badger fan–wanted entering the year, though playing in a Bowl Game and having a chance to complete the season is a success given everything that has happened since March.

Related: Wisconsin football seniors 2021 roster decision tracker

Here are five things to know about the Badgers’ upcoming game:

Wisconsin’s bowl-week depth chart sees a few key players return

The Wisconsin Badgers released their depth chart ahead of next week’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup with Wake Forest. Included are Jalen Berger,

The Wisconsin Badgers released their game-week depth chart for December 30’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Included in the depth chart are freshman running back Jalen Berger, left tackle Cole Van Lanen and wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor–all players who missed last weekend’s win against Minnesota.

Related: A complete Christmas list for the Wisconsin football program

The Big Ten recently changed its COVID-19 rules to allow players to return to action 17 days after testing positive–different from their previous 21-day window. This is the likely reason Berger is listed again as the starter on the depth chart.

It’s also worth noting at the running back position that Nakia Watson is back as Berger’s backup after missing the Minnesota game.

Related: Way-too-early power rankings for the 2021 Big Ten football season

For Pryor and Davis, there have been several weeks they’ve missed the game due to injury but were listed in the team’s game-week depth chart–so this in no way confirms their availability for the Bowl Game.

Aside from those two notes and Van Lanen returning at left tackle, there are no surprises in the depth chart with the game now six days away.

Related: Wisconsin’s bowl history over the past 20 years

HC Paul Chryst gives an update on the status of WRs Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis

Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst talked this week about the injury status of wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor ahead of Minnesota

When the Wisconsin Badgers took the field in Iowa City last weekend and faced the Hawkeyes they were without top offensive playmakers running back Jalen Berger and wide receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis.

Berger was a late scratch from the game while both Pryor and Davis have been battling injuries all season. The result of their absences, obviously, was yet another lackluster offensive performance and the team’s third straight loss.

Related: Five things the Wisconsin Badgers must do to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe

When the team’s game-week depth chart was released, the two wide receivers were listed but Berger was not, as his extended absence appears to be due to testing positive for COVID-19.

Just because Pryor and Davis were on the two-deep, though, doesn’t mean they’ll be healthy to suit up against Minnesota tomorrow.

Paul Chryst gave an update on the status of both wide receivers during his game-week press conference yesterday.

“They haven’t done a ton,” Chryst said. “So they’re not ruled out but haven’t done a ton.

Related: What Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck is saying about Wisconsin before the game

The two wideouts have played a total of five games this season and their absence has caused the offense to struggle mightily.

It has been a challenging year on many fronts, including a delayed start to the season, a COVID-19 outbreak within the program and injuries to key players.

A win against rival Minnesota will do a lot to change the narrative surrounding the year, though sings currently point towards the Badgers taking the field on Saturday without their two key upperclassmen wide receivers.

They aren’t ruled out just yet, but their chances of playing aren’t looking good at this point.

Jalen Berger and several other key starters are OUT today vs. Iowa

As if this season couldn’t get any tougher, the Wisconsin Badgers will be without three key starters today when they take the field…

As if this season couldn’t get any tougher, the Wisconsin Badgers will be without three key starters today when they take the field against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Those players are RB Jalen Berger, WR Danny Davis and WR Kendric Pryor

Though the Big Ten title is now out of the equation for the Badgers, they still have a shot at finishing second in the Big Ten West, facing Indiana during Big Ten Champions Week and reaching a good Bowl Game.

Related: Five keys to a Wisconsin victory over Iowa on Saturday

It seems as though nothing can go right for the team this year, as whenever they find a rhythm a game is canceled due to COVID-19 protocols and whenever they begin to get healthy more key players go down.

The Badgers will take the field at 2:30 p.m. CST against Iowa with the game available on FS1 and the FOX Sports app.

 

Iowa Preview: