After an exciting victory against No. 7 Illinois on Wednesday, No. 19 Wisconsin (2-2 Big Ten, 10-4 overall) stormed past Northwestern (2-2, 10-5) to win its 11th consecutive Big Ten match at home in three sets 25-20, 25- 16, 25-19. “Attack errors are down a little bit more from where we’ve been this year,” UW head coach Kelly Sheffield said.
For the second consecutive contest, the offense put on an impressive showing, though once again it was not enough to get the win.
In another tough Big Ten matchup, Wisconsin (3-1-1 Big Ten, 6-4-3 overall) took down highly favored No. 11 Minnesota (4-1-0, 9-2-2) 1-0 Friday night at the McClimon Sports Complex.
As the leaves of the trees continue to change, the Wisconsin football season rolls on. The temperatures are slowly starting to drop, a source of dread for students everywhere. But for junior Sojourn Shelton, who hails from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the seasons of Madison were a welcome change.
With a combined 431 yards of total offense, junior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to a much needed 36-28 win over Southern Miss last Saturday.
There’s no change in this week’s power rankings, though Ohio State closed the gap between itself and the Michigan State Spartans. The week was fairly solid for the Big Ten as a majority of its teams wrapped up their non-conference schedules and now turn their attention to the start of Big Ten play.
Like him or not, Wisconsin was an excellent football program when Bret Bielema was at the helm. And it was like that for far longer than those who just want to give credit to Barry Alvarez’s program-building skills would like.
With Wisconsin’s running game providing slightly above average numbers the first three games of the season, many were wondering if the run-first, power offense of the Badgers had gone by the wayside.
In recent years the coaching carousel has been more of a staple in Wisconsin than cheese curds. With head coach Paul Chryst now leading the charge, the Badgers are on their third head coach in as many years. Contrast that with Iowa, a program that has had two coaches since 1979, and Wisconsin, not Iowa, seems like the program in a rut.
Lynchpin Linebackers
On perhaps the most controversial play of Wisconsin’s game against Troy, junior Leon Jacobs looped, untouched, around the left side of the Trojans’ offensive line on a first-down blitz and obliterated quarterback Brandon Silvers.
In their second weekend of conference play, the Badgers have the chance to extend their two-game Big Ten winning streak at home Friday against rival No. 11 Minnesota, currently undefeated in conference.
The Badgers (1-1-0 Big Ten, 2-7-0 overall) jumped out to a two-goal lead and looked to be playing some of their best soccer of the season, but it was not enough, as in-state rival Green Bay (0-1-1 Horizon League, 2-5-2 overall) scored three unanswered goals and beat the Badgers 3-2 Wednesday at the McClimon Sports Complex.
No. 19 Wisconsin (1-2 Big Ten, 9-4 overall) walked away with a victory in its Big Ten home opener against No. 7 Illinois (2-1, 11-3) Wednesday, winning 25-16, 25-21, 21-25 and 25-22.
This week’s temperature dip corresponded perfectly with the football schedule, with Big Ten Conference play starting this weekend. Nothing quite says fall like a crisp afternoon watching a power-running offense smash into a run-stopping defense, and high temperatures certainly wouldn’t do the matchup between Wisconsin (3-1) and Iowa (4-0) Saturday justice.
The Badgers (1-1-0 Big Ten, 2-6-0 overall) will close out their three-game homestand Wednesday still searching for their first win in Madison this season. To do that, they’ll have to beat in-state rival Green Bay (0-1-1 Horizon, 1-5-2) for the third straight time.
“Our goal is to be a state team, not just a Milwaukee team.” Bucks head coach Jason Kidd put it simply when asked about why his team is practicing in Madison this week. They are making the Kohl Center their home in an effort to come together as a team and reach out to the greater Wisconsin community.
On the surface, one look at Mark Richt’s résumé as head coach at Georgia would make you think he belongs in the discussion of the best coaches in college football.
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