2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team
American college football season
The 2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Badgers were led by fourth 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 .
Returning many key players from their Orange Bowl -winning 2017 team , the 2018 team was expected to compete for a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff . They were ranked fourth in the pre-season AP Poll , tied for the highest start in school history.[ 1] In the third game of the year, the Badgers were upset by unranked BYU . Wisconsin ultimately lost four more games during the season, including a loss to rival Minnesota that snapped a Wisconsin 14-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2004. The Badgers were 5–4 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Pinstripe Bowl to play Miami (FL) in a rematch of the 2017 Orange Bowl, where they defeated the Hurricanes once again to finish the season at 8–5.
The Badgers were led offensively by sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor , who led FBS in both rushing yards (2,194) and rushing attempts (307), and was awarded the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.[ 2] He became the third Badger player to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a single season after Ron Dayne and Melvin Gordon .[ 3] Taylor was named a consensus first-team All-American , as was offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel . Four members of the offensive line received first-team all-conference honors : Benzschawel, Tyler Biadasz , Michael Deiter , and David Edwards .[ 4] Quarterback Alex Hornibrook led the team in passing with 1,532 yards and 13 touchdown passes.
Offseason
2018 NFL Draft
Recruiting
The Badgers signed a total of 20 recruits.
US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Reggie Pearson Jr. S
River Rouge, Michigan
River Rouge High School
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
Aug 27, 2016
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Boyd Dietzen DE
Kimberly, Wisconsin
Kimberly High School
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
Feb 20, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
CJ Goetz LB
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Catholic Memorial High School
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
234 lb (106 kg)
Feb 20, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Mason Platter LB
Menomonie, Wisconsin
Menomonie High School
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
Feb 20, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Michael Furtney OT
Milan, Michigan
Milan High School
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
280 lb (130 kg)
Mar 14, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Jack Sanborn LB
Lake Zurich, Illinois
Lake Zurich High School
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Mar 22, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Chase Wolf QB
Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Xavier High School
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
May 5, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Cormac Sampson DE
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Memorial High School
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
230 lb (100 kg)
May 13, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Isaiah Mullens DE
Canal Winchester, Ohio
Harvest Preparatory School
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
280 lb (130 kg)
May 16, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Nakia Watson RB
Austin, Texas
Westlake High School
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
212 lb (96 kg)
Jun 10, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Jaylan Franklin TE
Gibraltar, Michigan
Carlson High School
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
192 lb (87 kg)
Jun 12, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Alexander Smith CB
Culver City, California
Culver City High School
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
Jun 13, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Taj Mustapha WR
West Bloomfield, Michigan
West Bloomfield High School
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
Jun 22, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
AJ Abbott WR
West Bloomfield, Michigan
West Bloomfield High School
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
Jun 23, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Aron Cruickshank WR
Brooklyn, New York
Erasmus Hall High School
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
155 lb (70 kg)
Jun 27, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Bryson Williams DT
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln Southeast High School
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
290 lb (130 kg)
Jul 5, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Travian Blaylock CB
Humble, Texas
Atascocita High School
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
176 lb (80 kg)
Jul 6, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Isaac Guerendo WR
Avon, Indiana
Avon High School
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Jul 6, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Donte Burton CB
Loganville, Georgia
Loganville High School
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
174 lb (79 kg)
Oct 1, 2017
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Rachad Wildgoose DB
Miami, Florida
Northwestern High School
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Feb 7, 2018
Recruiting star ratings : Scout : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note : In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:
Preseason
Award watch lists
Schedule
Wisconsin's 2018 schedule consisted of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Badgers hosted Big Ten opponents Nebraska , Illinois , Rutgers , and Minnesota and traveled to Iowa , Michigan , Northwestern , and Penn State , and Purdue .[ 21]
The team's three non–conference games were against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from Conference USA (C-USA), New Mexico Lobos from the Mountain West Conference (MWC), and the BYU Cougars , who compete independently in football.
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance 8:00 p.m. Western Kentucky * No. 4 ESPN W 34–374,145
September 8 11:00 a.m. New Mexico * No. 5 Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI BTN W 45–1477,003
September 15 2:30 p.m. BYU * No. 6 Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI ABC L 21–2480,720
September 22 7:30 p.m. at Iowa No. 18 FOX W 28–1769,250
October 6 6:30 p.m. Nebraska No. 16 BTN W 41–2480,051
October 13 6:30 p.m. at No. 12 Michigan No. 15 ABC L 13–38111,360
October 20 11:00 a.m. Illinois No. 23 Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI FS1 W 49–2079,736
October 27 11:00 a.m. at Northwestern No. 20 FOX L 17–3147,330
November 3 11:00 a.m. Rutgers Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI BTN W 31–1774,379
November 10 11:00 a.m. at No. 21 Penn State ABC L 10–22105,396
November 17 2:30 p.m. at Purdue BTN W 47–44 3OT 46,114
November 24 2:30 p.m. Minnesota ESPN2 L 15–3774,038
4:15 p.m. vs. Miami (FL) * ESPN W 35–337,821
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time
Schedule Source: [ 22]
Personnel
Roster
Position key
Game summaries
Western Kentucky
1
2
3
4
Total
Hilltoppers
0
0
3
0
3
No. 4 Badgers
7
17
3
7
34
New Mexico
1
2
3
4
Total
Lobos
7
0
0
7
14
No. 5 Badgers
3
7
14
21
45
BYU
1
2
3
4
Total
Cougars
7
7
7
3
24
No. 6 Badgers
7
7
0
7
21
At Iowa
1
2
3
4
Total
No. 18 Badgers
0
7
7
14
28
Hawkeyes
0
7
10
0
17
Nebraska
1
2
3
4
Total
Cornhuskers
0
3
14
7
24
No. 16 Badgers
3
17
14
7
41
At Michigan
1
2
3
4
Total
No. 15 Badgers
0
7
0
6
13
No. 12 Wolverines
0
13
8
17
38
Illinois
1
2
3
4
Total
Fighting Illini
0
10
7
3
20
No. 23 Badgers
14
14
14
7
49
At Northwestern
1
2
3
4
Total
No. 20 Badgers
7
3
0
7
17
Wildcats
7
7
10
7
31
Rutgers
1
2
3
4
Total
Scarlet Knights
0
0
3
14
17
Badgers
7
3
14
7
31
At Penn State
1
2
3
4
Total
Badgers
7
0
3
0
10
Nittany Lions
10
6
3
3
22
At Purdue
1
2
3
4 OT 2OT 3OT
Total
Badgers
0
3
10
14 7 7 6
47
Boilermakers
0
10
14
3 7 7 3
44
Minnesota
1
2
3
4
Total
Golden Gophers
3
14
6
14
37
Badgers
0
7
0
8
15
vs Miami (FL)–Pinstripe Bowl
1
2
3
4
Total
Hurricanes
3
0
0
0
3
Badgers
14
0
7
14
35
Rankings
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes ( ) = First-place votes Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final AP 4 (1) 5 (1) 6 (1) 18 15 16 15 23 20 RV RV — RV — — RV Coaches 7 6 6 16 13 12 10 19 19 RV RV RV RV RV — RV CFP Not released — — — — — — Not released
Awards and honors
Players drafted into the NFL
Signed undrafted free agents
References
^ Potrykus, Jeff (August 20, 2018). "Badgers ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press preseason top 25" . Milwaukee Journal Sentinel .
^ "2018 College Football Leaders" . Sports-Reference.com . Retrieved January 31, 2019 .
^ "Jonathan Taylor runs for 205 yards in Wisconsin's Pinstripe Bowl victory over Miami" . The Spokesman-Review . Associated Press. December 27, 2018.
^ a b c d e "2018 All-Big Ten Football Teams and Individual Award Recipients" (PDF) . BigTen.org . Big Ten Conference. November 28, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018 .
^ "2018 Watch List | Lott IMPACT Trophy | Honoring College Football's Defensive Best" . lottimpacttrophy.org . Retrieved July 17, 2018 .
^ "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List - Maxwell Football Club" . Maxwell Football Club . July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018 .
^ "2018 Maxwell Award Watch List" . July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018 .
^ "Davey O'Brien Award Watch List includes 26 players" . July 17, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018 .
^ "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates" . July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018 .
^ "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF) . July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018 .
^ "Butkus Award - 2018 Collegiate Watchlist" . The Butkus Award. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2018 .
^ "Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Names 2018 Preseason Watchlist" . July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018 .
^ "2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List" . July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018 .
^ "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED" . July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018 .
^ "Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Announces 2018 Preseason Watch List" . July 25, 2018. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2018 .
^ "Ray Guy Award preseason watch list unveiled" . July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018 .
^ "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List" . July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018 .
^ Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List" " . Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
^ "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced" . August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018 .
^ "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018" . August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018 .
^ "Football - Wisconsin Athletics - 2018 Football Schedule" . uwbadgers.com .
^ "2018 Wisconsin Badgers Football Schedule" . FB Schedules. Retrieved February 9, 2018 .
^ Galloway, Jason (December 7, 2018). "Badgers running back Jonathan Taylor becomes 4th Wisconsin player to win Doak Walker Award" . Wisconsin State Journal .
^ a b c "Undrafted free agent tracker 2019: Signings from all 32 NFL teams in one spot" .
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