Wisconsin’s defense answered the call Saturday in a way that felt a lot more like the Badgers fans expected after the Iowa debacle. The 31-10 win over Rutgers gave the front seven a chance to reset the tone, and they took full advantage of it.
Sebastian Cheeks kept doing what he’s been doing all season: wrecking pockets. The edge rusher finished with three pressures and a sack, good for a defense-best 76.4 overall PFF grade.
His 43 pressures on the year still lead the Big Ten, and he’s become one of the league’s most disruptive pass rushers in a hurry. Wisconsin got more than just one standout edge performance, too.
Nicolas Clayton added a sack off the edge, while Tyrese Fearbry was mostly quiet on the other side. The interior helped finish the job, with Junior Poyser, Charles Perkins and Nolan Vils each logging a sack.
In all, Wisconsin piled up five sacks and eight tackles for loss, and AJ Surace spent most of the afternoon under siege.
The run defense was just as sharp. Antwan Raymond was held to 56 yards on 15 carries, and Rutgers managed only 94 rushing yards on 36 attempts as a team.
Mike Tressel’s group made the Scarlet Knights work for every inch, and the Badgers did exactly what they were supposed to do against a lesser opponent up front. That was enough to earn the front seven an A.
Cooper Catalano once again filled up the stat sheet. The Richfield native posted a game-high 14 tackles, including six solo stops, and added 2.5 tackles for loss.
He’s been a tackling machine all season, and his 89 total tackles lead the Big Ten. Mason Posa didn’t match Catalano’s numbers, but he was plenty active with eight tackles, four solo, and two pressures.
He also delivered several punishing hits that showed up even when they didn’t show up in the box score.
At inside linebacker, Wisconsin mostly rode with Catalano and Posa. Jon Jon Kamara, Thomas Heiberger and Taylor Schaefer each played just two defensive snaps, so there wasn’t much room for the rest of the group to get involved. Still, Catalano and Posa handled the workload without much trouble.
The secondary had a cleaner outing than it did at Iowa, though it wasn’t spotless. AJ Surace completed 14 of 24 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, and Wisconsin came away with four pass breakups while keeping Rutgers’ passing game largely in check.
Jai’mier Scott played a season-low 26 defensive snaps, and an apparent ankle injury may have played a role in that reduced workload. Even so, he made his chances count with two pass breakups after a rough week.
Javan Robinson had a busier day than usual and gave up five catches for 52 yards on seven targets, while also missing a tackle. Eric Fletcher Jr. allowed two receptions for 39 yards on four targets and missed a tackle as well.
Bryce West stayed steady in the slot, adding two solo tackles and a pass breakup, and that kind of consistency has quietly been one of Wisconsin’s more valuable defensive traits this season. At safety, Matt Jung finished with five tackles, Marvin Burks Jr. added three tackles and a pass breakup, and Cairo Skanes continued to have a rough stretch.
Skanes was beaten by Dyzier Carter on Rutgers’ lone touchdown during his 17 defensive snaps.
I went back and forth between a B and B-, considering Rutgers was without star wide receiver KJ Duff and Wisconsin still had a few frustrating moments in coverage. Ultimately, I’ll give the secondary the benefit of the doubt and settle on a B.
Special teams gave Wisconsin another clean, steady performance. Gavin Lahm hit all three of his field goals, including a 51-yarder in the second quarter that matched his career long.
He also made both extra points and is now 13-for-15 on field goals this season, which works out to 86.7 percent. Sean West handled the punting duties well, averaging 47.3 yards on three punts and placing two inside the 20.
Neither side did much in the return game, and the Badgers avoided any costly miscues. Bob Ligashesky’s unit has been excellent this season, and this was another A-level showing.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Defenders Breakout Season Just Earned National Attention
Wisconsins win over Rutgers did more than lock in bowl eligibility. It also put a spotlight on the kind of defensive season Cooper Catalano has been putting together for the Badgers, with the linebacker turning in 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in the victory while continuing to anchor a unit that has helped steady the teams push into the postseason picture.
Catalanos production has now earned national recognition, as Wisconsin announced he has been added to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watchlist, which honors the top defender in college football. He enters that conversation ranked seventh in the FBS with 89 tackles, a reminder that his breakout year has gone well beyond one strong afternoon and has become one of the defining developments of Wisconsins season. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Signals Wisconsin May Need A Backfield Change
Wisconsins offense has taken real steps forward this season in scoring and through the air, but the ground game still has not matched the rest of the unit. The Badgers have managed only a modest bump in rushing production from a year ago, and Luke Fickell has been open about the fact that the running back room has not found the kind of rhythm this offense needs.
Fickell pointed to a mix of injuries and a committee approach as part of the problem, and he made it clear he wants to tighten up how the carries are distributed. For a team trying to keep building on its offensive progress, the next question is whether Wisconsin sticks with the current rotation or leans harder toward a more defined lead back to help someone get rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Turned Ryan Hopkins Into A Real QB Debate
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Luke Fickell came away encouraged, and so did teammates Mason Posa and Jacob Harris, who both spoke positively about Hopkins play and upside. For a Wisconsin offense still trying to settle the most important spot on the field, the performance did not answer every question, but it certainly changed the tone around the competition. The Badgers now have more to weigh, and Hopkins has made sure this is no longer a placeholder conversation. [Read more 🡒]