2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team
American college football season
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The 2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by sixth-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.
| 2020 Wisconsin Badgers football | |
|---|---|
| |
Duke's Mayo Bowl champion | |
Duke's Mayo Bowl, W 42–28 vs. Wake Forest | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| West Division | |
| Record | 4–3 (3–3 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Joe Rudolph (6th season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | Jim Leonhard (4th season) |
| Base defense | 3–4 |
| Captain | Garrett Groshek |
| Home stadium | Camp Randall Stadium |
Uniform | |
 | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Ohio State xy$^ | 5 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Indiana | 6 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 4 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 2 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 3 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 2 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 2 | – | 5 | 2 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Northwestern xy | 6 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Iowa | 6 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 3 | 4 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 2 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten Conference suspended all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] However, on September 16, the Big Ten reinstated the season, announcing an eight-game season beginning on October 24.[3]
Offseason
2020 NFL draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 41 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts |
| 3 | 74 | Zack Baun | LB | New Orleans Saints |
| 4 | 146 | Tyler Biadasz | C | Dallas Cowboys |
| 5 | 166 | Quintez Cephus | WR | Detroit Lions |
| Undrafted | Chris Orr | LB | Carolina Panthers | |
Transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Transfer to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradrick Shaw | #7 | RB | 6'1 | 205 | Senior  | Hoover, AL | California |
| Aron Cruickshank | #1 | WR | 5'9 | 155 | Sophomore | Brooklyn, NY | Rutgers |
| Seth Currens | #10 | ILB | 6'3 | 230 | Junior | Pickerington, OH | Miami (OH) |
| Christian Bell | #49 | OLB | 6'4 | 246 | Senior | Hoover, AL | South Alabama |
| Griffin Grady | #47 | OLB | 6'2 | 205 | Sophomore | Dublin, OH | - |
Preseason
Spring game
The Badgers spring scrimmage and practice on April 18, 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davey O'Brien Award | Jack Coan | QB | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Jack Sanborn | LB | JR |
| Doak Walker Award | Nakia Watson | RB | SO |
| John Mackey Award | Jake Ferguson | TE | JR |
| Butkus Award | Jack Sanborn | LB | JR |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Eric Burrell | S | SR |
| Outland Trophy | Cole Van Lanen | OL | SR |
| Manning Award | Jack Coan | QB | SR |
| Maxwell Award | Jack Coan | QB | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Madison Cone | S | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Eric Burrell | S | SR |
Preseason Big Ten poll
Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2020 poll, Wisconsin was projected to finish first in the West Division.[4]
Schedule
Games canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
The Badgers 2020 schedule originally consisted of six home games, four away games, and two neutral site games. The Badgers would have hosted two of its three non-conference games at Camp Randall; the first on September 12 against Southern Illinois from the Missouri Valley, then the next week on September 19, playing Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The last non-conference matchup on October 3 was a primetime game guaranteed to air on NBC against Notre Dame as part of the Fighting Irish's neutral-site Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with Notre Dame as the designated home team.
The Big Ten Conference canceled all non-conference games on July 9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic;[5] the day before, the November 7 away game at Northwestern was moved from the neutral site Wrigley Field in Chicago back to Ryan Field in Evanston.[6] Both Notre Dame and Wisconsin plan to fulfill their contract and play the Lambeau Field game in a subsequent season.[7]
On November 25, Wisconsin's game vs. Minnesota was canceled, leaving the team with only 5 games maximum and thus making the Badgers no longer eligible for the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game.
Original schedule
| Original 2020 Wisconsin Badgers schedule | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Site | |
| September 4 | Indiana | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | |
| September 12 | Southern Illinois* | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | |
| September 19 | Appalachian State* | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | |
| September 26 | at Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | |
| October 3 | vs. Notre Dame* | Lambeau Field • Green Bay, WI (Shamrock Series) | |
| October 10 | Minnesota | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | |
| October 24 | at Maryland | Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD | |
| October 31 | Illinois | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | |
| November 7 | at Northwestern | Wrigley Field • Chicago, IL | |
| November 14 | at Purdue | Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | |
| November 21 | Nebraska | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | |
| November 28 | at Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA (Heartland Trophy) | |
Current schedule
In Big Ten Conference play, Wisconsin will play all members of the West Division, and draws Indiana, and Michigan from the East Division.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Illinois | No. 14 | BTN | W 45–7 | 0 | |
| October 31 | 2:30 p.m. | at Nebraska | No. 9 | FS1 | No Contest[8] | – | |
| November 7 | 2:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 10 |
| ABC | No Contest[9] | – |
| November 14 | 6:30 p.m. | at Michigan | No. 13 | ABC | W 49–11 | 605 | |
| November 21 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 19 Northwestern | No. 10 | ABC | L 7–17 | 0 | |
| November 28 | 1:00 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 16 |
| BTN | Rescheduled[10][11] | – |
| December 5 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 12 Indiana | No. 16 |
| ABC | L 6–14 | 0 |
| December 12 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 16 Iowa | FS1 | L 7–28 | 1,445 | ||
| December 19 | 3:00 p.m. | Minnesota |
| BTN | W 20–17 OT | 0 | |
| December 30 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Wake Forest* | ESPN | W 42–28 | 1,500 | ||
| |||||||
*Wisconsin's game with Nebraska was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, both teams will have a bye and will have just seven games.[8]
*Wisconsin's game with Purdue was cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, Wisconsin will have a bye and will have just six games, and Purdue will have a bye and will have just seven games.[9]
*Wisconsin's game with Minnesota was initially cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game was eventually rescheduled for Big Ten Championship weekend.[10][11]
Source:[12]
Roster
| 2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings
Game summaries
Illinois
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Illini | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 14 Badgers | 7 | 21 | 0 | 17 | 45 |
At Nebraska (Cancelled)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Wisconsin at Nebraska game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled. Instead, both teams will have a bye and will play just seven games.[8]
Purdue (Cancelled)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Purdue at Wisconsin game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Wisconsin. The game will not be rescheduled.[9]
At Michigan
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Badgers | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Wolverines | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
At Northwestern
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 10 Badgers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 19 Wildcats | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
Minnesota (Rescheduled)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Minnesota at Wisconsin game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Minnesota. The game was rescheduled for December 19 at 3:00 p.m..
Indiana
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoosiers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Badgers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
At Iowa
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badgers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Hawkeyes | 3 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 28 |
Minnesota
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Badgers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
Vs. Wake Forest (Duke's Mayo Bowl)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demon Deacons | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Badgers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
Awards and honors
| Player | Award | Date awarded | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Mertz | Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week | October 23, 2019 | [13] |
| Graham Mertz | Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week | October 23, 2019 | [13] |
| Player | Award | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Cole Van Lanen | First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media) | [14] |
| Jake Ferguson | First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches) | [14] |
| Logan Bruss | Third Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches/Media) | [14] |
| Caesar Williams | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches)/Honorable Mention Defense (Media) | [14] |
| Isaiahh Loudermilk | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches) | [14] |
| Jack Sanborn | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches) | [14] |
| Mason Stokke | Honorable Mention Offense (Coaches) | [14] |
| Tyler Beach | Honorable Mention Offense (Coaches) | [14] |
| Leo Chenal | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) | [14] |
| Eric Burrell | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) | [14] |
| Faion Hicks | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) | [14] |
| Andy Vujnovich | Honorable Mention Special Teams (Coaches) | [14] |
Players drafted into the NFL
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 156 | Isaiahh Loudermilk | DE | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 6 | 213 | Rachad Wildgoose | CB | Buffalo Bills |
| 6 | 214 | Cole Van Lanen | OG | Green Bay Packers |