Tag: Wisconsin football news

What Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck said about Wisconsin after the game

Minnesota Gopher head coach P.J. Fleck spoke to the media after the Wisconsin Badgers’ overtime victory Saturday. The press conference was

The Wisconsin Badgers needed overtime yesterday to defeat rival Minnesota and retain Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

It was a much-needed win for the team as they moved to 16-1 against Minnesota over the last 17 years and moved their 2020 record to .500 after what has been an extremely challenging season.

Related: Studs and duds from the Badgers’ 20-17 victory over Minnesota

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck spoke after the game about how his team performed and about the Wisconsin team he faced–though he didn’t give a quote close to as memorable as his one from earlier last week.

He started his comments by giving credit to Paul Chryst’s team and the job they did on the field.

“I gotta give them credit,” Fleck said. “They’re a well-coached football team with a lot of really good players. Congratulations to them on winning the Axe.”

Related: Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s victory over Minnesota

He continued to talk about how tough the loss was for his team.

“Obviously a devastated locker room,” Fleck said. “Very disappointed, sad, but not pouty. They’re just sad that they didn’t win. And after a hard-fought rivalry loss like that, when you walk into that locker room that’s, I’m not saying that’s what you want to see, but people care. This one means a lot…I told our team that I love them, I’m proud of them, disappointed, take the losing as learning and then we’re going to be really good when we come back in January.”

Many of the questions reporters asked the Gopher head coach were about missed opportunities on the field, how challenging this season has been and what he can take moving forward. He did, however, note the effort level both teams brought to the field yesterday.

“I thought our team executed well, they played hard, they played up to their capabilities, they fought, they scrapped,” Fleck said. “You know both teams. It was a great football game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That’s why it’s a rivalry game. We were 2-touchdown underdogs and you would never believe that with these players.”

Both Fleck’s Gophers and the Badgers now enter Bowl Season where a lot of question marks still surround whether the teams will choose to play.

Even if this is the last we’ll see of the 2020 Wisconsin Badgers, their resilience and determination were on full display as the group was able to put a tough regular season in the past and finish with a hard-fought victory against their rival.

Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s victory over Minnesota

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated rival Minnesota 20-17 in overtime tonight and reclaimed the Axe. Here are five takeaways from the game

The Wisconsin Badgers finally got back in the win column tonight as they defeated rival Minnesota in overtime and retained Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

It was a rollercoaster performance, with both teams jumping out to leads at different moments and an overtime period being necessary to declare a victor.

This season has been a challenge for many reasons, but a victory against rival Minnesota always has a way to change sentiments and make the struggle feel a bit better.

Here are five takeaways from the Badgers’ 20-17 victory.

WATCH: The Wisconsin Badgers are Matt Leinart’s team to watch in 2021

FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff hosts discussed which Big Ten teams are worth watching next season. Matt Leinart chose Wisconsin football as his

During FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff today the hosts discussed which Big Ten teams are worth watching next season.

Several of the hosts chose Michigan due to the questions about their trajectory and head coach Jim Harbaugh possibly entering the hot seat after a rough 2020 season.

Related: Wisconsin vs. Minnesota: 10 players to watch

Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, however, chose Wisconsin as his team to watch next season.

“If you look at this season, obviously a struggling season especially offensively,” Leinart said. “But you look at what they have coming back. Brady [Quinn], your quarterback you love Graham Mertz going through some growing pains this year but he’s got a ton of talent. Jalen Berger the true freshman running back is an absolute stud, he’s back. Defensively they’re always solid but you talk about recruiting, they have a top-20 recruiting class in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten going into next season. That’s pretty good for Wisconsin, so you better believe Paul Chryst will have this football team in the Big Ten conversation when it’s all said and done at the end of the season.”

High praise from the former USC star, and praise that is deserved with what this team has going for them heading into next season. The 2020 season has been a tough one for many reasons, but the future is extremely bright in Madison.

 

Minnesota preview:

Five things the Wisconsin Badgers must do to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe

Minnesota team preview

What Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck is saying about Wisconsin before the game

HC Paul Chryst gives an update on the status of WRs Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis

Film room: The good, the bad and the questionable from Graham Mertz’s performance against Iowa

Wisconsin is a big favorite according to BetMGM

NEWS: Illinois hires a former Wisconsin Badger head coach

The Illinois Fighting Illini hired former Wisconsin Badger head coach Brett Bielema today after parting ways with Lovie Smith last weekend.

The Illinois Fighting Illini fired head coach Lovie Smith last weekend after the team’s 2-5 regular season.

This morning the program found their new man at the helm, and it’s former Wisconsin Badger head coach Brett Bielema.

The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach reports that it is a six-year deal beginning with an annual salary of $4.2 million.

Bielema, who went 68-25 in his seven years in Madison before leaving to become head coach at Arkansas, will now work to get an Illini program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 headed in the right direction.

 

Minnesota preview:

Five things the Wisconsin Badgers must do to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe

Minnesota team preview

What Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck is saying about Wisconsin before the game

HC Paul Chryst gives an update on the status of WRs Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis

Film room: The good, the bad and the questionable from Graham Mertz’s performance against Iowa

10 players to watch

HC Paul Chryst gives an update on the status of WRs Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis

Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst talked this week about the injury status of wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor ahead of Minnesota

When the Wisconsin Badgers took the field in Iowa City last weekend and faced the Hawkeyes they were without top offensive playmakers running back Jalen Berger and wide receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis.

Berger was a late scratch from the game while both Pryor and Davis have been battling injuries all season. The result of their absences, obviously, was yet another lackluster offensive performance and the team’s third straight loss.

Related: Five things the Wisconsin Badgers must do to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe

When the team’s game-week depth chart was released, the two wide receivers were listed but Berger was not, as his extended absence appears to be due to testing positive for COVID-19.

Just because Pryor and Davis were on the two-deep, though, doesn’t mean they’ll be healthy to suit up against Minnesota tomorrow.

Paul Chryst gave an update on the status of both wide receivers during his game-week press conference yesterday.

“They haven’t done a ton,” Chryst said. “So they’re not ruled out but haven’t done a ton.

Related: What Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck is saying about Wisconsin before the game

The two wideouts have played a total of five games this season and their absence has caused the offense to struggle mightily.

It has been a challenging year on many fronts, including a delayed start to the season, a COVID-19 outbreak within the program and injuries to key players.

A win against rival Minnesota will do a lot to change the narrative surrounding the year, though sings currently point towards the Badgers taking the field on Saturday without their two key upperclassmen wide receivers.

They aren’t ruled out just yet, but their chances of playing aren’t looking good at this point.

What Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck is saying about Wisconsin before the game

During his game-week press conference, Minnesota football head coach P.J. Fleck talked about the Wisconsin football program and the team…

Early Signing Period in college football is nearing its end and the Wisconsin Badgers have signed all 21 commits in their impressive class of 2021.

During a normal year when the Badgers miss the conference championship this is an off week and bowl preparation begins

That is not the case this year, though, as tomorrow at 3 p.m. CST Paul Chryst and his team will take the field against rival Minnesota and close out their regular season.

Related: Five things the Wisconsin Badgers must do to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe

The battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe was originally canceled a few weeks ago due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Gopher football program. Thanks to this “champions week” being added to the conference’s 2020 schedule, the Big Ten was able to get the game scheduled and renew one of the greatest rivalries in the country.

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck talked about the scheduling of the Axe game during his mid-week press conference, saying that everybody involved is excited about getting the chance to play the game.

“It just made sense,” Fleck said. “There’s so much history and tradition between these two teams. And I’m just glad and thankful the Big Ten thought the same way and found a way to keep that tradition and that rivalry going.”

Related: The boat has sunk for Minnesota this year

The Gopher head coach continued to discuss the Badger team he will face on Saturday, first raving about their run defense and strength up front on defense.

“It’s going to be incredibly critical we take advantage of every play that we run or pass,” Fleck said. “The execution of those plays is going to be absolutely critical because [Wisconsin is] phenomenal up front. Probably the best defensive line and front seven we’ve played all year…They’re really good on the back end. One rushing touchdown, that just says it all…That’s what this whole week has been about, finding creative ways to be balanced, especially with the position we’re in getting some players back.”

The ground game will go a long way towards deciding who wins the contest, as the Badgers come in having allowed only one rushing touchdown while the Gophers boast nearly 200 yards-per-game on the ground and 19 rushing touchdowns.

Another factor that will decide who carries Paul Bunyan’s Axe when the clock hits zero is the Wisconsin offense and whether they can find success putting points on the board for the first time since they played Michigan.

Fleck discussed the Badger offense, saying the unit isn’t unlike what his team has seen in recent years.

“Well, the challenge is you’re playing Wisconsin. And Wisconsin is Wisconsin. When you watch their film on offense there’s not a lot that’s changed. They’re going to do what their personnel can do. And most of their personnel, what you know they can do, they do,” Fleck said. “They are still very physical, they’re going to run the football, they’re going to establish the run game, play-action pass, move the pocket, use quick game and they’re very good up front. And their tight end position who is a huge part of what they do, he’s very talented. 84 is one of the better ones in the league. We have our work cut out for us. We have to play our best game of the year.”

This contest could make-or-break the season for both teams, with the Badgers sitting at 2-3 after three straight losses and the Gophers sitting not much better at 3-3. In a season that has been challenging for everybody involved, a win against your most longstanding rival will do a lot for the departing sentiment and give a bit of momentum heading into Bowl Season and the year to come.

Five things the Wisconsin Badgers must do to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe

The Wisconsin Badgers will play the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a game that will decide who claims Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

One of the biggest letdowns of the 2020 season for the Wisconsin Badgers was seeing their game against Minnesota canceled due to COVID-19 within the Gopher football program.

Thanks to it being 2020, though, the Big Ten has an added week in their season and, to the delight of everybody in the midwest, decided to allow the teams to renew their longstanding rivalry.

Related: Team preview: Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Gophers’ season has been a struggle after finishing 2019 with an 11-2 record and a co-Big Ten West crown (which the Badgers obviously won thanks to their win against the Gophers), sitting at 3-3 with losses against Maryland, Michigan and Iowa.

The battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe has a way of changing narratives, however, and I’m sure both teams are seeing Saturday’s contest as the game that will make or break their 2020 campaigns.

Related: Film room: The good, the bad and the questionable from Graham Mertz’s performance against Iowa

Coming off a three-game losing streak, the Wisconsin Badgers will need to improve in several key areas if they want to come away victorious.

Here are five keys to the Badgers doing so, therefore being five keys for the team to keep the Axe in Madison for another year:

Film room: The good, the bad and the questionable from Graham Mertz’s performance against Iowa

The Wisconsin Badgers and redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz have had a rough go of it since their 49-11 victory over the…

The Wisconsin Badgers and redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz have had a rough go of it since their 49-11 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.

Their poor performances can be attributed to several factors–the team constantly missing games due to COVID-19 protocols, injuries to key positions, inexperience on offense and more.

Related: Studs and duds from the Badgers’ 28-7 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes

But one of the biggest factors has been the play of the quarterback, a guy who now has turned the ball over eight times in three games and has struggled to bring his team into the end zone.

Now not all of those turnovers are his fault, as yesterday’s fumble can be fully attributed to wide receiver Chimere Dike running into the football while Mertz was handing it off to Nakia Watson in the backfield.

But a lot of the offensive miscues are on the quarterback and the things that he has to fix as he develops throughout his career.

Last week I broke down the film of his performance against Indiana, citing his tendency to lock on to Jake Ferguson and his decision-making as two things that would need to improve moving forward.

Related: Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s 28-7 loss to Iowa

Well, yesterday against Iowa those problems persisted, as Mertz threw for just 169 yards and turned the ball over twice.

In this piece, I go through the Iowa game and show you the good, the bad and the questionable from his performance.

What Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz said about Wisconsin after the game

For the third straight contest, the Wisconsin Badgers were unable to muster anything offensively yesterday and eventually left the…

For the third straight contest, the Wisconsin Badgers were unable to muster anything offensively and eventually left the defense out to dry, losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes 28-7.

Yes, the team was without Jalen Berger at running back and Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis at wide receiver, but even with the personnel they had yesterday and have had since the Northwestern game, the team has put out offensive showings in the last three contests that make it really tough to win football games.

Related: Studs and duds from the Badgers’ 28-7 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa, on the other hand, picked up their fifth straight victory after starting the season 0-2. After losing those first two games by a combined 5 points, the Hawkeyes now find themselves in a position to pick up a win during Big Ten Champions Week and reach a New Year’s Six Bowl.

Entering yesterday’s contest Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz had a lot of good to say about the Wisconsin Badger program and its history.

“Probably if you go back to the early ’90s, almost the same script each and every year,” Ferentz said. “Some faces have changed, but they just play good football. They make you earn anything you’re going to get. That’s the case this year again.”

Related: Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s 28-7 loss to Iowa

After the game during his postgame press conference, Ferentz carried a similar tone.

“Going into the game we knew it was going to be a tough defensive battle. I think everybody understood that. You get in games like this, everything that you do is contested, every yard is a fight. That certainly was the case today.

Also in games like this it’s all about trying to capitalize if opportunities appear. Wisconsin did a good job of that, at least on one of them. We were able to do the same thing today. Just really happy about that.”

He continued to note that 28-7 does not tell the story of the game, as it was actually a close game until Iowa pulled away coming down the stretch.

“The score is so misleading,” Ferentz said. “When you play Wisconsin, you have to earn it, you have to win it.”

Related: Twitter reaction: Wisconsin football’s WR class of 2021 is ready to right the ship

Finally, Ferentz pulled out an NFL reference when talking about the battle each team enters the contest with and what is necessary to come away with a victory.

“Momentum is a really important thing in sports, certainly in football. But nobody’s going to hand it to you, especially a team like Wisconsin. Somehow, some way you have to get it going.

Again, credit goes to our players. They didn’t get deterred. They didn’t duck their heads. They kept playing. You keep chipping away, hopefully something good happens. Our defense really played that way the entire game.

I’m not saying this is Pittsburgh-Baltimore in the NFL, but is that kind of game. Nobody is dodging, right? Two teams going at it. Hopefully at some point you get a little something to get you going. We were able to do that today.”

The now-2-3 Wisconsin Badgers will play again next Sunday in Big Ten’s Champions Week, though their opponent is not yet known.

Studs and duds from the Badgers’ 28-7 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes

The Wisconsin Badgers ended their regular season on a bitter note yesterday, losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes 28-7 and falling to 2-3 on the…

The Wisconsin Badgers ended their regular season on a bitter note yesterday, losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes 28-7 and falling to 2-3 on the year.

After what was a remarkable start to the season with two blowout victories, it has become a year to forget for Badgers fans with three straight losses and several COVID-19 related cancellations.

There is a lot to take away from the Iowa game, however, including areas where the team must improve heading into a hopefully-normal 2021 season.

Related: Twitter reaction: Wisconsin football’s WR class of 2021 is ready to right the ship

While the final score indicated a poor showing all across the field, there were also some Badgers who did all they could yesterday to lead the team to victory.

Here are studs and duds from Wisconsin’s 28-7 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes: