Badgers must contain Stephan Taylor It’s been a change in narrative for the Wisconsin Badgers during the 2012 season. For the past two years, the University of Wisconsin relied rather heavily on its record-setting offense, but this year, on several occasions, it’s been the defense that’s kept the Badgers competitive.… Read more »

In the weeks leading up to the Big Ten Championship Game, the Wisconsin football team had made a habit of starting fast and finishing slow. No. 12 Nebraska (10-3, 7-1 Big Ten), meanwhile, had built up a penchant for comeback victories — not the best combination for the Badgers (8-5,… Read more »

The old Welsh poet George Herbert once wrote that, “Life is half spent before we know what it is.” Such is also true with football. Especially in the NFC North, where a few W’s and L’s springing up in unexpected places changed the way we initially thought about these four… Read more »

There once was a time during the nonconference season when the very idea of the Wisconsin football team playing its Big Ten slate was enough to make one recoil in fear. After letting one too many wheel routes get past them against Northern Iowa, taking more than 58 minutes to… Read more »

In the days since the Wisconsin football team muffed its chance at reversing the gloomy narrative its season has going for itself, several specific plays have refused to leave my mind alone. Up 14-3 with under five minutes left in the first quarter, Wisconsin lines up on 2nd and 9… Read more »

Ever go through a frustrating time that perhaps forced you to behave in a somewhat harsh manner, to the point where you suspect you might be acting harsh and become self-conscious and worry if your colleagues are saying anything unflattering about you and your erratic behavior consequently worsens? (Exhale.) Some… Read more »

There’s no doubt in anyone’s head who the go-to man for the Wisconsin football team is. No Badger fan would particularly want to daydream about what this UW team might be like without Montee Ball. But running back is a funny position. When a team’s — or, more specifically, an… Read more »

CHICAGO – It’s just a handful of minutes before 8 a.m., the beginning of Day 2 of the Big Ten Media Days, when Wisconsin running back Montee Ball finds the table marked with a paper-made desk plate displaying his name, position and team written on both sides. It’s one of… Read more »

CHICAGO – Despite a free agency-type situation befalling Penn State’s football team, the majority of Big Ten coaches said Thursday they are not jumping at the chance to woo any Nittany Lions. Among that majority is Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema, who said he decided not to contact any players… Read more »

After going unselected in the NFL draft in late April, former Wisconsin safety Aaron Henry nevertheless found a home for the time being, signing with the Oakland Raiders shortly afterwards. Henry, a first-team all-Big Ten selection by the coaches in 2011, set aside some time to talk to Sports Editor… Read more »

It’s become clear to me that big-time sports and higher education just do not go together. The debate of paying college players is not at all a new issue. For a while, the dispute aged like vinegar, and the dialogue barely ever changed. But recently there has been a fresh… Read more »

This past spring camp marked Chase Hammond’s most important month of collegiate football to date. Entering his third year with the Wisconsin football program as a redshirt sophomore wide receiver out of Youngstown, Ohio, Hammond hadn’t quite been healthy since he broke his right ankle in his junior year of… Read more »

If you’re an unorthodox sports fan, you may very well rue the day when Mr. Irrelevant is called and the NFL draft ends. It’s a fantastically underrated sporting event. For me, a football fan, all I need to consider is the fact that there hasn’t been any football on television… Read more »

It wasn’t anything fancy, but the Wisconsin football team’s offense made two trips to the endzone in Saturday’s spring game, which is twice more than anyone could have said about the team a year ago at this point in the offseason. The starting units of the “Cardinal” team took out… Read more »

It’s finally time to start thinking about next year. Almost five months have passed since Wisconsin fans last saw the Badgers play some football, and Saturday offers the only public sneak peak until the 2012 opening kickoff against Northern Iowa on Sept. 1. With spring camp coming to a close,… Read more »

Whether you’ve realized yet or not, professional football has entered a new era. Where there was once the dawn of the league, the AFL-NFL merger, the beginning of the modern age, there is now the concussion era. It’s beginning — marked by the tumultuous first few weeks of the 2010-11… Read more »

Amid a rising tide of negative reactions across the national media, Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan defended his decision to place restrictions on Jarrod Uthoff’s transfer requests Thursday, saying he used them as a means to get Uthoff to speak with athletics administrators. Earlier Thursday, the UW Athletic… Read more »

Nobody in his or her right mind would label the Wisconsin football team’s backfield a place of consternation heading into the 2012 season. But the departure of fullback Bradie Ewing has, however, left the backfield somewhat lopsided. For the last two years, Ewing has been the trusty 6-foot, 245-pound hammer… Read more »

Back in January, when the fallout of another Rose Bowl loss still echoed throughout the fanbase of the Wisconsin football team, Montee Ball’s decision to remain in Madison for his senior season certainly made some (if not most) of the pain go away. But in the months that have passed… Read more »

The 2012 offseason has been one of significant turnover for the Wisconsin football team, with six assistant coaches leaving and a body of seniors jockeying for position on NFL draft boards. And while several positions are only now beginning to start anew with spring practice in top gear, the defensive… Read more »

Let’s say I was presented with a cache of tickets to various places and events, all within the United States. Some would be plane tickets and reservations to resorts in warm climates, like Miami or San Diego. Some would be tickets to music festivals, like Coachella or Bonnaroo. Tickets to… Read more »

One year ago, Thomas Hammock was the newcomer on the coaching staff of Wisconsin’s offense — all of his colleagues had walked the halls and sidelines of Camp Randall Stadium for years. But only a few weeks after that first season ended did Hammock suddenly become the guy with the… Read more »

For the second consecutive year, the Wisconsin football team may have found its answer to the quarterback position in the arm of an ACC transplant. Wednesday afternoon, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema announced the addition of former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien to the Badgers’ roster. O’Brien is set to graduate… Read more »

As general manager of the Green Bay Packers, Ted Thompson wields the awesome power of assembling and designing Wisconsin’s beloved professional football team. The architect of Green Bay’s 2010-11 Super Bowl-winning team, Thompson is basically the supreme football being in the Dairy State. He is The Creator. And what is… Read more »

With a tournament appearance in all 11 years as the head coach of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, Bo Ryan has made it this far three times before. But he’s only advanced from the Sweet 16 once. Come Thursday evening, he’ll have another chance when he and the rest of… Read more »

Part of the fun in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is the pairing of teams that do not often see each other, creating unique matchups and the clashing of one league’s brand of basketball versus another. The last time Wisconsin crossed paths with Syracuse was in 1999, and the time… Read more »

For the second year in a row, Bo Ryan’s Badgers are back in the Sweet 16. This year, more than any other, I’ve pressured myself into asking how this man continues to pull out such results. Following the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s 60-57 win Saturday, I took a step back… Read more »

Just after finishing his playing career with the Wisconsin men’s basketball team back in 2004, Freddie Owens had not quite considered himself to be coaching material. Greg Gard, an assistant coach then and the associate head coach now, admits that at the time he did not see Owens, a hero… Read more »

The following sentence may catch a few Wisconsin football fans off guard, but it’s more or less true. Since Scott Tolzien left the program at the end of the 2010 season, the quarterback position at UW has been unstable. That is in no way a comment on the performance of… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s all about scoring runs in basketball. In the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament semifinals between Wisconsin and Michigan State, the teams traded runs twice, but the blitzes the Spartans put on produced more points and lasted longer than the Badgers. The result: a 65-52 defeat for the… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — That a senior guard would lead the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in its Big Ten tournament-opening game against Indiana is not surprising. But the name might raise a few eyebrows. With Jordan Taylor in a funk, Rob Wilson came off the bench to deliver blow after blow to… Read more »

Roped off onlookers silently watching from afar; the occasional brief and quiet oohs and aahs; the sight of football players dressed in a full regalia of Under Armour. It must be pro day. Former members of the Wisconsin football team hosted a multitude of representatives from NFL teams Wednesday at… Read more »

In Division I men’s basketball, the phrase “March Madness” is generally reserved for the NCAA tournament. But among the dozen Big Ten coaches, nobody’s kidding anybody. The Madness of March is sure to begin Thursday for the Big Ten in Indianapolis when the 15th edition of the conference tournament tips… Read more »

Football, giant as it is, has become a fault line in the landscape of America’s popular culture. And this past Friday, another shiver sent waves through the growing uneasiness that pervades the relationship between football (more specifically, the NFL) and the rest of the country that calls itself fans and… Read more »

The win might not have meant much, but the Wisconsin men’s basketball team sure looked sweet in its regular season curtain call all the same. Powered by four players scoring double-digits, No. 15 Wisconsin cruised past Illinois, 70-56, Sunday at the Kohl Center, its final tune up before the Big… Read more »

After Tuesday night, you probably won’t see any members of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team asking you to use your indoor voice at the Kohl Center. In No. 15 Wisconsin’s (22-8, 11-6) 52-45 win over Minnesota (17-13, 5-12), both UW head coach Bo Ryan and his counterpart, Tubby Smith, were… Read more »

Just when you think you’ve figured out the pecking order in Big Ten men’s basketball, a peasant rises up and convincingly buries an elite. If you watched the Badgers’ last two games, you witnessed two perfect examples. Thursday, fourth-place Wisconsin got dispatched by eighth-place Iowa for the second time this… Read more »

In the world of Big Ten men’s basketball, where any given team has proven vulnerable to any of its peers, there’s no time to get caught up in the pursuit of revenge. With the regular season nearing its end, the denizens of the crowded Big Ten only have a handful… Read more »

It’s no secret to anyone who’s paid any attention to the Wisconsin men’s basketball team this season that the offense has had to undergo a somewhat bumpy transition in the frontcourt. Unsurprisingly, Ryan Evans, Mike Bruesewitz and Jared Berggren haven’t been able to replicate what Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil… Read more »

Penn State men’s basketball head coach Patrick Chambers was afraid a familiar sight would appear at the Kohl Center Sunday against No. 15 Wisconsin. Despite the fact the Badgers hadn’t been shooting well as of late — and even worse at home than on the road — Chambers remained uneasy.… Read more »

<a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=cf840d0cad” >Wisconsin vs. Penn State</a>… Read more »

A double-double in the game of basketball is no fluke. They just don’t come along courtesy of serendipity. Even on just a game-by-game basis, the achievement of a double-double requires an unflagging work ethic. But the 17 points and 11 rebounds that forward Ryan Evans earned Feb. 9 against Minnesota… Read more »

Come this Thursday, Wisconsin men’s basketball fans are going to witness a litmus test of sorts, with the results indicating whether or not UW is capable of a deep postseason run in either the NCAA or Big Ten tournaments. This year’s clan of Badgers are a rare breed — one… Read more »

As is routine, Herald Sports will offer a weekly report card on the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s two most recent games. The No. 22 Badgers (19-6, 8-4 Big Ten) have had plenty of time off recently, last playing on Feb. 9 in a 68-61 overtime win against Minnesota. Before that,… Read more »

With National Signing Day in the past, caught up with Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt of Rivals.com to talk about the Wisconsin football team’s 2012 recruiting class of 12 scholarship players and seven preferred walk-ons. Helmholdt touched on the highs and lows of the 2012 class, including the highly-anticipated new quarterback,… Read more »

The frontcourt of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team certainly got the message after Saturday’s 58-52 loss to Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ execution inside proved to be one of the biggest differences in the game, with 30 points coming in the paint and 13 off free throws as preseason All-American forward… Read more »

To a certain degree, opponents can count on the Wisconsin men’s basketball team to defeat itself this season. This past Saturday, Ohio State came to Madison and left it with wide smiles for the first time in 11 years. The Badgers catapulted three-pointer after three-pointer and watched 22 of 27… Read more »

Turns out Pittsburgh can’t have them all. Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema announced Monday the addition of Eddie Faulkner as the program’s new tight ends coach. The move for Faulkner comes nearly one month after accepting a job to coach running backs for Paul Chryst at Pittsburgh. Faulkner’s arrival… Read more »

For the first time in Thad Matta’s career, the Buckeyes left Madison with a spring in their step. Now in his eighth year as head coach of No. 3 Ohio State (20-3, 8-2 Big Ten), Matta’s team finally exorcised the demons of the Kohl Center Saturday, defeating No. 20 Wisconsin… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will offer a report card on the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s most recent two games. No. 20 Wisconsin (18-5, 7-3) eked out a 52-46 win at Penn State (10-13, 2-8) Tuesday — its sixth consecutive win in the Big Ten. The win moved the Badgers into… Read more »

The comments rang out a week ago, and I still can’t quite get them out of my head. On Jan. 23, Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan sat down for his weekly press conference and fielded a question about the NCAA transfer rule for graduate student-athletes. The reporter sought Ryan’s… Read more »

Where the Wisconsin men’s basketball team once peered up from near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, it now finds itself looking down on most of its peers after just three weeks’ time. The Badgers (17-5 overall) went from 1-3 in conference play to a 6-3 mark that leaves… Read more »

If Indiana forward Cody Zeller wasn’t planted firmly in his seat along the Hoosier bench Thursday night, then you can bet he was on the floor being harassed by Wisconsin’s defenders. Namely, forward Jared Berggren and, to a lesser degree, Mike Bruesewitz.  Prior to Thursday’s nights 57-50 Wisconsin (17-5, 6-3… Read more »

Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema announced the latest addition to his staff Wednesday afternoon, introducing Andy Buh as the program’s new linebackers coach. Buh spent the previous two seasons at Nevada, his alma matter, where he acted as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He also has two years of… Read more »

Every week this season, Herald Sports will look back on the previous two games of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer a report card on the Badgers’ performance. Wisconsin, sitting with a lowly 1-3 Big Ten record about two weeks ago, continued its resurgence on Sunday, winning its fourth… Read more »

Overall, it’s been a rude introduction to the conference season for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in 2011-12. Under head coach Bo Ryan, Wisconsin isn’t accustomed to beginning the conference season with an uphill climb, as the Badgers found themselves to be 1-3 against Big Ten foes for the first… Read more »

Shortly after the Wisconsin football team lost its second consecutive Rose Bowl — this time to Oregon in a 45-38 blur of offensive prowess — one thing racked my patience more than anything else. It wasn’t that, for the second year in a row, I had driven more than 2,000… Read more »

PASADENA, Calif. — The scoreboard flashed a Rose Bowl record of 83 points, and more than half a mile’s worth of yards were covered. But once the dust settled in the fourth quarter of the wild west shootout between Oregon and Wisconsin, there sat a lifeless football along the sideline.… Read more »

Following a disappointing 45-38 loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl, the number of players and coaches set to leave the Wisconsin football team surely left Badger faithfuls with the sourest of tastes on their tongues. But on Jan. 5, Montee Ball delivered a heck of a tasty treat. Ball,… Read more »

The shape of the Wisconsin football team’s coaching staff continues to take shape as head coach Bret Bielema announced the hiring of Matt Canada as the squad’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tuesday afternoon.Canada spent the 2011 season in an identical role with Northern Illinois, although he has a… Read more »

Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema began filling the void left by his departed assistants Monday by announcing the addition Zach Azzanni as the team’s wide receivers coach.Azzanni will call Wisconsin his third home in as many years, as he spent the 2011 season as the offensive coordinator and wide… Read more »

John Chadima, senior associate athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, resigned from his position in the UW Athletic Department. The school announced today that after an “allegation of misconduct” was brought forth to university officials, athletic director Barry Alvarez placed Chadima on administrative leave on the afternoon of Friday,… Read more »

LOS ANGELES — Come Jan. 2, when the Wisconsin football team emerges from its month-long hibernation to take the field for the 98th Rose Bowl Game against Oregon, it’ll be easy to get caught up in what the Badger offense will be losing on the field next season. Quarterback Russell… Read more »

His announcement to join the Wisconsin football team came in late June, and now, just six months later, Russell Wilson will soon be departing. Come Jan. 2, Wilson, the quarterback who fell out of the blue sky into the laps of the one-puzzle-piece-missing Badgers, will don a cardinal and white… Read more »

If there’s one thing opposing defenses have learned about the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s offense, it’s that there’s plenty to worry about outside of point guard Jordan Taylor. The Badgers’ most recent foe, Nevada-Las Vegas, applied some heavy pressure on the preseason All-American in Wisconsin’s most recent game, a 62-51… Read more »

If the opportunity presents itself, should an NFL team really gun for the sacred undefeated season? This is a cute little debate that seems to rear its head nearly every other year these days. In fact, it would be wonderful to know just how many hours ESPN has devoted to… Read more »

Despite his late surge onto the forefront of the Heisman Trophy debate, Montee Ball will not be Wisconsin’s third running back to bring the 25-pound bronze trophy back to Madison. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III became the 77th winner of the Heisman on ESPN’s live broadcast of the award’s presentation… Read more »

When the shots didn’t fall in the hoop Saturday for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, they more often than not fell into the hands of a waiting Badger beneath the rim. Then, sometime later, the ball would fall through the hoop for UW. No. 14/16 Wisconsin (8-2) took down Nevada-Las… Read more »

After seeing its inside game outperformed in its last two contests, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team reestablished a presence in the paint Wednesday night that was hard for its opponents to apprehend. It may not have been an all-around successful game down low for Wisconsin (7-2), which ended its two… Read more »

The state of Wisconsin will dish out its next opponent for the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team Wednesday night as it welcomes its northern neighbor, UW-Green Bay, to the Kohl Center. The No. 14/16 Badgers (6-2), after a near-spotless six-game start to their season, hit a two-game bump last… Read more »

After failing their first two tests of the season, there’s little discouragement coming from the top dog of the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team. The No. 14/16 Badgers (6-2) dropped two consecutive games against their first ranked opponents of the season by a combined 10 points last week after… Read more »

In a way, this will be sort of difficult to admit, but a large portion of my sports-watching career was spent struggling to consider that the idea of going to the Rose Bowl — or any BCS game that wasn’t the national championship — was as exciting of a thing… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS — At halftime of the Big Ten Championship Game, the Wisconsin football team couldn’t help but feel a little incredulous about the situation it found itself in against Michigan State. In a storyline that paralleled their Oct. 22 meeting with the Spartans, the Badgers had, at one point, held… Read more »

The Big Ten football conference is commonly romanticized as a “black and blue” league, where teams utilize traditional offenses and exude a physical nature while playing in the outdoors of the chilly Midwest. But when competition in the Big Ten will reach its apex this Saturday when Wisconsin and Michigan… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team may have won the Chicago Invitational Challenge just days ago, but during head coach Bo Ryan’s weekly press conference Monday, all anybody cared to talk about was a different challenge. For the 2011 Big Ten/ACC Challenge, No. 7 Wisconsin is preparing to hit… Read more »

You know you have a great game coming when 1) some sort of championship is on the line, 2) your opponent is the best possible team you could face and 3) there is no other team you would rather play against for that championship. Given all the on-field storylines this… Read more »

At the end of October, the Wisconsin football team’s hopes and dreams of playing for a conference title in Indianapolis seemed dim, at best. One month later, the Badgers find themselves making reservations for a date with Michigan State in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. No. 16 Wisconsin (10-2,… Read more »

In this world, there are few things as intricately and beautifully composed as a Thanksgiving meal. It gets down to the cornerstone of any real spread with the presence of meat and potatoes, which happen to be showered in yummy gravy. There is also a large, round and golden turkey,… Read more »

It took a little while to warm up, but the No. 13 Wisconsin men’s basketball team dished out a 69-33 home victory over Wofford Saturday night with half of the team’s shots falling on target. Sophomore guard Josh Gasser led all scorers with 16 points, hitting five of six shots… Read more »

After its Rose Bowl aspirations were taken to the brink three weeks ago, the Wisconsin football team already finds itself back in control of its destiny. With two games left in the regular season, Wisconsin is eight quarters away from clinching a berth in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game.… Read more »

It was not as graceful an ending as the Wisconsin men’s basketball team would have preferred, but Wednesday night nevertheless brought the Badgers its second win in as many games. In a 68-41 victory over Colgate (1-1), No. 13/14 Wisconsin (2-0) finished the evening by shooting 36.7 percent from the… Read more »

Walking into the Kohl Center is hard enough, even when the Wisconsin men’s basketball team isn’t making nearly 59 percent of its shots. Colgate University will venture inside the arena today to tip off against No. 14 Wisconsin, who appeared to do no wrong in its season opener against Kennesaw… Read more »

If you had to ask me what my favorite position in the game of basketball is, I’d have to go outside the box a little and reply with the sixth man. Basketball’s sixth man is a patient and harmful weapon. He’s actually almost like a secret weapon, the way he’s… Read more »

MINNEAPOLIS — Paul Bunyan’s Axe returned to the state of Minnesota this weekend, but only for a few hours to sight-see. In the 121st edition of the Wisconsin-Minnesota rivalry — the nation’s oldest — the No. 18 Badgers (8-2, 4-2) retained the game’s trophy for the eighth consecutive year, beating… Read more »

One year ago, Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan faced the prospect of replacing his entire backcourt, which was worth 168 starts between just two players. Players leave every year in the college game, but this past offseason demanded an even “taller” order, as Ryan’s entire frontcourt graduated, taking… Read more »

One season ago, Marcus Cromartie found himself buried in the depth chart of the Wisconsin football team’s defensive backfield. He appeared in just five games in 2010, amassing five tackles. But one year later, he has found himself manning the starting cornerback position opposite All-Big Ten selection Antonio Fenelus. Football… Read more »

When an entire frontcourt departs, a few aches and pains are expected to occur in the ensuing transition for any college basketball team. Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan held his weekly press conference Monday, two days after his Badgers turned out an 80-54 exhibition win over UW-Stevens Point. Ryan echoed… Read more »

When the polls were released, I had to do a double take. Nope, I’m not talking about any injustice from the nefarious BCS system. Rather, I’m talking about the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team entering the 2011-12 season picked to finish second in the Big Ten by the media… Read more »

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team broke the 2010-11 season’s ice with an 80-54 victory in Saturday’s exhibition game against UW-Stevens Point at the Kohl Center. Preseason All-American guard Jordan Taylor paced the Badger offense with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field along with seven assists, while two reserve… Read more »

In its 62-17 victory over Purdue Saturday, the Wisconsin football team’s offense returned to the high-powered attack fans saw in September and early October, while the defense enjoyed an improved game as well, allowing just 284 yards of offense. But the special teams still appeared to be stuck in the… Read more »

Suddenly, the Wisconsin football team finds itself in a dogfight to come out on top of its own division. Following two consecutive losses at the hands of last-second touchdown passes, the Badgers have fallen from No. 6 in the BCS rankings to No. 20 and now find themselves locked in… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back and evaluate the most recent game by the Wisconsin football team on a scale of zero to five. The Badgers suffered their second consecutive loss Saturday night, falling to Ohio State 33-29 at Ohio Stadium. The loss drops Wisconsin into a three-way tie… Read more »

Luck is a funny and fickle thing. It makes a person’s day or it can ruin it — kind of like how in sports, it can send a team to the moon or toss it down a well. I’m not writing this column to make any kind of excuses for… Read more »

COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second week in a row, torments continued for the Wisconsin football team: a blocked punt and a late comeback squandered by a last-second touchdown pass upheld upon further review. Ohio State freshman quarterback Braxton Miller threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Devin… Read more »

Walk-ons always make for an encouraging story in college sports, mainly because of their humble beginnings and goals. Wisconsin wide receiver Jared Abbrederis certainly fits that storyline, but what sets him apart is the kind of impact he is making in just his third year in the program. The redshirt… Read more »

Last year, in a column I wrote about how Ohio State had usurped Minnesota as Wisconsin’s biggest rival given the level of competition over the past few years; I mentioned how much it must annoy OSU that UW frequently gets in the way of its bigger and better plans. In… Read more »

EAST LANSING, MICH. — Any hopes the Wisconsin football team had of playing for a national championship almost certainly ended Saturday night after Michigan State wide receiver Keith Nichol grabbed a miraculous, last-second and bobbled Hail Mary bomb to cap off what will surely go down as an instant classic… Read more »

It’s not too common of a thing in sports for both teams in an upcoming match to have grounds for a grudge against the other. Usually it’s just one team that gets rebuffed while the other holds the bragging rights until next time. But between Wisconsin (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten)… Read more »

This coming Saturday night is a big, big, big one for No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 16 Michigan State. And for the rest of the Big Ten, Saturday’s game in East Lansing might be just as big as well. The last shred of respect for the conference is hanging in… Read more »

Considering its arsenal of weapons, sometimes it’s pretty hard to keep track of everybody on the Wisconsin football team’s offense. In Saturday’s 59-7 victory over Indiana at Camp Randall Stadium, the most obvious example came early in the second quarter when one of the least suspected players on the Badger… Read more »

When the Indiana football team visited Camp Randall Stadium last year, it was greeted by an unstoppable Wisconsin offense, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in nearly a century. The Badgers ran wild over the Hoosiers in that game, winning 83-20. It was the largest number of points scored… Read more »

For anyone who’s ever watched the weekly videos produced by Herald Sports about the upcoming football games (which can be found on the Badger Herald YouTube channel, among plenty of other goodies), I think we can all say that being on camera really brings out the awkwardness in me quite… Read more »

About this time a year ago, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball began to see his carries shrink to the point where he didn’t receive any at all. It’s almost hard to believe, considering the tear that Ball has been on ever since he earned those carries back. The junior ballcarrier… Read more »

Fittingly, “House of Pain” is slowly becoming a fashionable nickname for Camp Randall Stadium. But for anyone clad in cardinal and red, 1440 Monroe St. is nothing but a “House of Joy.” While last year’s takedown of No. 1 Ohio State had more thrills and was electrically radiant, I don’t… Read more »

Over the past several days, several media outlets have reported that a fleet of 20,000 fans of the Nebraska football team will make the journey this weekend to Madison to witness the Huskers’ inception to Big Ten play. For those fans lucky enough to score a ticket — only 3,000… Read more »

In case you get lost in the mob and clutter Saturday, 1440 Monroe St. is what you’re looking for. That’s where one of the most anticipated games in Wisconsin football history will be kicking off, a perennial powerhouse in Nebraska being welcomed to the Big Ten by the ever-rising brand… Read more »

After dispatching its first three opponents by a combined score of 135-24, the Wisconsin football team has been forced to get a little picky in terms of keeping with the old sports saying of “never be satisfied.” But for the defense, there’s still one important ingredient missing: takeaways. Despite playing… Read more »

I’ve been eating my words for the past three weeks now and my, my, my, I didn’t know they could be so delicious. The No. 6/7 Wisconsin football team is a bright and shiny 3-0. That’s “three-and-zero.” Three — for three blowout victories — and ‘O’, for oh-my-gosh-nobody’s-had-a-chance. I assumed… Read more »

CHICAGO — Opposing defenses are going to have to learn not to turn their backs on Wisconsin’s passing game. Time and time again in Wisconsin’s (3-0) 49-7 win over Northern Illinois (1-2) Saturday, quarterback Russell Wilson feigned a handoff and connected downfield to an open teammate, taking advantage of the… Read more »

If only for the day, old friends become new enemies Saturday when No. 7/8 Wisconsin meets Northern Illinois in Chicago’s famed Soldier Field. Ending his stay as defensive coordinator of the Wisconsin football team following the Rose Bowl, Dave Doeren will now be standing across the field from the Badger… Read more »

Wisconsin senior cornerback Devin Smith is out for the remainder of the season and will seek a medical redshirt after undergoing surgery on a left foot injury. University of Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema announced Tuesday over the Big Ten telephone conference that the extent of Smith’s injury was uncertain… Read more »

With two games into the Wisconsin football season, there is hardly anything to gripe about. After defeating UNLV and Oregon State by a combined score of 86-17, Wisconsin arrived in 2011 as advertised, confidently looking like a team bound for a BCS bowl game. But that still won’t stop some… Read more »

Staying unsatisfied and keeping the legs of the frontline fresh — that’s what the Wisconsin football team’s defensive line is all about in 2011. And with a posse of capable lineman — numbering as high as 10 — shuffling each other on and off the field, the theme of the… Read more »

Between the third and fourth quarters of Thursday night’s 51-17 butchery by Wisconsin unto Nevada-Las Vegas, when the obedient student section jumped around, turning the press box into a swing set, I sat there, enjoying the closest I’d ever come to an earthquake, thinking: “Tonight couldn’t get much better for… Read more »

No need to worry, the juggernaut offense of last season’s Wisconsin football team is back for another round. In rumbling off 499 yards of total offense, the No. 10/11 Badgers (1-0) opened the 2011 season with a 51-17 victory over Nevada-Las Vegas (0-1) under the lamps of Camp Randall Stadium… Read more »

You would almost start to think that certain stars have to align in order for Wisconsin linebackers Chris Borland and Mike Taylor to see the field together. Taylor, a redshirt junior, and Borland, a sophomore who received a medical redshirt in 2010, have been standout defenders for the Badgers for… Read more »

The dawn of a new season is quickly approaching, and all things are falling into place for the Wisconsin football team’s 2011 season opener against Nevada-Las Vegas Thursday night. The Badgers, who experienced an influx of bumps and bruises over the course of fall camp, are, for the most part,… Read more »

The ice tubs are filled, water bottles cooled and coaches’ whistles are all chirping away. It’s August; football season is right around the corner. The Wisconsin football team opened its fall camp Friday at Camp Randall Stadium, where the Badgers will open their 2011 season in a little less than… Read more »

CHICAGO — Players and coaches sat at tables for one-on-one interviews in another eventful day at the Big Ten football media days. I caught up again with those representing Wisconsin. Let me fill you in on the good stuff from day two: Henry thankful for Bielema’s astuteness Aaron Henry, a… Read more »

CHICAGO — It may not be as popular of a nickname as “Windy City” or “Second City,” but Chicago is sometimes called the “City of the Big Shoulders.” And there are plenty of them walking around for the Big Ten football media days. After listening to the dozen of Big… Read more »

After months of waiting in NFL lockout limbo, four former members of the Wisconsin football team who went unselected in April’s draft finally got their call up to the big leagues. WKOW-TV reported Tuesday morning that quarterback Scott Tolzien agreed to a deal with the San Diego Chargers, while the… Read more »

Earning an invitation to the Rose Bowl is one thing, but making the trip two consecutive years is another entirely. After the mass exodus of talent that followed last year’s shared Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance, Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema is now faced with the task… Read more »

Three members of the Wisconsin wrestling team have chosen to take an Olympic redshirt for the upcoming 2011-2012 season in pursuit of representing the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Seniors Andrew Howe and Travis Rutt join redshirt junior Tyler Graff as they compete in Olympic qualifiers… Read more »

On Monday, former North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson announced his decision to join the University of Wisconsin football team. Never before has the motion ‘W’ had more momentum behind it. Fans and critics alike praised the matrimony between Wilson, a quarterback with three years of starting experience, and the… Read more »

For the second consecutive year, USA Cycling brings its Collegiate Road National Championships to the city of Madison and its surrounding areas. The competition, which kicks off today and continues until Sunday afternoon, features nearly 100 universities and colleges, with a total of about 500 student athletes. Each year, 18… Read more »

Wisconsin has three sports teams that are a source of revenue for the school — football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey. Thus, they are in the spotlight and have the most fans. Every year, the expectations for all three teams are relatively high, despite not being a popular brand on… Read more »

Semester’s end is near, and while the living is easy in the summertime, there’s still no escaping the vacuum of sports that are the summer months. Sure, there’s still baseball and golf, but summer is without doubt a slower period in the world of sports than other times in the… Read more »

Despite losing several key players from a year ago, there remained plenty of reasons to talk up the Wisconsin football team’s offense. Just a few include returning backs Montee Ball, James White, another sure-to-be solid offensive line and two rising wide receivers. However, in Saturday’s spring football game at Camp… Read more »

A few months removed from enjoying a passing game that boasted a 168.1 passer rating, the Wisconsin football team now finds itself in the midst of an overhaul with its aerial attack. Among the quarterback, wide receiver and tight end positions, only one starting incumbent from 2010 remains on the… Read more »

Before I get into anything, just keep one thing in mind you should already know: Don’t take the Wisconsin football team’s spring game on Saturday ultra-seriously — that is, if you plan on paying any attention to it. We are in the middle of April, and the 2011 college football… Read more »

If you asked fans of the Wisconsin football team what they know about redshirt junior Shelton Johnson, they would probably all refer to a specific play from last year’s duel with Arizona State in Madison. Quarterback Scott Tolzien had just found Lance Kendricks in the end zone before halftime to… Read more »

This country of ours really, really likes NFL football. It’s got the biggest television contracts, ridiculously high ticket prices that still sell and sponsorships up the proverbial wazoo. When you call the Super Bowl an unofficial holiday, you almost begin to wander into the same territory of fanaticism as the… Read more »

Being spring camp and all, there aren’t many new faces at the Wisconsin football team’s practices quite yet. In fact, there are only two, as far as true freshman go. One of them, a short and fleet-footed wideout, is pretty hard to miss among the typical giants that roam the… Read more »

The NCAA Tournament is always great, but you know it’s been especially great and full of Madness when you find yourself asking people if they managed to get any of their Final Four teams correct. Every tournament is filled with highlights and great stories. Here’s the best-of-the-best from the 2011… Read more »

There are typically more than 100 players on a college football team, and they all have two things in common. (1) They all have a craving for playing time.(2) They have five years of eligibility to satisfy it. That means college football teams are rife with competition, and no player’s… Read more »

It’s always interesting looking forward to next year when it comes to college sports. Change is almost certainly unavoidable, and when it happens on a minimal level, things are even more intriguing. For the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, last year the offseason question centered on UW’s backcourt since Trevon Hughes… Read more »

Despite losing a former Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year to the NFL, you won’t find much anxiety aimed at the Wisconsin football team’s running game for the upcoming season. As John Clay prepares for the next stage in his career, the long bloodline of great Wisconsin running backs… Read more »

If you’re like me, then whenever the prospect of dancing comes up, you envision yourself moving your body in such a way that your friends no longer want to be associated with you for the rest of the night and the opposite sex basically stands and watches in that middle… Read more »

With a Sweet 16 appearance on tap for Thursday, every game earned for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team will continue to magnify on the national scene. However, head coach Bo Ryan doesn’t expect his team to get too carried away with the escalating stakes. As Wisconsin gets ready for eighth-seeded… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the last two games of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer a report card grading the team’s performance. The Badgers’ season remains alive and well after two encouraging victories in the NCAA Tournament have earned them their fourth Sweet 16 berth… Read more »

INDIANAPOLIS – During Friday’s game four of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, the temperature inside the Conseco Fieldhouse dropped severely. Three-seeded Wisconsin and sixth-seeded Penn State combined for a shooting percentage of .311 in a 36-33 Nittany Lion victory. The Badgers, who are constantly noted for their slow-paced offense,… Read more »

March is here, and the Big Ten is ready to jump into the Madness. With conference tournaments already underway, the 14th edition of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament begins today in the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. With many bracket pundits predicting as many as six Big Ten teams… Read more »

It may be known as “the second season” where everyone still adopts an attitude of starting over with renewed hopes, but everyone knows tournament play isn’t a separate species from the regular season. When it comes to the postseason, momentum is everything and the special thing about it is that… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back on the last two games of the 10th-ranked Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer a report card. On the road against Michigan last Wednesday, freshman guard Josh Gasser banked in a three-point buzzer beater to hand the stunned Wolverines a 53-52 loss. Wisconsin… Read more »

For the NFL, the country’s most popular and most lucrative sport, there’s only one thing certain right now. There will be a draft on the days of April 28-30, collective bargaining agreement or no collective bargaining agreement. The deadline for the NFL and its players to come to an agreement… Read more »

Before Bo Ryan arrived at Wisconsin to coach the men’s basketball team, a perfect home record hadn’t been attained since the 1929-30 season. On Sunday night, Ryan notched his third perfect home record with the Badgers in his 10 seasons in Madison. Junior guard Jordan Taylor and senior forward Keaton… Read more »

Fans have always wanted big things from Keaton Nankivil. The senior forward for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has the size, standing 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, the mobility and the perimeter marksmanship. As a native of Madison and a former prep star at Madison Memorial High School, he’s even got… Read more »

Nov. 14 was a long time ago. Back then, when it came to the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, nobody was talking about how underrated Jordan Taylor was or how improved Keaton Nankivil’s shooting percentage is. Nobody spoke about potentially beating No. 1 Ohio State at home, nor was anyone talking… Read more »

As has been common this year, Jon Leuer stood at the top of the scoring performances in Wisconsin’s 76-66 victory over Penn State Sunday evening. That game-leading 22 points tied with one other player though, and it wasn’t point guard Jordan Taylor. It was Keaton Nankivil. For just the third… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will take a look back and assess the latest performances of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. On Saturday, the No. 10 Badgers began with a thrilling come-from-behind victory against No. 1 Ohio State, 71-67. But the euphoria didn’t last long as the Badgers dropped their fifth… Read more »

In the world of college basketball, there’s never enough time to bask in the euphoria of a win. The No. 10 Wisconsin men’s basketball team (19-5, 9-3) is forced to put the delight of upsetting then-No. 1 Ohio State at the Kohl Center as they hit the road to clash… Read more »

For all of you passionate Badger fans of the men’s basketball and football teams, when was the last time you seriously said to yourself, “(expletive) I (expletive) hate those (expletive(s)) Gophers” out of sheer anger and long-term frustration? I know you haven’t said it in reference to the football team… Read more »

It was déjà vu for Badger fans on Saturday. The No. 13/14 Wisconsin men’s basketball (19-5, 9-3) team brought down previously unbeaten — and No. 1 ranked — Ohio State (24-1, 11-1), 71-67 at the Kohl Center on Saturday after marching back from a 15-point deficit in the second half.… Read more »

Nobody likes to leave home, but once again the No. 13/14 Wisconsin men’s basketball team will be tested with another road trip — this time in Iowa City. The Badgers are 13-0 this season at the Kohl Center, winning by an average of 20.4 points per game. Stretching into last… Read more »

If you’re a fan of sports teams in the state of Wisconsin, days like Sunday are about as rare as ­­­­­­­­­­ice storms in Texas. It’s not awful to be a fan of Wisconsin-based sports teams. It’s not a relationship rife with despair. Cleveland fans have it much worse, as do… Read more »

Jordan Taylor might have scored just north of 36 percent of Wisconsin’s points against Michigan State Sunday, but it’s not like he carried the team. He was just the crown jewel in a near-flawless team effort. In the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s 82-56 victory, Taylor — for the second time… Read more »

On Tuesday, the Purdue men’s basketball team entered the Kohl Center in great need of a win after losing three out of its last six games. The Boilermakers came away empty-handed. Next in line is Michigan State (13-9, 5-5), a team that has shocked the college basketball world with its… Read more »

The blizzard that roared outside the Kohl Center may have held back a sizeable amount of the audience on Tuesday night, but that didn’t mean the crowd couldn’t be as loud as ever. The No. 18/19 Wisconsin men’s basketball team (16-5, 6-3) fought for a 66-59 victory over No. 10/11… Read more »

For Packer fans, chances are favorable that Super Sunday offers a more pleasurable thought than any lecture you might be listening to this week. Whenever my thoughts drift to the Super Bowl over this last week, they frequently centered on past Super Bowls that featured the Packers. And all I… Read more »

Back in the preseason, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s Jan. 29 meeting at Penn State seemed like a friendly one, just as Big Ten play would begin to heat up with February beginning. At that time, not many people expected senior forward Keaton Nankivil to be referring to the matchup… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will look back at the last week of the No. 15 Wisconsin men’s basketball team and offer an assessment for the Badgers’ latest exploits. This past week, the Badgers topped Indiana at home 69-60 before thumping Northwestern 78-46 for their first conference road win of the… Read more »

So I have this thought that I’ve been repeating to myself lately. It goes: “The Packers are going to the Super Bowl.” Every time I say that, it feels so weird, but so cool. I’ve never been able to say a sentence that contains those words in that particular order… Read more »

After the hot-handed Illinois men’s basketball team was cooled down to 30.2 percent shooting from the field at the Kohl Center, not many would have thought Indiana could have entered Wisconsin’s arena without getting rattled. So much for that. Coming into Thursday night’s game with the Big Ten’s second-best field… Read more »

Last week, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team sized up two of the Big Ten’s best teams in No. 18 Michigan State and No. 22 Illinois, and escaped with a 1-1 record. Now, with matchups against Indiana (10-9, 1-4) and Northwestern (12-5, 3-4) approaching, head coach Bo Ryan and the Badgers… Read more »

Coming into Saturday’s matchup against No. 21 Wisconsin, No. 16 Illinois brandished the nation’s 13th-best field goal percentage, at 48.8. At the Kohl Center, though, that number dropped to 30.2, as the Fighting Illini (13-5, 3-2) dropped their second straight game, 76-66. The Badgers (13-4, 3-2) have not allowed an… Read more »

If you’ve ever walked past Brett Valentyn on campus during a weekday afternoon, you probably didn’t give him much of a second glance. You probably didn’t peg him to be a college athlete, much less a member of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, a program that has accepted 12 consecutive… Read more »

As we enter the heart of the conference season for men’s basketball, one thing has already been made quite clear: The 2011 Big Ten season is not going to follow any kind of script. For a conference that is very much involved in the debate of being the best in… Read more »

Questions, questions, questions. That’s what everyone is dealing with right now. Wrists are sore from blue books and eyes are seeing double after so many scantron bubbles. Cheatsheets, flashcards and stress are the most abundant elements in the universe right now. Finals (for some classes) have already begun, and they’ll… Read more »

Every week Herald Sports will take a look back at the latest week of the Wisconsin men’s basketball season and offer a report card on the team’s performance. The Badgers just completed a three-game series against the state of Wisconsin’s other Division I basketball programs. Last Wednesday, Wisconsin defeated UW-Milwaukee… Read more »

For the fandom of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team, a question mark surrounds two important details. Who is going to be the team’s reliable third scoring option? And who will then pick up the slack if Jordan Taylor or Jon Leuer have an off night? Both questions received encouraging answers… Read more »

MILWAUKEE — Almost a month ago, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team failed to squeeze out a victory at UNLV in the closing minutes due to a costly turnover. In its first true road game since then, it was Wisconsin that forced the untimely error against in-state rival Marquette, all en… Read more »

Heading into Wednesday night’s men’s basketball intrastate affair with UW-Milwaukee, there was one particular player the Wisconsin defense put in its crosshairs. Forward Anthony Hill, who led the Panthers with 14.9 points and 6.18 rebounds per game prior to yesterday night’s matchup, needed to have a quiet day for the… Read more »

Although one team wears its name on the front of its jersey, the state of Wisconsin just isn’t big enough for four Division I men’s basketball teams. Starting today, Wisconsin begins a three-game series — to be played over the course of six days — against its in-state foes, starting… Read more »

I’ll try to keep this food analogy short, what with Thanksgiving having just ended and a Christmas meal on the horizon. Meat and potatoes. That’s the proverbial course of any bountiful holiday feast. It’s delicious and filling. It’s the go-to source of sustenance. All the rest is just gravy. With… Read more »

Every week, Herald Sports will review various aspects of the past week for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. Last Wednesday, Wisconsin helped its conference claim victory in the Big Ten – ACC Challenge after topping North Carolina State, 87-48. On Saturday, Wisconsin won their second straight game against South Dakota,… Read more »

In the midst of Madison’s first snowstorm of the year, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team buried South Dakota on Saturday afternoon, 76-61, having never given up the lead. The Badger’s didn’t lose much heat from their ‘can’t miss’ attitude last Wednesday against N.C. State, finishing with 45.3 percent of shots… Read more »

Heading into the latest edition of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team was longing for a consistent night of shooting. In their 87-48 victory over North Carolina State, that’s exactly what the Badgers got. After its holiday weekend at the Old Spice Invitational, where over the course… Read more »

A young college basketball season is all about flexing muscles and showing one’s teeth, and today, conference bragging rights are up for grabs as the Big Ten–ACC Challenge continues. The Big Ten is coming off of its first ever victory in the Challenge last season, highlighted by Wisconsin’s upset against… Read more »

For the enduring fans of the Wisconsin football team – and the team itself – nobody phrased the feeling any better than J.J. Watt did following the Badgers’ 70-23 exercise of supremacy over Northwestern Saturday. “When you have a chance to win a Big Ten championship, that doesn’t come every… Read more »

After a 4-2 start to the season, Herald Sports is taking a look at the Wisconsin men’s basketball team and evaluating different aspects of the team’s early performance in the Old Spice Classic. The Badgers wrapped up a second place finish over the Thanksgiving weekend in the tournament held in… Read more »

In the sports world, Thanksgiving may best be known for time spent on the gridiron, but the hardwood will also see its fair share of action over the holiday weekend. The Wisconsin men’s basketball team travels to Orlando, Fla. for the fifth edition of the Old Spice Classic, which tips… Read more »

Clearly, Bo Ryan is generating some competition for time on the hardwood. The head coach of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team once again saw excellent production from his bench as the Badgers rolled over the North Dakota Fighting Sioux 85-53 (1-1) Tuesday night to improve to 2-0. Once again, in… Read more »

It’s pretty easy to overlook non-revenue collegiate sports, even though several such programs here at Wisconsin are at least decent, if not great ones. For all of the soccer fans out there, come next fall you’re going to want to keep an eye the women’s soccer team. Just last Sunday,… Read more »

Every year, a new batch of prospective college students face the task of writing an essay as part of their application. Often times universities pose a question similar to the effect of “How can you influence the community here at X University?” For student athletes, the expectation of impacting the… Read more »

After the Wisconsin football team erupted for 83 points last Saturday versus Indiana, there may have been just a little pressure on the men’s basketball team to make sure they weren’t outscored. But after two high-scoring exhibition games, the Badgers prevailed in that regard two nights ago in the season… Read more »

Heading into the 2010-11 men’s basketball season, fans have been eager to see just how the Wisconsin Badgers were going to replace the scoring of former guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon. And after the team’s season opener last night against Prairie View A&M at the Kohl Center, which Wisconsin… Read more »

Have you ever been minding your own business, just you and your thoughts, when all of a sudden a song plays — on the radio or just randomly from a computer — that totally captures your thoughts? At one point Monday night, when I was sitting in The Badger Herald… Read more »

Following their 3-0 regular season finale victory over Northwestern last Monday, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team could do nothing but wait and see if they would be crowned Big Ten champions and be invited to the NCAA tournament. That wait turned out to be bittersweet though, as the Badgers, for… Read more »

When the first coaches’ poll for the 2010-11 men’s basketball season came out, a good amount of people were surprised to see Wisconsin at No. 24 — Badger fans included. Even Bo Ryan was a little impressed when he heard. Not because he thinks his team is overrated or anything… Read more »

Over two months ago, as part of the Wisconsin Tournament, Northwestern’s women’s soccer team took down then-No. 3 UCLA and tied Cincinnati in the same weekend that the Badgers lost to the same two teams on the same field. So when the Wildcats returned to Madison Monday night only to… Read more »

Some things in life will remain constant, much like the world spinning in circles, waves crashing on the shore, leaves falling in October and Brett Favre being under national scrutiny. And just like bees will always swarm the beehive for its tasty honey, sports agents are always going to swarm… Read more »

Big Ten title hopes stayed alive this weekend, not just for the Wisconsin football team, but for the women’s soccer team as well. Wisconsin seized a last-minute 1-0 double overtime victory over Michigan on Sunday in the second-to-last game of the season to remain one point down from first-place Ohio… Read more »

As easy as it is at times to take the word of statistics as the whole story and the undeniable truth, it’s still very difficult for numbers to tell the complete story. That’s what UW women’s soccer head coach Paula Wilkins would tell you in respect to junior midfielder… Read more »

Luckily, the Wisconsin Badgers’ season isn’t made of glass quite like we might have initially thought. The hopes of a Rose Bowl bid and/or Big Ten title appeared to be shattered in the wake of Michigan State slapping a nice, big “L” on Wisconsin’s forehead in the Big Ten… Read more »

These days, it seems like there’s only one kind of scandalous off-field sports story — the kind that generally involves drug abuse, sexual assault or sexting. In other words, the kind that you really get tired of hearing about almost as quickly as you get tired of listening to the… Read more »

After opening the 2010 season with a 4-3 loss against Boston University and a 6-0 victory over Holy Cross in the Ice Breaker Tournament, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team looks to continue refining itself as the young season continues. Despite the loss to No. 10 BU, Eaves came away from… Read more »

Against Iowa last weekend, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team created chance after chance by advancing the ball down the flanks, sending in the cross and getting a hit on the ball from the goalmouth. In that game, the Badgers went ahead and won 2-0 with that tactic. Wisconsin applied the… Read more »

She’s earned the last three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors — the first time any player in the UW women’s soccer program has even earned as many weekly honors in one season. She stands in net and has not allowed a goal in her last seven matches.… Read more »

When colorful leaves begin to fall and temperatures cool, it indicates the arrival of baseball in October. The postseason. The hallowed ring of sports battle for survival. With the MLB postseason beginning tomorrow and the jockeying for BCS entitlement heating up with every passing week, I began to consider the… Read more »

It certainly feels much better to get off on the right foot rather than play catch up from the start. The Wisconsin women’s soccer team can attest to both feelings. After an 0-3 start to the year, the Badgers have revitalized their season, beating Iowa 2-0 yesterday, to help the… Read more »

The memories of last year’s match versus Minnesota remain fresh in the minds of the Wisconsin women’s soccer team. It’s a difficult game to forget; almost exactly a year ago today, the two border rivals clashed under a relentless rainstorm in Madison that persisted throughout the match. After Meghan Flannery… Read more »

You gotta love speculation when you’re just three games into the season. Nevertheless, there are several things worth noting about the four teams of the NFC North thus far. The oft-titled “Black & Blue” division has already established itself as one of the more intriguing division races in the… Read more »

Back from another weekend on the road, the Wisconsin women’s soccer program began Big Ten play with a scoreless tie against Purdue last Friday and a 1-0 overtime victory against Indiana on Sunday. Head coach Paula Wilkins, whose team now rests at 4-3-3 after an 0-3 start, was pleased by… Read more »

For two years there were 2,063 miles that separated Taryn and Tayler Francel after Taryn left home in San Diego for Madison to begin her collegiate soccer career. In 2009, the distance between the two sisters was shortened to 268 miles when Tayler arrived in West Lafayette, Ind., to embark… Read more »

Mmm, breathe it in, breathe it in. You smell it? That’s fall weather, folks. Look around, the trees are already styling themselves with new colors. That’s right kids. We’re about three weeks into the school year and into the full swing of things. The ease of summertime is over, and… Read more »

Following a draw and a victory last weekend, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team seems to have begun climbing out of its initial 0-3 start to the season. Just as things are starting to be on the upside, you might think a five-game road trip is the last thing the Badgers… Read more »

No sport stresses the importance of communication and chemistry quite like the game of soccer. No timeouts, no huddles and everybody’s spread out. And without communication, especially in the last line of defense, any team will start to sink fast. In the back line of the Wisconsin women’s soccer team,… Read more »

If you’re an athlete, it’s going to take a little extra for you to win over my highest level of admiration and respect. I’m not just going to dish out my loving because you’ve been on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays of the week a few times. I have standards. I’m… Read more »

It came a bit later than expected, but the Wisconsin women’s soccer team filed their Sunday match against UW-Milwaukee under the win column for their first of the year after a 1-0 victory at the McClimon Soccer Complex. Junior captain Laurie Nosbusch headed home the game’s only goal in the… Read more »

A year ago, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team might have just brushed off a 0-3-1 start to the season. That kind of mentality can surely spare a team from feeling pressure and urgency, but without a little extra push, it can also flounder in all the excuses. “One of the… Read more »

On youthful teams, the youngest and most inexperienced tend to lose the luxury of learning from the sidelines. Instead, they are expected to learn on the fly, from firsthand experience and wipe away any clues of youthfulness. With only three seniors and six juniors, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team relies… Read more »

Last week, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced its decision to reinstate Bob Bradley as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team. My reaction: indifference that borders on two thumbs pointing skyward. Not that I’m yawning about this. Contrary to popular belief, many sports fans in the U.S. care about… Read more »

After returning from the Washington Tournament last weekend, the UW women’s soccer team finds themselves in a bit of a tough spot after failing to claim their first victory on the season. Following loses to No. 3 UCLA and Cincinnati, Wisconsin (0-3-1) traveled to Seattle, Wash. where the team fell… Read more »

The jig is up for the Wisconsin women’s soccer team. The young team has formally announced its end to dwelling in the cellar of the Big Ten, sending expectations upward as the team returns nine starters from its Sweet 16 finish in 2009. Paula Wilkins returns for her fourth year… Read more »

For much of the 2000s, the University of Wisconsin women’s soccer team seemed trapped in the doldrums. No matter what kind of winning season the team could produce — at one time winning 16 of 23 regular season games — the team was unable to reach higher than fifth place… Read more »

For most people, it’s difficult to swallow when a sports team says they’re “building a team for the future.” And really, you can’t blame those who hold that sentiment. Anyone can say that things will come together in a couple years, but fulfilling that plan is never assured, and some… Read more »

Wisconsin men’s track and field head coach Ed Nuttycombe won’t admit to total satisfaction unless his team ends a season on top of all others. Though the Badgers didn’t finish at the top of the podium, Nuttycombe nevertheless holds much enthusiasm for the team that overcame injuries to finish second… Read more »

When thinking about the 2009-10 season for the Wisconsin men’s hockey team, the most readily available memory might be the 5-0 loss to Boston College in the national championship — a painful memory. But despite missing out on a chance to complete any team’s ultimate goal, the Badgers still experienced… Read more »

Among the list of goals drafted in the preseason, the No. 27 Wisconsin men’s tennis team included what would be the program’s first-ever Big Ten title. Now the time has come to make or break that goal as the team begins their march through the Big Ten Tournament against No.… Read more »

Following an emotional loss to No. 4 Ohio State to close out the regular season, the Wisconsin men’s tennis team will now begin its postseason march this Friday against neighboring rival Minnesota in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Wisconsin finished the year with a conference record of 7-3… Read more »

The setup could not have been any better for a storybook upset. Instead, the Wisconsin men’s tennis team endured a 4-3 loss at the hands of Ohio State. In the regular season finale for Wisconsin, Ohio State entered the match ranked No. 4 in the country, was undefeated in the… Read more »

A certain six words have constantly floated around the Wisconsin men’s tennis team this season: “We need to work on doubles.” All year long, the Badgers’ doubles lineup has gone through constant rearranging and recombining, almost to the effect of speed dating. But now, it seems as if someone cut… Read more »

Next to golf, tennis arguably may be the sport where performance is most influenced by an athlete’s mentality. Talk to any tennis player and they’ll say the game is all about confidence and emotions. It makes sense. Tennis pits two individuals competing face-to-face. Losing could feel a lot more personal… Read more »

After picking up two victories this past weekend, the Wisconsin men’s tennis team seems pretty aware of where it stands. Singles play continues to dominate. Doubles, however, is something that could still be fixed — and if it does get fixed, the Badgers could become much more lethal come… Read more »

Coming off a loss in which you allow the opponent to come from behind and come out on top is a tough hangover to shake, but the No. 34 Wisconsin men’s tennis team already has its appetite back, just in time for Friday’s Big Ten match against No. 40 Indiana.… Read more »

In the first tennis match to ever be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network, the No. 34 Wisconsin men’s team could not secure a victory against No. 11 Illinois, losing 4-3. In its conference season opener, Wisconsin (10-5, 0-1) seemed to be on its way to an impressive win after… Read more »

Despite having just played about six hours of tennis against the likes of Illinois State and Western Illinois last Sunday, postgame chatter among members of the Wisconsin men’s tennis team revolved around a different team from the southerly neighbor state: the Fighting Illini of Illinois. To kick off its Big… Read more »

Is it possible to find anything constructive in a dominating performance against two lackluster teams? For a poised men’s tennis team like Wisconsin, the answer no doubt is yes. Sunday’s doubleheader against No. 70 Illinois State and Western Illinois served as a perfect pick-me-up with Big Ten play beginning in… Read more »

After losing three consecutive matches, the Wisconsin men’s tennis team washed away that sour taste in its mouth by delivering a decisive 6-1 victory over in-state rival Marquette in the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. “I think overall it was a good performance for us; it got us back on track —… Read more »

Back from a bruising weeklong road trip, the No. 38 Wisconsin men’s tennis team will host in-state rival Marquette tonight at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in the first bout of a five-match homestand. After leaping to an impressive 7-1 start to the season, the Badgers have since fallen to tough opponents… Read more »

VERONA — Just one year after storming to an NCAA National Championship, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team saw their season cut short with a final blemish in a year filled with pockmarks. Both games went down to the wire as the Badgers were upset by visiting Ohio State in the… Read more »

It has been rough seas for the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey so far this year. The waves have ebbed and flowed on and off all year, but that doesn’t matter anymore; the second season has arrived. After splitting a series with No. 2 Minnesota last weekend, Wisconsin locked up… Read more »

No matter what sport it may be, a border battle between Wisconsin and Minnesota will always be considered a marquee matchup. In women’s hockey though, the Wisconsin-Minnesota rivalry has consistently featured some of the highest quality of play in the sport year in and year out. At least one of… Read more »

With all of the playoff uncertainties surrounding the Wisconsin women’s hockey team, Sunday’s senior day game could be the last in the Kohl Center in the careers of four UW seniors. Should that be the case, those seniors certainly went out on a positive note. Wisconsin bounced back in… Read more »

After a sobering 2-0 loss to Bemidji State the day after a 6-1 win at Camp Randall Stadium, the No. 10 Wisconsin women’s hockey team knows exactly what it is in for when looking at its last four games of the regular season. “It’s pretty simple now; we need to… Read more »

It was a bittersweet weekend for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team as the smiles of the Culver’s Camp Randall Hockey Classic were replaced with heated frustration after falling Sunday to Bemidji State 2-0 in the series finale. The two games of the series were defined by two shots on goal… Read more »

For the Wisconsin women’s hockey team, never before has such a critical series been mixed with so much cheerfulness. Wisconsin (15-10-3, 12-9-1) will meet Bemidji State (8-13-7, 7-8-7) this weekend in a showdown for third place in the WCHA under special circumstances. The two teams will clash in the first… Read more »

Following a disappointing split at Ohio State, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team begins preparation this week for perhaps its biggest weekend of the season. As they do so, the ceiling of the hockey rink will be replaced by blue skies for what is sure to be the sporting event of… Read more »

It has been a rocky road for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team this season, and the rocks upsetting the normally smooth ride have been injuries. Losing players for games at a time has been a constant nuisance for the team, but if that was not enough, an Olympic year arrived… Read more »

Teams in any sport would agree the one thing they could do without is the plague of injuries. That plague may be one answer to explain the struggles of the Wisconsin women’s hockey team. Injury woes resurfaced for the Badgers in their frustrating series split with St. Cloud State this… Read more »

In the wake of a disappointing series against WCHA rival Minnesota-Duluth, the No. 7 Wisconsin women’s hockey returns from the road and looks to repair the damage against St. Cloud State. Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth met last weekend in a showdown for second place in the WCHA standings, as both teams… Read more »

Every four years countries across the globe call upon their most talented athletes to assemble their national representatives in several sports to take on the top competition the rest of the world can offer in the Olympic Games. For the diehard fans of the Wisconsin women’s hockey team, however, Team… Read more »

With a record crowd in attendance on Jan. 5, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team welcomed the U.S. Olympic National Team to the Kohl Center for an exhibition matchup. The Olympic squad, comprised of six current or former Badgers and led by sabbatical Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson, left no… Read more »

One of the biggest themes this year for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team has been playing down, or up to, the level of its competition. That theme could continue as the No. 6 Badgers take to the road this weekend to face Minnesota State in what will be the last… Read more »

With a chance to tie division rival Minnesota-Duluth for second place in the WCHA, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team came up shy, tying the Bulldogs 2-2 and falling in the shootout, 2-0. After an impressive 3-1 victory over UMD Friday, the Badgers narrowed the gap between them and the… Read more »

As much as the dynamic game of football has evolved since its creation, one simple strategy has remained a constant on every level of play: run the ball to control the game. While running back John Clay continues to make a case for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year,… Read more »

The No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team kicks off a fresh new season Friday as they welcome No. 22 Old Dominion to the UW Field House. The Badgers arrive at the dual opener following a successful 2008-09 campaign in which they achieved a 9-8 overall record and a 3-5 mark… Read more »

GREEN BAY — Had the sky actually been falling during this past week, Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field still would have claimed the top story of every news broadcast in the Midwest. With every prediction of the game’s outcome came a prediction for the fans’ reactions to Favre… Read more »

The Wisconsin wrestling team will welcome five promising redshirt freshmen to the competitive mat this year, all of whom could make a major impact for the Badgers this season. Trey Bertram, Jimmy Duffy, Tyler Graff, Brad Nardick and Cole Schmitt helped comprise the 08-09 recruiting class, which was ranked… Read more »

After experiencing a bitter conclusion to the first half of its season, the Wisconsin men’s soccer team looked to capitalize on a full week away from the pitch to regroup before clashing with defending Big Ten Champion Michigan State. Wisconsin’s week of reassessment did not go to waste, as… Read more »

Following a four-game winless stretch that included a couple of top 25-caliber opponents, the Wisconsin men’s soccer team looks to regroup during a full week of practice and rest before hitting the pitch again to take on defending Big Ten champion Michigan State Sunday.After tying No. 7 UC-Santa Barbara 1-1… Read more »

Despite a rough start to Saturday’s game, the Wisconsin football team finished up non-conference play with a decisive 44-14 assault on FCS opponent Wofford, improving their mark to 3-0. Head coach Bret Bielema expressed satisfaction with the defense’s performance against Wofford’s uncommon triple-option offense — known as the “Wingbone” —… Read more »

After wrapping up two victories at home last week, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team is packing up for the Stanford Tournament, in what is sure to be one of its toughest tests of the season. The Badgers meet No. 12 Santa Clara (5-2) and No. 3 Stanford (7-0) this… Read more »