Tag: Minnesota Football

PFF: Max Brosmer, who dominated Wisconsin, was the highest-graded quarterback of Week 14

PFF: Max Brosmer, who dominated Wisconsin, was the highest-graded quarterback of Week 14

Minnesota’s Max Brosmer earned ProFootballFocus’ highest grade of any quarterback for Week 14.

Brosmer notched a 94.0 overall grade for his performance in Minnesota’s 24-7 blowout win over Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. The Roswell, Georgia native completed 17 of 26 attempts for 191 yards and two passing touchdowns in the win. He also rushed four times for 11 yards and one touchdown in the effort.

To put Brosmer’s three-touchdown game into perspective, he finished with a higher grade than Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke (93.7), NC State’s CJ Bailey (93.3), USC’s Jayden Maiava (91.9), Syracuse’s Kyle McCord (90.9) and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (90.7).

Rourke captained the Hoosiers to a 66-0 victory, Maiava dropped 360 yards and three touchdowns vs. Notre Dame, McCord tossed nearly 400 yards in the Orange’s upset win over No. 6 Miami and Gabriel registered three touchdowns in a 28-point blowout win over rival Washington.

While Brosmer didn’t play a top-tier defense or throw for a substantial number of yards, he did pilot a dominant offensive attack for the Golden Gophers throughout the contest. Minnesota out-gained Wisconsin by over 200 yards in the win, controlled the time of possession and built a 21-0 edge by the eight-minute mark of the third quarter.

Brosmer’s grade is yet another blemish in Wisconsin’s defensive effort to end the season. The Badgers were unable to generate any momentum on defense and recorded just one sack during their final game of the year.

The Golden Gophers, meanwhile, appear to be headed in the opposite direction. P.J. Fleck’s group secured impressive wins over UW, Illinois and USC this season, while the Badgers failed to record a single win over a respectable opponent.

Former Wisconsin cornerback thinks a Badgers loss to Minnesota would be ‘lowest of the lows’

Former Wisconsin cornerback thinks a loss to Minnesota would be ‘lowest of the lows’

Former Wisconsin cornerback Faion Hicks shared a blunt message before the Badgers’ season-closing contest against Minnesota on Friday.

“I’ve been positive all year,” Hicks wrote on X. “But if we finish the year trophy-less and miss a bowl game for the first time in 22+ years. This will be the lowest of the lows. This is a MUST win game.”

Hicks, who last played with the Badgers in 2021, shared the message two days after UW lost in Nebraska for the first time since 2012. He was one of the many former Badgers to express their displeasure with the state of the program after the historic loss.

The former top cornerback isn’t necessarily wrong. The last time Wisconsin’s program finished with a losing record was 2001, the same season the Badgers last missed out on bowl season. As it stands, UW is truly in a must-win scenario ahead of its highly anticipated rivalry matchup against Minnesota.

Given the momentum surrounding Wisconsin’s program, a win is absolutely essential to save the season and provide fans with a glimpse of hope.

In Madison, Hicks appeared in 44 games over four seasons with 39 starts from 2018-21, pocketing All-Big Ten honorable mention honors in 2020 and 2021. He went 2-2 against the Golden Gophers from 2018-21.

The former Badger joined the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad in September and has appeared in two games this season.

Wisconsin redshirt junior cornerback to be honored on Badgers’ senior day

Wisconsin redshirt junior cornerback to be honored on Badgers’ senior day

Wisconsin redshirt junior cornerback Ricardo Hallman will be honored during the Badgers’ senior day festivities before their contest against Minnesota on Friday.

Despite not being in his final season of collegiate eligibility, Hallman will join his fellow Badger upperclassmen in UW’s final home game of the 2024 season at Camp Randall.

Other notable seniors include safety Hunter Wohler, linebacker Jake Chaney, wide receiver Bryson Green, offensive lineman Jack Nelson and running back Tawee Walker.

The move suggests what many Badger analysts forecasted this spring — Hallman is trending toward inserting his name into the 2025 NFL draft pool.

Academically, the Miami, Florida native is a senior in college. Hallman enrolled at UW-Madison in June of 2021 and redshirted his freshman season after recorded one tackle in three games against Eastern Michigan, Rutgers and Arizona State.

The move paid off. After snagging his first career interception in 2022, Hallman shined during the 2023 slate. The 5-foot-10 playmaker started all 13 games for the Badgers and and was one of two players in the country to tally seven interceptions.

Most notably, he snagged a 95-yard pick-six vs. Rutgers on Oct. 7 and grabbed another interception against Ohio State in UW’s primetime game on Oct. 28. The season output earned Hallman a spot on the AP Third Team All-American team and the media’s All-Big Ten third team.

This season, Hallman has been relatively quiet. In 11 games, he has accumulated 14 total tackles, four pass deflections and a block.

Part of the reason for the subpar statistical output revolves around opposing offenses simply not throwing Hallman’s direction. Given his stellar 2023 performance, that strategy makes sense.

Still, some outlets consider Hallman a top 100 prospect for the 2025 NFL draft. Bleacher Report, for example, pegs Hallman as the No. 97 player in the upcoming draft class.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Series history, all-time record

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) will welcome the Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) to Camp Randall Stadium on Friday at noon ET, 11:00 a.m. CT. It will be the 134th all-time meeting between the two border rivals.

The Badgers have the slightest of advantages in the all-time series, boasting a 63-62-8 overall record against the Gophers. Wisconsin won the latest matchup in 2023, snapping a two-game losing streak with a 28-14 road win. Minnesota’s back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022 marked the first time it won consecutive matchups against Wisconsin since 1993 and 1994.

Wisconsin leaned on their run game in 2023 to recapture Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Braelon Allen led the way with 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Additionally, quarterback Tanner Mordecai completed 14 of 22 passes for 145 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The Badgers enter this weekend’s Black Friday battle with Minnesota having lost four games in a row, most recently falling Nebraska 44-25 in Lincoln on Saturday.

The loss dropped Wisconsin to 0-2 in trophy games this season — the team also fell to Iowa 42-10 on Nov. 2. The Badgers have yet to go 0-3 against Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota since the establishment of the Freedom Trophy in 2014.

Minnesota enters Friday’s matchup following a 26-25 loss to Penn State at home in Week 13, narrowly missing another win over a ranked opponent in 2024. They will look to take advantage of a unique chance to end Wisconsin’s season and record bowl streak.

Browns fans should be paying attention to this College Football head-to-head this weekend

Tune into Penn State vs. Minnesota to see a matchup between two potential future Browns

The Cleveland Browns are riding the high of a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it’s hard not to have an eye on the 2025 NFL draft. And this weekend in College Football there is a big-time matchup between Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery.

Carter, who is seen as a top-five player in this draft class, has been a terror off of the edge ever since entering Big Ten play. In his last seven games, Carter has racked up seven sacks and 32 pressures.

He will look to continue that reign over a potential first round pick in Ersery. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Ersery is a mammoth of an offensive tackle. He has given up just one sack all season and 12 total pressures.

With needs at both offensive tackle and pass rusher, the Browns should be dialed into this matchup. The Daft on Draft podcast broke down this matchup in their latest episode. Tune in there to hear all about it.

Regardless, could Carter or Ersery be on their way to Cleveland in the 2025 NFL draft?

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.

Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher won Halloween with multiple costumes, including Deadpool

“How many outfit changes does Goldy have today?”

In case anyone forgot it’s the end of October and Halloween is a few days away, the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ mascot was happy to remind them.

Saturday during Minnesota’s dominant 48-23 win over Maryland in Minneapolis, the team’s mascot, Goldy Gopher, had multiple outfit changes showing off different Halloween costumes (we assume). And they were fantastic.

At one point during the game, Goldy was dressed up as Dune‘s Paul Atreides and even rode a “sandworm” across the field. At another, it was dressed as a Minnesota goalpost and hilariously stood next to the goalpost.

Goldy also performed with the Golden Gophers cheerleaders while dressed as Deadpool, which prompted the Fox broadcast to ask: “How many outfit changes does Goldy have today?” Valid question because this mascot was having fun as Chappell Roan Goldy, tuba Goldy and Terrapin Goldy.

Here’s a look at some of the Halloween costumes Goldy Gopher wore Saturday for the Minnesota-Maryland game:

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Photos of UCLA’s tough loss to Minnesota

Through the lens after another loss…

The UCLA Bruins football team is now 1-5 on the year after a Week 7 loss to Minnesota at the Rose Bowl. 

UCLA was up 17-14 before Max Brosmer connected with Darius Taylor for the go-ahead touchdown in the closing seconds, causing heartbreak to fans hoping for the Bruins’ first Big Ten win.

Unfortunately, UCLA has to wait at least another week as they drop to 1-5 and have now lost five in a row since an opening weekend win over Hawaii.

It wasn’t a pretty performance by UCLA, although it wasn’t a blowout.

Nonetheless, here are some of the best photos from the game.

Going deep on UCLA’s Big Ten matchup versus Minnesota

UCLA finally matches up with a beatable Big Ten oppoenent.

The UCLA Bruins have had a rough start to their first season in the Big Ten. The combined record of UCLA’s Big Ten opponents through the first six weeks of the college football season, including Indiana, Penn State, and Oregon, was a perfect 15-0.

Thankfully, UCLA finally has an opponent in Minnesota that has shown signs of weakness.

Coming to California, the Golden Gophers are an even .500 at 3-3. Coming off a gutsy 24-17 upset against USC, Minnesota could be in danger of walking into a “trap game” against UCLA, where they could come out flat against an inferior opponent.

Writer Ryan Burns for Gophers Illustrated sees several windows of opportunity for the Bruins this week.

While Burns believes the Golden Gophers will win 24-16, he writes, “Let’s see if this 2024 Gopher team can do it two weeks in a row. It has been confounding to me that such a veteran team, which this squad is, has slipped on the banana peel they put down as often as they have.”

If UCLA can catch mistake-prone Minnesota team on an off week, the Bruins offense and defense could lead the Bruins to their first win in Big Ten play.

Can UCLA’s offense play a full game against Minnesota?

The Bruins nasty habit of losing steam is something to watch for against Minnesota

The UCLA offense has been consistent in the 2024 college football season and for all the wrong reasons. Struggling to put points on the board in the third and fourth quarters, UCLA’s comeback bids have been cut short by a lack of offensive production.

This week, the Bruins take on the 3-3 Minnesota Golden Gophers at home with a chance to right some of their wrongs on offense.

Writing for 247Sports, Tracy McDonald detailed the Bruins second-half slumps on offense and shed light on their problems producing points.

“UCLA and Louisiana State were tied 17-17 in the first half before the Bruins were shut out the rest of the way. UCLA then fell into a 28-3 hole against Oregon after failing to take care of the ball before the defense allowed just six second-half points. Then, the Bruins trailed just 7-3 late in the second quarter against Penn State before giving up a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the first half,” McDonald writes.

The Bruins have a massive opportunity this weekend to steer the team in the right direction and build momentum with a win. If UCLA can keep the game close at halftime, all eyes will be on offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to see if he and the offense can put points on the board at the Rose Bowl.