Football
With the bye week behind them, the Wisconsin football team (3-2 Big Ten, 6-3 overall) is looking to get back on their feet as they head to Bloomington, Ind. this Saturday to take on the Indiana Hoosiers (2-3, 4-5).
With redshirt freshman quarterback Joel Stave out with a shoulder injury, head coach Bret Bielema used the week off to decide which quarterback will take his place. But for those eager to find out who that will be, Bielema isn’t giving anything away.
“I will say this: I think [redshirt senior quarterback Curt Phillips] and [redshirt junior quarterback Danny O’Brien] both last week knew that everything was being watched and being monitored,” Bielema said.
Noting the occasional lapse in an otherwise strong system that didn’t finish the way he would’ve liked against Michigan State, Bielema mentioned that “closing out games would probably be the number one thing.”
Previously injured offensive lineman Rick Wagner practiced with the team Thursday and all day Sunday, and Bielema expects him to be ready to go this week.
Women’s Basketball
The Wisconsin women’s basketball team won both of its exhibition matches last week, and look to continue that trend as the regular season gets underway Sunday with a game against Milwaukee at the Kohl Center.
Head coach Bobbie Kelsey was pleased with her team’s performance. “The kids played really well,” she said. “I thought we had some areas we could have done better, but I was pleased with some of our freshmen that really came out and played really well.”
The exhibition games offered a chance for Kelsey to improve upon a few things, including boxing out and rebounding. With a strong mix of players, including seniors Tiera Stephen and Taylor Wurtz and freshman Nicole Bauman, Kelsey is ready for a season full of tough opponents.
Men’s Soccer
The Badgers men’s soccer team is in the No. 6 spot in the Big Ten Tournament, and will face No. 3 Michigan Wednesday afternoon.
The Badgers defeated Michigan in a 2-1 match in Madison back on October 13. After a 0-0 tie against Ohio State on Sunday, head coach John Trask is feeling confident heading into the match.
With strong goaltending from freshman Chase Rau, who was named the Big Ten defensive player of the week for the second consecutive week, the team can continue to put forth a strong defense during the tournament.
After making it to the semi-finals the last two years, Trask is ready to move past that mark. “Hopefully some of that experience will show this year,” he said.
Women’s Cross Country
The Wisconsin cross country team will host the Great Lakes Regional Friday at the Zimmer Championship Course.
Following a fifth place finish in the Big Ten Championships, the women’s team is looking to place at least fourth and earn an invitation to the NCAA Championships. “We’re healthy, ready to go, and looking forward to it,” said head coach Jim Stintzi, who is excited about hosting the NCAA tournament in Madison for the first time since 1978.
Despite what Stintzi called an “exceptional” performance by his top three runners, the same gap issue occurred at the Big TenTournament as in the Adidas Invitational. But he’s not letting that be an issue.
“Workouts indicate and our earlier races indicate that we can bring that gap down to 40 or 50 seconds. If we do that, we’ll be fine. If we don’t, we’ll be on the outside looking in.” The women’s race begins at 12 p.m. Friday.
