Wisconsin heads into its matchup with Rutgers carrying the kind of baggage that makes every week feel bigger than the last. The Badgers are coming off what the source called an “all-too-familiar result” against Iowa, and now the schedule softens in a major way. Over the next three weeks, Wisconsin gets Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue - a stretch where those three opponents are a combined 7-17 and 3-12 in Big Ten play.
That’s why this one matters. Rutgers may not look imposing on paper, but for a Wisconsin team that can swing wildly from beating a ranked opponent to stumbling badly in a huge game, this is the kind of spot that can either steady things or drag the season deeper into the mess.
One of the biggest questions is whether Wisconsin stays with Colton Joseph at quarterback. Luke Fickell did not flat-out say the Badgers were locked into Joseph, but his comments at his weekly presser strongly suggested that direction.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano seemed to read it the same way. Even so, there’s still at least some possibility Wisconsin gives the job to Hopkins after he came on in the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium.
If Joseph gets the nod again, the leash figures to be shorter after what happened against Iowa. Not long ago, benching him would have sounded far-fetched.
After that performance, it became a real possibility. And if Joseph has another rough outing, especially against what the source describes as a poor Rutgers defense, Wisconsin could be ready to make another switch.
The backfield usage also deserves a hard look, and Abu Sama sits right at the center of it. The Iowa State transfer was one of Wisconsin’s biggest offseason additions, yet he’s been used far less than expected.
Injuries have been part of the story this fall, but the source notes that by all accounts he’s been healthy for weeks. Still, he had only six carries against Iowa, which is a tiny workload for a game plan that needed every ounce of offense it could get.
Sama has shown he can be one of Wisconsin’s best weapons when he gets rolling. He’s tough to bring down in space and has the kind of burst that can flip a drive in a hurry.
The problem is that the Badgers also have Darrion Dupree and Bryan Jackson in the backfield, both of whom are capable options. Even with that depth, Wisconsin does not appear to be getting the most out of Sama.
His final snap came early in the third quarter, and Fickell said it was not because of injury:
"No, it was not (an injury) He’s been a guy that’s been dinged up, so in some of those situations, we’ve kinda tried to keep him out of an excess of things. To be honest with you, I don’t know that I really recognized that that was the last time he carried the ball or the last time he played...We gotta be smart, this is still a long year."
The other major variable in this game is Rutgers receiver KJ Duff. At 6-6 and 225 pounds, the Long Island native is a matchup nightmare.
He’s bigger and stronger than most defensive backs, and his hands are described as “absolutely unbelievable.” He has 45 catches for 774 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Schiano didn’t offer an injury update on Duff at his weekly presser, instead directing reporters to the Big Ten injury report, which arrives Wednesday night. That may have been a strategic move, but the source also points out that if there were good news on the receiver’s status, the coach of a 2-6 team would probably want to say so.
In Other News...
Barry Alvarez Just Turned Up Pressure On Wisconsin's Quarterback Debate
The quarterback discussion in Madison has only gotten more interesting, and Barry Alvarez just added another layer to it. With Luke Fickell weighing a choice between veteran Colton Joseph and true freshman Ryan Hopkins, the longtime Wisconsin voice floated a middle-ground approach that would let Hopkins get on the field early without fully handing over the job.
The idea is simple enough on paper: give Hopkins some real snaps, see how he handles the moment and keep Joseph engaged at the same time. It also puts a spotlight on the next stretch of games against Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue, where Wisconsin could decide whether this is a short-term spark or the start of a longer evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Rutgers Prep Just Took A Tough Turn Up Front
The first injury report for Wisconsins upcoming matchup with Rutgers already gives the game a different feel up front. The Badgers are dealing with questions along the offensive line, with Kevin Heywood listed as doubtful and Austin Kawecki injured, which puts extra pressure on a unit that will need to hold up as the week moves on.
Rutgers has its own problems, and they are not limited to one side of the ball. The Scarlet Knights are set to be without starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan and top offensive lineman Kobe Asamoah, among others, and both teams are expected to keep updating their injury statuses as kickoff gets closer. For Wisconsin, the next few days could say a lot about how much flexibility it will have in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Has An Early Problem To Clean Up Before Delaware
Wisconsin got the result it wanted in its season opener against Denver, but the way it got there left Greg Gard with plenty to sort through before the next tip. The Badgers faded in the second half and the coach said the performance was below their standard, a familiar early-season checkpoint for a team still trying to settle into its identity while the staff works through rotation decisions and keeps an eye on players recovering from injury.
Delaware arrives next for a first-ever meeting that gives Wisconsin a clean slate in the record book, but not much time to linger on the opener. The projected starting group looks largely the same as it did against Denver, which suggests the Badgers are still leaning on continuity even as they search for a better stretch of basketball over 40 minutes. For a team with bigger goals ahead, the early fix is obvious enough: sharpen the second half before a more demanding part of the schedule starts to ask tougher questions. [Read more 🡒]