2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team

2018 Wisconsin Badgers football
2018 Wisconsin Badgers football
Pinstripe Bowl champion
Pinstripe Bowl, W 35–3 vs. Miami (FL)
Conference	Big Ten Conference
	West Division
Record	8–5 (5–4 Big Ten)
Head coach	Paul Chryst (4th season);
Offensive coordinator	Joe Rudolph (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jim Leonhard (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
MVP	Jonathan Taylor
Captains	Ryan Connelly; Michael Deiter; D'Cota Dixon; T. J. Edwards; Alex Hornibrook; Alec Ingold;
Home stadium	Camp Randall Stadium
Uniform
	Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

The 2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by fourth year head coach Paul Chryst and competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

ConferenceBig Ten Conference

West Division

Record8–5 (5–4 Big Ten)

Headcoach

Paul Chryst (4th season)

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2018 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 3 Ohio State xy$	8	–	1	13	–	1
No. 14 Michigan x	8	–	1	10	–	3
No. 17 Penn State	6	–	3	9	–	4
Michigan State	5	–	4	7	–	6
Maryland	3	–	6	5	–	7
Indiana	2	–	7	5	–	7
Rutgers	0	–	9	1	–	11
West Division
No. 21 Northwestern xy	8	–	1	9	–	5
Wisconsin	5	–	4	8	–	5
No. 25 Iowa	5	–	4	9	–	4
Purdue	5	–	4	6	–	7
Minnesota	3	–	6	7	–	6
Nebraska	3	–	6	4	–	8
Illinois	2	–	7	4	–	8
Championship: Ohio State 45, Northwestern 24
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

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Returning many key players from their Orange Bowl-winning 2017 team, the 2018 team was expected to compete for a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. They were ranked fourth in the pre-season AP Poll, tied for the highest start in school history.^[1] In the third game of the year, the Badgers were upset by unranked BYU. Wisconsin ultimately lost four more games during the season, including a loss to rival Minnesota that snapped a Wisconsin 14-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2004. The Badgers were 5–4 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Pinstripe Bowl to play Miami (FL) in a rematch of the 2017 Orange Bowl, where they defeated the Hurricanes once again to finish the season at 8–5.

The Badgers were led offensively by sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor, who led FBS in both rushing yards (2,194) and rushing attempts (307), and was awarded the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.^[2] He became the third Badger player to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a single season after Ron Dayne and Melvin Gordon.^[3] Taylor was named a consensus first-team All-American, as was offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel. Four members of the offensive line received first-team all-conference honors: Benzschawel, Tyler Biadasz, Michael Deiter, and David Edwards.^[4] Quarterback Alex Hornibrook led the team in passing with 1,532 yards and 13 touchdown passes.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

Round	Pick	Team	Player	Position
4	110	Oakland Raiders	Nick Nelson	CB
5	156	Denver Broncos	Troy Fumagalli	TE
5	164	New Orleans Saints	Natrell Jamerson	S
6	202	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jack Cichy	LB
7	230	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leon Jacobs	OLB

College recruiting (2018)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Reggie Pearson Jr. S	River Rouge, Michigan	River Rouge High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Aug 27, 2016
Reggie Pearson Jr. S	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Boyd Dietzen DE	Kimberly, Wisconsin	Kimberly High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Feb 20, 2017
Boyd Dietzen DE	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
CJ Goetz LB	Waukesha, Wisconsin	Catholic Memorial High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	234 lb (106 kg)	Feb 20, 2017
CJ Goetz LB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Mason Platter LB	Menomonie, Wisconsin	Menomonie High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Feb 20, 2017
Mason Platter LB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Michael Furtney OT	Milan, Michigan	Milan High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Mar 14, 2017
Michael Furtney OT	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jack Sanborn LB	Lake Zurich, Illinois	Lake Zurich High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Mar 22, 2017
Jack Sanborn LB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Chase Wolf QB	Cincinnati, Ohio	St. Xavier High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	May 5, 2017
Chase Wolf QB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Cormac Sampson DE	Eau Claire, Wisconsin	Memorial High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	May 13, 2017
Cormac Sampson DE	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Isaiah Mullens DE	Canal Winchester, Ohio	Harvest Preparatory School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	May 16, 2017
Isaiah Mullens DE	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Nakia Watson RB	Austin, Texas	Westlake High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	212 lb (96 kg)	Jun 10, 2017
Nakia Watson RB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jaylan Franklin TE	Gibraltar, Michigan	Carlson High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	Jun 12, 2017
Jaylan Franklin TE	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Alexander Smith CB	Culver City, California	Culver City High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Jun 13, 2017
Alexander Smith CB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Taj Mustapha WR	West Bloomfield, Michigan	West Bloomfield High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jun 22, 2017
Taj Mustapha WR	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
AJ Abbott WR	West Bloomfield, Michigan	West Bloomfield High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 23, 2017
AJ Abbott WR	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Aron Cruickshank WR	Brooklyn, New York	Erasmus Hall High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	155 lb (70 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
Aron Cruickshank WR	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Bryson Williams DT	Lincoln, Nebraska	Lincoln Southeast High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Jul 5, 2017
Bryson Williams DT	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Travian Blaylock CB	Humble, Texas	Atascocita High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	176 lb (80 kg)	Jul 6, 2017
Travian Blaylock CB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Isaac Guerendo WR	Avon, Indiana	Avon High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jul 6, 2017
Isaac Guerendo WR	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Donte Burton CB	Loganville, Georgia	Loganville High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	174 lb (79 kg)	Oct 1, 2017
Donte Burton CB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Rachad Wildgoose DB	Miami, Florida	Northwestern High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
Rachad Wildgoose DB	Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Wisconsin Football Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved March 6, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.

Award	Player	Position	Year
Lott Trophy^[5]	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
Chuck Bednarik Award^[6]	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
Chuck Bednarik Award^[6]	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
Maxwell Award^[7]	Jonathan Taylor	RB	SO
Davey O'Brien Award^[8]	Alex Hornibrook	QB	JR
Doak Walker Award^[9]	Jonathan Taylor	RB	SO
John Mackey Award^[10]	Zander Neuville	TE	SR
John Mackey Award^[10]	Kyle Penniston	TE	JR
Butkus Award^[11]	Ryan Connelly	LB	SR
	T. J. Edwards	LB	JR
	Andrew Van Ginkel	LB	JR
Jim Thorpe Award^[12]	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy^[13]	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
	Olive Sagapolu	DT	SR
Outland Trophy^[14]	Beau Benzschawel	OL	SR
	Tyler Biadasz	OL	SO
	Michael Deiter	OL	SR
	David Edwards	OL	JR
	Olive Sagapolu	DT	SR
Lou Groza Award^[15]	Rafael Gaglianone	K	SR
Ray Guy Award^[16]	Anthony Lotti	P	JR
Wuerffel Trophy^[17]	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
Walter Camp Award^[18]	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
Walter Camp Award^[18]	Jonathan Taylor	RB	SO
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award^[19]	Alex Hornibrook	QB	JR
Manning Award^[20]	Alex Hornibrook	QB	JR

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	8:00 p.m.	Western Kentucky*	No. 4	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPN	W 34–3	74,145
September 8	11:00 a.m.	New Mexico*	No. 5	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN	W 45–14	77,003
September 15	2:30 p.m.	BYU*	No. 6	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ABC	L 21–24	80,720
September 22	7:30 p.m.	at Iowa	No. 18	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (Heartland Trophy)	FOX	W 28–17	69,250
October 6	6:30 p.m.	Nebraska	No. 16	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Freedom Trophy)	BTN	W 41–24	80,051
October 13	6:30 p.m.	at No. 12 Michigan	No. 15	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (College GameDay)	ABC	L 13–38	111,360
October 20	11:00 a.m.	Illinois	No. 23	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	FS1	W 49–20	79,736
October 27	11:00 a.m.	at Northwestern	No. 20	Ryan Field Evanston, IL	FOX	L 17–31	47,330
November 3	11:00 a.m.	Rutgers		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN	W 31–17	74,379
November 10	11:00 a.m.	at No. 21 Penn State		Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	L 10–22	105,396
November 17	2:30 p.m.	at Purdue		Ross-Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	BTN	W 47–44 ^3OT	46,114
November 24	2:30 p.m.	Minnesota		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe)	ESPN2	L 15–37	74,038
December 27	4:15 p.m.	vs. Miami (FL)*		Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY (Pinstripe Bowl)	ESPN	W 35–3	37,821
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	0	3	0	3
No. 4 Badgers	7	17	3	7	34

2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Offseason

2018 NFL draft

Recruiting

Preseason

Award watch lists

Schedule

Personnel

Roster

Game summaries

Western Kentucky

New Mexico

BYU

At Iowa

Nebraska

At Michigan

Illinois

At Northwestern

Rutgers

At Penn State

At Purdue

Minnesota

vs Miami (FL)–Pinstripe Bowl

Rankings

Awards and honors

Players drafted into the NFL

Signed undrafted free agents

References

Related Articles

Timelines

Top Qs

Fact Checks

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	4 (1)	5 (1)	6 (1)	18	15	16	15	23	20	RV	RV	—	RV	—	—	RV
Coaches	7	6	6	16	13	12	10	19	19	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	—	RV
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Player	Award	Ref.
Jake Wood	Dungy–Thompson Humanitarian Award	^[4]
Jonathan Taylor	Doak Walker Award Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year	^[23] ^[4]
Michael Deiter	Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year	^[4]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
3	78	Michael Deiter	G	Miami Dolphins
5	143	Ryan Connelly	LB	New York Giants
5	151	Andrew Van Ginkel	LB	Miami Dolphins
5	169	David Edwards	OL	Los Angeles Rams

	1	2	3	4	Total
Scarlet Knights	0	0	3	14	17
Badgers	7	3	14	7	31

	1	2	3	4	Total
Badgers	7	0	3	0	10
Nittany Lions	10	6	3	3	22

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	Total
Badgers	0	3	10	14	7	7	6	47
Boilermakers	0	10	14	3	7	7	3	44

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Gophers	3	14	6	14	37
Badgers	0	7	0	8	15