Tag: Wisconsin Badgers

3 keys to victory for the Oregon Ducks against Wisconsin

Three keys for the Oregon Ducks to beat the Wisconsin Badgers in Week 12 of the college football season.

The Oregon Ducks have two games left on their regular-season schedule, and the Ducks are in position to finish the 2024 season undefeated. The biggest road block between Oregon and their 12-0 aspirations is Wisconsin, its next opponent.

This Saturday afternoon, the Ducks will take on the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium, one of the most hostile road environments in the Big Ten. The Badgers are 5-4 this season, but among the teams on Oregon’s 2024 schedule, Wisconsin is in the upper echelon.

Despite the tricky road environment, Oregon shouldn’t have much trouble with Wisconsin — as long as it executes. I’ve listed my three keys to a Ducks victory below, but the biggest thing for Oregon is each player doing his job with consistency. Under Dan Lanning, that’s something the Ducks seldom  struggle with.

Run the ball

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

A big reason Wisconsin is 5-4 is its elite pass defense. Led by cornerback Ricardo Hallman, the Badgers are allowing just 158.9 passing yards per game — the third-fewest in the Big Ten. In contrast, Wisconsin has not done a good job slowing the run this season, allowing 164.6 yards per game on the ground — the second-most in the conference. Oregon has one of the top offenses in the country because it runs and passes well, but against Wisconsin, when they’ll be without star wide receiver Tez Johnson, running the ball should be a focus.

Front-seven solidity

Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon’s defense had a poor performance against Maryland’s passing attack, last week, but this week, the defensive focus will need to be against the run. Wisconsin has a top five rushing offense in the Big Ten, but Oregon’s run defense has been good since the Boise State game. If the Ducks defenders, particularly the front seven, can do their jobs once again this week, Oregon will be in good shape defensively.

Win the turnover battle

This has been a key for Oregon all season when playing teams not quite up to there skill level. The easiest way to lose games like these is by giving the opponent extra possessions through turnovers. If Dillon Gabriel is smart with the football, as he’s been for much of the year, and the Ducks skill players are sure-handed, Oregon has nothing to worry about. And if the Ducks grab a takeaway or two themselves, that’s a ticket to victory.

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Oregon injury update for Week 12 game vs Wisconsin

The full Oregon injury update for the Week 12 game at the Wisconsin Badgers.

Considering it’s Week 12 of the college football season, Oregon’s injury report is very manageable and it shouldn’t affect the outcome of the game against Wisconsin one way or another.

Gary Bryant, Jr. and Dave Iuli are finally completely off the report, which is great news, but they’ve been replaced with Jordan Burch and Jordan James. But it looks like those two will be available to play on Saturday for the Ducks. They appear on the report because they’re a little banged up.

There’s also some encouraging news on Tez Johnson as well. It seems as if he’s healing quicker than most.

Here’s the complete report.

Oregon injury report

  • Tez Johnson — Shoulder — Out
  • Marcus Harper — Knee — Questionable
  • Matthew Bedford — Knee — Out
  • Jordan Burch — Ankle — Questionable
  • Jordan James — Unspecified — Questionable
  • Jahlil Florence — Leg — Out
  • Kyler Kasper — Leg — Out
  • Jack Ressler — Unspecified — Out
  • Fox Crader — Unspecified — Out
  • My’Keil Gardner — Foot — Doubtful
  • Dakoda Fields — Knee — Out

Tez Johnson injury update

Johnson was injured during the Michigan game on the first drive and he missed the majority of that game as well as the contest with Maryland. But the sling that he was wearing came off and although he’s out vs. Wisconsin, Oregon does have a bye week next. That would give Johnson almost four weeks to heal and it’s becoming more promising that he’ll be available on Senior Day against the Huskies Nov. 30.

Marcus Harper II injury update

Offensive lineman Marcus Harper II went down in the second half of the Michigan game holding his knee. He walked off the field, but he wasn’t able to return. Harper missed the Maryland contest, but it looks as if the minor tweak to his knee has mostly healed and he should be available on Saturday in Wisconsin injury update

Jordan James injury update

James just had seven carries for 29 yards, but he score an early touchdown. While his unspecified injury doesn’t seem to be serious, he’s still listed as questionable. Should James miss this week, the Ducks will go to Noah Whittington and Jaden Limar and not miss a beat.

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Wisconsin Badgers vs. Oregon Ducks: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Oregon Ducks: Series history, all-time record

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) will host the No. 1 Oregon Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. It will be the seventh all-time meeting between the two programs.

The Badgers and Ducks have split their six prior matchups, but Oregon comes in on a three-game win streak, including Rose Bowl wins in 2011 and 2019.

The Ducks defeated Wisconsin 28-27 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2020 with quarterback Justin Herbert leading the Ducks to a game-winning drive with less than eight minutes left while trailing 27-21.

In the contest, Herbert was limited to 14 completions on 20 pass attempts for 138 yards and an interception, but he did score three times on the ground, churning out 29 rushing yards in the game.

Over on the Badgers’ side of things, quarterback Jack Coan completed 23 of 25 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown, also throwing an interception in the contest. Wide receiver Quintez Cephus was on the receiving end of the touchdown, finishing his day with 59 yards and the score on seven receptions.

Oregon enters Saturday’s matchup after a 39-18 win over Maryland in Week 11, reaching the 30-point threshold for the ninth game in a row. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel had 183 passing yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Wisconsin was idle in Week 11 after getting crushed by Iowa 42-10 on the road in Week 10, losing their second game in a row. Luke Fickell and his squad have a tough task ahead of them against the top team in the country for their first meeting as Big Ten foes Saturday.

Huskers hosting Dawson Merritt for Wisconsin Badgers game

Dawson Merritt is coming back to Lincoln on November 23.

Class of 2025 four-star edge defender Dawson Merritt will be in Lincoln for the Wisconsin Badgers game later this month.

Several On3 experts projected Merritt to go to Nebraska on Tuesday. He originally committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide at the end of June. Despite the commitment, Nebraska has steadily been involved in his recruitment. Now, it appears that they are in a position to land him.

This would be the sixth blue-chip commitment for the 2025 class, which is headlined by linebacker Christian Jones. Merritt and Jones would give the program a solid combination on the defensive side of the ball.

The 2025 class is shaping up nicely. The class ranks 24th overall nationally per the On3 recruiting rankings.

Merritt’s recruitment to Nebraska seems to be gaining momentum. The announcement of the visit and the predictions of a potential commitment are certainly positive developments for the Huskers.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Two former Wisconsin linebackers named NFL Players of the Week

Two former Wisconsin linebackers named NFL Players of the Week

Former Wisconsin linebackers Zack Baun and Leo Chenal were named NFL Players of the Week on Thursday.

Baun earned the ‘NFC Defensive Player of the Week’ designation for his contributions in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 34-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 10.

In that contest, the UW alumnus recorded eight tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one tackle for loss. In nine games, Baun ranks No. 11 in the NFL in total tackles with 87. He has also notched two sacks and one interception as the Eagles’ most dominant linebacker this season.

ProFootballFocus has also awarded Baun with the highest grade of any linebacker across the NFL from Weeks 8-10.

Baun joined Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray and Detroit Lions’ kicker Jake Bates on the NFC ‘Players of the Week’ batch of studs from Week 10.

Chenal, meanwhile, was almost a no-brainer for ‘AFC Special Teams Player of the Week’ after what he did against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

He joined Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills’ cornerback Taron Johnson in the AFC ‘Players of the Week’ cohort for this week.

Chenal, who played at UW from 2019-2021, clinched the Kansas City Chiefs’ 15th straight win with a blocked field goal as time expired at Arrowhead Stadium.

The sequence occurred when, with one second remaining, Broncos’ kicker Will Lutz squared up for a 35-yard field goal attempt and Chenal leaped through Denver’s offensive line to deny the attempt and secure the 16-14 win.

Through eight games this season, he has posted 33 total tackles, 22 solo tackles and three pass deflections.

Oregon Ducks unveil new road uniforms for Week 12 showdown vs. Wisconsin Badgers

The Oregon Ducks announced they will be wearing a new black-and-white uniform combination in Week 12 vs. the Wisconsin Badgers.

With more than two months of the 2024 college football season behind us, the Oregon Ducks have shown us a lot when it comes to the uniform game. We’ve been able to enjoy the new “Generation O” line with Mighty Oregon throwbacks, Gang Green retros, Fly Era blackouts and Stomp Out Cancer sets.

But in Week 12 against the Wisconsin Badgers on the road, we will see something new from the Ducks. It’s subtle, but we will be getting new helmets in Camp Randall.

The Ducks unveiled a black and white combination on Wednesday evening to be worn this weekend against the Badgers. While we’ve seen black helmets before as part of the Heroes combination, this new black helmet will not have the yellow trim, but rather a silver trim.

The jerseys will also come with the white tops worn two weeks ago at Michigan, and black pants. This is a uniform combination that we’ve seen in some big games for the Ducks, most notably last year on the road in a blowout against the Utah Utes.

Oregon Ducks Week 12 Uniforms

Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department

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Previewing the Badger defense ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Oregon

Oregon is going to go up against one of the better secondaries in the conference with All-American corner Ricardo Hallman leading the way.

Some teams have problems defending the pass, while some have trouble with the opposing run game. And then some defenses have trouble defending either.

Wisconsin’s defense is having its share of problems with the run game, but the secondary is one of the best in the Big Ten. The lack of success on the offensive side of the ball doesn’t help the cause though.

Oregon will spend this week trying to figure out the best way to exploit that with their two-headed monster at tailback of Jordan James and Noah Whittington. Expect quarterback Dillon Gabriel to have a few more runs than he normally would.

The Badgers are giving up 165 yards on the ground, but they are only allowing 159 yards through the air. A major reason the secondary is so good is cornerback Ricardo Hallman. He locks down his side of the field to the point where quarterbacks aren’t even attempting to throw his way and for good reason.

Hallman was a Third-Team All-American last season with his seven interceptions. He doesn’t have any this year, but it’s difficult to pick off a pass when the ball is consistently on the other side of the field.

“It’s smart as a coach to not to throw at a gut who is going to make a lot of plays on the ball,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “But it’s more challenging for a defense when you can work the entire field, but there’s a reason people aren’t testing him because he’s a talented player.”

Wisconsin has just three interceptions as a team this season and fellow defensive back Preston Zachman has two of them to go with his 41 tackles. Linebacker Jaheim Thomas is the team’s leading tackler with 52 of them and safety Hunter Wohler is right on his heels with 51 tackles.

“They’re good tacklers and they do a great job is disguising coverage,” Lanning said. “They have some mix-ups there. This is one of the more talented secondaries we’ve seen.”

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Previewing the Wisconsin offense before Saturday’s game in Madison

Wisconsin’s offense has struggled throughout the season and facing the Duck defense won’t make things any easier.

There are some very good offensive units in the Big Ten such as Ohio State, Indiana, and to some degree Penn State.

But Wisconsin is not on that list.

The Badgers have had trouble putting the ball in the end zone in 2024 and against one of the top defenses in the county, it’s difficult to imagine this changing on Saturday.

Quarterback and first-year starter Braedyn Locke has had an up-and-down season. He averages nearly 180 yards a game and he has eight touchdowns to his credit. That’s the good news. The bad news, at least for the Badgers, is that Locke has thrown for eight picks. That 1-to-1 ratio between touchdown passes and interceptions is less than ideal.

When Locke isn’t tossing the all around the field, he is giving it to a capable running back in Tawee Walker. The 5-foot-9, 218-pound senior averages 84 yards a game and has found the end zone 10 times.

With a more prolific passing game for a defense to pay closer attention to, Walker’s numbers would most likely be even better.

In that passing game, Locke tends to throw to receiver Will Pauling more often than not. He leads the team with 40 receptions and two touchdowns.

The Badgers feature an offensive line that can be a tough one to crack for any defense with their size. The smallest offensive lineman for the Badgers is Jake Renfro at 6-foot-4 and 302 pounds and the largest is Jack Nelson at 6-foot-7 and 316 pounds.

According to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Wisconsin has a typical Big Ten line to contend with.

“They’re big. They’re one of the ones where you look at them and say that’s what an offensive line looks like,” he said. “They have great size up front. They have the ability to move you. That’s what a Wisconsin offensive line looks like.”

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Oregon vs. Wisconsin: Series history features a run for the roses

Check out the rose-filled history between the Oregon Ducks and Wisconsin Badgers football programs.

Unlike most of Oregon’s new conference foes, there is some history between the Oregon Ducks and the Wisconsin Badgers. Just six games have been played between these programs, but two have taken place on college football’s greatest stage: the Rose Bowl.

The Ducks and the Badgers first shared the field in Pasadena in 2012 as the No. 6 and No. 9 teams, respectively. Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas led the Ducks to a win over current Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson and the Badgers. Eight years later, Oregon and Wisconsin met in the Rose Bowl again, this time led by Justin Herbert, and the Ducks defeated the Badgers once again.

The Ducks won the 2012 Rose Bowl 45-38, and the game was the perfect example of a shootout. So many Ducks had great days, including Darron Thomas — who threw for 3 TDs and over 250 yards — and LaMichael James — who rushed for 159 yards and a TD.

The real star, however, was De’Anthony Thomas. Thomas had four catches for 34 yards, but he truly made his mark in the run game. On just two carries, Thomas rushed for 155 yards and two TDs. His first rush was a 91-yard inside zone for the score, and a little later, he took a jet sweep 64 yards to the end zone. It was the perfect display of talent for one of the most athletic college players ever.

Eight years later, Oregon and Wisconsin won their conferences once again, punching tickets to the Rose Bowl. This time, it was QB Herbert and RB Jonathan Taylor leading the teams. This game was even closer than the 2012 matchup with Oregon winning 28-27.

Herbert, usually a pocket passer, led the Ducks to a win in an unusual way. Instead of getting the ball into the end zone with his arm, Herbert rushed for three TDs  — all on read-option QB keeps. The Ducks’ other touchdown came from safety Brady Breeze, a native Oregonian like Herbert, who delivered a fumbled ball to the endzone after a botched punt.

The 2020 Rose Bowl victory was the final game of Herbert and Breeze’s college careers. It’s hard to ask for a better ending.

Oregon and Wisconsin’s other four matchups came from two regular-season home-and-home series, spanning from 1977-1978 and 2000-2001. Wisconsin was 3-1 in those games, but the Ducks took the most recent regular season game.

This week’s game will be Oregon’s first trip to Camp Randall Stadium in almost 25 years, which is not an easy place to play. The Badgers are unranked, but they’re a dangerous opponent. Oregon and Wisconsin may not be in a run for the roses this weekend, but beating the Badgers is an important step on the Oregon Ducks’ path to a championship, with a chance to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Championship on the line.

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Wisconsin legend Barry Alvarez offers outlook on Badgers current identity under Luke Fickell

Wisconsin legend Barry Alvarez offers outlook on Badgers entering closing stretch

Wisconsin legend Barry Alvarez offered his thoughts on the state of the Wisconsin football program on Tuesday.

In an appearance on ESPN Milwaukee, the former Wisconsin coach and athletic director was asked about the Badgers’ 42-10 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

“It’s really frustrating for me because there’s no one I’d rather beat than Iowa to start with,” Alvarez said. “I understand fans’ disappointment. I don’t know what to tell you. I’m frustrated.”

During his time commanding the sidelines at UW from 1990 to 2005, Alvarez’s Badgers beat the Hawkeyes five times. It’s safe to say he wasn’t pleased with Wisconsin’s most recent output against a familiar foe.

Alvarez was also asked what he thought of the culture at Wisconsin. When he served as the coach, Wisconsin went 119–72–4 and morphed into one of the more respected programs across the nation.

Now, it’s sometimes hard to even recognize what Alvarez built.

“I can’t answer that,” Alvarez said. “I’d like to see it myself. When I took the job, I looked at the type of players that we could consistently recruit. … I figured we could find some linemen consistently, and that’s where you start in Wisconsin. That was the mantra of our whole program. I’m crying to see the same thing, crying to see the physicality.”

Finally, Alvarez touched on what he hopes to see from the Badgers in their next game against No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16. After dropping its previous two games against No. 4 Penn State and Iowa, Luke Fickell’s team is 5-4.

Here’s what Alvarez hopes to see on Saturday at Camp Randall:

“I’d really like to see the team show up, really compete hard and get after Oregon,” Alvarez said. “You’re playing the No. 1 team in the country. Instead of showing up and feeling your way around, get after the No. 1 team in the country. Show fans and the Wisconsin people that there’s some fight in this offense and that you’re ready to compete at the highest level.”

Kickoff between the Badgers and the Ducks is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be nationally televised on NBC.