PODCAST: Last Hope
Braedyn Locke QB1 (0:00)
Bucks Preseason Chatter (12:22)
Aaron Rodgers' Rehab (21:07)
Luke Fickell & Iowa Game (32:56)
Sports Director Zach Heilprin (44:46)
PODCAST: Dejected
Wisconsin-Iowa Initial Thoughts (0:00)
Callers, Takes, Frustration (12:36)
MLB Playoffs (47:07)
Red & White (53:34)
Badgers lose to Iowa, also lose QB Tanner Mordecai to injury
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Iowa’s throwback style may not bring many viewers to television sets and certainly doesn’t put many points on the scoreboard.
But it just might get the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten championship game.
Leshon Williams scored the game’s lone touchdown on an 82-yard breakaway and finished with 174 yards rushing Saturday to lead Iowa to a 15-6 victory over Wisconsin, which lost quarterback Tanner Mordecai to a hand injury.
“We wanted to take the heart out of them,” said Williams, who had 25 carries. “I feel like that’s what we did today.”
Iowa (6-1, 3-1) has sole possession of the Big Ten West Division lead. Not bad for a team that entered Saturday gaining just 249.2 total yards per game, the lowest average of any Football Bowl Subdivision team.
The Hawkeyes didn’t even reach that mark Saturday as they were outgained 324-237. It didn’t matter.
“This game was going to come down to physicality,” said Iowa’s Sebastian Castro, who had two tackles for loss and an interception. “I feel we came out there and did that. We did just that.”
Iowa has beaten Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1) in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008-09 and gets to maintain possession of the Heartland Trophy, the 72-pound brass bull that goes to the winner of this annual matchup.
A game in which points already figured to be at a premium turned into even more of a defensive struggle after each team lost a top offensive player to a first-half injury.
Iowa tight end Erick All was carted into the locker room after getting injured while making a 5-yard catch on the Hawkeyes’ second series. Wisconsin lost Mordecai late in the second quarter when he was following through on a pass and his throwing hand hit the helmet of Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins.
TV cameras showed Mordecai mouthing, “I can’t throw,” shortly after the play before he headed into the locker room. That forced Wisconsin to turn to Braedyn Locke, a Mississippi State transfer who had thrown just one career pass before Saturday. Locke went 15 o 30 for 122 yards with an interception.
“It doesn't look good for a little while,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said of Mordecai's status. “He couldn't grip the ball, so we'll have to make sure we find out what the deal is tomorrow and see how long that may last.”
All’s injury was a huge setback for an Iowa offense that already lost starting quarterback Cade McNamara to a season-ending knee injury and tight end Luke Lachey to a likely season-ending ankle injury.
Those injuries forced both teams to look elsewhere for playmakers. Williams responded with Iowa’s longest run from scrimmage since Tavian Banks also had an 82-yarder in a 63-20 blowout of Iowa State in 1997.
With Iowa facing third-and-2 early in the second quarter, Williams made a stutter step in the backfield, burst through a big hole inside, broke free from safety Austin Brown’s arm tackle attempt about a dozen yards downfield and raced down the right sideline.
After that touchdown, Iowa gained 3 net yards over its next six series, all three-and-outs. Yet the Hawkeyes never trailed thanks to their defense.
“All they need is one big play, and they're happy with that,” Wisconsin safety Preston Zachman said. “They can win games that way. It sucks because we did pretty well most of the game, but that one play was enough for them to come out with the victory.”
Wisconsin cut the margin to 7-6 in the third period on two Nathanial Vakos field goals, one from 36 yards out and the other from 52.
But Iowa controlled the fourth quarter, getting a pair of Drew Stevens field goals as well as a safety when Yahya Black sacked Locke and forced a fumble that Wisconsin tackle Riley Mahlman recovered in the end zone for a safety with 12:15 remaining.
Iowa sealed the victory by forcing turnovers on Wisconsin's final two series.
THE TAKEAWAY
Iowa: Punter Tory Taylor may have been the most important player in this game. He averaged 50.6 yards on his 10 punts. ... Iowa's defense helped Hawkeyes quarterback Deacon Hill beat his former team, though he went just 6 of 14 for 37 yards. Hill played one game in two years at Wisconsin before entering the transfer portal.
Wisconsin: The Badgers entered Saturday with a Big Ten-leading 203.6 yards rushing per game, but Iowa limited them to 96 yards on 28 carries. Braelon Allen rushed for 87 yards on 19 attempts. ... Wisconsin drove 81 yards on their opening series but got no points out of it as Cooper DeJean threw Allen for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1 from the 13. The Badgers wouldn't get that close to the end zone again.
UP NEXT
Iowa: Hosts Minnesota next Saturday.
Wisconsin: At Illinois next Saturday.
PODCAST: Jokers
MLB Playoffs (0:00)
Wisconsin-Iowa (15:58)
Professional Sports Bettor Dave Essler (39:28)
Matt LaFleur Disses (53:15)
Winners Take: NFL Week 6 & CFB Week 7 Free Picks
Nelson "Rowdy" Raisbeck and professional sports bettor, Dave Essler, breakdown five NFL and five NCAA games for the upcoming football weekend. They specifically look at a number of notable college football matchups and a couple from the NFL slate. Additionally, the guys run through the market and other games that have caught their eye.
PODCAST: Hidley Ho!
Rob Reischel of Forbes.com on the Packers (0:00)
Player Growth in the NFL (21:08)
Matt LaFleur Criticism (39:40)
PODCAST: Into the Fire
Packers Outlook (0:00)
MLB Playoff Chatter (14:10)
Former Player's Comments on LaFleur (38:44)
Brewers End of Season Presser (59:34)
Brewers' Arnold continues waiting on Counsell while expressing optimism Burnes will be back in 2024
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said he is speaking regularly with Craig Counsell but couldn’t predict how soon the NL’s longest-tenured manager would decide on whether to return next season.
Arnold was a little more definitive about ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, who will be entering the final year of his contract in 2024.
“We’ll see how it plays out over the course of the offseason, but I would expect him to be here next year,” Arnold said about Burnes at a postseason news conference Tuesday, six days after the Brewers’ playoff exit. “We can never close the door on any conversations, as you guys know. That’s just the reality of where we are. But we know that he is a very, very valuable member of our franchise.”
Burnes, a three-time All-Star and the 2021 Cy Young Award winner, is likely to be one of the top free agents on the market after the 2024 season if the budget-conscious Brewers don’t sign him to an extension. He lost his arbitration case last spring and complained afterward about comments that team officials made during the hearing.
Those factors have led to speculation the Brewers might want to deal him before potentially losing him in free agency. Arnold talked Tuesday as though the Brewers intend on keeping the 28-year-old right-hander.
“Corbin means a ton to what we’ve done here,” Arnold said. “He’s been a warrior on the mound. He’s the guy we wanted on the mound in Game 1. He’s been the guy that we want on the mound in big games. I’m thrilled that he’s here.”
Arnold also would love to have Counsell back.
The winningest manager in Brewers history doesn't have a contract beyond this year and hasn’t indicated whether he plans to remain in his current role, seek a managerial assignment elsewhere or take some time away from the game. Counsell declined to discuss his future Wednesday after the Brewers’ season ended with a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card Series. Counsell led the Brewers to a 92-70 record and their second NL Central title in three years.
“He’s maybe one of the best people I’ve ever worked with,” Arnold said. “I really, really enjoy working with him. He challenges us in great ways. We see the world differently. I think it’s healthy. I think he means a lot to this community. He’s been a player here. His dad worked here. He’s grown up here. He’s special. He is definitely special to this team. And like I said, I hope we partner here together for a long time.”
The Brewers enter this offseason at a bit of a crossroads as they wait on Counsell’s decision while three of their top players -– Burnes, pitcher Brandon Woodruff and shortstop Willy Adames –- enter the final year of their respective contracts.
Woodruff also is dealing with a shoulder injury that prevented him from pitching in the Wild Card Series. Arnold expressed guarded optimism about Woodruff while saying the two-time All-Star is getting examined this week.
“Any time you have issues with a shoulder, it’s hard to know exactly because it’s so complicated,” Arnold said. “There are so many mechanisms within the shoulder that we know are a factor, and it is more complicated than the elbow. But it’s hard to say from my perspective. We’ll wait till we get the evaluation.”
This marked Arnold’s first season in charge of the Brewers’ player operations, though he had been with the organization since October 2015. His offseason acquisition of catcher William Contreras and trade-deadline additions of first baseman Carlos Santana and outfielder Mark Canha helped the Brewers win the NL Central by nine games.
The next step is to make more of an impact in October. The Brewers have reached the playoffs five times in the last six years but have lost nine of their last 10 postseason games.
“We did feel like we had a championship-caliber team this year, and that’s why it makes it more difficult honestly for our staff,” Arnold said. “But we have pretty good resolve in this group, and I think we’re going to get after – we already are getting after it – for what we can do better in the future.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
PODCAST: The Drawing Board
Packers-Raiders (0:00)
Packers Offensive Line (14:13)
Matt LaFleur's Offense (25:13)
Callers Sound Off (47:13)
Raiders intercept Jordan Love 3 times, hold on to beat Packers 17-13
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Robert Spillane intercepted Green Bay's Jordan Love twice, Amik Robertson made a game-sealing pick in the end zone, and the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Packers 17-13 on Monday night to stop a three-game skid.
The Raiders' offense did just enough, with Jimmy Garoppolo completing 22 of 31 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown while throwing his NFL-high seventh interception. Jakobi Meyers caught seven passes for 75 yards and a TD.
Love was 16 of 30 for 182 yards and the three picks.
Both offenses struggled. The Raiders (2-3) gained 279 yards and the Packers (2-3) finished with 285.
Las Vegas ended an eight-game skid against the Packers. The franchise last beat Green Bay in 1987 when it played in Los Angeles.
The Raiders took a 10-3 lead into halftime thanks to 9-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo to Meyers. Las Vegas had a chance for even bigger lead after linebacker Spillane's interception in the second quarter gave the Raiders possession at the Green Bay 7, but settled for a short field goal.
That kind of start was nothing new for the Packers, who have scored six first-half points in their past three games. They overcame a 17-0 deficit at the break two weeks ago to beat the New Orleans Saints, and last week outscored the Detroit Lions 17-7 in the second half but still lost by two touchdowns.
And, right on cue, the Packers opened the second half with Rudy Ford's interception of Garoppolo. That led to AJ Dillon's 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game.
Later in the third quarter, Green Bay failed to take advantage of a short field. Love found Christian Watson without a defender within about 10 yards of him. The 77-yard completion — and a horse-collar tackle penalty — put the Packers at the 3. But Green Bay had to settle for a chip-shot field goal to go ahead 13-10.
The lead didn't hold up long. Josh Jacobs' 2-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter put Las Vegas back in front.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS LIGHT TORCH
The Vegas Golden Knights, with the Stanley Cup in tow, lit the Al Davis memorial torch before the game. They drew a loud ovation from the crowd, which chanted “Go Knights Go.”
The Knights will raise their championship banner Tuesday night before facing the Seattle Kraken in the season opener.
INJURIES
Green Bay got a boost when CB Jaire Alexander started after missing the previous two games with a back injury. ... Packers LB Quay Walker (knee) and S Darnell Savage (calf) were injured in the second quarter. ... The Raiders entered the game thin at cornerback with Nate Hobbs (ankle) and Jakorian Bennett (hamstring) not playing.
UP NEXT
Packers: After a bye, play at Denver on Oct. 22.
Raiders: Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels goes against his old boss for the second season in a row when Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots visit on Sunday.
