The big news coming into Week 8 is that the Badgers have gotten three more commits to their program. 4 star WR Bryson Hawkins, 4-star T Matt Greenwood, and 3-star DE Vincent Kelly announced their intentions to join the Badgers for the 2012-2013 season. It's also been reported that 4-star Randy Williams, the #3 ranked QB, and Adam Jackson, the 6th best HB, have soft committed to the program.
Wisconsin Badgers Recruiting - 2011
NAME
POS
CLASS
HOMETOWN
HT
WT
CALIBER
B. Hawkins
WR
HS
Hannibal, MO
6'3
185
V. Whitworth
ATH
HS
Valparaiso, IN
6'2
194
M. Greenwood
T
HS
Poteau, OK
6'4
312
V. Kelly
DE
HS
Houghton, MI
5'11
240
Now onto the game. This week, the Badgers play their highest-ranked opponent yet in #7 Michigan State. The Spartans feature one of the best pass defenses in the NCAA, which doesn't really affect the Badgers, who just passed the 1000-yard mark last week.
This week, the Indiana Hoosiers come into town with the 8th best pass offense in the country. On the other side, though, the Hoosiers have the 91st worst rush defense, as compared to Wisconsin's 5th ranked rushing offense.
For a moment, there was silence in Camp Randall Stadium. On the first Wisconsin drive of the game, senior QB Russell Wilson was tackled hard, and left the game with a concussion. Sophomore QB Jon Budmayr was shoved into the spotlight, and almost threw away the game for the Badgers. Budmayr threw 2 interceptions, which both led to Nebraska scores. However, Monte Ball once again threw the team on his back, rushing for almost 200 yards, and freshman Jeff Lewis capped off a James White rushing drive with a 1 yard TD rush with only 2:43 left in the game, allowing the Badgers to beat the Huskers 34-31. After a well-deserved bye week, the Badgers will play host to Indiana and a top-10 ranked pass offense.
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Wisconsin Badgers
Oct 1, 2011
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
#21 Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-2)
0
17
14
0
31
#3 Wisconsin Badgers (5-0)
14
13
0
7
34
Team Stats Comparison
NEB
WIS
Total Offense
376
439
Rushing Yards
217
235
Passing Yards
159
204
First Downs
19
18
Punt Return Yards
20
57
Kick Return Yards
169
136
Total Yards
565
632
Turnovers
1
3
3rd Down Converstion
6-15
2-8
4th Down Conversion
2-4
0-0
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
4-3-1
3-2-0
Penalties
0
4
Posession Time
20:52
16:32
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
NEB
WIS
6:27
(WIS) N. Toon, 33 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
0
7
4:29
(WIS) M. Ball, 5 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
0
14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
NEB
WIS
7:49
(NEB) R. Burkhead, 13 Yd run (M. Bondi kick)
7
14
6:17
(WIS) P. Welch, 42 Yd FG
7
17
4:16
(NEB) B. Heard, 11 Yd run (M. Bondi kick)
14
17
3:00
(WIS) M. Ball, 44 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
14
24
1:11
(WIS) P. Welch, 52 Yd FG
14
27
0:00
(NEB) M. Bondi, 32 Yd FG
17
27
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
NEB
WIS
3:41
(NEB) K. Bell, 4 Yd pass from T. Martinez (M. Bondi kick)
24
27
2:25
(NEB) T. Martinez, 45 Yd run (M. Bondi kick)
31
27
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
NEB
WIS
2:43
(WIS) J. Lewis, 1 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
31
34
Nebraska Cornhuskers
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
R. Burkhead
2/2
34
0
0
T. Martinez
13/23
125
1
1
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
T. Martinez
14
86
6.1
1
R. Burkhead
13
52
4.0
1
B. Heard
7
60
8.5
1
A. Green
4
0
0.0
0
S. Jean Baptiste
1
5
5.0
0
B. Kinnie
1
1
1.0
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
S. Jean Baptiste
6
78
13.0
0
K. Bell
3
19
6.3
1
B. Kinnie
2
38
19.0
0
K. Reed
2
16
8.0
0
A. Jones
1
10
10.0
0
B. Heard
1
-2
-2.0
0
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
C. Meredith
4
2.0
0
0
B. Steinkuhler
2
1.0
0
0
M. May
2
1.0
0
0
J. Crick
3
1.0
0
0
A. Cassidy
6
0
1
0
A. Dennard
7
0
1
0
Wisconsin Badgers
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
R. Wilson
2/2
43
1
0
J. Budmayr
12/20
161
0
2
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
M. Ball
17
194
11.4
2
J. White
10
55
5.5
0
J. Budmayr
7
-21
-3.0
0
J. Lewis
2
7
3.5
1
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
J. Abbrederis
5
56
11.2
0
N. Toon
3
67
22.3
1
B. Ewing
1
7
7.0
0
B. Wozniak
1
3
3.0
0
J. White
1
13
13.0
0
M. Garner
1
14
14.0
0
J. Duckworth
1
15
15.0
0
J. Byrne
1
29
29.0
0
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
P. Butrym
5
1.0
0
0
D. Gilbert
6
1.0
0
0
M. Taylor
9
1.0
0
0
C. Borland
12
1.0
0
0
A. Henry
8
0
1
0
NCAA Football Rankings - Coaches Poll - Updated: Oct 4, 2011
The Big Ten conference schedule has finally started for the #3 Badgers. Both teams (Nebraska and Wisconsin) feature Top-10 ranked run offenses, with Rex Burkhead leading the Cornhuskers, Monte Ball for the Badgers. A tough test for the Badgers comes against Nebraska's 9th ranked defense.
The Badgers extend their winning streak to 4 games with a 62-10 win over South Dakota. Senior Nick Toon had both a receiving and kick return TD, and Monte Ball rushed for 301 yards and 3 TD's as the Badgers steamrolled.
South Dakota Coyotes at Wisconsin Badgers
Sep 24, 2011
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
South Dakota Coyotes ()
10
0
0
0
10
#5 Wisconsin Badgers (4-0)
28
14
3
17
62
Team Stats Comparison
SDAK
WIS
Total Offense
282
547
Rushing Yards
152
391
Passing Yards
130
156
First Downs
11
23
Punt Return Yards
0
39
Kick Return Yards
121
169
Total Yards
403
755
Turnovers
1
1
3rd Down Converstion
3-16
7-14
4th Down Conversion
0-0
0-0
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
2-0-0
5-3-0
Penalties
7
3
Posession Time
13:41
18:19
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
SDAK
WIS
6:20
(WIS) M. Ball, 46 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
0
7
4:27
(SDAK) K #26, 44 Yd FG
3
7
4:15
(WIS) N. Toon, returned kickoff 93 Yds (P. Welch kick)
3
14
4:01
(SDAK) HB #20, 74 Yd run (K #26 kick)
10
14
3:20
(WIS) N. Toon, 19 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
10
21
1:07
(WIS) M. Ball, 62 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
10
28
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
SDAK
WIS
2:37
(WIS) J. Duckworth, 5 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
10
35
0:58
(WIS) M. Ball, 33 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
10
42
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
SDAK
WIS
0:03
(WIS) P. Welch, 47 Yd FG
10
45
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
SDAK
WIS
2:08
(WIS) P. Welch, 46 Yd FG
10
48
2:55
(WIS) J. Lewis, 4 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
10
55
0:29
(WIS) B. Wozniak, 25 Yd pass from J. Budmayr (P. Welch kick)
Week 4 is here, and the Badgers are ready to have fun destroying FCS team South Dakota. The Badgers plan on getting the starters some decent playing time, and then putting in the second team to get some reps. While James White on the mend for this game, freshman Jeff Lewis will look to show Wisconsin fans the future of the Badger's running game.
The loss of James White for 2 weeks has been overshadowed by the announcement that 5-star ATH Vince Whiteworth has committed to Wisconsin University. From Valparaiso, IN, Whiteworth has shown above average skills when it comes to throwing, perhaps putting him at QB, although it will be up to the coaches to decide. Wisconsin is also heavily recruiting offensive linemen, along with Adam Jackson, a 5-star RB from Galesburg, IL who would be a huge prize for the Badgers next year.
Good and bad news for the folks of Madison today. The Badgers stomped Northern Illinois 46-10. In their winning effort, however, sophomore RB James White strained his back and will be out for 2 weeks.
"It's definitely a big loss for the next two games, especially when we have to play Nebraska," Coach Bielema said, "but I think the other guys will step it up."
Jeff Lewis, a redshirt freshman, will step into White's role while he is recovering. He did manage to get a few carries the last game, picking up 18 yards on 4 carries. Look for Monte Ball to take the majority of the carries, however. Next week, the Badgers plan to have a field day against an FCS team.
Wisconsin Badgers at Northern Illinois Huskies
Sep 17, 2011
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
#7 Wisconsin Badgers (3-0)
17
12
14
3
46
Northern Illinois Huskies (1-2)
7
3
0
0
10
Team Stats Comparison
WIS
NIU
Total Offense
496
228
Rushing Yards
155
68
Passing Yards
341
160
First Downs
19
10
Punt Return Yards
52
0
Kick Return Yards
73
209
Total Yards
621
437
Turnovers
2
3
3rd Down Converstion
4-9
4-11
4th Down Conversion
0-0
0-1
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
6-3-2
1-1-0
Penalties
2
1
Posession Time
16:58
15:02
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
WIS
NIU
6:02
(WIS) P. Welch, 24 Yd FG
3
0
4:27
(WIS) N. Toon, 59 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
10
0
2:27
(NIU) J. Hopkins, 13 Yd run (M. Sims kick)
10
7
1:17
(WIS) B. Wozniak, 13 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
17
7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
WIS
NIU
6:38
(NIU) M. Sims, 46 Yd FG
17
10
2:53
(WIS) Safety NIU: Team Safety
19
10
2:40
(WIS) M. Ball, 63 Yd (P. Welch kick)
26
10
0:28
(WIS) P. Welch, 26 Yd FG
29
10
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
WIS
NIU
6:03
(WIS) J. Byrne, 10 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
36
10
1:09
(WIS) J. Bryne, 20 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
The Badgers are looking to continue their winning streak against a mediocre Northern Illinois team. Being the heavy favorite, the Badgers are determined to refine their passing game before they start the long Big Ten conference schedule.
"It's important that Russell [Wilson] gains some more confidence in the passing game. It was tough last game, giving up 5 sacks and passing for less than 200 yards, but he shouldn't have a problem this week," Coach Bielema told reporters.
Although the score showed one result, this game was much slower moving for the Badgers and their highly touted run game. While the Badgers still ran for more than 200 yards, the Beavers kept the pressure on Russell Wilson-who only managed to complete 12 passes-which caused a lot of Wisconsin drives to stall out. On a good note, the Badgers once again pulled off a goal-line stand, preventing the Beavers from scoring four straight plays with 32 seconds left in the game. The turnover then resulted in James White breaking a 96-yard run up the middle to increase the Badgers lead. On a side note, the Badgers have yet to allow a touchdown two games into the season.
After a blowout win last week, the #9 Badgers are welcoming in the Oregon State Beavers, and plan to run all over them as well.
"Obviously, we're going to run down their throats," sophomore tailback James White said, "We got two good backs, and we're going to use them."
Last week, the Badgers ran for 269 yards against the weak UNLV defense. This week, the Badgers will focus on running through the frontlines on offense. On defense, Wisconsin needs to be wary of All-American WR James Rodgers. He injured his knee and missed most of the season last year, and as a fifth-year senior, Rodgers is looking to put it all on the line against Fenelus and the Wisconsin secondary.
Camp Randall Stadium was jumping as the Wisconsin Badgers ran all over the UNLV Rebels. RB's Montee Ball and James White both ran for over 100 yards, and QB Russell Wilson tossed 4 TD passes as the Badgers won their opener 45-0.
"This is certainly a great start for us," coach Bret Bielema said, "Our running game was fantastic, Russell was hitting his receivers, and the defense was in top form."
UNLV Rebels at Wisconsin Badgers
Sep 3, 2011
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
UNLV Rebels (0-1)
0
0
0
0
0
#11 Wisconsin Badgers (1-0)
14
14
7
10
45
Team Stats Comparison
UNLV
WIS
Total Offense
169
447
Rushing Yards
42
269
Passing Yards
127
178
First Downs
9
21
Punt Return Yards
6
51
Kick Return Yards
86
19
Total Yards
261
517
Turnovers
2
0
3rd Down Converstion
3-11
6-8
4th Down Conversion
0-1
0-0
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
1-0-0
5-5-0
Penalties
0-0
0-0
Posession Time
11:24
16:36
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
UNLV
WIS
5:30
(WIS) N. Toon, 29 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
0
7
2:23
(WIS) J. White, 1 Yd run (P. Welch kick)
0
14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
UNLV
WIS
3:53
(WIS) B. Wozniak, 17 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
0
21
0:25
(WIS) J. Byrne, 3 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
0
28
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
UNLV
WIS
3:12
(WIS) J. White, 15 Yd pass from R. Wilson (P. Welch kick)
The Badgers look to get off to a fast start...Look for White and Ball to get a lot of carries...
Going a little more in-depth, the Badgers have a sizeable advantage over the Rebels. Wilson and Ball look to take advantage of a weak UNLV defense, while senior Antonio Fenelus and the rest of the Wisconsin D looks to stop the UNLV offense in its tracks. The Badgers' offensive line, which has an average weight of 322 lbs, should have no problem giving Ball and White big holes and protecting the pocket for Wilson to rule the skies. Look for a blowout for Wisconsin in Week 1.
In his 5th year as head coach, Bret Bielema has never been this excited for a football season.
"It was great last year to go 11-1, get the co-Big Ten Championship, and make it to the Rose Bowl. It was certainly disappointing to walk out on the losing end, but it showed the potential that this team and school has," he says.
The road to another Big Ten Championship will certainly be tough for the Badgers, as they will have to compete with Ohio State and Penn State in the "Leaders" division of the Big Ten. However, senior standout WR Nick Toon believes it won't be as tough as it sounds.
"Obviously there will be a lot of tough games, but I think we have the team to do it. Our O-line really helps us move the ball down the field, and we have a great D."
Although the losses of QB Scott Tolzien, RB John Clay, and OT Gabe Carimi are hard to hand, transfer QB Russell Wilson, RBs James White and Montee Ball, and OT Kevin Zeitler are all looking to step up and take their spots.
All of the Badgers' questions will be answered starting on Sep. 3rd, when Wisconsin hosts UNLV in their season and home opener at Camp Randall Stadium.
Here is the rest of Wisconsin's schedule for the 2011-2012 season:
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