2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team
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 (Capacity: 80,321) |
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]
| Media poll (West Division) | ||
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 221 (19) |
| 2 | Minnesota | 209.5 (14) |
| 3 | Iowa | 157 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 117 |
| 5 | Purdue | 105 |
| 6 | Northwestern | 87.5 (1) |
| 7 | Illinois | 55 |
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.
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 | |
| at | No. 9 | No Contest[8] | – | ||||
| No. 10 |
| 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 | |
| No. 16 |
| 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
| Week | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 12 | 12* | — | — | 19 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 25 | — | ||
| Coaches | 12 | 12* | — | 17 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 25 | — | ||
| CFP | Not released | 16 | 16 | — | — | Not released | ||||||||||||
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 |
References
- Stevens, Matthew. "Big Ten To Play A "Championship Weekend" 9th Game Of 2020 Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- "Big Ten Statement on 2020-21 Fall Season". bigten.org. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- "The Big Ten Conference Adopts Stringent Medical Protocols; Football Season to Resume October 23-24, 2020". bigten.org. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- Baird, Nathan (July 31, 2020). "Ohio State voted 2020 Big Ten favorite in cleveland.com Preseason Poll". The Plain Dealer.
- Myerberg, Paul. "Big Ten football reduces season schedule to only conference games, maybe setting stage for others to follow". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- "Badgers' Wrigley Field game moved back to Northwestern's Ryan Field". Associated Press. WKOW. July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
- Vitovitch, Frank (July 10, 2020). "A Notre Dame – Wisconsin at Lambeau Reschedule Not Likely Until At least 2026". UHND.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
- "Wisconsin Football pauses team activities". uwbadgers.com. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- "Wisconsin vs. Purdue game canceled as Badgers continue to deal with COVID-19 outbreak within program". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
- "Minnesota cancels football game vs Wisconsin amid positive test for COVID-19". espn.com. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- Potrykus, Jeff (December 13, 2020). "Try it again: UW is set to host Minnesota on Saturday as part of the Big Ten's Champions Week". jsonline.com. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- "2020 Wisconsin Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- "Big Ten Football Players of the Week". bigten.org. Big Ten Conference. October 23, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- "Big Ten Unveils Football All-Conference Teams for defense and Select Individual Honors". bigten.org. Big Ten Conference. December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.