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Three more added to Wisconsin football COVID-19 list

October 29, 2020 By Bill Scott

The Wisconsin football program has confirmed more positive PCR tests for COVID-19.

The Wisconsin Athletic Department released the additional numbers Thursday afternoon. One positive result was received late Wednesday, while two others were confirmed on Thursday morning. All three were the pending results referenced in Wednesday morning’s initial announcement. There are currently 16 active COVID-19 cases in the program, including 15 positive tests since Oct. 24.

The program was placed in a seven day hold and while there is no definitive timeline for a return to in-person football activities, the earliest return is Wednesday, Nov. 4. A return to activity depends upon the success of ongoing mitigation efforts. Head coach Paul Chryst, per CDC and Big Ten guidelines, can return to the team in person following a 10-day isolation period, on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the earliest. That is the day of the Badgers next scheduled game, at home against Purdue.

Wisconsin Athletics has secured rooms at a local hotel for football players that have not recorded positive tests in an effort to further separate those who live together and mitigate the spread of the virus. Each of the players in the hotel has his own room and the rooms are located in the same area of the hotel so as to limit exposure to other hotel guests.

Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez, who referenced taking a PCR test on Wednesday, received his results Thursday and tested negative for COVID-19.

Members of the football program continue to take part in daily testing.

Wisconsin’s Mertz is out for 21 days

October 27, 2020 By Bill Scott

Graham Mertz (Photo by David Stluka/Wisconsin Athletic Communications)

Wisconsin Badger redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz will miss the next three games after a second COVID-19 positive test was confirmed. The news was first reported by CBS Sports.

Mertz made his starting debut last Friday night against Illinois and threw for 248 yards and five touchdowns in the Badgers season opening 45-7 win over Illinois. He was named the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week as well as the Conference Freshman of the Week.

Big Ten protocol requires any player who tests positive for COVID-19 to miss at least 21 days and undergo cardiac screening before being cleared to return. Mertz will miss Saturday’s game at Nebraska, a home game against Purdue and a road matchup at Michigan against the Wolverines.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Mertz’ backup, Chase Wolf also tested positive for coronavirus and are awaiting results of a second test. The Badgers are getting ready for Saturday’s game at Nebraska and prepping fourth stringer Danny Vanden Boom as their starter.

Badgers could be down to fourth string quarterback

October 27, 2020 By Bill Scott

Danny Vanden Boom: PHOTO Courtesy of Kelli Steffes / UW Athletics

The Wisconsin Badgers are busy preparing for Saturday’s Big Ten matchup at Nebraska and they could be down to their fourth quarterback for the matchup.

Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week that quarterbacks Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf have both tested positive for coronavirus. Wolf wasn’t at the teams workout on Monday.

Both quarterbacks will require a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the first positive result. If that test turns up negative for either player, then they could be available for Saturday’s game. A second positive test would mean they would have to miss 21 days, according to the Big Ten Conference’s protocol.

Starter Jack Coan is already sidelined after foot surgery and Mertz replaced him with a five touchdown performance against Illinois last Friday. If Mertz and Wolf are not available, then the next in line is redshirt junior Danny Vanden Boom.

Vanden Boom is the son of former Badger defensive back Matt Vanden Boom, who was an All-American back in 1981. [Read more…]

Badgers could be without Mertz

October 26, 2020 By Bill Scott

Graham Mertz – Photo Courtesy of David Stluka / UW Athletics

After completing 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-7 win over Illinois on Friday night, Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus. The story was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday.

Mertz took over for starter Jack Coan, who suffered a right foot injury earlier this month and underwent surgery on Oct. 7.

According to Big Ten protocols released last month, athletes who test positive through point of contact daily testing will require a polymerase chain reaction test to confirm the first result. If a second test confirms Mertz has the coronavirus, he will have to sit out at least 21 days.

The Badgers will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers this Saturday in Lincoln. They’ll host Purdue the following week (Nov. 7) and then face Michigan (Nov. 14) in Ann Arbor.

If Mertz is out, the job would likely go to Chase Wolf with Danny Vanden Boom as his backup.

Mertz, Badgers dominate opener over Illini

October 24, 2020 By Bill Scott

Graham Mertz (Photo by David Stluka/Wisconsin Athletic Communications)

The Wisconsin Badgers kicked off the 2020 college football season with a 45-7 thumping of the Illinois Fighting Illini without fans at Camp Randall Stadium.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz, in his first collegiate start, completed his first 17 passes and ended up completing 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns.

Mertz five touchdown passes tied the highest single-game total in UW history, matching the school record set by Darrell Bevell vs. Nevada in 1993 and Jim Sorgi vs. Michigan State in 2003.

The 14th ranked Badgers won their 25th straight home opener and their eighth straight game over the Illini in Madison. They avenged a one-point loss to the Illini in Champaign last season.

Illinois scored their only points after forcing a fumble by Badger tight end Jake Ferguson and linebacker Tarique Barnes [Read more…]

Badgers kick off 2020 season tonight

October 23, 2020 By Bill Scott

Graham Mertz – Photo Courtesy of David Stluka / UW Athletics

The college football schedule gets a bit more crowded with the start of Big Ten play this weekend. The 14th ranked Wisconsin Badgers kick things off Friday night against Illinois (7 p.m. kickoff) at Camp Randall Stadium.

Highly touted quarterback Graham Mertz makes his first collegiate start for the Badgers. The redshirt freshman from Kansas takes over for Jack Coan, who is out after having foot surgery.

While the Badgers are big favorites, Mertz will be challenged by an Illinois defense that ranked in the top 10 in takeaways last season. The Illini recovered 16 fumbles and intercepted 12 passes last season, which ranked fourth among FBS teams. Three of those 28 takeaways came against the Badgers last season, when the Illini came from behind to upset Wisconsin 24-23 in Champaign.

The Badgers have stressed ball security with Mertz during training camp and need that mentality to translate to the field on gameday. Coan threw just five [Read more…]

Badger football opener set for Friday, Oct. 23rd

October 12, 2020 By Bill Scott

Camp Randall Stadium (Photo by David Stluka)

The Big Ten’s first football game of the 2020 season will be in Madison. The Wisconsin Badgers will kick off their campaign against Illinois on Friday night, October 23rd at 7 p.m. on BTN.

The game will be played without any fans at Camp Randall Stadium because COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in the state. Only personnel deemed essential to play a game will be allowed inside the stadium.

UW officials are also asking fans to avoid gathering and to avoid tailgating outside or near the stadium.

UW was off to a 6-0 start last season, including a 3-0 mark in the Big Ten when the Badgers faced Illinois in Champaign. The Illini forced three Wisconsin turnovers, overcoming a 13-point deficit in the second half to upset the Badgers 24-23.

Big Ten hockey to return in November

October 7, 2020 By Bill Scott

The Wisconsin men’s hockey team will open its 2020-21 season in November. The Big Ten Conference announced on Tuesday the season will start as early as Nov. 13, a delay of roughly six weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The seven Big Ten teams will play 24 league games and will also play four non-conference games against Arizona State during the season. That move allows the independent Sun Devils to fill their schedule, but puts that program on the road for the entire season.

The Badgers already had two non-conference games set up for this season against Arizona State. The teams were also a part of the field for the inaugural Holiday Face-Off in December at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum. That event will be put on hold for a year.

The Big Ten also decided to return to a one-weekend format for its 2021 postseason tournament after splitting the three rounds over three weekends for the last three years. A site for that championship (March 18-20) hasn’t been determined.

Fans will not be allowed to see games in person, at least to start. That means scheduling will be even more flexible than [Read more…]

Badgers return to top 25 polls

September 28, 2020 By Bill Scott

With the college football season a month away, the Wisconsin Badgers are one of a small handful of Big Ten teams that found their way back into the top 25 polls this week.

The Badgers were initially ranked number-12 in the preseason A.P. top 25 poll. But with the season already underway and the Big Ten still not having played games, this weeks poll results weren’t as favorable.

Wisconsin showed up at number 18 in this week’s Amway Coaches poll and 19th in the latest A.P. top 25 poll.

Fellow Big Ten members Ohio State dropped to No. 6 in both polls, Penn State is 10th in both polls and Michigan is at No. 21 in the coaches poll and No. 23 in the AP poll.

Both Minnesota and Iowa were in the initial AP poll but were unranked in both polls on Sunday.

The Badgers will open their season on Oct. 24 at Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium.

Dietzen returns to Badgers

September 24, 2020 By Bill Scott

Offensive lineman Jon Dietzen started 32 games for the Wisconsin Badgers, but stepped away from the program after the 2018 season because of a number of injuries. The time away has given Dietzen new life. He’s returned to the program and is one of 113 players on the Badgers preseason training camp roster with practice kicking off on Wednesday.

Dietzen was prepared to return to the program last spring but the NCAA closed down all on-campus workouts because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dietzen (Seymour, Wisconsin) started 20 games at left guard and 12 at left tackle before leaving the program after a number of lower-body injuries.

UW has to replace center Tyler Biadasz, David Moorman and Jason Erdmann from last season and Dietzen’s return gives the Badgers more depth as well as a veteran presence on the offensive line.

Not on the training camp roster is starting safety Reggie Pearson. He started 13 of 14 games last season as a redshirt freshman and finished fourth on the team in tackles with 60.

Head coach Paul Chryst told reporters on Wednesday that Pearson is dealing with a medical condition that was discovered in the off-season. He remains enrolled in school but hasn’t been cleared to practice or play.

Pearson took over as a starter in week two last season, replacing Scott Nelson who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener against South Florida.

The Badgers will open the Big Ten season Oct. 24 against Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium.