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Edwards returning for senior season with Badgers

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T.J. Edwards (File Photo by David Stluka).

The Wisconsin football team will get its top linebacker back in 2018.  Inside linebacker T.J. Edwards announced Tuesday that he is returning to UW for his senior season.

Edwards recorded six tackles in UW’s 34-24 win over Miami in the Orange Bowl, helping the Badgers finish 13-1 on the season.

Edwards received a return to college grade from the NFL’s Advisory Board, but he said he wouldn’t make a decision on his future until after the bowl game.

Edwards led the Badgers in tackles in both 2015 and 2016 and finished second on the team this past season with 81, seven behind Ryan Connelly.  His return means the Badgers top three inside linebackers will be back in 2018 with Edwards joined by Connelly and Chris Orr.

Edwards also tied for the team lead in interceptions with four.

Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonard said before the bowl game that Edwards was ready to make the jump to the NFL, but could still develop as a player if he returned.

On Twitter, Leonard said, “Odds of me looking like a good coordinator again next year are on the rise.”

Five Badgers earn AP All-America honors

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T.J. Edwards (File Photo by David Stluka).

Five Wisconsin football players earned A.P. All-America honors on Monday, the most since 2010 when they also had five.

Inside linebacker T.J. Edwards earned the Badgers only 1st team honor.  Running back Jonathan Taylor and TE Troy Fumagali were named to the second team and offensive lineman David Edwards (RT) and Beau Benzschawel (RG) were named to the third team.

Edwards is the first UW defensive player to earn 1st team honors by the AP since defensive end Erasmus James in 2004.  He recorded 75 tackles (11 for loss), two sacks, four interceptions and one touchdown.

Taylor (true freshman) finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting over the weekend.  He ranks third nationally with 1,847 yards rushing and has 13 touchdowns to his credit.

Fumagali finished with 43 receptions for 516 yards and four scores.

Edwards and Benzschawel both started all 13 games on the right side of the Badgers offensive line, paving the way for Taylor’s outstanding season.

Twelve Wisconsin players earn All-Big Ten defensive honors

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T.J. Edwards (File Photo by David Stluka).

Wisconsin Badgers Junior linebacker T.J. Edwards and junior defensive back Nick Nelson earned consensus first-team All-Big Ten honors, while defensive back D’Cota Dixon was named first team by the coaches on Tuesday.  They’re among 12 Badger defensive players that earned all-league recognition.

Nelson leads the country in pass breakups with 20 so far this season, a school record.  Edwards is one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, presented to the top linebacker in the country.  After leading the team in tackles each of the past two seasons, Edwards is second this season with 67 and tied for the team-lead with 11 tackles for loss and four interceptions.

The Badgers have the nation’s top defense and the Big Ten’s coaches and media honored several players .

Defensive end Alec James was a unanimous second-team selection, as was kicker Rafael Gaglianone on special teams.  The rest of the list follows: [Read more…]

Badger trio up for college football awards

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Three members of the no. 5-ranked Wisconsin football team were named finalists for major awards on Monday.

Senior tight end Troy Fumagalli was announced as one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, presented to the nation’s outstanding tight end.  He joins Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews and Penn State’s Mike Gesicki as a finalist.

Freshman running back Jonathan Taylor was named one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation’s premier running back.  He joins Penn State’s Saquon Barkley and Stanford’s Bryce Love as finalists.

Junior ILB T.J. Edwards was named one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, presented to the nation’s best linebacker.

Fumagali has caught a team-high 36 passes for 460 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.8 yards per reception.  Fumagali is the third UW tight end to be named a Mackey finalist, joining Travis Beckum (2007) and Lance Kendricks (2010).

Taylor is in the midst of one of the best freshman seasons in NCAA history, having rushed for 1,657 yards and 12 touchdowns.  His yardage total ranks as the seventh-highest by a freshman and leaves him just 269 yards shy of breaking Adrian Peterson’s freshman record of 1,925. [Read more…]

Badgers overcome sloppy play to beat Purdue

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The Wisconsin Badgers extended their win streak to 12-straight games over Purdue, pulling out a 17-9 win over the Boilermakers on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

The Badgers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) committed three turnovers and had a punt blocked but managed to pull out the victory and they have their defense to thank.

That defense, which was forced to start on a short field a number of times, held Purdue to 66 rushing yards and 221 total yards.  Purdue became the fourth UW opponent that has failed to reach 250 yards of total offense.

The Boilermakers, who had the number one red zone offense in the Big Ten entering play on Saturday, went 0 for 4.  Wisconsin started the day leading the nation in opponent red zone percentage at 33.3%.  They’ve now allowed just five touchdowns in the red zone in 19 opponent opportunities this season.

Offensively, the Badgers racked up 494 yards of total offense, the team’s highest total in a Big Ten game since piling up 627 yards against Nebraska on Nov. 15, 2014. [Read more…]

Defense leads Badgers to Cotton Bowl win

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T.J. Edwards (Photo by David Stluka).

After a second half collapse in the Big Ten Championship game, the Wisconsin defense did a number on Western Michigan’s high-flying offense and the Badgers pulled out a 24-16 win over the Broncos in the Cotton Bowl on Monday afternoon.

The eighth ranked Badgers finished their season at 11-3, winning their third straight bowl game and second in a row under Paul Chryst.   Number-14 Western Michigan saw their perfect season come to an end, falling to 13-1.

Senior Bart Houston got the start at quarterback and completed 11 of 12 passes for 159 yards.  His only incompletion came when tight end Troy Fumagali dropped a pass in the end zone.  But Fumagali made up for it, catching six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown from Alex Hornibrook.  Fumagali was named the games most outstanding offensive player. [Read more…]

Wisconsin’s Edwards named Freshman All-American

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T.J. Edwards

T.J. Edwards

T. J. Edwards’ rookie season with the Wisconsin Badger football team has been a smashing success.

Edwards was recognized Monday for his efforts as a key contributor to a Wisconsin defensive unit that ranked second in scoring defense (13.7 ppg) and third in total defense (268.5 ypg) in the FBS this season, earning a place on the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-America Team.

Edwards started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman, leading the team in tackles with 84.  He also added 6.5 tackles for loss, broke up four passes and forced a fumble. [Read more…]

Edwards named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

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T.J. Edwards

T.J. Edwards

Wisconsin freshman inside linebacker T.J. Edwards led the way for a strong defensive performance that helped Wisconsin trump Purdue 24-7 on Saturday and earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.

Edwards tallied a team-high 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and his first forced fumble.  He set his career-high marks in both tackles and TFLs.  The performance marked his second game with double-digit tackles, along with the 12 he logged against Alabama in his college debut.

Edwards was a key contributor to a Badgers defense that held Purdue to a season-low 191 total yards of offense.

This marks the second Freshman of the Week accolade for the Badgers this season after Taiwan Deal claimed the honor back on September 28th.

The Badgers hit the road this weekend, taking on Illinois.

 

Badgers hold back Purdue in homecoming victory

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T.J. Edwards (Photo by David Stluka).

T.J. Edwards (Photo by David Stluka).

The Big Ten’s weakest rushing defense held Wisconsin to just 99 rushing yards, but Badger running backs still produced three touchdowns in a 24-7 win over the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

Senior quarterback Joel Stave hit 30-of-39 passes for 322 yards, but it was the Wisconsin defense that carried the day.

The Boilermakers (1-6, 0-3) couldn’t get anything going.  They were held to season lows in rushing yards with 55 and total yards with 191.

Freshman Alec Ingold ran for two touchdowns and Dare Ogunbowale was the game’s top rusher with 56 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.

Linebacker T.J. Edwards led the defense with 16 tackles and a fumble recovery.

The Badgers (5-2, 2-1) travels to Illinois this Saturday to face the Illini.