Wisconsin’s 24-20 comeback over No. 13 Penn State did more than give the Badgers a 3-1 start and a 1-0 opening to Big Ten play. It also created a clear list of players whose seasons are moving in opposite directions.
At the top of the “up” column sits tight end Lance Harris, who went from being part of a quiet position group to delivering the biggest play of the night. Two weeks after being tagged as “stock down” because Wisconsin’s tight ends hadn’t done much in the passing game, Harris turned in the best outing of his college career: five catches for 105 yards and the game-winning 72-yard touchdown with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter.
That score capped a drive that had already tested him. Harris committed two false starts earlier in the possession, then erased the mistakes with the kind of finish that swings a game.
His 89.0 PFF grade led the team, and his production now stands at 11 receptions for 203 yards and a touchdown through four games. Only Tyrell Henry has more catches and receiving yards for Wisconsin.
At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Harris brings the obvious traits you’d expect from a big target: size, hands and a natural feel for red-zone work. But against Penn State, he showed more than that.
He also flashed the athleticism and after-the-catch ability that make him more than just a catch-point option. The connection with quarterback Colton Joseph is real, and Harris looks like he’s carved out a major role.
Defensive tackle Ben Russell also made a major move upward. Through the first three games, he was steady enough, but nothing jumped off the page.
In Happy Valley, he changed that. Russell recorded a solo sack of Rocco Becht in the second quarter, later teamed with Sebastian Cheeks for another sack on Penn State’s final drive, and even tipped a Becht pass that Charles Perkins turned into an interception early in the third quarter.
Russell wasn’t spotless - he was flagged twice for offside, with one penalty accepted - but the impact was undeniable. The West Virginia transfer has played more snaps than any other Wisconsin interior defensive lineman, and nothing in this game suggests that’s about to change.
Cornerback D’Yoni Robinson bounced back in a big way after his rough moment last week against Eastern Michigan, when he gave up an 18-yard touchdown. Penn State tested him heavily, targeting him 10 times, but Robinson allowed only two catches for nine yards. His three pass deflections matched a career high, and even when he was briefly out of position, he recovered to knock away downfield throws.
That’s exactly the kind of performance Wisconsin brought him in for. Robinson’s two years at Arizona State gave him the kind of experience that matters in games like this, and it showed. As Big Ten play rolls on, his confidence and composure should continue to help the Badgers.
The offensive line, as a whole, held up well enough in a hostile road setting. But left tackle Nolan Wilkins remains the unit’s clearest concern.
Wisconsin allowed three pressures, all of them charged to Wilkins, who also picked up a false start. His 56.9 PFF grade was below average, though it was still his best mark of the season.
Overall, he sits at 51.9, and the struggles are hard to ignore.
A switch doesn’t appear imminent, especially since Wilkins played all 67 snaps against Penn State and has rarely come off the field early this year. Still, his issues could give Florida State transfer Lucas Simmons-Johansson a path to more reps as Colton Joseph’s blindside protector.
Wide receiver Jayden Coleman rounds out the “down” side, even if the situation is more about opportunity than a complete setback. He opened the year with four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame, then was injured against Western Illinois and missed the Eastern Michigan game. His return against Penn State was notable, but he wasn’t targeted over 27 snaps.
The tools are obvious. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Coleman can move.
He also gives Wisconsin a different kind of threat, one that could pair with Tyrell Henry’s underneath work from the slot. But after the buzz that followed his showing at Lambeau Field, Coleman still has to prove he can be a dependable piece week to week.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Knows Wisconsin Cant Keep Winning Like This
Wisconsin came away with a huge win over Penn State, but the film gave Luke Fickell plenty to worry about afterward. The Badgers survived despite losing the turnover battle 3-1, with quarterback Colton Joseph throwing all three interceptions, and they also had to scrape by on the ground in a game where the rushing edge was razor-thin. Fickell made it clear the result mattered, but the formula did not look like one Wisconsin can lean on for long.
The bigger concern is sustainability. Wisconsin finished with only a one-yard edge in rushing yardage and was outperformed when the quarterback run game was stripped out, a sign the offense still has work to do if it wants to control games instead of just hang around in them. Fickell pointed to ball security and the rushing attack as the areas that have to improve moving forward, which is a fair reminder that even a win like this can feel more like a warning than a breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Two LA Matchups Suddenly Carry Very Different Threats
With Wisconsin working through a demanding Big Ten slate, the trip out to Los Angeles is starting to look less like a single swing through two marquee programs and more like two games with very different levels of danger. The Badgers already have a tough one looming against No. 14 Iowa, and now the other West Coast stops are taking on new meaning as the conference race tightens.
UCLA has surged to 4-0 under new coach Bob Chesney and earned a spot in the Top 25 behind strong play on both sides of the ball, while USC remains a far more complicated read under Lincoln Riley. The Trojans have been drawing criticism for their defense and the fallout from a controversial player incident, and with Washington, Penn State and Wisconsin all on the schedule, the pressure around that matchup is only growing. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Now Has A Chance Fans Have Been Waiting On
Wisconsins win over No. 13 Penn State gave the Badgers a resume-building result and pushed them to 3-1, but it still was not enough to get them into the AP Top 25. They landed at No. 26, just outside the poll, which leaves them right on the doorstep of the kind of national recognition fans have been waiting to see again.
Michigan State comes to Madison next, and Wisconsin is favored to handle the Spartans at home. A victory would give the Badgers another chance to strengthen their case and possibly crack the Top 25, turning last weeks breakthrough into something even bigger as the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]