Tag: Wisconsin Badgers

Grading Wisconsin’s Victory over Nebraska

What grades did Wisconsin earn in their 37-21 victory over Nebraska to retain the Freedom Trophy?

Grading No. 15 Wisconsin’s 37-21 win over Nebraska.

Offense: B

For the third time in his career Jonathan Taylor went over 200 yards rushing against Nebraska as he finished with 204 yards on 25 carries and two rushing touchdowns.

Taylor’s rushing performance against Nebraska puts him past Herschel Walker (5,596 yards) for most rushing yards in a career through his junior year as Taylor now has 5,634 rushing yards in his career.

Taylor’s longest rush of the day against Nebraska was 19 yards and like last week he wasn’t tackled behind the line of scrimmage as he averaged an impressive 8.2 yards per carry.

In total Wisconsin rushed for 320 yards on 45 carries. Despite Danny Davis (3-48) not catching a pass against Nebraska he and Nakia Watson (8-36) combined to rush for 84 yards on 11 carries.

Outside of Wisconsin’s offensive line continuing to get the better push to allow for Wisconsin to consistently pick up positive yards rushing the football as the Badgers only allowed one tackle for loss. In addition, the Badgers made sure Jack Coan stayed clean as he wasn’t sacked for the first time this year.

Coan didn’t turn the football over as it snapped a three game streak of him turning the football over at least once but there were instances where he didn’t always place the football where his intended target could make the catch.

The first example would be on Wisconsin’s opening offensive drive. Coan was able to complete a screen pass to Taylor but he had to reach back and catch it with one hand. Taylor started to cut upfield but never completely secured the football as JoJo Domann was able to force the fumble. Taylor should have done more to protect the football but if Coan is able to place the football more squarely in his chest the Badgers avoid there only turnover of the game. Nebraska was able to cash Taylor’s fumble into seven points.

The second example was on Wisconsin’s last offensive possession of the first half. On 3rd and goal at Nebraska’s six Coan attempted a pass to A.J. Taylor but the throw was behind him making it a difficult catch.

Overall Coan finished the game 13-for-21 (61.9 percent) for 162 yards and a touchdown. Coan’s touchdown throw was to A.J. Taylor for 55 yards, eclipsing the previous season long pass of 52 yards, which occurred last week against Iowa from Coan to Quintez Cephus. Coan was able to complete passes to seven different players while A.J. Taylor’s 65 yards led the team Kendric Pryor (30 yards) and Quintez Cephus (23 yards) each caught three passes.

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Wisconsin’s play vs. Nebraska won’t cut it against Minnesota

An initial reaction to the Wisconsin Badgers’ victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday. They won by 16 points. They won without too much drama. Yet, given how flawed the Huskers are, a strong Wisconsin team would have blown the doors off this game. As it was, Nebraska was still in the hunt midway through the fourth quarter. Wisconsin needed a red-zone stop to finally feel good about this game. Until then, the Badgers had to legitimately doubt whether they could put away Nebraska.

That is a problem. Victory should not — and cannot — obscure that reality. Wisconsin handled a bad team well enough to win, but not nearly well enough to inspire confidence about the Nov. 30 matchup against Minnesota on the road. We will continue to unpack various nuances of that game — it’s not as though next week’s Purdue game will offer a hugely revealing insight into the Minnesota contest — but for now, we can simply assert this basic point: Wisconsin’s level of play was nowhere near what Paul Chryst needs it to be against Minnesota.

If the Badgers play like this against the Golden Gophers, they might not merely lose. They might get run out of the building and feel very dissatisfied about the nature of their season. Sure, Minnesota is impressive (we’ll see if the Gophers beat Iowa; this article was written before the start of that game in Iowa City). If the Gophers happen to beat the Badgers by playing a phenomenal game, so be it. Wisconsin can’t control how well Minnesota plays. Wisconsin can control how the Badgers play, and right now, the Badgers aren’t playing particularly well, especially on defense.

Yes, the offense still needs work. Jonathan Taylor can’t keep fumbling (his fumble at Illinois was very costly). Jack Coan has to be more accurate. The offense isn’t a finished product. Yet, the offensive line is knocking the snot out of opposing defensive fronts. Wisconsin can beat Minnesota based on the way the O-line is performing.

On defense, however? Good luck standing up to Minnesota’s speed at wide receiver or the Gophers’ pace, or P.J. Fleck’s scheme. If Nebraska could bust open big holes; if the Huskers could gain first downs with the run on third and seven; if Scott Frost could make Jim Leonhard’s defense look bad for most of the first three quarters; if a 34-14 lead wasn’t entirely safe (and it wasn’t, not with Nebraska being 15 yards from making the score 34-28); and if the back seven was slow to defend a number of downfield pass plays yet again, how will Wisconsin contain Minnesota’s offense?

That question — as we come closer to Nov. 30 — has to dominate coaches’ meetings. It has to be a central talking point on the practice field. It has to be the topic Wisconsin’s defensive players think about. What happened against Nebraska wasn’t acceptable. Victory can’t allow the Badgers’ defense to ignore that point.

3-Point Shot Wisconsin vs. Marquette

Here are the three keys to a Wisconsin victory over in-state rival Marquette on Sunday.

Marquette has beaten Wisconsin over the last two meetings and three of the last four games. The Badgers certainly will have a challenge on Sunday against Marquette as the Golden Eagles are coming off of a 10-point victory against Purdue to improve their record to 2-0.

In this Badgers Wire feature, we will look at the three keys or questions for Wisconsin as they prepare to play in-state rival, Marquette.

LAYUP: WISCONSIN’S SUCCESS IN THE PAINT

Marquette through two games is allowing their opponents to average 28 points around the rim compared to Wisconsin averaging 29.3 points in the paint.

Nate Reuvers will play an important role in making sure that Wisconsin is able to generate high percentage shots around the rim against a Marquette team that’s averaging eight blocks a game.

In particular, Reuvers will have a challenge against Theo John as he leads the team with nine blocks as eight of them came in Marquette’s season opening win over Loyola Maryland.

If Wisconsin is going to challenge John and generate points in the paint Reuvers can’t get into foul trouble like he did against McNeese State. If he does it will take one of Wisconsin’s more consistent scorers off the floor as he’s averaging 15.3 points. Reuvers ability to have success around the rim and ability to stretch the floor could lead to balanced scoring against Marquette.

MID-RANGE: CAN WISCONSIN CONTINUE ITS MOMENTUM FROM 3?

Wisconsin certainly caught fire from three in the second half against McNeese State as they shot 7-for-15 (46.6 percent), which is the Badgers best shooting half from three.

The question is does the performance from three in the second half against the Cowboys continue against Marquette or will it revert back to what Wisconsin has shown this season?

Wisconsin is shooting a lowly 27.7 percent (18-for-65) from three and if Wisconsin’s offense is going to have success against Marquette they’ll need to turn in a better performance from the perimeter.

Problem is in two games Marquette has done well of contesting the 3-point shot as the Golden Eagles have held their opponents to shoot 25 percent or less from three on an average 21 3-point attempts a game.

If Wisconsin is going to continue where they left off from three against Marquette it will be up to Aleem Ford, D’Mitrik Trice, Brevin Pritzl, and Brad Davison. All four have attempted at least 10 three’s through three games.

Davison leads the team shooting 40 percent (4-for-10) from three as he went 3-for-4 from three against McNeese State. Making it important that when Wisconsin is able to create an open look from three the Badgers knock them down as there won’t be many opportunities where Wisconsin will get a good look from 3-point range.

3-POINTER: TRYING TO CONTAIN MARKUS HOWARD

Howard is one of the more natural scorers in college basketball as through two games he’s averaging 28 points per game while shooting 53.1 percent (17-for-32) from the field and 58.8 percent (10-for-17) from three.

Howard in three career games against the Badgers is averaging 24 points a contest and is shooting 37.2 percent (22-for-59) from the field. Howard is going to get his shots up against Wisconsin’s defense its a matter of making sure they aren’t opportunities where he can catch and shoot.

Although Howard scored 27 points against Wisconsin a season ago he did attempt 29 shots from the field. It will be a team effort to try and slow Howard down as the Badgers will need to effectively communicate to fight through screens to make sure Howard can’t exploit a mismatch against a Wisconsin defender.

If Wisconsin’s defense can make sure they don’t allow Howard to completely take over the game and frustrate him they’ll force somebody else to try and beat the Badgers.

That person could be Koby McEwen as he’s the only other player for Marquette to average double figures at 17 points a game.

In addition, Howard has been able to set his teammates up as his five assists are tied for the second best mark on the team but he also leads the team with six turnovers. Creating frustration for Howard will be difficult but if Wisconsin’s defense can knock him off his offensive game a little bit that could go a long way in how the game is decided.

Wisconsin-Marquette, in 2019, is extra personal for both sides

The meeting between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Marquette Golden Eagles is very personal, for two clear reasons.

Sunday’s game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Kohl Center in Madison will be fierce and intense, just as every game is between Wisconsin and Marquette. The two schools always pour their emotions into this game. It always matters. It always stirs the soul.

This year, though, the battle between the Badgers and the Golden Eagles will be even more personal than it normally is. Really, you might be asking? What could be the reason to make a statement like that? The answer to the question is deceptively simple. There are two reasons why UW-Marquette packs more of a punch in 2019. Those reasons are named Joey Hauser and Sam Hauser.

Makes sense, right? Joey and Sam Hauser played for Marquette last season. Now they don’t. Joey transferred to Michigan State, Sam to Virginia. Those two schools are not Wisconsin. We are left with the simple reality that the Hauser brothers didn’t initially go to Wisconsin, and didn’t transfer there. They also, however, left Marquette and didn’t think it was worth it to stick with Steve Wojciechowski. Both schools have been stung by the rejection of the Hauser brothers.

To be clear, what young athletes choose to do with their careers is not a manifestation or reflection of morality or ethics. Playing at one school is not a more noble (or impoverished) decision than playing at another. A transfer is not an act of betrayal. None of this has anything to do with the character of a person, and should not be seen as a direct or implied criticism of the Hausers (or any other athletes who transfer). I am merely noting that in 2019, Marquette and Wisconsin are both taking the court without a Hauser brother in either program. The two brothers from Stevens Point, Wis., will not be found in Madison on Sunday.

You know Marquette wants to prove it can beat Wisconsin for a million different reasons, but winning without the Hausers is certainly one of the more prominent ones. You know Wisconsin wants to pounce on Marquette, early in the season, to make a statement about the balance of college basketball power in this state.

It is sometimes the case that the absence of a person — or two persons — from a building is noticed more than the presence of any other individuals. Wisconsin will feel the absence of Micah Potter from this game, but other than Potter, are two people going to be noticed more by their absence from Sunday’s contest than Sam and Joey Hauser? Those brothers, no longer playing college basketball in the state of Wisconsin, will definitely be noticed on Sunday. The next question: Which school will lament that absence more when Sunday’s game is over?

Marquette comeback against Purdue gets Wisconsin’s attention

Looking at the Marquette Golden Eagles’ win over the Purdue Boilermakers before Marquette faces the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday.

The shiny object found in the Marquette Golden Eagles’ 65-55 win over the Purdue Boilermakers on Wednesday night was the 40-point second half the Golden Eagles slapped on Matt Painter’s crew. If Marquette has established an identity in recent years, it is that it can explode on offense at any time. Markus Howard can break free. Seton Hall might have Myles Powell, but Howard makes sure that Marquette always has as much firepower as the opposition, if not more. A 40-point second half is on brand for MU and Steve Wojciechowski.

Yet, while looking at the shiny object — 40 points after halftime in a relatively low-scoring game — one shouldn’t ignore the more substantive aspect of a game in which Marquette came back from a 13-point halftime deficit (38-25). The Golden Eagles held Purdue to just 17 points after the intermission.

If Marquette — which got run off the floor by Ja Morant and Murray State in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament — is to improve as a program and become more of a national force in the Big East Conference, it will come at the defensive end of the floor. Being good enough and tough enough to hold Purdue to 17 points in a half sends a very positive message before Marquette faces the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday. Such a feat is… well… very Wisconsin-like.

As we size up the Golden Eagles before they visit the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon, we are brought in touch with a fundamental question: As good as Marquette was in that second half, was the 40-17 drubbing the Golden Eagles handed to the Boilermakers a primary product of MU’s ability to adjust, or was it more a result of Purdue not finding an answer to the departure of Carsen Edwards?

From the Marquette side of the equation, the Golden Eagles have to feel confident they can defend at a high level. They can’t control Purdue’s limitations; they got punched in the mouth in the first half and could have wobbled. Instead, they roared back against a team which came within an eyelash of making the Final Four last spring. Marquette did what was within its power to do. To that extent, the Golden Eagles deserve ample credit.

It is the Purdue dimension of this question which is more encouraging to Wisconsin. Purdue, for those not getting up to speed on college basketball as football enters its crucial home stretch, lacked answers at crunch time versus Texas — in Mackey Arena — a few days earlier. If Purdue had solved Texas but then stumbled against Marquette, the Golden Eagles could be viewed in a more favorable light. Because Purdue couldn’t use home-court advantage well against a previous opponent, however, this loss to Marquette seems like a trend more than a plot twist or an aberration.

Wisconsin can therefore look at Purdue and arrive at the conclusion that Marquette pounced on an especially vulnerable opponent. Wisconsin can look at the statistics and see that Marquette shot just 7 of 25 from 3-point range and won by 10… because Purdue was just 6 of 24 from long distance and a shocking 9 of 21 from the free throw line. If Purdue can’t stand on its own this season without Carsen Edwards, Wisconsin — lacking Micah Potter for no legitimately good reason — can stand on the strength of its balance and its defense.

Wisconsin doesn’t just have a chance to beat Marquette this Sunday. The Badgers can send a message to Purdue and the rest of the Big Ten about their resourcefulness, their balance, and their quality. Just imagine what a win without Potter could do for a team which is still settling into this season. A win over Marquette would settle some scores and enable Wisconsin to feel a lot more settled and calm about its long-term prospects.

Wisconsin at Nebraska: Breakdown with Prediction

What does Wisconsin need to do in order to beat Nebraska on the road? Jonathan Taylor RB, Jack Coan QB, Zack Baun LB, Noah Burks LB

Wisconsin has always been able to successfully run the football against Nebraska and on Saturday that shouldn’t change. Considering Nebraska’s rush defense in the Big Ten ranks toward the bottom as they’re allowing 219.5 yards over Big Ten play and have allowed an average of 5.3 yards per carry.

The Badgers will rely heavily on Jonathan Taylor to have success against the Cornhuskers rush defense. In two career games against Nebraska Taylor has averaged 235 yards on an average of 24.5 carries and has five combined touchdowns.

Wisconsin’s offensive line should be able to get the better push against Nebraska’s defensive line to make sure Taylor doesn’t get tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

Taylor has caught a pass in every game this year but has only caught three passes over the last three games. With the success Taylor has had against Nebraska he should be more involved in the passing game than he has over the last three weeks.

Jack Coan is going to need to limit his mistakes and make sure he doesn’t kill any offensive drives. If Coan can generate a rhythm against Nebraska’s secondary, which is allowing 201.5 passing yards in addition to Taylor’s success on the ground the Badgers should develop a balance on offense.

Defensively, it comes down to Wisconsin’s defense ability to contain Adrian Martinez.

Wisconsin will need to keep him in the pocket in order to make sure he can’t extend plays with his feet. It starts with Zack Baun and Noah Burks keeping contain and taking him down when they have a chance as Martinez’s 399 rushing yards leads the team.

One of Martinez’s favorite targets is JD Spielman as his 689 receiving yards leads the team. True freshman wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson is questionable for the game. If Robinson can’t go it will take away one of the Cornhuskers more consistent players on offense as he has 453 receiving yards and has rushed for 326 yards.

In the end, Wisconsin is able to contain Martinez enough and is able to limit his impact and prevent him from consistently connecting with Spielman through the air. In addition, thanks to Taylor’s ability to effectively rush the football the Badgers win 31-to-21.

 

What are the Five Keys to a Wisconsin Victory over Nebraska?

What are the five keys to a Wisconsin victory when the Badgers travel to play Nebraska.

Entering the season, Nebraska was the favorite to represent the west division in the Big Ten championship game. The season for the Cornhuskers hasn’t gone as planned, as they are currently on a three game losing streak and have lost four of the past five games. Nebraska will look to get back on track against Wisconsin following their bye week.

Here are the five keys for a Wisconsin victory over the Cornhuskers:

1) Keeping containment of Adrian Martinez 

Martinez has been able to hurt teams multiple ways, whether that’s through the air or with his legs as he’s averaging 270.1 yards of total offense. In particular, Wisconsin can’t allow for Martinez to get out of the pocket and be able to extend plays, making it important that the combination of Zack Baun and Noah Burks are able to play well in space to avoid allowing Martinez to break a tackle. Wisconsin’s ability to slow Martinez down by either sacking him or keeping him contained will help Wisconsin’s defense control the game.

2) Jonathan Taylor’s success on the ground

Nebraska’s rush defense has struggled over conference play, as they’re allowing teams to rush for an average of 219.5 yards per game. In two career games against Nebraska, Taylor has rushed for over 200 yards both times and has registered five combined touchdowns. Taylor should consistently pick up positive yards against Nebraska’s defense considering the Cornhuskers are allowing 5.3 yards per carry, which will allow for Wisconsin to be able to effectively move the football down the field.

3) Limiting JD Spielman

Wan’Dale Robinson is questionable heading into the game against Wisconsin. If Robinson can’t go, it will make Spielman an even bigger target for Martinez. Specifically, Spielman has been able to make big plays in the passing game, averaging 19.6 yards per reception and in six different games he has caught at least one pass of 40 yards or more. In order for Wisconsin’s defense to succeed, they can’t allow for Spielman and Martinez to create chunk plays through the air.

4) The play of Wisconsin’s fourth down defense 

Nebraska’s field goal kicking has been shaky this year, as the Cornhuskers have used four different kickers this year as they’ve gone a combined 7-for-14. Meaning if Nebraska is facing a fourth and manageable in Wisconsin territory, they’re likely going to go for it. Wisconsin’s defense on fourth down is allowing their opponents to convert on 70 percent (7-for-10) of their fourth down tries.

5) Winning field position

Anthony Lotti has been up and down this year and in order to limit Nebraska’s offense, it will be important for him to consistently get good punts off. Lotti has attempted 35 punts this season with 14 of them landing inside the 20-yard line. Lotti’s ability to pin punts inside the 20 and make Nebraska have to work with a long field will assist Wisconsin’s defense in hopes that it will lead to a short defensive drive for the Badgers on that side of the field.

Three Marquette players who Badger fans need to know

Wisconsin hosts Marquette at the Kohl Center this weekend. Badger fans should be sure to know these three opposing players.

Wisconsin hosts Marquette at the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon in this year’s chapter of one of the nation’s most heated rivalries.

The Badgers are 2-1 following their 83-63 victory over McNeese State at home on Wednesday night, while the Golden Eagles are 2-0 and coming off of an impressive 65-55 win over a solid Purdue team in Milwaukee that same evening. Marquette has maintained bragging rights over Wisconsin the last two seasons, taking care of business against Bucky at the Fiserv Forum in a 74-69 overtime thriller a year ago.

While the Golden Eagles lost two huge pieces of their program as a result of the Hauser brothers’ decisions to transfer, head coach Steve Wojciechowski will still have plenty of talent at his disposal this season, and this should be a Top 25-caliber group all year long.

Here are the three Golden Eagles who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout Saturday’s contest.

1. Markus Howard – Guard

2019 stats: 28.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 53.1% FG, 58.8% 3P, 92.3 % FT

You can’t break down Marquette’s roster by starting with any player other than Howard, the Golden Eagles’ all-time leading scorer who just went over 2,000 points for his career this week.

The 5-11 senior has become a household name as a result of the monster scoring numbers he has put up throughout his career. Last season was his best yet, as Howard was the Big East Player of the Year and earned consensus Second Team All-American honors after ranking fifth nationally in scoring at 25 points per game.

Howard is off to another scorching start this year for the Golden Eagles through two games, opening the season with a 38-point outburst against Loyola Maryland and following up that performance with 18 points in Marquette’s victory over Purdue.

He has averaged 24 points per game against Wisconsin throughout his career, including 27 in Marquette’s overtime win at Fiserv Forum last year. However, Howard was held largely in check by the Badgers in terms of his production from the field, shooting just 7-29 for the game.

2. Theo John – Forward

2019 stats: 6.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.5 bpg, 55.6% FG, 50.0% FT

Feb 12, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Marquette Golden Eagles forward Theo John (4) blocks a shot by DePaul Blue Demons forward Paul Reed (4) during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nuccio DiNuzzo-USA TODAY Sports

The Big East’s leader in blocks per game last season, the 6-9, 255-pound John is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. The junior forward isn’t exactly an impact player from a scoring standpoint, but he has utilized his massive frame to become one of the nation’s top post defenders and a monster on the boards to boot.

It’s safe to assume that John will likely be matched up with Nate Reuvers quite a bit on Sunday, which does not bode well for the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week’s production down low in this matchup. In fact, with him looming in the paint, the Badgers as a whole could have a rough go of it scoring near the basket.

What does this mean? For a team that has often been either extremely hot or cold from beyond the arc with little room in between so far this season, Wisconsin better hope the shots are falling from long range in this one.

3. Koby McEwen – Guard

2019 stats: 17.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 50% FG, 60% 3P, 88.9% FT

With Sam and Joey Hauser out of the picture after packing their bags for Virginia and Michigan State, respectively, there were questions surrounding this Marquette team leading into the season regarding who on the roster would step up as a secondary scoring option to Howard.

After the Golden Eagles’ first two games, it appears as though McEwen may be the answer.

The redshirt junior sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules after coming over from Utah State, where he averaged 15.3 points per game in his two seasons there. McEwen was a Third Team All-Mountain West selection in 2017-18 after leading the Aggies in scoring and rebounding at 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

The 6-4 guard has clearly been Marquette’s second-best player so far, making an impact as a scorer, facilitator, rebounder, and defender. McEwen heads into Saturday’s matchup with Wisconsin on the heels of an impressive performance against Purdue in which he racked up 23 points, five rebounds, and 4 assists.

Steven Crowl Signs National Letter of Intent with Wisconsin Basketball

Steven Crowl signed his national letter of intent on Wednesday becoming the latest member of 2020 class for Greg Gard.

Steven Crowl

6’9″, 210, center, Eagan, Minn. (Eastview)

Crowl used a strong summer in front of the Wisconsin coaches to earn his offer from the Badgers this past July. After taking an official visit to Wisconsin in September he made his commitment to the Badgers in mid-September. Crowl officially became a Badger on Wednesday when he signed his letter of intent to play for Wisconsin.

Crowl and Ben Carlson will complement each other well when the duo are on the floor together. Similar to Carlson, Crowl is able to stretch the floor in addition he’s able to make an impact on the defensive side too. Crowl could use a redshirt year as it would be beneficial for him to continue to add strength in addition due to the depth Wisconsin has in the frontcourt.

Note: All quotes/stats provided by uwbadgers.com

Crowl chose Wisconsin over other offers from: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, and South Dakota

Crowl’s Accolades: Three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals … his junior season, led Eastview High School to the Minnesota Class 4A state tournament while averaging 19.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, shooting 39% 3FG from beyond the arc … scored 630 points as a junior and 470 points as a sophomore giving him 1,100 career points entering his senior season … first-team South Suburban All-Conference in 2019 and second-team in 2018 … plays travel basketball for D1 Minnesota, the same program as current Badgers Nate Reuvers and Tyler Wahl.

Gard on Crowl: “Steven has so many of the characteristics that we look for, both on and off the basketball court. He has excelled at a high level both on the court and in the classroom. From the first time we saw him, Steven has continued to grow and develop as a player. He has a great feel for the game and he will be able to utilize all those skills as he continues to develop. Steven has the ability to score both inside and out, which will add him to a long list of big men who have come through this program over the years. We are excited to add Steven to the Badger basketball family.”

Sojourn Shelton added to Arizona Cardinals practice squad

The Arizona Cardinals signed former Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Sojourn Shelton to their practice squad ahead of their Week 11 matchup.

The Arizona Cardinals have brought back former Wisconsin Badgers defensive back Sojourn Shelton, signing him to their practice squad.

Shelton was originally signed by Arizona after going undrafted in 2017, but was released before the season started. He ended up spending his entire first season on the Bengals practice squad.

He caught on with the Eagles in August but was cut at the end of the preseason, and the 24-year-old has remained a free agent until now.

Shelton will provide the Cardinals with added depth at the cornerback positions, and could sneak onto the team as a special teams contributor as well.

Shelton had a very solid career at Wisconsin, playing with the Badgers from 2013-2016 and racking up 129 total tackles, nine interceptions and 30 passes defended, which ranks sixth in the BIG-10 since 2005.

However, his lack of size (five-foot-nine, 168 pounds) has limited him to precious few opportunities in the NFL. He’ll have to really fight to earn his way onto Arizona’s roster before the season is up.

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