Freshman Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor took the first carry of the game up the middle, untouched for the first nine yards of a 13-yard run.
My middle school soccer team was good. Like, really good. The Blue Hawks (yes, our mascot was a fictional variation on a real animal, a fact I didn’t fully grasp until I had graduated) ran the D.C.
With 4:41 remaining in the third quarter, and the Badgers (8-0 Big Ten, 11-0 overall) staring at yet another three-and-out, sophomore wideout A.J. made perhaps the biggest play of his young Wisconsin career, wriggling loose of his man for a 51-yard catch.
In a back-and-forth, sometimes brutal Big Ten battle against the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines (5-3 Big Ten, 8-3 overall), the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (8-0, 11-0) needed their quarterback to step up and be the difference-maker. Alex Hornibrook delivered, with one of the biggest games of his young career in UW's 24-10 victory. Doubt lingered through the the first half of the game.
Now in the fourth year of his Wisconsin career, senior safety Natrell Jamerson has acclimated to his Midwest surroundings after entering the program from the balmy climate of Florida. The Ocala, Fla., native has elevated to a starting role this fall after dabbling as a wide receiver, cornerback and kick returner in his first three seasons. But while Jamerson has settled into Wisconsin life and created a strong bond with his fellow Florida-bred defensive backs, Madison still lags behind the Sunshine State in one department. “It’s got me a little sick,” Jamerson said of the cold weather starting to hit town.
The vast majority of the Wisconsin-Michigan rivalry has been all Wolverines (they hold a 50-14-1 all-time edge). Legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler used to wallop the Badgers year-in and year-out, going 18-1 against UW in his career. The tables have turned of late though, as over the last seven matchups, the Badgers hold a 4-3 lead and have outscored UM 198-161.
The last three meetings between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Iowa Hawkeyes have been absolute wars.
1. Baker Mayfield, RS Senior QB- Oklahoma At this point, Mayfield has a firm grasp of the steering wheel in this Heisman year.
Wisconsin Wisconsin’s defense will need to keep the same mentality they had against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (7-0 Big Ten, 10-0 Overall) still have a bad taste in their mouth from the last time they faced No. 19 Michigan (5-2, 8-2). When the undefeated Badgers travelled to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines in 2016, they struggled through a brutal 14-7 loss that put the season in perspective and forced Wisconsin to get back on track. “They were a pretty sound, physical defense, and they kind of kicked our butt that day,” redshirt sophomore right tackle David Edwards said.
It’s a little bit redundant to say at this point, but I still have to say it: what a weekend of college football.
SCENE: We see Michigan Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh bellied up at a bar. It’s late on a weeknight, and the bar is nearly empty, save for a regular huddled in one of the booths in the back and a pool shark practicing his game.
At the start of this college football season, many expected the Wisconsin vs. Michigan meeting to be a top-10 contest.
In a chaotic week full of upsets for the top-10 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings, the Big Ten conference hardly had any surprising results.
Sports editor Ben Pickman and football beat writers Lorin Cox and and Jake Nisse preview Wisconsin's upcoming matchup with Michigan.
Field position isn’t a sexy stat, but it makes all the difference in a tight game where neither offense can consistently sustain long scoring drives. Lost in the defensive dominance and late offensive push by the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers (7-0 Big Ten, 10-0 overall) was a redemption story for sophomore punter Anthony Lotti, who repeatedly flipped in the field in its 38-14 win over the No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes.
The No. 6 Badgers (7-0 Big Ten, 10-0 overall) overcame a multitude of mistakes Saturday to stifle No. 25 Iowa 38-14 in a sloppy affair. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook threw three interceptions, true freshman running back Jonathan Taylor lost a fumble, and yet Wisconsin still managed to earn its first victory over a ranked opponent this season.
As Wisconsin’s first game of the 2017 season wound down and fans began to leave Camp Randall — if they were even still there — redshirt senior safety Joe Ferguson scored his first touchdown as a Badger. The 99-yard interception return not only brought notoriety to Ferguson, who said his Instagram followers increased in the following days, but showcased the speed he routinely displayed in high school as a dual-threat quarterback. Now, as Ferguson plays a different role for the Badgers, he recognizes the benefits of his unique path to safety. “It helps a ton,” Ferguson said of his past experience at quarterback.
On the back of a week where Iowa upset Ohio State by 31 points, and the Badgers fell in the AP rankings after a comfortable win at Indiana, senior defensive end Alec James is rather uninterested in any of college football’s recent chaos. As his team enters Week 11 with a spotless 9-0 overall record, truthfully, he has little reason to be. “I didn’t know that until you told me,” James said of the Badgers’ recent fall from No. 4 to No. 6 in the AP standings.
With Big Ten play now in full swing, the Daily Cardinal takes a look at ranking every team’s uniforms: 14.
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