Tag: Wisconsin football news

Wisconsin Badgers vs. New Mexico State game recap: Everything we know

Wisconsin #Badgers vs. New Mexico State game recap:

Head coach Paul Chryst and the Wisconsin Badgers (2-1) took care of business at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday afternoon, beating the visiting New Mexico State Aggies (0-4) behind a dominant offensive performance and a strong defensive showing from Jim Leonhard and company.

Bobby Engram’s offense produced a balanced 595 total yards of offense (335 passing, 260 rushing) and scored 66 points while holding the Aggies to 242 yards – improving to 2-1 in non-conference play as the Badgers prepare for a grueling Big Ten slate.

For Wisconsin, this was the most points the Badgers had scored since 2014 when they hung 68 against BGSU. It’s also worth noting this is the most points scored in a single game during the Paul Chryst era.

ESPN’s FPI projection for Wisconsin’s contest vs. New Mexico State

Wisconsin enters Saturday’s contest vs. New Mexico State as 37-point favorites:

The Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) enter Saturday’s contest against the New Mexico State Aggies (0-3) as 37-point favorites and desperately need to string together a dominating four-quarter performance.

After falling to Washington State 17-14 last weekend, Wisconsin has one last get-right game against one of college football’s worst programs before heading to Columbus in week 4 to take on the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, ESPN’s FPI model gives Wisconsin a 98.5% chance of winning at home against the lowly Aggies.

This projection is more than fair, considering New Mexico State’s talent level compared to Wisconsin’s.

For Wisconsin, I’d love to see the offensive line and running game handle their business while Jim Leonhard and company pitch themselves a shutout.

If everything goes the way it should, I think Wisconsin will end up on cruise control early in the second half, and we will get an extended look at some of the young talents coming through the pipeline.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzzyj3n3jt6m7 player_id=none image=https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Left side, Strong side: Wisconsin’s Offensive Line Showing Improvement in Pass-Pro

Wisconsin shifted two offensive linemen to new positions during the offseason. So far, that decision is paying off in spades. #Badgers

Madison, Wis. – It’s no secret that Wisconsin’s offense struggled mightily in 2021. While quarterback Graham Mertz’s play didn’t help matters, you could argue that the offensive line’s struggles in pass protection also played a role in the dysfunction. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Wisconsin’s offensive line graded out as the No. 98 pass-blocking unit in the country last season (55.5).

When you consider that there are only 130 division one programs, that’s a pretty glaring issue for a team that prides itself on offensive line play.

To rectify their shortcomings, the Badgers coaching staff moved All-Big Ten honorable mention right guard Jack Nelson out to left tackle this offseason, a more natural position for the former four-star recruit.

In a corresponding move, Bob Bostad shifted multi-year starter Tyler Beach inside to left guard – a switch that allowed the Wisconsin native to play in a phone booth rather than in space.

Let’s unpack how those decisions have played out for Wisconsin thus far:

Badgers WR Keontez Lewis flashed as a downfield threat in week 2

The UCLA transfer WR had a career day against Washington State on Saturday:

This past weekend, there wasn’t much to be excited about if you are a fan of the Wisconsin Badgers football program.

UW dropped a game where they entered as 17-point favorites and, through sloppy play across all three phases, managed to lose to the visiting Washington State Cougars 17-14.

With Wisconsin’s sloppy loss in the rearview mirror, I’d like to take a moment to highlight one of the most positive developments that came out of week 2 – sophomore wide receiver Keontez Lewis.

I think it goes without saying, but WR coach Alvis Whitted has done a terrific job rebuilding UW’s receiving core with players of differing skill sets. Both the future and the present of the position group have bright futures, giving the program hope for an improved passing game.

Lewis, a UCLA transfer, came to Wisconsin via the transfer portal during the offseason. Although the program has several young, talented options fighting for snaps, the 6-foot-2, 190 pass-catcher offers something unique – the ability to stretch the field with his length and straight-line speed.

Week two contest vs. Washington State

Last week against Washington State, Lewis logged the third-most snaps among UW WRs, trailing only Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell.

Quarterback Graham Mertz targeted Lewis three times, catching a career-high two passes for a game-high 62 yards and drawing a pass interference downfield on his only other target.

His size and speed combination plays well on the boundary, allowing players like Dike and Bell the freedom to play all over the formation in three WR sets.

The Illinois native’s ability to stretch the field and get behind his defender forces the opposing team to pull a defender out of the box, making him a valuable weapon for UW and its improved passing game moving forward.

Mertz clearly has a desire to push the ball downfield when he sees a winnable matchup, so it’ll be interesting to see if the UCLA transfer will get more opportunities against the New Mexico State Aggies this weekend.

Either way, Lewis flashed on Saturday and made his case for an expanded role in Bobby Engram’s offense.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzzyj3n3jt6m7 player_id=none image=https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Wisconsin releases week 3 injury report for contest vs. New Mexico State

Eight players ruled out, and four others listed as out for the season in Wisconsin’s injury report for week 3 vs. New Mexico State:

Madison, Wis. — On Monday, the University of Wisconsin released its official injury report ahead of its week three matchup vs. the New Mexico State Aggies. 

The unranked Wisconsin Badgers already have eight players ruled out due to injury for week three and four others listed as out for the season. 

The Badgers’ secondary has already gone without its No. 1 cornerback Alexander Smith for the year’s first two games. Now, it appears he will miss a third consecutive game after being quickly ruled out for their week three matchup against the Aggies.

It’s also worth noting that starting right tackle Riley Mahlman, who didn’t play against Washington State, isn’t listed on the injury report – signaling a chance of returning in week three. Logan Brown filled in at tackle during his absence, turning in an uneven performance.

Here is a look at Wisconsin football’s injury report for Week 3:

Wisconsin Football Drops Out Of This Week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll

The Wisconsin Badgers are on the outside looking in following a 17-14 loss to Washington State:

On Sunday afternoon, the Associated Press released its updated Top 25 Poll after a dramatic week 2 full of upsets across the country.

Following a disappointing 17-14 loss to the Washington State Cougars, the Wisconsin Badgers (1-1), formerly ranked No. 19, have fallen out of the top 25 altogether.

The Big Ten also featured four teams ranked top 25 in the country: Ohio State (No. 3), Michigan (No. 4), Michigan State (No. 12), and Penn State (No. 22).

Despite being unranked, the Badgers did, however, receive seven votes in the latest poll, joining Minnesota and Purdue as the only other Big Ten programs who received votes.

The Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) will look to get back on track next week, hosting the New Mexico State Aggies (0-2) at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzzyj3n3jt6m7 player_id=none image=https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Badgers PFF grades: Top 5 defensive players from week 2 loss to Washington State

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded defensive players from Wisconsin’s 17-14 loss to Washington State, according to Pro Football Focus:

Weather, as they say, is the great equalizer in football. That held true on Saturday when the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) suffered a sloppy, unacceptable home loss against the Washington State Cougars (2-0) at Camp Randall Stadium.

Jim Leonhard’s defense was good on Saturday but not as great as we’ve grown to expect.

Wisconsin, still without No. 1 cornerback Alexander Smith and top nickel corner Justin Clark chose to combat the Washington State air raid offense by playing significantly more dime package, deploying six defensive backs throughout most of the game.

Although the Badgers’ defense only allowed 17 points, 253 yards of offense, and forced three turnovers, Wisconsin’s offense couldn’t help get them any additional breathing room.

And when the game mattered most, UW’s defense failed to make a big play to allow the offense one last crack at winning the game. Washington State held the ball for the final 5:14 of regulation.

Overall, Wisconsin needs its defense to be elite for the Badgers to win games consistently, so while they performed well on Saturday, it wasn’t good enough.

I do not doubt that coach Leonhard and the Badgers’ defense will learn from this game and improve as the season progresses.

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded defensive players from Wisconsin’s 17-14 loss to Washington State, according to Pro Football Focus.

Badgers PFF grades: Top 5 offensive players from week 2 loss to Washington State

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded offensive players from Wisconsin’s 17-14 loss to Washington State, according to Pro Football Focus:

Weather, as they say, is the great equalizer in football. That held true on Saturday when the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) suffered a sloppy, unacceptable home loss against the Washington State Cougars (2-0) at Camp Randall Stadium.

If you were to only look at the box score, you’d probably be happy with what you saw from the offense. However, if you watched the game, it told a very different story.

Bobby Engram and company produced a balanced offensive attack for the second straight week, recording 401 total yards (227 passing, 174 running) but scoring only 14 points and turning the ball over three times.

At times, third-year starting quarterback Graham Mertz carried the Wisconsin Badgers offense, but his effort simply wasn’t enough to overcome untimely turnovers and sloppy play from all three phases.

Although he was far from perfect, Mertz completed 18-of-31 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Also worth noting is that 10 of his passes went for first downs. The Kansas native appears to have taken a step forward this season.

Wisconsin will look to get things back on track in a hurry, considering the Badgers are just two weeks away from a trip to Columbus to take on the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded offensive players from Wisconsin’s 17-14 loss to Washington State, according to Pro Football Focus.

No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers vs. Washington State game recap: Everything we know

No. 19 Wisconsin #Badgers vs. Washington State game recap:

On a rainy Saturday afternoon, head coach Paul Chryst and the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) suffered a sloppy, inexcusable home loss against the Washington State Cougars (2-0) in front of 75,000 plus at Camp Randall Stadium.

For the second straight week, Wisconsin produced a balanced 401 yards of total offense (227 passing, 174 rushing) but scored only 14 points and turned the ball over three times.

Despite dominating the time of possession, forcing three turnovers of their own, and holding the Cougars to 253 yards of offense, timely mistakes, penalties, and special teams blunders proved to be too much for the Badgers to overcome – falling to 1-1 on the young season.

Safety Preston Zachman wins the Grit Factory Worker of the Week

Safety Preston Zachman wins arguably the most prestigious weekly award any man could win – the Grit Factory Worker of the Week. #Badgers

Earlier this week, redshirt sophomore safety Preston Zachman was the recipient of what many are calling the most prestigious award any man could win – the Grit Factory Worker of the Week.

Here is the official statement from the Grit Factory’s Twitter account:

Preston Zachman, “The Mechanic” is our first Grit Factory Worker of the Week for the 2022 season. We call him that because his brakes are always right and clean on receivers, and dammit, he showed that last night in his debut at safety. For the past year and a half, Preston’s had to battle the adversity of injuries, a new position, and climbing back up the depth chart, and through that time, he’s been the same guy every single day; handling business and being a great teammate. In his first game back he set the tone with 2 tackles and a beautiful INT. His story already inspires the locker room to keep going, no matter how the circumstances stack up. The Grit Factory would like to officially introduce to you, The Mechanic.

I, too, thought Zachman stood out in his 14 snaps on Saturday night. According to PFF, the 6-foot-1, 208-pound S was the Badgers’ highest-graded defender (91.0), recording two tackles and an interception.

With Hunter Wohler expected to miss a significant amount of time, the Badgers will get an extended look at the Pennsylvania native, who overcame considerable adversity to position himself for a more prominent role in Jim Leonhard’s defense.

We’re all rooting for you, Preston, and here’s a collective tip of the cap for winning the first Grit Factory Worker of the Week for the 2022 season.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzzyj3n3jt6m7 player_id=none image=https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.