Chase Wolf

Coan Leaving Wisconsin for Notre Dame

January 5, 2021 By Bill Scott

Jack Coan

Former Wisconsin Badger starting quarterback Jack Coan has decided to transfer Notre Dame to compete for the starting job in South Bend. He will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Coan started 18 games for the Badgers in 2018 and 2019 but missed most of last season with a foot injury in preseason training camp that required surgery. Even when he returned to the sidelines, the Badgers went with Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf at quarterback.

Coan completed 68% of his passes for 3,278 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions during his time at Wisconsin. He helped the Badgers win the Big Ten West Division title in 2019. He completed nearly 70% of his passes and posted the third-highest passing total (2,727 yards) in team history during that season.

Notre Dame has Wisconsin on its schedule next season, a September 25 matchup at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Coan To Transfer From Wisconsin

December 20, 2020 By Bill Scott

Jack Coan

Jack Coan would have been Wisconsin’s starter if not for a foot injury on Oct. 3, which was followed by surgery a few days later. Graham Mertz took over as the starter and stayed there, even after Coan returned in uniform on Dec. 5 against Indiana.

Coan didn’t play against the Hoosiers or the Iowa Hawkeyes the following week. Then Saturday, after Mertz left the game with an injury, Paul Chryst went with Chase Wolf and the Jack Coan era is over with in Madison.

Coan passed for 2,727 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in 14 games last season. His final game came in the 2020 Rose Bowl contest against Oregon, a 28-27 Wisconsin loss. During his time in Madison, Coan started 18 games and played in 25.

Now he’ll look for one final opportunity to lead a football team other than the one in Madison.

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.

Wisconsin’s Coan out indefinitely with foot injury

October 5, 2020 By Bill Scott

Jack Coan

The Wisconsin Badgers expect to be without senior quarterback Jack Coan for their October 24th opener against Illinois and likely beyond.

Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported that Coan injured his right foot during practice Saturday and is expected to be out at least several weeks.

Coan took over as the Badgers full-time starter last season after starting four games in 2018. He started all 14 games last season, completing 69.6% of his passes, finishing with 2,802 yards.

With Coan sidelined, UW’s top three quarterbacks likely are Graham Mertz, Chase Wolf and Danny Vanden Boom.

Mertz played in two games as a freshman last season and completed 9 of 10 passes for 73 yards. He had offers from Ohio [Read more…]

Badgers start season with Coan at quarterback

August 26, 2019 By Bill Scott

Jack Coan

The Wisconsin Badgers will open the 2019 College Football season with junior Jack Coan as the teams starting quarterback.

Coan is the only quarterback on the roster to have a start under his belt. He started four games and played in 11 and was the most consistent quarterback during the teams training camp.

“I thought he improved in a lot of different (areas),” head coach Paul Chryst said. “He’s got a better understanding of himself, of our offense, of what teams are doing. I like the progress he has made.”

Freshman Graham Mertz and redshirt freshman Chase Wolf are listed as co-No. 2’s on the depth chart, which was released on Sunday.

In 2018, Coan completed 56 of 93 attempts (60.2%) for 515 yards. He threw five touchdown passes and was intercepted three times. His best start came against Purdue when he led the Badgers to a 47-44 come-from-behind win in triple overtime. In that game, he completed 16 of 24 for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Coan also finished the season by completing 6 of 11 for 73 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a touchdown in a 35-3 Pinstripe Bowl victory over Miami.

The Badgers open the 2019 season at South Florida on Friday night.