Football: Badgers return home at long last to host BYU
By Jim Dayton | Nov. 8, 2013It seems like the Badgers haven’t played a home game in ages.
It seems like the Badgers haven’t played a home game in ages.
After a defensive battle in Iowa that led the Badgers to capture the Heartland trophy, Wisconsin (4-1 Big 10, 6-2 overall) will need to mimic its performance this week as it welcomes BYU to Camp Randall Saturday. This is the first match-up between the two teams since 1980.
The No. 21 Wisconsin football team walked away with the Heartland Trophy Saturday after beating Iowa 28-9 in Iowa City.
Late turnovers doom Iowa at home as Badgers win 28-9
While the No. 4 Badger offense yet again has an excellent rushing attack, a very pleasant surprise this season has been the effectiveness of the vertical passing game. Sophomore quarterback Joel Stave has been lights out, especially to redshirt senior wide receiver Jared Abbrederis. The two have been a dynamite duo on the deep ball, connecting for nine passes of over 40 yards, five of which have gone for touchdowns.
Some things in life are certain. Death, taxes and the Badgers having a strong run game are the three that instantly come to mind.
Saturday marks the dawning of the new era. Although the game remains the same, The Daily Cardinal will face its newly devamped opponent for a bloodbath on the fields of Vilas Park.
Bye weeks are typically a good chance to improve a team’s quirks or setbacks midseason. It is also a chance for a team to get some extra time to prepare for upcoming opponents. As far as improvements go, the Badgers’ offense might just need to watch last week’s game film and repeat.
Last Thursday redshirt junior kicker Kyle French announced via Facebook that he will retire from football after this season, ending his career as a Badger a year short. The full post reads:
The Daily Cardinal captured the spirit of Homecoming 2013. In this video, alumni of all ages reflect on what Homecoming means to them and share some of their wildest memories at UW-Madison.
Following a dominant defensive performance against Northwestern in which seven different players recorded sacks, the Badger defense heads to Champaign, Ill., to face a historically underrated Fighting Illini offense.
The next stop for No. 25 Wisconsin’s offensive machine is Champaign, Ill., where it will face Illinois this Saturday. The team is coming off an explosive performance over Northwestern at Camp Randall, where it put up 35 points in a rout of the then No. 19 Wildcats.
After losing to Ohio State in a hard-fought battle in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 28, Wisconsin had the luxury of sitting at home watching those same Buckeyes face off against Northwestern in a prime-time matchup of then-undefeated Big Ten teams.
First Quarter
It has been 17 months since Chicago Bulls’ guard Derrick Rose last took to the court after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a 2012 playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
As Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez sits at his desk, he looks down into his morning coffee to see if they’re still there. Sure enough, the ripples on the surface aren’t going away; in fact, they’re getting bigger. Something big is coming and it can’t be good. Mr. Alvarez isn’t alone. All but a handful of his NCAA Division I cohorts are having similar moments. Those who aren’t well, they’re not paying attention. The threat is no small threat, but a growing movement to mandate that big-time college football and men’s basketball programs pay hefty salaries to scholarship players. Should this come to pass, Wisconsin will find itself on the bottom floor of a two-tiered caste system with no means of improving its lot.
Wisconsin hangs around in tough games.
No. 23 Wisconsin (1-1 Big Ten, 3-2 overall) started from behind and found themselves behind 24-14 going into halftime after a last second touchdown reception by Ohio State senior wide receiver Corey Brown.
It seems like every Monday morning after a Sunday of jam-packed NFL action, there’s a discussion about a player being fined thousands of dollars for an illegal hit on an opposing player. This unfortunate recurring theme is one that will continue to be debated and discussed unless something is changed.
By Cameron Kalmon