Tag: Wisconsin Badgers

Holy Cross head coach praises Wisconsin wing John Tonje after big performance

Holy Cross head coach praises Wisconsin wing John Tonje after big performance

Holy Cross basketball head coach Dave Paulsen praised John Tonje’s 23-point night after Wisconsin’s 85-61 win over the Crusaders on Monday night.

Tonje’s 23 points were the most by a Badger in their debut since at least 2000, surpassing Josh Gasser’s 21-point debut in 2010. He also chipped in with five rebounds and shot a perfect 8-8 mark from the foul line.

Holy Cross’ staff certainly appeared to have scouted the first-year Wisconsin playmakers ahead of the season opener on Monday. Here’s what Paulsen had to say about Tonje’s impact on UW’s unit:

“I think he was super aggressive in their two preseason contests,” Paulsen said after the game. “It seems like he’s got a pretty unshakable level of confidence, which you need to have to be a really good player. Without knowing the ins and outs of their team, he gives them that dynamic scoring presence that I think they need.”

Tonje arrived in Madison following a redshirt season at Missouri in 2023-24. After commanding a bulk of Wisconsin’s workload in just under 27 minutes vs. the Crusaders, it’s safe to assume the North Omaha, Nebraska, native will morph into a staple for head coach Greg Gard for the remainder of this season.

UW’s next game is slated for Nov. 9 against Montana State.

Former Wisconsin linebacker grabs first interception of 2024 NFL season

Former Wisconsin linebacker grabs first interception of 2024 NFL season

Former Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun snagged his first interception of the 2024 season in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The sequence came on a first-down play from the Jaguars’ 33-yard line. After quarterback Trevor Lawrence dropped back and completed a pass to running back Travis Etienne Jr. for a short gain, the ball popped up in the air and was corralled by a diving Baun near the 40-yard line.

The play prevented Jacksonville from driving down the field and chipping into its 10-0 deficit before the end of the second frame.

On Philadelphia’s ensuing drive, running back Saquon Barkley accelerated into the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown to make it 16-0 in favor of the Eagles.

Here’s the full play:

On the day, Baun tallied a team-best 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, two deflections and the interception. Through eight games, the first-year Eagle has notched 79 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.

Baun’s 79 tackles are the 11th-most among qualified defenders this season. He is the only player in the top 11 who has played fewer than nine games.

Philadelphia is now 6-2 and will face Dallas on Sunday, Nov. 10.

How Badger transfers A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn performed in debuts with new programs

How Badger transfers A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn performed in debuts with new programs

Wisconsin basketball began its 2024-25 campaign with an 85-61 win over Holy Cross on Monday.

The primary story from the Badgers’ opener: Transfer wing John Tonje had a program-best debut with 23 points and five rebounds, including going 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s opening win over Holy Cross

Tonje’s Wisconsin debut is significant news for Greg Gard and his staff as they work to replace the production of stars A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn, who transferred to Kansas and Louisville, respectively, this offseason. That opening performance establishes a comparison point for Tonje that is sure to persist throughout the season — more so with Storr, who plays the same position.

Here is Tonje’s full stat line, and how it compares to how Storr and Hepburn began their respective careers at new programs:

  • Tonje (85-61 win over Holy Cross): 27 minutes, 23 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, 6 of 11 from the floor, 3 of 6 from three, 8 of 8 from the line
  • Storr (87-57 win over Howard): 15 minutes off the bench, five points, two rebounds, two assists, 2 of 5 from the floor, 1 of 1 from 3
  • Hepburn (93-45 win over Morehead State): 21 minutes, eight points, one rebound, four assists, 1 of 3 from the floor, 1 of 2 from 3, 5 of 5 from the line

Tonje boasted the best debut of the three on Monday night, although each played in a blowout nonconference win.

He also fared better than Wisconsin’s other transfer additions. Forward Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois) tallied two points, four rebounds and one assist in 11 minutes off the bench. Guard Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas) missed the game with an injury.

Gard and the Badgers had a tough task attempting to replace the top-end production of Hepburn, Storr and forward Tyler Wahl (graduation). Tonje already appears to be a viable replacement, enough that his production may best that of Storr on No. 1 Kansas.

Tonje, Amos and possibly Hunter will return to the court on Thursday when the Badgers host Montana State. Storr and No. 1 Kansas will battle No. 9 North Carolina on Friday. Hepburn and Louisville will host No. 12 Tennessee on Saturday.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Game time announced for No. 1 Oregon vs. Wisconsin in Week 12

The Oregon Ducks’ Week 12 game against the Wisconsin Badgers will take place in the prime-time window on NBC.

There’s one major road trip remaining on the Oregon Ducks regular-season schedule, and we learned Monday that it’s getting the prime-time treatment.

Oregon’s Week 12 game against the Wisconsin Badgers will kick off at 4:30 p.m. PST and air on NBC. This will be the second NBC game of the year for the Ducks and their eighth on CBS, Fox or NBC.

When the season started, this looked like an intriguing game that had  ramifications in the Big Ten Conference race, but the campaign hasn’t played out that way for Wisconsin. Early in the year, starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke went down with an injury, and the season has gone downhill since, highlighted by a blowout loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 11.

Nonetheless, Camp Randall is one of the more historic venues in college football, so it will be an entertaining trip for Oregon.

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Four Big Ten teams included in latest AP Top 25 Poll after Week 10

Four Big Ten teams included in latest AP Top 25 Poll after Week 10

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 3-3 in Big Ten) are unranked heading into Week 11, which comes as no surprise. The team lost to Iowa 42-10 on the road Saturday — keeping it far from AP Poll consideration.

The Badgers have dropped back-to-back games after a three-game win streak to open the month of October. Wisconsin was also left out of the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, which is also not a surprise as they’ll likely remain unranked for the rest of the year.

The top five of the AP Poll was shaken up slightly after Week 10, with Oregon staying at No. 1 and Georgia at No. 2. The rest of the top five is Ohio State (No. 3), Miami-FL (No. 4) and Texas (No. 5), all of whom moved up one spot.

The Big Ten teams in the AP Poll top 25 include the aforementioned Ducks and Buckeyes and then Penn State (No. 6) and Indiana at No. 8.

Wisconsin will be off in Week 11 before they’ll welcome Oregon to Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 16.

Wisconsin absent, four Big Ten teams in top 10 of latest US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 10

Wisconsin absent, four Big Ten teams in top 10 of latest US LBM Coaches Poll

Wisconsin lost to Iowa 42-10 on Saturday, dropping to 5-4 on the season and 3-3 in Big Ten play.

The loss is the Badgers’ second in a row, halting their momentum from the midseason three-game win streak.

The US LBM Coaches Poll is conducted weekly throughout the college football regular season and the Badgers are now a long way from even fringe consideration.

After Week 10, the top five changed slightly. Oregon remained at the top following their win over Michigan, Georgia stayed at No. 2 after beating Florida, Ohio State leaped up a spot after they beat Penn State, while Miami-FL and Texas rounded out the top five. Additionally, both Penn State (No. 7) and Indiana (No. 10) are in the top 10.

Here’s a look at the full Week 10 US LBM Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

US LBM Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 9-0 1,349 (53)
2 Georgia Bulldogs 7-1 1,267 (1)
3 Ohio State Buckeyes 7-1 1,245
4 Miami Hurricanes 9-0 1,194
5 Texas Longhorns 7-1 1,138
6 Tennessee Volunteers 7-1 1,039
7 Penn State Nittany Lions 7-1 982
8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7-1 961
9 BYU Cougars 8-0 918
10 Indiana Hoosiers 9-0 916
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 6-2 772
12 Ole Miss Rebels 7-2 657
13 LSU Tigers 6-2 653
14 Boise State Broncos 7-1 615
15 SMU Mustangs 8-1 603
16 Texas A&M Aggies 7-2 518
17 Clemson Tigers 6-2 513
18 Iowa State Cyclones 7-1 511
19 Army Black Knights 8-0 404
20 Washington State Cougars 7-1 284
21 Kansas State Wildcats 7-2 201
22 Missouri Tigers 6-2 192
23 Pittsburgh Panthers 7-1 178
24 Colorado Buffaloes 6-2 124
25 Vanderbilt Commodores 6-3 85

Schools Dropped Out

No. 24 Illinois; No. 25 Memphis;

Others Receiving Votes

Tulane 38; Louisville 38; South Carolina 33; Louisiana 27; Syracuse 24; UNLV 17; Arizona State 17; Minnesota 14; Iowa 13; Memphis 5; Illinois 3; Texas Tech 1; James Madison 1;

The road ahead for Wisconsin feels uncertain now after the blowout loss to Iowa. Left on the schedule are games against No. 1 Oregon (home), Nebraska (road) and Minnesota (14 votes, home). The Badgers need one more win to clinch bowl eligibility for a 23rd consecutive season.

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: Badgers have to ‘look in the mirror’ after 42-10 loss to Iowa

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: Badgers have to ‘look in the mirror’ after big loss to Iowa

The tone of Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s postgame press conference after the Badgers’ 42-10 blowout loss to rival Iowa reflected a common sentiment: moderate disbelief.

“Not a lot that words can say to explain how I feel,” Fickell began his media availability saying. “It’s really really tough to put it to words right now. We’re going to have to pick ourselves up, we’re going to have to move forward. And we’re going to have to find a way to make sure we’re better.”

Related: Major takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers’ worst loss to Iowa since 1968

That disbelief followed arguably the program’s worst loss during his tenure as head coach. The Badgers surrendered 330 rushing yards to their rival, the most the program has allowed in more than 12 years. They were thoroughly dominated in every facet of the game by a team and program that somewhat embodies what Wisconsin used to look like.

The 32-point margin is Wisconsin’s worst loss to Iowa since a 41-0 defeat in 1968.

Losses of that magnitude often preceded changes, which Fickell hinted at during his press conference, noting that “a lot of guys, myself included first and foremost, are going to have to have a self check and look in the mirror and really self evaluate where they are and what they are willing to do to move forward.”

That ‘look in the mirror’ can begin during the Badgers’ upcoming by week before No. 1 Oregon travels to Madison on Nov. 16. After that, Wisconsin has critical season-closing matchups against Nebraska and Minnesota.

The Badgers need just one more win over those last three games to reach bowl eligibility. More importantly, the team needs to show that its performance at Iowa isn’t an indicator of further struggles to come.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Photo gallery from Wisconsin football’s blowout loss to rival Iowa

Best photos from Wisconsin’s blowout loss to Iowa in Week 10

The Wisconsin Badgers lost to Iowa 42-10 on the road Saturday afternoon in Iowa City, Iowa. The loss was the team’s second in a row and they fell to 5-4 on the year and 3-3 in Big Ten play.

It was a truly uninspiring performance from Wisconsin. The Badgers were out-gained 422-261 in total, with the Hawkeyes compiling 330 rushing yards in the game. Running back Kaleb Johnson churned out 135 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Quarterback Brendan Sullivan didn’t have to do too much through the air, completing seven of 10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown while also adding 58 rushing yards and a touchdown.

For the Badgers, quarterback Braedyn Locke had an underwhelming performance, completing 15 of 29 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions. Running back Tawee Walker was limited to under 100 yards for the second week in a row, producing just 52 yards on 16 carries in the loss.

Wisconsin will be idle in Week 11 before welcoming the No. 1 Oregon Ducks to Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 16. In the meantime, here are the photos that tell the story of  Wisconsin’s crushing defeat in Iowa City:

Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s 42-10 loss to Iowa in Week 10

Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s 42-10 loss to Iowa in Week 10

The Wisconsin Badgers fell to the Iowa Hawkeyes 42-10 on the road in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday night. The Badgers were truly outmatched from start to finish.

In terms of takeaways, there are plenty of reasons for Wisconsin fans to be disappointed in the performance and few reasons to feel positive heading into the team’s upcoming bye week.

Here are the five most notable takeaways from the game, four bad and one good:

The BAD

  • The Hawkeyes compiled 329 rushing yards in the victory, their highest output on the ground over nine games in 2024. Additionally, it was the most rushing yards that Wisconsin has surrendered this season
  • Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke threw two interceptions for the second time in six starts this season and he has now tossed eight INTs overall in 2024
  • The 42 points allowed marked the fourth time in 98 all-time meetings that Wisconsin gave up 40-plus points to Iowa — the first since 1975.
  • The loss was Wisconsin’s third in a row against Iowa, their longest losing streak against the Hawkeyes since they lost four straight from 2002-2005

The GOOD

  • Freshman running back Darrion Dupree turned seven carries into 52 yards while also adding two receptions for 17 yards. With Tawee Walker operating in his final year of eligibility, Dupree has shown glimpses of being a suitable replacement in 2025

Wisconsin is off in Week 11 and they’ll look to regroup before their steepest challenge of the year, hosting No. 1 Oregon at Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 16.

Iowa running back on the cusp of a program record after 42-10 win over Wisconsin

Iowa RB on the cusp of a program record after 42-10 win over Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 3-3 in Big Ten) lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) 42-10 on the road Saturday night and in the process, Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson closed in on a program record.

In the contest, Johnson compiled 135 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. The three touchdowns raised his season total to 19 rushing scores, which is just one behind Shonn Greene’s program record 20 touchdowns in 2008. Johnson had a 16-yard score in the second quarter, a nine-yard TD in the third quarter and a two-yard touchdown in the fourth.

Johnson still has three more regular season contests and a bowl game to break the record, which will likely come in the next week or two considering he’s averaging over two touchdowns per game through nine contests in 2024.

His effort was just a part of what was a 329-yard effort on the ground for the Hawkeyes against the Badgers. It was their highest total amount of rushing yards in a single game this season and the most yards Wisconsin has given up on the ground in 2024 as well.