Tag: Nebraska

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes fined for unsportsmanlike conduct vs. Bills

Kansas City #Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes fined for unsportsmanlike conduct vs. the Buffalo #Bills | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are moving on from their first regular-season loss in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills. The disappointing defeat has added another layer of frustration, as the NFL has reportedly fined quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Mahomes was fined $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct “violent gesture” as he celebrated a touchdown pass in last week’s loss in Buffalo. Mahomes is caught on camera making a pointing gesture after tossing a touchdown pass to Noah Gray in the fourth quarter.

The fine can be debatable among football fans as it initially appears nonvolatile, but the league saw it differently. Ironically, Mahomes was fined $50,000 against the Bills last season for “verbally abusing” game officials in his postgame press conference rant.

https://youtube.com/shorts/CG4od7GIIA4?si=BFFep35b9-a1HQ23

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola replicated Mahomes’ gesture on Saturday during his game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Raiola is a well-noted fan of Mahomes and has often been inspired by his play. He could have seen all the commotion from the Chiefs quarterback being admonished for doing the same celebration.

RECAP: Wisconsin football suffers historic loss to rival Nebraska

RECAP: Wisconsin football suffers historic loss to rival Nebraska

Historic is an apt word to describe Wisconsin football’s 44-25 loss to Nebraska on Saturday.

The Badgers entered the contest on a 10-game winning streak against the rival. That win streak was defined by dominance on the ground, headlined by historic days from Melvin Gordon, Jonathan Taylor and Braelon Allen.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s 44-25 loss to Nebraska

On Saturday, Nebraska flipped the script. The Cornhuskers totaled 473  yards, including 180 on the ground on five yards per carry. Matt Rhule’s team, one that had lost four straight entering the matchup, scored on its final six possessions.

Wisconsin took a minor step forward on offense after making a coordinator change after its Week 12 loss to Oregon. Braedyn Locke led that effort with 292 yards and three passing touchdowns. But just like at Iowa two weeks ago, the story of the game was Wisconsin’s defense falling apart.

Nebraska’s offense averaged nearly 6.4 yards per play on the afternoon. Its 44 points are its most in the all-time series. It is the third time Wisconsin has allowed 40+ points this season. The last time that happened was 2001 — also the last year the program missed a bowl game.

Big picture, the defeat is Wisconsin’s first to Nebraska since 2012. The result also clinched Nebraska’s first bowl appearance since 2016, snapping a nine-game losing streak with bowl eligibility at stake. Finally, it handed the Cornhuskers the Freedom Trophy for the first time in its existence.

By any measure, the loss was an historic one.

Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) needs a win over Minnesota in Week 14 or the program will not be bowl eligible for the first time in 23 years.

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Wisconsin vs Nebraska injury report: Badgers without two star players vs. Cornhuskers

Wisconsin vs Nebraska injury report: Badgers without two star players vs. Cornhuskers

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) will be without two of their star players when they battles Nebraska (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) on Saturday.

Those are safety Hunter Wohler and wide receiver Will Pauling. Both left the second half of the team’s Week 12 loss to Oregon with injuries. Neither was ready to return for Saturday’s matchup.

Wohler leads Wisconsin in tackles (63) and pass deflections (six) through 12 games. He’s arguably the team’s most important player on either side of the football. Pauling, meanwhile, is second on the team in receiving yards (407) and leads in receiving touchdowns (three).

In other recent news, Nebraska will be without starting cornerback Tommi Hill against Wisconsin. The veteran had been battling a foot injury since the start of the season. Rhule announced this week that he’d miss the team’s final two regular season games.

As Wisconsin and Nebraska near kickoff, here are the official injury reports from each team:

Wisconsin injury report

OUT: S Hunter Wohler, WR Will Pauling, RB Chez Mellusi (for season), QB Tyler Van Dyke (for season), WR Joseph Griffin (for season), S Kamo’i Latu, QB Cole LaCrue, OL Evan Brown, OL Leyton Nelson, TE Rob Booker

QUESTIONABLE: DL James Thompson Jr., LB Jaheim Thomas

Nebraska injury report

OUT: CB Tommi Hill, K Tristan Alvano, OL Turner Corcoran, OT Tyler Knaack

QUESTIONABLE: RB Rahmir Johnson, OL Micah Mazzccua

Hunter Wohler injury update

Wohler left the end of Wisconsin’s narrow loss to Oregon with an injury after a tough collision. He went straight into the locker room, indicating the injury was serious. He is out against Nebraska.

Will Pauling injury update

Pauling exited during the second half of Wisconsin’s loss to Oregon. He was a key factor of the Badgers’ win over Nebraska in 2023. His absence is a big loss on an offense that needs a spark.

James Thompson Jr. injury update

James Thompson Jr. suffered a significant upper-body injury during training camp. He’s been listed as ‘out’ all season leading up to this week. The top lineman is now ‘questionable’ against Nebraska.

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Wisconsin transfer guard has breakout performance in Nebraska win over Creighton

Big night for a former Badger transfer

Wisconsin transfer guard Connor Essegian powered Nebraska to a 74-63 road win over No. 14 Creighton on Friday.

The former Badger contributed 15 points and two rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench, shooting 4-of-6 from the floor and 1-of-2 from three.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s big win over UCF

Those bench points provided a critical boost for Fred Hoiberg’s team in its big rivalry victory. Essegian led several key scoring runs, highlighted by a solo 6-1 run midway through the second half to extend the team’s lead to 14 points.

Only two Nebraska players finished with more points than Essegian: starters Juwan Gray (16 points on 6-of-13 shooting) and Brice Williams (16 points on 4-of-12 shooting). No one on the floor matched his combination of production and efficiency.

The sharpshooter has played a steady role for the Cornhuskers during their 4-1 start to the 2024-25 season. His per-game averages include 19.2 minutes, 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds on 44% shooting and 36.4% from 3.

Essegian transferred to Nebraska after two seasons with the Badgers. He played a big role as a freshman in 2022-23, averaging 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points per game. His role diminished as a sophomore in 2023-24 as Greg Gard reworked the roster, those numbers falling to 7.3 minutes and 3.2 points per game, respectively.

The Wisconsin transfer appears to have found a strong destination at Nebraska. The Hoosiers are amid a program-great run under Hoiberg. That began with a 23-11 record and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24 and has continued into 2024-25.

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Wisconsin football schedule: Are the Badgers playing today? 

Is Wisconsin playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come. 

Will the Wisconsin Badgers be on the field today in Week 13 of the 2024 college football season?

Following a tough Week 12 loss to No. 1 Oregon, the Badgers are back on the field on Saturday against the rival Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Wisconsin enters the matchup with a 5-5 overall record and a 3-4 mark in Big Ten play. It needs one more win over its final two games to clinch bowl eligibility. Nebraska enters Saturday in the same situation — 5-5 on the season, amid a long losing streak and badly needing one more win to clinch a postseason berth.

Wisconsin and Nebraska will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. CT from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The game will be available on the Big Ten Network and streaming on Fox Sports.

Here is a full look at what Wisconsin has left before the 2024 regular season concludes.

Wisconsin 2024 football schedule

  • Aug. 30: vs. Western Michigan (W, 28-14)
  • Sept. 7: vs. South Dakota (W, 27-13)
  • Sept. 14: vs. Alabama (L, 42-10)
  • Bye Week
  • Sept. 28: at USC (L, 38-21)
  • Oct. 5: vs. Purdue (W, 52-6)
  • Oct. 12: at Rutgers (W, 42-7)
  • Oct. 19: at Northwestern (W, 23-3)
  • Oct. 26: vs. Penn State (L, 28-13)
  • Nov. 2 at Iowa (L, 42-10)
  • Bye Week
  • Nov. 16 vs. Oregon (L, 16-13)
  • Nov. 23 at Nebraska
  • Nov. 30 vs. Minnesota
  • Record: 5-5 (3-4 Big Ten)

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Nebraska rules out starting cornerback for game vs. Wisconsin Badgers

Nebraska rules out starting cornerback for game vs. Wisconsin Badgers

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule announced on Thursday that starting cornerback Tommi Hill will miss the final two games of the 2024 regular season.

The first of those two games is Saturday, Nov. 23 against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s Week 13 game at Nebraska

Hill has been battling a foot injury for the majority of the 2024 season. He played through it for an extended period, including during Nebraska’s last two games against UCLA and USC, respectively.

“Everything’s a collaboration, but I can’t put him out there anymore,” Rhule said during his press conference on Thursday. “[Tommy Hill] cares about his teammates and wants to be out there, but he’s only hurting himself and giving up touchdowns.”

Hill has recorded 21 tackles, one interception and one pass deflection through seven appearances in 2024. Those numbers are all a big drop from his production as Nebraska’s top cornerback in 2023 — 26 tackles, four interceptions and nine pass deflections.

As Rhule noted, the veteran cornerback has struggled at times this season while battling through the lingering foot injury. Rhule noted that he expects younger players to contribute in Hill’s absence both on Saturday against Wisconsin and in Week 14 against Iowa.

The veteran cornerback will now look to get healthy before the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl and NFL draft process.

Nebraska enters Saturday’s matchup allowing 210.9 passing yards per game, including 259 to USC and new quarterback Jayden Maiava in the Cornhuskers’ Week 12 loss.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, needs an offensive boost after scoring just 36 total points over the team’s last three games — losses to Penn State, Iowa and Oregon, respectively. The Badgers fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo after the latest loss.

Hill’s injury may not completely change Saturday’s game, but it is a variable to consider when QB Braedyn Locke and the Badgers passing offense looks for its best performance in a month.

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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.

Jayden Maiava played well enough to win, but turnovers are cause for concern

There was a lot of good and a lot of bad for Jayden Maiava. The main thing to remember is that this was only his first start. Improvement should occur.

On Saturday, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava made his first start in Cardinal and Gold when the Trojans took on Nebraska. As expected with any new starting QB, Maiava’s performance was a mixed bag. There were some very high highs, but also some very low lows.

Overall, Maiava played a solid game. He completed 25 of 35 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding another score on the ground.

However, he also had two horrible turnovers, both of which, to put it bluntly, were simply inexcusable plays. The two turnovers essentially handed 10 points to a Nebraska team that was struggling offensively, keeping the Cornhuskers in the game.

On USC’s second possession of the game, Maiava threw a brutal interception to old friend Ceyair Wright in which there were no receivers anywhere near the ball. Wright returned the pick 45 yards for a touchdown, giving Nebraska its first points of the game.

Later on, with the Trojans leading 21-17 in the third quarter, Maiava had a bad fumble on a rushing attempt deep inside USC territory. Nebraska got a field goal off the turnover, cutting the deficit to one point.

With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, however, Maiava came through when it mattered most. With the Trojans leading 21-20 with a little over 10 minutes left, Maiava led USC on a 13-play, 84-yard touchdown drive that ate up 7:39 of clock. Ultimately, that insurance proved to be enough, as the Trojans held on for a 28-20 victory.

Overall, outside of the two turnovers, Maiava played fairly well. While there is certainly a lot that needs to be cleaned up, Maiava and the Trojans will look to build off the performance heading into next week’s rivalry matchup against UCLA.

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USC celebrates proud football history while trying to restore on-field success

The irony is lost on no one: USC is celebrating its 1972 team and its 1970s-era heritage, including John Robinson, at a time when on-field results aren’t good.

Traditionally, USC football does not wear alternate uniforms. However, the Trojans announced that they will be making an exception this week—and for a very good reason. For USC’s homecoming game against Nebraska Saturday, the Trojans will wear 1970s-themed throwback uniforms. You can take a closer look at them here.

The uniforms will be a fighting tribute to legendary USC head coach John Robinson, who passed away on Monday. Robinson coached the Trojans from 1976-1982 and again from 1993-1997. He led USC to four Rose Bowl victories and the 1978 national championship.

In addition to the uniforms, Connor Morrissette of 247Sports reported on Friday that the Trojans will also have throwback field painting for Saturday’s game. Per Morrissette, “the endzones will be marked with gold paint, cardinal lettering and a cardinal and white diamond pattern, as well as a gold interlock painted at the 50-yard line.”

The irony cannot be ignored or missed: USC football is celebrating its rich history and the era which delivered so many of its best teams and greatest moments, all while the 2024 team is struggling to live up to that standard. The greatest tribute USC can create is to thump Nebraska and reawaken the echoes of glories past.

Kickoff between USC and Nebraska is set for 1 p.m. local time in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.

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USC announces tunnel captain for homecoming game

Adoree Jackson will be USC’s tunnel captain for the Nebraska game. USC hopes the game’s outcome matches all the festivities surrounding the event.

On Friday, USC announced its tunnel captain for Saturday’s homecoming game against Nebraska. Serving in the role will be none other than former USC All-America cornerback Adoree’ Jackson. He played at USC from 2014-2016. As a junior in 2016, he became the second Trojan to win the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back.

Jackson also saw action on offense and special teams during his time in Cardinal and Gold. In fact, he is the Trojans’ all-time leader in both kickoff return yards and punt return touchdowns.

One of Jackson’s most memorable moments at USC came during the 2014 Holiday Bowl against Nebraska, when he returned a kickoff 98 yards for the game’s first touchdown. The Trojans would go on to win the game 45-42.

Jackson was selected 18th in the 2017 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans. He spent the first four seasons of his professional career there, before signing with the New York Giants in 2021, where he has been since.

Kickoff between USC and Nebraska is set for 1 p.m. local time in Los Angeles on Saturday.

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