Wisconsin 27, (9) Iowa 7: 2-minute drill
MADISON -- Quarterback Graham Mertz scored twice and Wisconsin's defense suffocated No. 9 Iowa in a 27-7 win for the Badgers on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
Game Balls
Offense: Braelon Allen
The Badgers have won four straight games and Allen has run for 100 yards in four consecutive games. That might just be a coincidence, but it shows Wisconsin has gotten back to what it is as a team.
“Running the ball is really our identity,” Allen said. “When you think of Wisconsin, you think of powerful ball, good o-line, good running backs, just pounding the rock. And once we get back to that, like we have been, we start to win games.”
https://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork/status/1454488390561189891?s=20
Allen ran for 104 yards on 20 carries and is now averaging 120.8 yards per game since becoming a significant part of the offense.
“Winning is everything for me,” Allen said. “And as long as I can do my part, and to help our team win, no matter if that is 20 yards, or 100 yards or 200 yards, I'm all for it. But for four in a row, it is pretty cool. But it is also four wins in a row, so it’s good for me.
Defense: Nick Herbig
Wisconsin’s defense ruled the day and Herbig was a big reason. The outside linebacker played in Iowa’s backfield much of the afternoon. It started early with the sophomore coming off the edge and knocking the ball loose from quarterback Spencer Petras in the second quarter. The Badgers were able to recover it, one of three turnovers by Hawkeyes on the day.
"My coach always talks about going for the ball every time we come around the edge,” Herbig said. “We want strip-sacks, not just sacks, so I saw the opportunity and I just took it.”
https://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork/status/1454506351179313163?s=20
Herbig would add another 1.5 sacks, finishing with six tackles. 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in what was his signature game of the season. He has piled up six sacks on the year, which now leads the team, and he is part of a defense that has held its last three Big Ten opponents to an average of 151.7 yards per game.
“Nick is a huge energy guy for us, for the team,” outside linebacker Noah Burks said. “He’s stepped up so much as a vocal leader. People really feel his energy and passion that he brings. Obviously, on the field, his pass rush and all the plays that he makes, he’s just a playmaker. That’s what you need, especially within this defense. This team, we call his number a lot, so we expect a lot out of him, and he delivers for us.”
They Said It
“If you talk to Nick, he’s wired different. I talked to him, and he told me how every rep, if he loses, he feels like he’s losing at life. And to an extent, OK, but he’s a little crazy. Even if he loses a rep in practice, he gets mad at himself. But I feel like it brings out the best in him. He’s a different type of breed.”
-- Nose tackle Keeanu Benton on what OLB Nick Herbig brings to the team
“Especially early in the year, I would come to this podium after the games, I'd be like, I know the type of team that we have. Everyone wants to laugh at us and say Wisconsin's not a good team this year, all this and that. And it was every time I came here, and I said, ‘No, I know the type of team that we have.’
I'm happy that we came out here, all three units -- offense, defense, special teams -- and proved to everyone that I was right and that what I was saying was true. Because I knew all along the type of team that we had and when we played together, when we played good football, these are the type of results that we expect.”
-- Linebacker Jack Sanborn on overcoming a 1-3 start to win four straight games
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In Case You Missed It
-- Former Wisconsin fullback Alec Ingold served as the honorary captain. His NFL team, the Las Vegas Raiders, are on a bye this week.
-- Wisconsin’s starting left guard Josh Seltzner was held out of the game with an injury. Sophomore Michael Furtney got the start in his place.
-- Wisconsin tight end Clay Cundiff suffered an ugly looking leg injury in the third quarter. The sophomore was eventually put into an ambulance and taken to a local hospital. UW updated his status in a statement Saturday night.
https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1454590871861612546
-- Three starters on defense were injured in the game. Linebacker Jack Sanborn (arm), defensive lineman Keeanu Benton (ankle) and safety Collin Wilder (leg) all missed time but were able to return to the game.
https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1454554443056357377
-- What started out as a Halloween costume turned into the latest turnover prop in college football. Playing off the grittiness of the program, Wilder determined he was going to be a mechanic from The Grit Factory as his costume. He found a hat a local store and later wrote "The Grit Factory" in sharpie on the hat. He wore it to the team hotel Friday night, and everyone liked it. Even coach Paul Chryst.
“I got on the bus, and I had it on and I'm like, ‘Hey, coach, this isn’t team issued. What do you think?’ And he's like, ‘love it,’ gave me some knucks,” Wilder said. “I was like, all right, I guess I can wear it.”
https://twitter.com/BadgerFootball/status/1454498194767945736
A strength and conditioning coach brought it to the sideline and when the first of three turnovers happened, the hat found its way to the players involved. Expect that to continue the rest of the way.
“Yes, it’s sacred now,” Wilder said. “I don’t even think I can wear that for Halloween (Saturday night). I think I have to keep it safe in the locker room.”
Inside the Numbers
0 – That is how many turnovers Wisconsin had. It snapped a streak of 12 straight games that the Badgers had given the ball up at least once. After being -11 in turnovers the first six games, Wisconsin is +6 in its last two. The average margin of victory in those games has been 18.5 points.
6 – That is how many sacks Wisconsin had. It was the second straight week the Badgers had six sacks and it is the third game this season they have reached that number.
5 – That is how many red zone scores Wisconsin had in its six trips inside the 20-yard line. It included three touchdowns, though the Badgers were also stopped inside the 5-yard line after a turnover. Kicker Colin Larsh is now 12-for-14 on the season after going 2-for-2 on the day.
29 – That was how many straight games Iowa had held teams to 24 points or less coming in. Wisconsin snapped that with 27 points.
8 – That is how many wins Wisconsin has over Iowa in the last 10 matchups. The Badgers now lead the overall series by five games.
3 – That is how many Big Ten wins Wisconsin has. It leaves them 3-2 in conference play and a game back of 4-1 Minnesota. The Badgers and Gophers play in the regular season finale in Minneapolis.
What’s Next
Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2) heads to New Jersey to face Rutgers (4-4, 1-4) next Saturday at 2 p.m.
Packers: TE Robert Tonyan, RB Kylin Hill done for the season with knee injuries
Injuries continue to ravage the Green Bay Packers.
The latest is a pair of season-ending knee injuries for tight end Robert Tonyan and running back Kylin Hill.
According to Tonyan's agent Jack Bechta, the former undrafted free agent suffered a torn ACL at the end of a 33-yard catch and run in Thursday's win over Arizona.
https://twitter.com/jackbechta/status/1454137818003935239
Coach Matt LaFleur wouldn't comment on the severity after the game, but was emotional in talking about the impact Tonyan has on the offense and the team.
"I'm sick for Bobby. He means so much to this team," LaFleur said. "I am sick for him. I am sick for us. Just my heart goes out to him."
Tonyan had a breakout season in 2020, catching 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. His numbers were down this season, but it appeared he was starting to round into shape. He had four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown last week against Washington and had three catches for 49 yards against the Cardinals before going down.
Hill was injured on a kickoff in the third quarter when he and Jonathan Ward collided. Both players were carted off the field. The rookie running back was used mostly as Green Bay's kick returner this season.
Preview and Predictions: Wisconsin vs (9) Iowa
THE BASICS
The teams: The Wisconsin Badgers (4-3, 2-2) vs the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1, 3-1)
The time: 11 a.m. CDT, Saturday
The place: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wis.
The TV coverage: ESPN with Bob Wischusen and Dan Orlovsky in the booth, and Kris Budden on the sideline.
The last time: Spencer Petras threw for two scores and Tyler Goodson ran for 106 yards and a touchdown in a 28-7 Iowa win last December.
The series: Wisconsin 48-44-2
The line: Wisconsin -3.5
INJURY REPORT
QUESTIONABLE
TE Clay Cundiff
TE Jack Eschenbach
OLB Spencer Lytle
ILB Mike Maskalunas
CB Alexander Smith
ILB Jordan Turner
OUT
TE Cam Large
TE Hayden Rucci
OLB Aaron Witt
THE BREAKDOWN: 4 THINGS TO WATCH
1) Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
These two squads are largely the same teams. Questions in the passing game, talented running backs and stout defenses. The one significant difference – and largely the reason one team is 6-1 and the other is 4-3 – is turnovers. Iowa does not turn the ball over and its defense causes a bunch of them, while Wisconsin’s offense has turned the ball over at an alarming rate and the defense has not forced enough. The Hawkeyes rank third in the country in turnover margin and the Badgers are tied for 124th.
Now, both teams flipped the script a bit in their last games. Iowa became Wisconsin in a loss to Purdue (four turnovers, one forced), while the Badgers became the Hawkeyes in a win over the Boilermakers (two turnovers, five forced). Is that anything more than a blip on a season-long radar? Saturday will likely tell us and potentially decide the outcome.
2) Two-headed monster
After two strong weeks against Illinois and Army, everyone wanted to see if the Badgers could run the ball against a Purdue defense that limited Iowa to 2.5 yards per carry a week earlier. Well, 290 yards and three touchdowns later everyone had their answer. Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen have become the 1-2 punch Wisconsin had been looking for this season. Allen has run for at least 100 yards in each of the last three games, while Mellusi has topped 100 yards in two of the last three.
But Iowa should prove to be the stiffest challenge the line, the tight ends and the running backs have faced perhaps all season. The Hawkeyes come in giving up 89.9 yards per game on the ground, the sixth-best mark in the country.
In Wisconsin’s four-game winning streak over Iowa from 2016-2019, the Badgers ran for at least 210 yards in three of them. With the team’s suspect passing game, it seems like almost a necessity for them to get close to or top 200 yards on the ground to win.
3) Mertz make plays?
It is probably enough to ask Graham Mertz to just not make any back breaking mistakes against an opportunistic Iowa defense, but this also feels like a game where he is going to have to make a throw or two for the Badgers to come out on top. Is he capable of doing both – no turnovers and complete some passes in a big game? It has not been the case for much of the season (two touchdowns, seven interceptions) and it becomes even more difficult against a ball-hawking Iowa defense that leads the country in interceptions.
Paul Chryst is going to have a decision to make: Use Mertz as a handoff machine like he was against Purdue (eight pass attempts), lean on the defense and hope it is enough. Or, use Mertz as a handoff machine but work in some short to intermediate throws to keep Iowa off balance, pray he does not turn the ball over, lean on the defense and hope it is enough. If last week is any indication, expect the former on Saturday.
4) Limit the big play
Iowa is not going to effectively move the ball against Wisconsin. Barely any team has this season against a Badgers defense that ranks first nationally in rushing yards allowed, 10th in passing yards allowed and second in total yards allowed. From a purely statistical point of view, the Hawkeyes offense is the worst Wisconsin has faced this season.
What Iowa has been good at, though, is taking advantage of short fields off turnovers and occasionally hitting on big plays in the pass game. The Hawkeyes have six receptions of 40 or more yards this season and Wisconsin’s defense was susceptible to throws down the field earlier in the season.
With what the Badgers pass rush has done of late, including six sacks last week against Purdue, will quarterback Spencer Petras have time to take those shots? For Iowa to succeed, he better, because it is the only way the Hawkeyes are going to have success against what might be the best Wisconsin defense of the 3-4 era.
NUMBERS TO CONSIDER
-- Wisconsin has allowed 129 points this season. According to CBSSports’ Tom Fornelli, 65 of those points have come as a result of turnovers by the offense. That number includes three interceptions returned for touchdowns, a fumble returned for a score and a kick return for a touchdown.
-- According to The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman, thanks to the turnovers forced by Iowa’s defense, the offense’s average starting position is the 39-yard line. That is the best mark in college football. The Hawkeyes opponents are starting at the 24-yard line on average, which is also the best in college football.
-- Wisconsin knocked off No. 25 Purdue last week, snapping an eight-game losing streak to ranked teams. The Badgers have not beaten ranked teams in back-to-back weeks since taking down No. 25 Iowa and No. 19 Michigan in November of 2017. This year’s Hawkeyes come in ranked No. 9. In Chryst’s seven years as coach, Wisconsin is 4-9 against top 10 teams, including 1-6 in the last seven games.
-- Iowa's defense leads in the country in interceptions (16) and cornerback Riley Moss has four of them. However, the senior will miss the game with a knee injury suffered in a win over Penn State three weeks ago.
ZONE PREDICTIONS
Zach Heilprin's (4-3, 3-4 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 20, Iowa 17
Ebo's (4-3, 2-5 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 13, Iowa 10
Nelson Raisbeck's (3-4, 1-6 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 14, Iowa 13
RJ Brachman's (5-2, 2-4 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 17, Iowa 13
Ben Kenney's (4-3, 3-4 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 17, Iowa 9
Packers 24, Cardinals 21: 2-minute drill
Playing without some of their best players on a short week against the only unbeaten team left in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers put together one of the best efforts of the Matt LaFleur era in a 24-21 win at Arizona on Thursday night.
Game Balls
Offense: Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon
With Green Bay missing its top three wide receivers, the running backs were going to play a crucial role and they did. The duo combined for 137 yards on the ground (4.4 yards per carry) and Jones added another 51 yards on seven catches.
“That was the key. That was definitely the key,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said of the run game. “That's what we wanted to do coming in. (We) felt like we could run the ball against them. I thought both guys ran the ball well.”
It was bully ball on the Packers first touchdown drive of the game, with Dillon running through a guy on fourth-and-1 to extend the possession. Then Jones finished it off by putting his head down against linebacker Isaiah Simmons, driving his feet and just barely getting over the goal line for the touchdown.
https://twitter.com/packers/status/1453892622620233731
Jones had what appeared to be the game-clinching touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but officials overturned it on replay. Still, the Packers got exactly what they needed from Dillon and Jones to get the win.
Defense: Rasul Douglas
Four weeks ago, Douglas was on Arizona’s practice squad. The Cardinals could have promoted him to the active roster when the Packers tried to claim him, but they didn’t. It seems possible they were regretting that decision late Thursday night when the veteran intercepted quarterback Kyler Murray in the end zone for what proved to be the dagger in Arizona’s push for a perfect season.
“That’s probably the first time I’ve won a game like that,” Douglas said. “So, it was a shocking feeling like, oh, snap, we just won off of that play.”
https://twitter.com/packers/status/1453928349550714884
What Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury called a miscommunication between Murray and wide receiver AJ Green turned into the biggest defensive play of the season to this point for the Packers and it set off a raucous celebration on the field, among the Packers fans at the game and eventually the locker room.
"It was a special moment right there when we made that pick," coach Matt LaFleur said. "Just to see the celebration not only on the sidelines, but in the stands, it's something I won't ever forget."
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Rodgers was asked about this play after the game and whether he should have tried to slide instead of taking that shot.
“Hell no. Every now and then you got to put your head down. Maybe I wish I would have had a juke in the old bag, but I felt like things were collapsing and I needed to tuck that thing and put my shoulder down.”
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In Case You Missed It
-- Running back Kylin Hill left the game with a knee injury after taking a nasty hit on a kickoff in the third quarter. He did not return.
-- Defensive lineman Kingsley Keke was knocked from the game in the first half with a concussion.
-- Tight end Robert Tonyan had a 33-yard catch and run in the third quarter but went down clutching his left knee at the end of the play. He did not return. Coach Matt LaFleur did not have an update on the severity of the injury but got emotional talking about it in the post-game press conference.
“I am sick for him," LaFleur said. "I’m sick for us. My heart goes out to him.”
-- Green Bay played without the services of defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who was forced to miss the game due to a positive COVID-19 test. Defensive backs coach Jerry Gray handled the play calling duties with help from inside linebackers coach Mark Olivadotti. The duo helped in limiting Arizona to just 21 points, its second fewest in a game this season.
-- The Packers had first-and-goal four times in the game but managed to get into the end zone just twice. LaFleur pointed the finger at himself for not capitalizing on the opportunities.
"Those two redzone trips kind of eat at me. You've got to come away with more points than that. When you don't it's disappointing and it almost cost us. I told the group in (the locker room) like, 'Hey, man, I tried to screw it up for you guys but you wouldn't allow it.' That's a credit to everybody in that locker room."
-- Arizona All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was questionable to play due to a hamstring injury but was active. He caught a 55-yard pass in the first quarter but reaggravated the injury. He would end up playing just one more series in the game.
-- On Rodgers first touchdown to Randall Cobb he took a late shot from defensive lineman Jordan Phillips. It was so vicious it nearly took Rodgers’ helmet right off. The cameras caught the quarterback’s reaction while on the ground and it soon went viral. He was well aware of it in his press conference.
https://twitter.com/mattschneidman/status/1453944528121913344
https://twitter.com/AaronRodgers12/status/1453964735515283460
Inside the Numbers
1934 – That is the last time the Packers beat a team that was 7-0
33-7 – That is Matt LaFleur’s record as Green Bay’s coach. That is the most wins by any coach through his first 40 games in NFL history.
7 – That is how many starters the Packers were missing, including All-Pros in wide receiver Davante Adams, left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander.
10 – That is how many games Rodgers has won in a row in primetime. The 2020 NFL MVP threw for 184 yards and two scores. Since tossing zero touchdowns and two interceptions in Week 1, Rodgers has now thrown 17 touchdowns and one interception in the team's seven-game winning streak.
2 – That is how many touchdowns Randall Cobb caught. It was his second multi-touchdown game this season.
7 – That is how many different players caught a pass in the game. That included the first career catch for wide Juwann Winfree, who was called up from the practice squad earlier in the day. He ended up with four grabs for 30 yards.
3 – That is how many turnovers the Packers forced. They turned two of them into 10 points, while the third clinched the game.
37:35 – That is the Packers time of possession in the game. It was the most they have had the ball in a road game since the 2019 season opener at Minnesota.
7 -- That is Green Bay's current winning streak. It is the Packers longest regular-season winning streak since running off eight straight in the final two games of 2014 and the first six of 2015.
What’s Next
Green Bay (7-1) will enjoy a few days off and then get back to work in preparing to head to Kansas City (3-4) next Sunday.
The Camp: Oct. 28, 2021
The Badgers will welcome the Hawkeyes to town on Saturday. The guys breakdown the game and get some perspective from the Iowa side of things with The Athletic's Scott Dochterman. They also discuss the recent influx of Wisconsin players into the transfer portal and make their picks for the weekend's biggest games.
Two more Wisconsin players enter transfer portal
Wisconsin has lost two more players to the transfer portal.
Cornerback Donte Burton and fullback Quan Easterling became the latest to leave midseason.
With seniors Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams, along with sophomore Dean Engram, playing well, snaps were difficult to come by for Burton. A redshirt junior, Burton had played in just three games this season. He had four tackles, .5 tackle for loss and one interception. For his career, the cornerback played in 20 games for the Badgers and finished with 26 tackles, one tackle for loss and four passes defended.
A redshirt sophomore, Easterling played in just two games in his career, including one this season.
Those two join wide receiver Devin Chandler and offensive lineman Kayden Lyles in going into the transfer portal in the last two weeks. Three other players -- running backs Jalen Berger, Antwan Roberts and Loyal Crawford -- are also in the portal, though two of them were dismissed from the team and the other had been suspended indefinitely.
https://twitter.com/RivalsPortal/status/1453762949017911297
Brewers GM Matt Arnold staying in Milwaukee after being in consideration for top job with the Mets
The Milwaukee Brewers are keeping the team's front office together.
Two days after the Brewers declined the New York Mets request to talk with President of Baseball Operations David Stearns about a similar position within their organization, general manager Matt Arnold pulled his name from consideration for the job. According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, Arnold will get a contract extension to stay with Milwaukee.
https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1453421992334462985
Arnold was just promoted to general manager in November of 2020, while also keeping his title of Senior Vice President. He's been with the organization since 2015, when he started as vice president and assistant general manager.
Packers: LB Preston Smith, CB Kevin King questionable for Arizona game
The Green Bay Packers went to Arizona on Wednesday without wide receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard, as well as defensive coordinator Joe Barry.
All three absences are COVID-19 related and will keep them from taking part in Thursday's game against the Cardinals. Adams and Barry tested positive, while Lazard, who is unvaccinated, is out for being a close contact with Adams. Technically, if Adams were to test negative twice within 24 hours, he could fly to Phoenix himself on Thursday and be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. However, no one is expecting that to happen.
The potential good news from Wednesday was that Marquez Valdes-Scantling did make the trip west. The wide receiver has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury. Pro Football Focus reported that Valdes-Scantling looked good in a workout Monday and wants to play, but the Packers will play it smart with him as they've got 10 days after Thursday's game to prepare for Kansas City.
Two players -- linebacker Preston Smith and cornerback Kevin King -- are listed as questionable for Green Bay. Smith missed the first game of his career against Washington last week with an oblique injury. King has missed four games this season and left early from another with a shoulder injury that has kept him out the last two weeks. Tackle Dennis Kelly is doubtful with a back injury.
On Arizona's side of things, former Wisconsin star JJ Watt will not play due to a shoulder injury. ESPN reported late Wednesday that Watt will undergo surgery and his season is likely done. All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is one of four players listed as questionable, though he is expected to play.
Wisconsin adds former Michigan State cornerback
Wisconsin has dipped into the transfer portal to add to its defense.
Former Michigan State cornerback Kalon Gervin took to social media Tuesday to announce he is transferring to the Badgers.
https://twitter.com/KalonGervin/status/1453120103005003779
Gervin spent the last four seasons with the Spartans, playing in 23 games with nine starts. He finished his career with 44 tackles, four passes defended and one touchdown on a fumble recovery.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Gervin started two games earlier in this season for the unbeaten Spartans, but was replaced in the lineup after a tough afternoon against Miami in the middle of September. Gervin announced his decision to leave Michigan State on Sept. 26 after appearing only on special teams in a win over Nebraska.
Wisconsin is familiar with Gervin, having offered him a scholarship when he was in high school at Cass Technical in Detroit. Gervin will be allowed to play starting next fall and he's got two years of eligibility left.
https://youtu.be/klfFepr2_Kg
Packers put WR Allen Lazard on reserve/COVID-19 list
Davante Adams has company on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Green Bay announced Tuesday afternoon that wide receiver Allen Lazard had been added to the list. Players are put on the list due to a positive COVID-19 test or if they are considered a close contact of someone that tested positive. According to the NFL Network, Lazard is unvaccinated and was added to the list as a close contact of Adams. He will must sit out at least five days, meaning he will miss Thursday night's game against Arizona.
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1453100189158449154
With Lazard and Adams out, the Packers are down two of their top three wide receivers. Their other top guy, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, is still currently on injured reserve, though there is hope by the team he could be activated in time for Thursday.
The Packers only held a walk-through for practice today, but if they had practiced fully cornerback Kevin King (shoulder) and outside linebacker Preston Smith would have been limited participants. Both missed last week's win over Washington. Left tackle David Bakhtiari also continues to make his way back to football shape as his recovery from a torn ACL nears its end.
"We've been banged up this year but other teams have as well," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "We have a lot of guys who we'd love to come back this week. (Waiting until) next week (vs Kansas City) obviously gives them an extra three days. Not sure what the status of a couple of those guys is going to be -- Preston, Marquez and Dave. It would be great to get those guys back, but we've got to go with what we have on Thursday."
Lazard, one of the better blocking wide receivers in the league, had not been involved much in the passing game this year until Sunday. On a single drive against Washington he had five catches for 60 yards and grabbed his second touchdown of the season.
There was one piece of good COVID-19 news, as wide receiver Malik Taylor was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. He had been there since Oct. 15.
