Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Visiting Miami (Ohio) ought to present a stable measuring stick for the Wisconsin Badgers and coach Luke Fickell, seeking to bounce again from a disappointing season, within the nonconference opener for each groups Thursday night time in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin dropped its last 5 video games final season to complete 5-7 in Fickell’s second yr on the helm, snapping a streak of twenty-two consecutive profitable seasons.
Miami, 9-5 final season, has appeared within the final two MAC championship video games. The RedHawks misplaced to Ohio 38-3 within the convention title recreation final yr, then defeated Colorado State 43-17 within the Arizona Bowl.
Wisconsin, which averaged simply 22.6 factors per recreation final season, has some main modifications on offense. Jeff Grimes, offensive coordinator at Kansas final season, replaces Phil Longo in the identical position.
For the third consecutive season below Fickell, the Badgers could have a veteran switch beginning at quarterback. Billy Edwards Jr. threw for two,881 yards with 15 touchdowns and 9 interceptions for Maryland final season, finishing 65 % of his passes.
Redshirt freshman Dilin Jones has been tabbed the starter at operating again, with returnees Darrion Dupree (317 yards) and Cade Yacamelli (274 yards) as back-ups.
The Badgers shall be with out injured tight finish Tucker Ashcraft vs. Miami.
“In the end, recreation one specifically, is about specializing in your self,” Fickell mentioned Monday. “For us, it is about us going on the market enjoying with some confidence and enjoying clear. We have got loads to show to ourselves.”
The RedHawks additionally will depend on a veteran switch at quarterback, seventh-year senior Dequan Finn, who was at Baylor final seasons after 5 years at MAC rival Toledo.
Finn began the primary two video games at Baylor final season earlier than struggling a shoulder damage. At Toledo, Finn handed for 7,074 yards and 63 touchdowns, whereas including 1,840 yards dashing with 25 scores and was the MAC’s Most Useful Participant in 2023.
The RedHawks are nonetheless making an attempt to determine their rotations, coach Chuck Martin mentioned final week.
“We have nonetheless acquired a hodgepodge mess of gifted youngsters which are inconsistent,” Martin mentioned. “We will play a ton of Wisconsin on offense. I feel there’s positively some guys that we all know on protection, our elder statesmen on protection, which are our guys.”
The Badgers face a troublesome problem to enhance below Fickell, 12-13 in his first two full seasons after going 53-10 in his last 5 seasons at Cincinnati, together with one School Soccer Playoff look.
After house video games towards Miami and Center Tennessee, the Badgers journey to eighth-ranked Alabama — the primary of six video games towards groups within the preseason prime 20, together with 4 on the street.
It is going to be the primary assembly between Wisconsin and the RedHawks since 2015 when the Badgers rolled to a 58-0 victory at house.
–Discipline Degree Media
