Tag: wisconsin

Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Wisconsin Badgers football helmet on the sidelines during the game against the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Jack Pugh, who walked way from college football, dies

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Wisconsin tight end Jack Pugh, who cited his mental health when he retired from football in 2023, has died.

The Badgers announced his passing on Tuesday via social media.

“The Wisconsin Athletics family is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Pugh,” the program said in a statement. “Jack was a positive light and brought a genuine spirit to our football program. More than that, he cared about people and was loved by his teammates and staff. Jack proudly earned his degree from UW-Madison in 2025 and will forever be remembered and loved.”

247Sports ranked Pugh as a four-star recruit from Hilliard Bradley High School in Ohio in the Class of 2021. He concentrated on basketball in his first two years of high school, then joined the football team as a junior and had offers from throughout the Big Ten and beyond.

He enrolled at Wisconsin in January 2021 and spent three seasons as a member of the Badgers. He redshirted in 2021, appeared in one game in 2022 and took the 2023 season off for personal reasons. He announced his retirement from football in 2023 with an Instagram post.

“My physical health was not near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up. Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness.

“In no way was football the root of these problems, but everything in my life had distracted me for so long to the point I didn’t want to be alive for years.

“I never had prioritized my mental health all along, digging a deeper darker hole. I want to thank the amazing Coaches, Teammates, Friends and Family @badgerfootball has provided me with over the years for helping me find a life I’m happy and proud of, and to finally create a relationship with God. I’ll never forget the memories. Love y’all.”

His cause of death was not released. Pugh was born in 2001.

–Field Level Media

Minnesota retains Paul Bunyan’s Axe in the snow against Wisconsin

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Darius Taylor had 19 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown as Minnesota held on for a 17-7 win over Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Drake Lindsey completed 18 of 24 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown on a snow-covered field for Minnesota (7-5, 5-4). Jameson Geers had a touchdown reception.

Hunter Simmons completed 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards but threw two interceptions for Wisconsin (4-8, 2-7). Vinny Anthony II caught four passes for 92 yards to lead all receivers.

Minnesota beat its border rival for the fourth time in the past five seasons. The Golden Gophers gathered on the field to lift Paul Bunyan’s Axe, the ceremonial trophy that goes to the winner of the game each season.

After a scoreless first quarter, Minnesota grabbed a 3-0 lead with 6:32 to go in the first half when Brady Denaburg made a 33-yard field goal.

Minnesota increased its lead to 10-0 with 2:45 left in the half. Taylor found an opening to his right and broke free for a 49-yard rushing touchdown.

The play marked Taylor’s 20th career touchdown with Minnesota, including his 18th on the ground. The standout junior rushed for a touchdown for the second game in a row.

Wisconsin cut the deficit to 10-7 with 27 seconds remaining before halftime. Carter Smith tossed a pass to the right sideline for Jackson Acker, who tapped his toes just inside the edge of the end zone for the 1-yard touchdown reception.

The Golden Gophers moved ahead 17-7 with 5:04 to go in the third quarter. After John Nestor picked off a Simmons pass and returned it 68 yards into the red zone, Lindsey lobbed a pass over the middle to Geers for the 13-yard touchdown.

Geers celebrated by making a snow angel in the back of the end zone.

Neither team moved the ball easily in tough weather conditions. Wisconsin finished with a 268-218 advantage in total yards, but the Badgers committed three turnovers while Minnesota committed none.

–Field Level Media

Darrion Dupree leads Wisconsin to upset of No. 21 Illinois

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Darrion Dupree ran for two touchdowns, including an 84-yarder, to pace host Wisconsin to a 27-10 upset of No. 21 Illinois in a Big Ten matchup Saturday night in Madison, Wis.

Dupree, who entered with 181 yards rushing on the season, added a 4-yard scoring run to put Wisconsin up 24-10 with 8:16 remaining.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was sacked on fourth-and-5 on the ensuing possession. Wisconsin converted the stop into Nathanial Vakos’ 32-yard field goal to make it 27-10.

Dupree, whose longest run this season had been 17 yards in a season-high 52-yard effort against Maryland in the fourth game, finished with 131 yards on 17 carries for Wisconsin (4-7, 2-6 Big Ten).

Altmyer completed 21 of 35 passes for 248 yards, but Illinois (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) managed just 50 yards on the ground.

Dupree, who missed two games after injuring his knee in early October, put the Badgers up 17-7 with his long run with 9:40 left in the third quarter.

On second-and-10 from the Wisconsin 16, Dupree went off the right side, stepped through a tackle at the second level and had no defender between him and the goal line.

David Olano’s 24-yard field goal brought Illinois within 17-10 entering the final period.

Illinois punter Keelan Crimmins was tackled for a 14-yard loss following a bad snap, with Wisconsin taking over at the Illini 14. Four plays later, Dupree scored from 4 yards out to make it 24-10.

Vakos put the Badgers up 10-7 with a 47-yard field goal with 14 seconds left in the half.

Illinois tied it 7-all on a 12-yard touchdown keeper by Altmyer. Hank Beatty’s 28-yard punt return set up the 55-yard scoring drive.

Wisconsin took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Vinny Anthony scored on a 6-yard end-around to cap a 16-play, 80-yard drive.

Illinois drove to the Wisconsin 17 on the ensuing possession, only to be set back by a 15-yard penalty. Olano’s 37-yard field goal attempt was wide left.

–Field Level Media

Bret Bielema returns to Wisconsin as Illinois eyes 3rd straight win

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Illinois will be looking for its third consecutive victory when it travels to face reeling Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup Saturday in Madison, Wis.

No. 21 Illinois (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) is coming off a 24-6 win at home over Maryland behind two touchdown passes by Luke Altmyer. The Illini have won two straight after back-to-back losses knocked them out the playoff picture.

Wisconsin (3-7, 1-6) lost 31-7 at No. 2 Indiana after trailing just 10-7 at halftime. The Badgers are 1-7 since opening with a pair of nondescript victories over Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee.

Illinois coach Bret Bielema was the head coach at Wisconsin from 2006-2012, posting a 68-24 record and leading the Badgers to three Big Ten titles. Even with a stint at Arkansas in between Wisconsin and Illinois, the connection still is a topic for discussion.

“I think it goes back to when I was at Wisconsin as a defensive coordinator and I went to Iowa for the first time,” Bielema said. “Everybody made it about that, and I quickly realized that the only time that really matters is after the game.”

Illinois averages 32.2 points per game and 386.1 yards per game, including 245.7 through the air.

Altmyer has completed 195 of 282 passes (69.1%) with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. Hank Beatty is the top target with 54 catches for 758 yards and three touchdowns.

Wisconsin has scored just 27 points in its last five games, nearly half of those coming in a 13-10 win over Washington.

True freshman quarterback Carter Smith made his first career start against Indiana, completing 9 of 15 passes for 98 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The Badgers were outgained 388-168 and were just 2-of-11 on third-down conversions.

“Obviously, losing is always difficult, but I just think the way that we played in the first half and then the way that we played the second half, it was hard,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said Monday.

“It was disappointing, and I wanted to make sure our guys understood that and knew that there is no silver lining in the fact that you played well in the first half, but didn’t come out the second half.”

Wisconsin is averaging just 12.0 points and 246.8 yards per game, both last among Big Ten teams by a wide margin.

–Field Level Media

No. 2 Indiana braces for Badgers after close call at Penn State

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Indiana realized that remaining at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff ranking was likely after rallying to win at Penn State last week while Ohio State rolled to keep wraps on the No. 1 spot.

That hasn’t kept the Hoosiers from aspiring to keep climbing in other areas as they prepare for Saturday’s home finale against Wisconsin.

“The team has always, like I said, been about pushing one another,” Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy said. “I could definitely feel it. We try not to let it get into our heads too much, because of course we’ve got to go ahead and finish the year, which is the target to the national championship. But we definitely feel that, and we appreciate it.”

Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) solidified its hold on a first-round CFP bye with a 27-24 win at Penn State, highlighted by Omar Cooper Jr.’s acrobatic touchdown catch in the back of the end zone on a pass from Fernando Mendoza.

The Hoosiers, who appear on a collision course with Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, have won just two games by single digits this season.

To Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, that goes with the territory of being a power for the second straight season.

“We’re not sneaking up on anyone anymore,” Cignetti said. “We got Iowa’s best shot at Iowa. We got Penn State’s best shot at Penn State. Oregon was obviously a big game on the road, and we’ll get Wisconsin’s best shot. So, we’ve got to have a good week of preparation.”

Wisconsin (3-6, 1-5) stopped a 10-game conference losing streak dating to last season with last week’s narrow home victory against then-No. 23 Washington.

Freshmen linebackers Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa were on the spot for the Badgers, continuing a recent trend. Catalano (27) and Posa (24) have collected the most total tackles for the team over the past two games since entering the starting lineup.

Badgers coach Luke Fickell especially lauded Posa’s “competitive spirit” and its impact on a 13-10 win against Washington, including a forced and recovered fumble that put Wisconsin in position for its lone touchdown.

“There’s guys that work hard and those guys, when the ball goes down, just have this competitive nature to them that continue to rise to what they do,” Fickell said. “And I think that’s just where he is. … He’s just a guy that has a lot of confidence in what he does.”

Wisconsin also may rely on a freshman to lead a fledgling attack. Punter Sean West finished as the Badgers’ leading passer against Washington, as freshman Carter Smith went 3-for-12 for eight yards in relief of injured starting quarterback Danny O’Neil.

Smith or Hunter Simmons appears likely to get the start under center.

“Either way, we know we got to be able to throw the ball down the field,” Fickell said. “We know we’ve got to be able to do the things that whether Carter or Hunter can do, but the things that we need to do to make sure that we’re not just completely one-dimensional. So we got a lot of work to do.”

Indiana has won two straight in the series on the heels of Wisconsin’s 10-game winning streak from 2005-17.

–Field Level Media

Wisconsin upsets No. 23 Washington to snap 6-game skid

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Freshman quarterback Carter Smith came off the bench to run for one touchdown and direct a second-half comeback as host Wisconsin snapped a six-game losing streak with a 13-10 upset of No. 23 Washington in a snowy Big Ten matchup on Saturday.

Smith, making his debut after starter Danny O’Neil was injured in the first quarter, completed just 3 of 12 passes for eight yards, but ran for 47 yards on 15 carries.

Wisconsin (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) tied it 10-10 with 6:26 left in the third quarter after recovering a fumble by Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. on a strip sack at the Huskies’ 7-yard line. Smith tied it with a 2-yard keeper off the left side.

Washington (6-3, 3-3) lost 20 yards on its next possession with a sack and three penalties, and a 12-yard punt return gave Wisconsin the ball at the Huskies’ 36. Nathanial Vakos converted the short field into a 32-yard field goal and a 13-10 lead with 1:58 left in the third quarter.

Wisconsin preserved the lead by blocking Grady Gross’s 50-yard field goal attempt with just under 11 minutes remaining.

The Huskies got the ball back after a punt at their own 13-yard line with 3:03 left, but Williams was stopped for a loss on fourth-and-6 from the Washington 41 with just over a minute remaining.

Williams completed 20 of 32 passes for 134 yards with one touchdown and one interception and ran for a team-high 61 yards.

Washington went in front 10-3 after getting the ball at the Wisconsin 1-yard line on a blocked punt. Williams hit Denzel Boston with a 1-yard scoring pass with 7:44 left in the first half.

The Huskies threatened again on their next possession, but Williams was picked off in the end zone.

Wisconsin took a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 42-yard field goal by Vakos.

The Huskies answered on the ensuing possession when Williams scampered 36 yards on a keeper to help set up Gross’ 42-yard field goal.

O’Neil, back as the starter in Wisconsin’s quarterback carousel, was injured midway through the first quarter after a 21-yard run and carted off the field with what was announced as a lower-body injury.

Smith came on and continued the drive, but was stopped short on fourth-and-2 from the Washington 6-yard line.

–Field Level Media

Wisconsin AD: Luke Fickell to return as coach in 2026

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Despite a dreadful 2025 season featuring a six-game losing streak, Wisconsin will stick with coach Luke Fickell for next season, the university’s athletic director revealed Thursday.

Chris McIntosh gave an interview to ESPN before the school released a statement to several news outlets confirming the Badgers are behind Fickell.

“Luke Fickell is Wisconsin’s Head Football Coach, and he will continue to be beyond this season,” McIntosh’s statement said. “We all recognize that we have fallen short of expectations. I am disappointed and frustrated with how our season has gone, just like our players, coaches and fans.

“We have evaluated every aspect of the program, and we’re prepared to execute a plan that brings us back to meeting our goals, standards, and expectations. Chancellor (Jennifer) Mnookin and I are aligned on that plan and are committed to having Wisconsin Football compete at the highest level. We will get this right and will not shy away from making any necessary changes.”

The declaration comes two weeks after McIntosh said in a letter to football season ticket-holders that Wisconsin was preparing to elevate its financial investment in the sport.

Fickell is in his third full season at Wisconsin after gaining prominence at Cincinnati, where he helped the Bearcats become the first Group of Five team to make the College Football Playoff in 2021. Fickell’s record was 57-18 at Cincinnati but he has gone just 15-19 at Wisconsin.

The Badgers (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) are on the verge of two straight losing seasons for the first time since 1991-92. They still have to play No. 23 Washington this Saturday and are at No. 2 Indiana the week after.

The buyout in Fickell’s contract would have cost more than $25 million had he been fired after this season. And Wisconsin would have entered a crowded coaching carousel where Penn State, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, UCLA and others will be vying for new head coaches.

–Field Level Media

No. 23 Washington plots to improve standing at Wisconsin’s expense

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No. 23 Washington will look to move into the upper echelon of the Big Ten standings on Saturday afternoon when it visits reeling Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.

Both the Huskies (6-2, 3-2) and Badgers (2-6, 0-5) were idle last week. Before the bye, Washington recorded a 42-25 victory over then-No. 23 Illinois while Wisconsin dropped its sixth straight decision with a 21-7 setback to then-No. 6 Oregon.

The Huskies, who have won three of their last four games, are among four teams with two conference losses. There also are four teams with one conference loss, trailing undefeated Ohio State and Indiana, ranked first and second in the country, respectively.

“We certainly understand the task at hand,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said Monday about the Badgers. “We know that it has always been one of the best defenses in college football in the Big 10. We know we’ve got to be on our P’s and Q’s and be locked in and ready roll, so we’re ready for them.”

Huskies running back Jonah Coleman leads the nation in total scores (15) and is tied for second in rushing touchdowns (13). Demond Williams Jr. is No. 2 nationally in completion percentage at 73.1. Williams has thrown for 2,117 yards and 14 touchdowns, with four interceptions.

Denzel Boston is the top target with 44 receptions for 668 yards and seven touchdowns, and Dezmen Roebuck has 24 catches for 394 yards and four scores.

The Huskies average 35.5 points and 438.6 yards per game. Washington’s two losses were 24-6 to Ohio State on Sept. 27 and 24-7 at Michigan on Oct. 18.

Wisconsin has struggled offensively since opening the season with victories over Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee.

Until their fourth-quarter score against Oregon, the Badgers had gone 14 quarters without a touchdown.

Starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., a senior transfer from Maryland, was injured in the opener. Backup Danny O’Neil was ineffective before giving way to Hunter Simmons, who has completed 50% of his passes with two touchdowns and five interceptions.

Carter Smith is in the quarterback mix for Saturday’s game, Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said Monday.

“After a bye week, we got him out there, got some more opportunities for him,” Fickell said. “And then that’s one of those things we’ll just have to see. So there’s a lot of chances for a lot of guys, but Carter is definitely one of them.”

Fickell announced Monday that leading rusher Dilin Jones will have season-ending surgery for turf toe. Starting center Jake Renfro also will miss the rest of the season, along with safety Matthew Traynor.

Gideon Ituka rushed for 85 yards against Oregon, the single-game high this season for the Badgers.

Wisconsin averages just 12.5 points per game, allowing 23.9. The Badgers average 261.9 yards per game, giving up 341, including 230.3 through the air.

Washington, making its first trip to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison since 1968, has won all four games played against Wisconsin. The Huskies’ last win in the series was 27-10 at home in 1992.

–Field Level Media

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell reacts in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin.

With coach’s seat getting hot, Wisconsin braces for No. 6 Oregon

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Wisconsin, in the midst of a five-game losing streak, couldn’t have found a worse time to visit No. 6 Oregon.

The Badgers, held scoreless in blowout defeats the past two games, will oppose the Ducks on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

Oregon (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) is coming off a blowout win at Rutgers, 56-10 in a game that had a 42-3 halftime score. The Ducks, riding the nation’s longest active road winning streak at 10 games, will look to start a new home winning streak after their run of 18 straight was ended by then-No. 7 Indiana on Oct. 11.

The Ducks rolled up 750 yards of total offense against Rutgers, 415 of those on the ground. Noah Whittington totaled three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and ran for 125 yards in the Ducks’ 36th straight win over an unranked opponent.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning hopes his team can generate the type of explosive plays it did at Rutgers, where the Ducks averaged 12.3 yards per play.

“You’re not always going to have explosive runs against a team like (Wisconsin),” Lanning said on Monday. “So we’ve got to try to find out if we can find some of those, manipulate some of those opportunities, but take what the defense gives you as well, right? So if they’re heavy to the run, that may give you more opportunities to be able to throw the ball as well.”

While the Ducks are one of the top programs in the Big Ten, the Badgers (2-5, 0-4) not as formidable as their history has shown.

The Badgers have battled injuries and inconsistency all season, and they were crushed 37-0 by visiting Iowa on Oct. 11, and again at home last week, falling 34-0 to No. 1 Ohio State. That and a 10-game losing streak against Power 4 conference programs has led to questions whether coach Luke Fickell should remain at his job, but athletic director and former player Chris McIntosh released a statement on Monday supporting Fickell.

“While our coaches, staff and student athletes continue to demonstrate the work ethic and values that represent UW Football, the results simply are not where any of us want them to be,” McIntosh said in his statement. “Coach Fickell sees the potential in what this team can be, as do I, and he shares the same disappointment and frustration.”

Fickell was asked if he was given reassurances that he would be at the helm next season.

“I have not been told,” he said. “I’m not worried about that. I understand if we don’t meet expectations and we don’t do the things we need to do, anything can happen.

“… I know how everybody feels. I live it every single day of every minute. I know the guys in that locker room do the same thing. But we’ve got to find ways to continue to push ourselves forward and find ways to continue to get better.”

The Badgers look likely to stick with Hunter Simmons and Danny O’Neil at quarterback this week as Billy Edwards Jr. continues to deal with a knee sprain.

Oregon will be without running back Jayden Limar for the second week in a row due to an undisclosed injury. Limar has produced 249 yards and three touchdowns on a team-high 42 carries.

The Ducks and Badgers have squared off in some notable games. On its way to the Big Ten championship last season, Oregon edged Wisconsin 16-13 in Madison, Wis. The Ducks also defeated the Russell Wilson-led Badgers 45-38 in a back-and-forth slugfest in the 2012 Rose Bowl, and Justin Herbert guided Oregon to a comeback 28-27 win over Wisconsin in the 2020 Rose Bowl.

Oregon leads the all-time series 4-3.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) makes a catch for a touchdown against Wisconsin Badgers safety Austin Brown (9) in the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

No. 1 Ohio State jumps out early, blanks Wisconsin

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Julian Sayin passed for 394 yards and four touchdowns to lead top-ranked Ohio State to a 34-0 rout of Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup Saturday in Madison, Wis.

Sayin completed 14 of 15 passes for 169 yards in the first quarter when the Buckeyes jumped out to a 17-0 lead. He finished with 36 completions in 42 attempts.

Ohio State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) has won 11 straight vs. Wisconsin, whose last victory in the series was a 31-18 win at home in 2010 over the then-No. 1-ranked Buckeyes.

Wisconsin (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) has lost five straight after wins over Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee State. The Badgers, who have not scored in 11 quarters, have tallied just 34 points in those five losses.

Ohio State, which entered No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense at 6.8 points per game, took control early, scoring on all three first-quarter possessions.

The Buckeyes forced a three-and-out on Wisconsin’s opening series, then drove 89 yards in nine plays, capped by a 33-yard touchdown pass from Sayin to Carnell Tate. Sayin completed 8 of 8 passes on the drive for 95 yards.

Sonny Styles picked off a Hunter Simmons pass on the Badgers next series, but the Buckeyes settled for Jayden Fielding’s 38-yard field goal.

Wisconsin again went three-and-out and Ohio State went 70 yards in six plays, with Sayin again connecting with Tate from 10 yards out.

Fielding missed a 38-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, but connected from 37 yards midway through the third quarter to put Ohio State in front 20-0.

The Buckeyes pushed the lead to 27-0 with a 13-play, 83-yard drive late in the third quarter, capped by Sayin’s 2-yard toss to tight end Will Kacmarek, who was wide open in the middle of the end zone. Sayin kept the drive alive with a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 on the Ohio State 26.

Tate had six receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Smith had nine catches for 97 yards.

Ohio State outgained Wisconsin 491-144.

–Field Level Media