The Wisconsin Badgers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) enter the schedule stretch that will likely define how the season is viewed. That is due to the upcoming trio of rivalry matchups, the first coming this weekend on the road at Iowa (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten).
Wisconsin fell to Iowa 15-6 at Camp Randall Stadium in 2023. Saturday’s Week 10 matchup presents a chance at redemption for that loss, and a chance for Luke Fickell’s team to show that its Week 9 loss to No. 3 Penn State doesn’t signal a larger slide.
Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 9: Penn State makes a statement
Iowa enters Saturday after a dominant 40-14 win over Northwestern in Week 9. The Hawkeyes have been mostly up-and-down to start the season, with big wins over Minnesota and Washington, plus tough losses to Michigan State and No. 4 Ohio State.
The dominant victory over Northwestern may signal a turning of the corner, however, because it coincided with the team inserting QB Brendan Sullivan into the starting lineup in place of Cade McNamara.
Kirk Ferentz made the move early in the first half with the Hawkeyes trailing 7-3. Sullivan, a Northwestern transfer, instantly made the move appear to be the correct one. The Hawkeyes went on to score 37 unanswered points, highlighted by three consecutive touchdown drives to begin the second half.
Sullivan’s dual-threat ability changed the game for an offensive unit that only featured star RB Kaleb Johnson up to that point. As seen below, his speed brings a dimension that Iowa has lacked for years.
Iowa QB Brendan Sullivan outruns the receiver for a key block and big gain pic.twitter.com/SHL9aBG94y
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) October 26, 2024
Sullivan finished the afternoon nine of 14 passing for 79 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a QBR of 74.8. He also added 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz did not confirm any long-term plan when speaking with reporters postgame. “We’ll see on that,” he said. “Permanent’ is a strong word.”
From an outside perspective, it would be surprising to see Ferentz go back to a QB in McNamara whose season-long stats tell the story — 104 of 172 passing, 1,017 yards (127 yards per game), six touchdowns, five interceptions and a 37.1 QBR. The Hawkeyes were winning games with him under center, but almost entirely due to a strong defense and the emergence of RB Kaleb Johnson.
The glimpse of the Hawkeyes’ offense with a dual-threat QB in Sullivan under center, albeit against a poor Northwestern defense, should be all the staff needs to make the permanent change.
From a Wisconsin perspective, Sullivan’s emergence changes the calculus of the matchup. The Badgers have famously struggled with dual-threat quarterbacks — including with Penn State backup Beau Pribula just last week.
That emergence, if Ferentz keeps him in, significantly lowers Wisconsin’s chances at escaping Kinnick Stadium with a victory.
We will monitor what the Iowa head coach says during his weekly media availability ahead of the Badgers and Hawkeyes meeting at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night.
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