Bryan Jackson II didn’t soften his words after Wisconsin’s Week 8 win over USC. He made the reason plain, and he tied it directly to the way the two teams lined up and played.
Jackson, who spent two years at USC before transferring to Wisconsin, said the Badgers won because they were the more physical group. “Gritty ain't pretty,” Jackson said.
“We played the harder football game, brought it to them, and they can't really do nothing with us. It's just two different types of football.”
The former three-star recruit from Texas originally signed with USC after high school, carrying big expectations with him. After two seasons under Lincoln Riley, he entered the transfer portal and found a new home in Madison, where Wisconsin was looking for help in its running back room.
That move sent him straight into a reunion with his old program in front of 71,000 Badger fans, and Jackson turned in his best game of the season. He was also recognized by head coach Luke Fickell as one of the team’s top offensive performers.
Jackson didn’t stop at the postgame quote, either. His comments carried the same edge that showed up when he explained why he picked Wisconsin in the first place. His mother had told Evan Flood at the time: “He was like, ‘Mom, this is how I play.
That style was on display against USC. Jackson plays with force, and Wisconsin leaned into that identity.
On his touchdown run, he powered through contact, drove his shoulder into the defender, and finished in the end zone. It was the kind of finish that fit the game he was talking about after it ended.
For Wisconsin, Jackson is starting to look like a useful spark behind Abu Sama III and maybe even Darrion Dupree. He’s been averaging about seven carries per game, and while his season average sits at 4.0 yards per carry, he produced more punch against USC. He finished with 38 rushing yards, a 5.4 average, a long of 14, and a touchdown.
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