Wisconsin did not have a large collection of highlights from its 28-14 Week 1 win over Western Michigan.
The team was down 14-13 early in the fourth quarter, and it took a Western Michigan fumbled punt to shift momentum to the Badgers. The final 10 minutes of action, then, became the only true highlight from the contest.
Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin’s 28-14 Week 1 win over Western Michigan
One play of note came with Wisconsin leading 28-14 with 1:54 remaining. The game was decided, but the Badgers had a final highlight moment.
The play: Western Michigan faced a 4th and 14 from the Badgers 42-yard-line. Broncos QB Hayden Wolff rolled out left and tried to sneak the football to his receiver on the sideline.
Waiting to make an acrobatic interception: Wisconsin true freshman cornerback Xavier Lucas.
Xavier Lucas with the pick to seal the W for @BadgerFootball 😱#B1GFootball on @FS1 📺 pic.twitter.com/AAN0nTCHUt
— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) August 31, 2024
Lucas finished the game with two tackles and that one interception in limited action.
This impressive development comes after the cornerback was one of the stories from the Badgers fall camp. The four-star recruit made an impression strong enough to make the team’s Week 1 two-deep depth chart.
His game action late gave a glimpse at a bright future with the program. On a night when star cornerback Ricardo Hallman was not targeted once, Lucas’ big-time interception is even more notable. He appears to have too much talent to leave on the bench during meaningful moments this season.
Lucas will look to build on the performance when Wisconsin faces South Dakota next Saturday. It will be a final warmup for the Badgers before No. 5 Alabama visits Madison the following weekend.
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