The Camp: Sept. 27, 2021

Wisconsin fell apart in the fourth quarter and lost 41-13 to Notre Dame in Chicago. The guys breakdown what they saw, including the continued struggles of Graham Mertz, the overall ineptitude on offense, and another impressive effort from the defense. They also play a some 'Overreaction or No' and answer your Twitter questions. 


Packers 30, 49ers 28: 2-minute drill

Mason Crosby hit a 51-yard field goal as time expired to push Green Bay past San Francisco 30-28 on Sunday night.

Game Balls

Offense: QB Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers was good throughout the night, going 9-for-9 in the first quarter and eventually getting the Packers out to a 17-0 lead. But the 49ers fought back and eventually took a 28-27 lead with 37 seconds left. While the fans celebrated, Rodgers took the field with no timeouts and calmly led the Packers down the field with a pair of completions to Davante Adams, including one on a play they had designed just days earlier at practice.

Since his disaster start against New Orleans in Week 1, Rodgers has six touchdowns and no interceptions over the last two weeks and Green Bay has won both games.

Defense: LB De’Vondre Campbell

What an addition Campbell has been to the Packers defense. He’s been in the double digits in tackles in each of the last two games, including 11 against the 49ers. Campbell also came away with a turnover in both games as well. On Monday against the Lions, it was an interception and on Sunday he got on top of a Jimmy Garoppolo fumble late in the fourth quarter. The linebacker never comes off the field and seems to have been a steadying force in the middle of the defense.

Special Teams: K Mason Crosby

Adams said he already knew the game was over when Crosby lined up from 51 yards for the game-winning kick and he was right. The 15-year veteran split the uprights and sent the entire team into a frenzy. It was his third field goal of the night, and he has now hit 22 straight kicks.

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In Case You Missed It

-- Starting cornerback Kevin King was inactive due to a non-Covid-19 illness. Rookie Eric Stokes started in his place.

-- Yosh Nijman got his first career start at left tackle in place of the injured Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari.

-- Packers linebacker Khrys Barnes suffered a concussion in the second quarter and did not return. Ty Summers and Oren Burks each took turns as his replacement.

-- Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling was knocked from the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.

-- San Francisco scored its first points just before the half on a Trey Lance 1-yard run. On the previous play, Jimmy Garoppolo appeared to intentionally ground the ball so as to avoid a sack. The rulebook states it can’t be grounding if the quarterback starts his throwing motion before being contacted by the defensive player, but it looked like linebacker Preston Smith got to him and then he started his motion. If the penalty had been called, the 10-second runoff that comes with it would have ended the half and the Packers would have gone into the locker room leading 17-0.

https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1442307220339896320

-- There was a scary moment midway through the fourth quarter when Rodgers looked for Adams on a deep post and the wide receiver appeared to take a direct hit to the helmet from safety Jimmy Ward. No penalty was called, and Adams stayed down on the field for a few minutes. The belief was he had a head injury, but he said afterwards that he just got the wind knocked out of him. It was why he was allowed to return to the game so quickly after being checked out in the medical tent.

https://youtu.be/JGuH18epqGo

-- There was a report prior to the game that there was some friction between Packers coach Matt LaFleur and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan over the situation with Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. Both men said there was nothing to it, but the post-game handshake seemed a little cold from Shanahan’s side.

https://twitter.com/WillBrinson/status/1442331375403769860

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What They Said

“The energy in the locker room post game that felt like a win. It felt like there was such a growth moment for us and I'm really happy for the guys to feel that. It feels like, Okay, now we're on our way now. Now we can get into this, now we know how to win, and we can get this thing moving in the right direction.”

Aaron Rodgers on what the win meant for the team

“I’m different”

-- That was Adams’ answer when asked how he was able to return to the field so soon after taking a vicious shot to the head and chest in the fourth quarter.

Inside the Numbers

9 – That’s how many wins in a row Aaron Rodgers has in primetime. It’s one short of the all-time record held by Ben Roethlisberger.

23-1 – That’s Green Bay’s record under Matt LaFleur when Aaron Jones gets at least 15 touches in a game. He hit that mark against the 49ers, carrying 19 times for 82 yards and catching two more passes for 14 yards. When Jones gets less than 15 touches, the Packers are just 5-5.

12 – That’s how many catches Davante Adams had. It’s the third-most he’s had in his career. He turned those opportunities into 132 yards and a touchdown, along with two monster catches to setup the game-winning field goal.

What’s Next

The Packers (2-1) will return to Green Bay next Sunday to face the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)


Brewers beat New York, claim third NL Central title

Milwaukee clinched its second NL Central title in the last four years and its third overall with an 8-4 win Sunday against the New York Mets.

Willy Adames drove in three runs for the Crew, including a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead, one they would not relinquish. It was his 24th on the season, which is a career high for the short stop. Kolton Wong scored three times, while Lorenzo Cain went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1442202527492157440

Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta picked up the win by going 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and striking out five. Pitching for the first time in nearly a week, Devin Williams pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Josh Hader came on in the ninth to finish off the Mets.

https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1442249569434230789

The Brewers, which have won 94 games (two short of the franchise record) needed the win to clinch because the Cardinals swept Chicago and has now won 15 straight. Milwaukee will look to end that streak when the two teams open a series in St. Louis on Tuesday.


(12) Notre Dame 41, (18) Wisconsin 13: 2-minute drill

CHICAGO -- Notre Dame scored 31 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including taking two interceptions back for touchdowns, to beat Wisconsin 41-13 on Saturday afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Wisconsin Game Balls

Offense: WR Kendric Pryor

Wisconsin didn’t have much success offensively, but Pryor stood out in his opportunities. He set career-highs with six catches and 69 yards, while also adding his first receiving touchdown since the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl. The Chicago area native was targeted a career-high 16 times by quarterback Graham Mertz and would have had quite a few catches and yards if the balls were catchable.

Defense: The front seven

Wisconsin’s front seven dominated once again, sacking Notre Dame quarterbacks six times, racking up 12 tackles for loss and limiting the Irish to three yards rushing. Ten different players had at least a ½ tackle for loss, including two each for Jack Sanborn, Matt Henningsen and Nick Herbig.

Through three games, Wisconsin’s defense has given up 36 points, while the offense and special teams have given the opponent 28 points.

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What They Said

“No.”

-- Graham Mertz when asked if he was concerned about whether the Badgers could move on from him as their quarterback. The sophomore went 18-for-41 for 240 yards and four interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. He also had a fumble in the fourth quarter that led to another Notre Dame score. Since throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his first two starts, Mertz had thrown three touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the next eight.

“The alumni, the guys that have laid this program out for us to what it is today, deserve better.”

-- Safety Collin Wilder talking about the way in which the Badgers lost. He said they apologized to alumni that were in the locker room, which included Eric Burrell and Jack Cichy. Wisconsin is 1-2 for the first time since 2001. That’s also the last time they finished with a sub .500 record and missed a bowl game.

In Case You Missed It

-- Cornerback Faion Hicks and running back Isaac Guerendo left the game with injuries and did not return.

-- Former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan was knocked out of the game in the third quarter. He finished 15-for-29 for 158 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked five times.

-- Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal returned after missing the first two games following a positive COVID-19 test. He ended up leading the Badgers in tackles with eight. He also had a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

Inside the Numbers

3 – That’s how many yards rushing Notre Dame had. It’s the fewest for the Irish in a game since 2007. Wisconsin is now allowing 23 yards rushing per game.

0-7 – That’s Wisconsin’s record in its last seven games against ranked teams. The offense is averaging 11.6 points per game in those losses. Overall, the Badgers are now 10-16 against top-25 teams in Paul Chryst's tenure.

4 – That’s how many pass breakups Faion Hicks had. It’s the most by a Wisconsin player since 2017.

What’s Next

Wisconsin (1-2, 0-1) will host Michigan (3-0) at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m.


Brewers snap losing streak, drop magic number to clinch division to 2

Milwaukee snapped its five-game losing streak Friday night and moved one step closer to clinching the NL Central with a 5-1 win over the New York Mets.

Eric Lauer allowed a run in the first, but he stranded the bases loaded to get out of the inning and was lights out the rest of the way. The lefty ended up going 6 2/3 innings, allowing the one run on three hits and striking out nine. He dropped his ERA to 2.93 and improved to 7-5 on the season.

The Brewers answered the Mets first inning run with a solo home run from Kolton Wong to lead off the game. It was one of three homers on the night for the Crew, as Willy Adames hit a two-run shot in the third inning and Christian Yelich knocked one out of the park in the next at-bat. It was one of two hits for Yelich on the night, his first multi-hit game since Sept. 7. Avisaíl Garcia capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

It was just the third win in Milwaukee's last 10 games, but it did lower the club's magic number to clinch the NL Central to two. The Cardinals won their 14th straight game to keep the Brewers lead at seven games with eight to go.

Milwaukee and New York will meet again Saturday night at American Family Field.


Packers: LT Elgton Jenkins is doubtful for Sunday

It's looking more and more like the Green Bay Packers will be without their top two options at left tackle in Sunday's game at San Francisco.

With All-Pro David Bakhtiari on injured reserve as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL, the Packers used Elgton Jenkins at left tackle in the first two games of the season and he held up quite nicely. But the third-year pro suffered an ankle injury against Detroit and did not practice this week. Coach Matt LaFleur said Friday Jenkins would be listed as doubtful for the game.

"There's definitely an outside shot (he can play)," LaFleur said. "If he can come around in the next 48 hours before we kickoff, then we'd let him go."

LaFleur said they "have a plan" if Jenkins cannot go but wouldn't divulge what it entails. However, the plan likely involves moving right tackle Billy Turner to the left side and putting veteran Dennis Kelly in Turner's spot. They could also leave Turner on the right side and put Kelly in at left tackle.

Green Bay has been forced to shuffle the line in the past and had success, though having to do it against the defensive front the 49ers will throw at them Sunday night with the likes of Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and others is not ideal.

"Obviously, it's a credit to the players. Their ability to handle whatever is thrown at them regardless of the position," LaFleur said of the past success in moving guys around. "We've got a lot of young guys, but we've got a lot of veterans in there too that have played a decent amount in terms of a backup role. We feel like we've got the people to go in there and get the job done. Certainly, it's going to take our best effort because this is an elite defense. They've got all-pros really on every level, so we're going to have to be on point."


Preview: (12) Notre Dame vs (18) Wisconsin

THE BASICS

The teams: The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) vs the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)

The time: 11 a.m. CDT, Saturday

The place: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.

The TV coverage: FOX with Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt in the booth and Jenny Taft on the sideline.

The last time: Notre Dame scored a 31-7 win in Madison in 1964.

The series: Notre Dame leads 8-6-2

The line: Wisconsin -6.5

Injury report:

QUESTIONABLE
TE Jack Eschenbach
CB Faion Hicks
S Tyler Mais
S Collin Wilder

THE BREAKDOWN: 5 THINGS TO WATCH

1) Hello again

Wisconsin will see a familiar face under center for the Irish come Saturday. Jack Coan, who started 18 games for the Badgers over two seasons, transferred to Notre Dame in January and earned the starting job. Coan, as well Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst and a number of his players, downplayed the drama around the game.

"Certainly, there's a story line, but it's important that it's Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame,'' Chryst said.

That is true but you can be sure Coan is fired up inside to show his old school what it is missing. The New York product has done a decent job of doing that already in the first three games by throwing eight touchdowns and just two interceptions, as the Notre Dame offense is averaging 33.3 points per game.

The competition does take a step up this week in the form of a Badgers’ defense that ranks second in the country in yards allowed and can get after the quarterback. And while Coan is familiar with the defense having gone against it so many times in practice, the reverse is true as well.

https://youtu.be/T8tqG3Akz9w

2) Under a microscope

Coan is at Notre Dame because of Graham Mertz. After Coan broke his foot in preseason camp last year, Mertz took his starting job and proceeded to throw five touchdowns in his debut against Illinois, essentially sealing Coan’s fate even though the former 4-star recruit struggled for much of the rest of the season.

Those struggles carried over into the opener this year in an ugly 16-10 loss to Penn State and he has now thrown just one touchdown and four interceptions in his last six starts. That has left many to question whether he will reach the heights expected of him as the top-ranked quarterback recruit in Wisconsin history.

The Kansas native failed his first opportunity to prove himself in the loss to the Nittany Lions, turning the ball over three times, including twice inside the 5-yard line. He was better against Eastern Michigan, but that did not shut any of his critics up. Notre Dame, on the other hand, provides a perfect chance to silence them, especially with Coan standing on the opposite sideline. If Mertz plays well and wins, the hope for his career will be reignited among the fanbase. If Coan outplays Mertz and Wisconsin loses, the concern surrounding the quarterback and his future will only intensify.

3) Getting after the QB

Only four schools are giving up more sacks per game than Notre Dame’s 4.67. Coan has constantly been under pressure and sacked at least four times in each of the Irish’s first three games. That included six times against Toledo in which Coan lost a fumble and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. And it's not just keeping Coan upright where the Irish are struggling. They also rank 115th in the country in rushing and 122nd in yards per carry.

Those numbers are largely due to the once vaunted Notre Dame offensive line being a shell of itself to this point. Part of that is losing four guys to the NFL from last year and some of it is injuries, especially at left tackle where the group is down to its third-string option.

Now comes a Wisconsin front seven that has been dominant through two games, ranking first in the country against the rush, constantly getting pressure on the quarterback and producing four sacks.

This is one area the Badgers have a huge advantage, and it is one they must capitalize on.

https://twitter.com/BadgerFootball/status/1441175578015567873

4) Welcome back

After missing the first two games of the season due to a positive COVID-19 test, linebacker Leo Chenal returns to the middle of Wisconsin’s defense. The second-leading tackler a season ago, Chenal combines with Jack Sanborn to form one of the better inside linebacking duos in the Big Ten.

He can also be a threat in the opponent’s backfield, racking up team highs in tackles for loss (6.0) and sacks (3.0) in six games last season. The emotion, physicality, and toughness he plays with also rubs off on the rest of the unit that is looking forward to getting him back.

“Leopold's just different presence when he's out there,” defensive Matt Henningsen said. “He plays a million miles per hour every play, there is no doubt about that. He will fly around the field; he will be crazy when he is out there. He will make plays, he will fly around, he will make big hits. It is great having him behind you because you know he is going to commit and those double teams are not going to be hanging on too long, because if they hang on too long, they are going to get blown up. That's something that we're really fortunate to have back when he's on the field.”

5) Making a statement

Wisconsin has lost its last six games to ranked teams dating back to the 2019 season. Not since the Badgers went on the road to beat Minnesota in the season finale that year have they come out of a game against a ranked team with a win. Notre Dame presents that opportunity, but it also allows for even more.

With the lack of marquee games on the college football schedule this weekend, all eyes will be on Chicago. ESPN’s College GameDay is in town, as is Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff. A win over a blueblood program like the Irish might allow the narrative that Wisconsin is only a perennial top-20 team because it plays in the Big Ten West to subside at least momentarily. It is the type of a win that the Badgers need to get if they want to compete for a berth in the College Football Playoff and it’s the kind of win that has eluded Chryst to this point in his career.

In the moment, the 2016 wins over a top-5 LSU team and a top-10 Michigan State team looked like program-defining victories. But those two teams combined to go 11-13 that season. Chryst has beaten the likes of USC, Miami (x2) and Michigan (x2), but the best win in his seven years may be that Big Ten West-clinching victory against the Gophers in 2019. That is not going to make many people turn their heads when he’s also 0-7 against Ohio State and Penn State, 5-11 against higher-ranked teams and 10-15 overall in ranked matchups.

A win Saturday will not change everyone’s opinion about Wisconsin’s ability to consistently play and beat the most talented teams in the country, but it would be a good start.

KEY MATCHUP

Notre Dame WRs and TEs vs Wisconsin secondary

Wisconsin’s defense has been lights out through the first two games save for three big plays by Penn State. The plays were not the result of physical mistakes. Instead, it was mental errors that allowed the Nittany Lions to beat the Badgers deep.

Eastern Michigan did not test Wisconsin two weeks ago, but the Irish definitely will. Coan has six completions of 30 or more yards and two hits of 50 or more yards this season. Notre Dame’s top two wide receivers – Kevin Austin Jr. and Avery Davis – are averaging 18.9 yards per reception on their 16 combined catches.

Tight end Michael Mayer was held in check against Purdue last week, but he put on a show in the first two games. The sophomore caught 16 passes and three touchdowns, including a 41-yarder in the opener against Florida State.

With points likely to be at a premium for both sides, the Badgers can’t give up the same game-changing big plays they allowed against Penn State.

NUMBERS TO CONSIDER

-- Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton has three interceptions this season, tied for the most of anybody in the country. A second-team AP All American last year, Hamilton can turn a game on its head and Wisconsin coaches on both sides of the ball are very aware of it.

“Everything that he’s generating as far as buzz around him is earned,” UW defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. “It’s fun to watch a guy like that play. Very instinctual on the back end, which is half of the battle. It is cool to watch. I hope he doesn’t make any plays this week, but there’s a high likelihood that he’s going to be somewhere around the football.”

-- Much of the focus this week has been on how Notre Dame will handle the Wisconsin pass rush, but the Irish are going to present problems of their own for the Badgers offensive line. Notre Dame ranks fifth in the country in sacks (13) and will be a big test for a Wisconsin line that struggled to protect Mertz against Penn State.

-- Coan starts for Notre Dame, but it is likely the Badgers will see Tyler Buchner in the backfield quite a bit, assuming he’s recovered from a hamstring injury that limited him last week. Buchner has the ability to throw the ball (3-for-4, 78 yards, one TD), but the Irish really like to use him in the run game (10 carries, 92 yards).

ZONE PREDICTIONS

Zach Heilprin's (1-1, 1-1 ATS) prediction: Notre Dame 24, Wisconsin 14
Ebo's (1-1, 1-1 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 27, Notre Dame 17
Nelson Raisbeck's (1-1, 1-1 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 31, Notre Dame 17
RJ Brachman's (1-1, 0-2 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 24, Notre Dame 20
Ben Kenney's (1-1, 1-1 ATS) prediction: Wisconsin 21, Notre Dame 16


The Camp: Sept. 23, 2021

The Badgers are getting ready to head to Chicago to face Notre Dame. Zach and Jesse breakdown the game, talk about what a win would mean for Wisconsin's program, play some Fact or Fiction and give their game predictions. 


Brewers blow 5-0 lead to St. Louis, lose 5th straight game

The Milwaukee Brewers late-season skid continued Thursday in an 8-5 loss to St. Louis as the Cardinals finished off a four-game sweep.

The Crew led 5-0 after four innings thanks to a pair of home runs from Tyrone Taylor. He hit a grand slam in the first inning off Adam Wainwright and added a solo shot of the St. Louis starter in the fourth inning. The lead was still 5-1 after six innings before things fell apart in the seventh.

After striking out the first batter, Jake Cousins gave up a single and then issued walks to the next two hitters. That was it for Cousins, who was replaced by Brad Boxberger. He allowed a run on a fielder’s choice to make it a 5-2 game and then gave up another run on an errant pickoff attempt at first. Paul Goldschmidt would follow with a two-run homer to tie the game.

Things did not get better in the eighth and ninth innings, with Aaron Ashby giving up three runs, including another Goldschmidt home run.

Milwaukee's offense produced some opportunities outside of Taylor's heroics, including loading the bases in the fifth inning with one out. But Eduardo Escobar flied out to right field and Luis Urias grounded out to third base, keeping the Brewers from adding any more runs to their lead.

The collapse was just the latest disaster since sweeping Cleveland 11 days ago. Since then, the Brewers have lost seven of their last nine games and been swept twice, while the Cardinals have won 12 in a row. Milwaukee's lead in the NL Central stands at 7.5 with nine games to play, including three more against St. Louis next week.

Milwaukee will welcome in the New York Mets for a weekend series starting Friday, while the Cardinals head to Chicago to face the Cubs.


Brewers skid continues in blowout loss to St. Louis

Milwaukee is almost certainly going to win the NL Central, but the Brewers are not even close to playing the best baseball of the teams that make up the division. That distinction belongs to St. Louis, which hammered the Crew 10-2 Wednesday night to earn its 11th straight win.

In his first game off the injured list, Brett Anderson got lit up by the Cardinals. He served up a two-run homer to Tyler O'Neill in the first inning and gave up four more in the second, though none of those were earned thanks to some shoddy defense. Anderson was pulled with two outs in the second, his shortest start in which he was not removed due to injury since May 6, 2017.

The bullpen was not much better, allowing the Cardinals to tack on four more runs. That included Hunter Strickland giving up a two-run homer in the eighth inning to Paul Goldschmidt.

As it has for much of Milwaukee's slump, the offense was nowhere to be found. Miles Mikolas was a big reason for that. He went seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out three. The righty improved to 2-2 on the season.

A double from Omar Narvaez and solo home run from Avisaíl Garcia proved to be the only offense the Brewers could muster. The top of their lineup -- Kolton Wong, Eduardo Escobar and Christian Yelich -- went a combined 0-for-11 as Milwaukee lost for a fourth straight time and its sixth loss in the last eight games.

The Brewers lead in the division stands at 8.5 over the Cardinals with 10 games to play, leaving the Crew's magic number at three.

The two teams will face each other four times over the final week and a half of the season, including the series finale Thursday afternoon at American Family Field.