The Wisconsin Badgers took care of business in a big way Saturday, rolling past Rutgers 31-10 to move to 6-2 and lock up bowl eligibility for the first time in three years.
The headline was true freshman Ryan Hopkins making his first career start, and Wisconsin paired that with yet another change on the offensive line. None of it slowed the Badgers down. They jumped out early, stayed in control and closed the game with authority.
Hopkins gave Wisconsin a much-needed spark through the air. For one of the first times this season, the passing game showed some life, and the Badgers gave him the freedom to throw. Rutgers didn’t bring much pressure, but Hopkins still looked composed in the pocket and comfortable running the offense.
He had a few plays he’d probably like to have back, but they didn’t come back to bite Wisconsin. More importantly, he looked like a true freshman who belonged. He was efficient, spread the ball around the field and hit throws that Colton Joseph hadn’t been making.
That makes the next stretch especially interesting. Wisconsin now has a three-game window to evaluate Hopkins and see where he stands heading toward the 2027 season. Whatever happens next, his first start was a promising one.
The defense did its part, too, and then some. Wisconsin got after AJ Surace all afternoon, piling up five sacks from Sebastian Cheeks, Nicolas Clayton, Charles Perkins, Nolan Vils, and Junior Poyser. The Badgers also made life easier on themselves by slowing the run, which kept Rutgers in third-and-long situations.
That showed up in the numbers: Rutgers finished just 4 of 13 on third down. After Wisconsin failed to disrupt the quarterback against Iowa, when Hank Brown completed 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards, this was a clear step forward.
It was also the kind of response Wisconsin needed after last weekend’s embarrassment. Instead of letting that linger, the Badgers dominated Rutgers for much of the afternoon and got back to where they should be.
Now the task is to build on it. Wisconsin needs to win at least two of its next three games to make the most of a favorable schedule, and the emphasis has to stay on Hopkins’s growth and the offense’s continued progress while the defense keeps playing aggressively.
Saturday was a strong step in that direction. And with the way Wisconsin looked, the season-ender against Minnesota suddenly feels like the kind of game that could define whether this turns into a truly successful year.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Just Put Wisconsins Biggest Offensive Frustration On Blast
After the Rutgers game, Luke Fickell sounded encouraged by what Wisconsin got from Ryan Hopkins at quarterback, but he made it just as clear that the offense still has a problem it has not solved. The Badgers have been trying to find a rhythm on the ground, and Fickell pointed directly to the need to create more space for the running backs and get them more involved.
That frustration has been hanging over the offense for a while, especially with the running game failing to live up to expectations. For Wisconsin, the issue is bigger than one game or one quarterback change, because the staff still has to figure out how to build a rushing attack that can actually carry the offense forward. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Defensive Rotation Took A Notable Turn Against Rutgers
Wisconsins defense looked more like the version the Badgers have been chasing all fall in the Week 10 win over Rutgers, and the snap counts tell part of the story. The unit was far more disruptive, finishing with eight tackles-for-loss and five sacks while holding Rutgers to 161 passing yards and just 2.6 yards per carry, a strong outing that came with some noticeable shuffling in how the front and linebacker groups were deployed.
The rotation along the defensive line and at linebacker changed enough to stand out from previous weeks, and the participation data points to a staff that is still searching for the right mix as the season moves on. For Wisconsin, the encouraging part is not just the production against Rutgers, but the possibility that the defense may have found a formula worth leaning on again as bigger tests keep coming. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins 2-0 Start Comes With An Offensive Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Wisconsin opened the 2026-27 season with a pair of wins over Denver and Delaware, but the early returns have not exactly been smooth. The Badgers have leaned on a defense that has looked fairly sturdy, with Victory Onuetu helping set the tone, yet both games were tighter than expected and the offense has not found a steady rhythm.
The biggest concern so far has been the half-court execution, where isolation possessions and spot-up looks have not produced consistent scoring. Some players are still settling into the system, and with a tougher stretch of the schedule coming next, Wisconsin will need the offense to catch up quickly if this start is going to mean more than just two early wins. [Read more 🡒]