Tag: wisconsin injury report

Team preview: Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The Wisconsin Badgers are set to take the field in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Here is a team preview of…

The 3-3 Wisconsin Badgers are set to close out their 2020 season in just four days when they take the field against the 4-4 Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

It is a finish line that seemed nearly impossible to reach at points this year, with the Big Ten initially postponing the season and the Badger football program experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak after their Week 1 victory against Illinois.

Related: Wisconsin’s bowl-week depth chart sees a few key players return

But we are now just a few days away from the finish line becoming reality and even though it’s been a bumpy road on the field to reach this point, completing a season during a year like this should be considered a success.

Many times when the Badgers enter a Bowl game it is against a team they have some history with—especially when they find themselves in or near the New Year’s Six.

Related: Wisconsin football seniors 2021 roster decision tracker

Wake Forest, however, is a program Wisconsin has never faced–though the Badgers are 9-9-1 all-time against ACC schools and 4-1 against the conference in Bowl Games.

So there isn’t the level of familiarity that comes with a matchup against Oregon from the PAC-12 or Auburn from the SEC.

Related: Way-too-early power rankings for the 2021 Big Ten football season

Here is a complete team preview of the 2020 Wake Forest Demon Deacons:

Wisconsin’s bowl-week depth chart sees a few key players return

The Wisconsin Badgers released their depth chart ahead of next week’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup with Wake Forest. Included are Jalen Berger,

The Wisconsin Badgers released their game-week depth chart for December 30’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Included in the depth chart are freshman running back Jalen Berger, left tackle Cole Van Lanen and wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor–all players who missed last weekend’s win against Minnesota.

Related: A complete Christmas list for the Wisconsin football program

The Big Ten recently changed its COVID-19 rules to allow players to return to action 17 days after testing positive–different from their previous 21-day window. This is the likely reason Berger is listed again as the starter on the depth chart.

It’s also worth noting at the running back position that Nakia Watson is back as Berger’s backup after missing the Minnesota game.

Related: Way-too-early power rankings for the 2021 Big Ten football season

For Pryor and Davis, there have been several weeks they’ve missed the game due to injury but were listed in the team’s game-week depth chart–so this in no way confirms their availability for the Bowl Game.

Aside from those two notes and Van Lanen returning at left tackle, there are no surprises in the depth chart with the game now six days away.

Related: Wisconsin’s bowl history over the past 20 years

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.

Five key starters for Wisconsin are OUT today against Minnesota

Wisconsin Badgers will be without running back Jalen Berger, wide receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis and more today against Minnesota

The Wisconsin Badger offense has been anything but healthy this season, with starting quarterback Jack Coan going down with a foot injury before the season started, members of the team testing positive for COVID-19, wide receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis missing several weeks and more.

That trend continued today as according to the team’s depth chart they will be without key starters RB Jalen Berger, RB Nakia Watson, WR Danny Davis, LT Cole Van Lanen and WR Kendric Pryor for the second straight week.

Quarterback Graham Mertz will now rely on Chimere Dike and Jack Dunn at wide receiver and Garrett Groshek at running back, a combination that hasn’t worked very well for the last few weeks.

Related: Wisconsin vs. Minnesota: 10 players to watch

One good sign for the Badger offense is this Minnesota defense is nothing close to that of Northwestern, Indiana or Iowa, or even to the unit they had last season.

The game will kick off at 3 p.m. CST and be available on the Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports app.

 

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

College Gameday picks for Wisconsin vs. Minnesota

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.

Jalen Berger and several other key starters are OUT today vs. Iowa

As if this season couldn’t get any tougher, the Wisconsin Badgers will be without three key starters today when they take the field…

As if this season couldn’t get any tougher, the Wisconsin Badgers will be without three key starters today when they take the field against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Those players are RB Jalen Berger, WR Danny Davis and WR Kendric Pryor

Though the Big Ten title is now out of the equation for the Badgers, they still have a shot at finishing second in the Big Ten West, facing Indiana during Big Ten Champions Week and reaching a good Bowl Game.

Related: Five keys to a Wisconsin victory over Iowa on Saturday

It seems as though nothing can go right for the team this year, as whenever they find a rhythm a game is canceled due to COVID-19 protocols and whenever they begin to get healthy more key players go down.

The Badgers will take the field at 2:30 p.m. CST against Iowa with the game available on FS1 and the FOX Sports app.

 

Iowa Preview:

A few key players will be out for Wisconsin today against Indiana

One of the storylines during the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers’ 17-7 loss at No. 16 Northwestern two weeks ago was the team’s top…

One of the storylines during the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers’ 17-7 loss at No. 16 Northwestern two weeks ago was the team’s top two receivers being unavailable to play.

Those two players–Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis–are critical to the offense’s success, as we saw what happened to quarterback Graham Mertz when they were unable to suit up.

Today against Indiana, Head Coach Paul Chryst will get Pryor back into the lineup, though his offense will still be without Davis.

Related: Opinion: A Big Ten rule is close to taking away the remaining credibility of the 2020 season

Davis is one of six inactives for the Badgers today, other notable ones including RB Isaac Guerendo, CB Semar Melvin and WR/KR Stephan Bracey.

The game is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CST with the Badgers looking to stop Indiana and backup quarterback Jack Tuttle from ending the 10-game win streak the Badgers have against the Hoosiers.

 

Indiana Preview:

REPORT: QB Jack Coan is back at practice and cleared to play

Back in early October Wisconsin starting quarterback Jack Coan broke his foot at practice and was declared out indefinitely…

Back in early October, Wisconsin starting quarterback Jack Coan broke his foot at practice and was declared out indefinitely.

That was almost exactly two months ago, a time when the outlook of the Badgers’ season was a lot different and before three of the team’s first six games were canceled due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Related: Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz is ‘pumped’ to see Jack Coan get back to healthy

According to a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus, Coan has now returned to practice and has been cleared to play in Saturday’s game against Indiana, if needed.

Though it’s unknown whether he will reclaim the starting job on Saturday, Coan’s return means a healthy quarterback room for Paul Chryst and his team as they enter the final stretch of their schedule.

 

More work:

Report: Michigan vs. Ohio State is in serious jeopardy, which if true could create a Buckeye–Badger postseason contest

Opinion: A Big Ten rule is close to taking away the remaining credibility of the 2020 season

Five keys to a Wisconsin victory over Indiana on Saturday

Team preview: Indiana Hoosiers

HC Paul Chryst discusses the possibility of Michael Penix Jr. missing Saturday’s contest