Rutgers football does not have a long history with the Big Ten, having joined the conference for its first season last year.
It was a rather uneventful Week 8 for the Big Ten. Ohio State and Michigan State both kept their undefeated records intact, Penn State edged past Maryland and Bart Houston laid the foundation for his 2016 Heisman campaign by helping Wisconsin best Illinois.
1. Houston to the rescue
Desperately searching for its first win of the season, Wisconsin (0-3-3) will welcome the Arizona State Sun Devils (4-4-0) to the Kohl Center this Friday and Saturday. Despite an offensive outburst last weekend at Ferris State, the Badgers were unable to earn their first victory of the season after tying the Bulldogs 5-5 and losing 2-1 in consecutive games. Although the Badgers are still winless, head coach Mike Eaves has remained upbeat noting several positives that have resulted from his young team’s play. “One of the good things was the fact we scored five goals.
Despite what appeared to be a lost year at the beginning of the season, the Badgers enter their final two contests with a considerable amount still on the line.
In a stunning end to what was a dominating eight-game win streak and miracle season turnaround, the Badgers fell to Northwestern in a heartbreaking double-overtime defeat at the at the McClimon Sports Complex Wednesday night. While having clinched a share of the Big Ten title last weekend with its victory on the road against a struggling Maryland, Wisconsin lost the distinction of being the only holder of the conference title. The Badgers (8-2-1 Big Ten, 10-5-3 overall) needed a win or a draw against the Wildcats (7-3-1, 13-4-2) to claim sole ownership of the Big Ten title.
No. 3 Wisconsin (6-0-0 WCHA, 8-0-0 overall) has scored a lot of goals this year, and has given up very few.
It’s the sequence that some Wisconsin fans have visualized since the 2013 season: Joel Stave is forced out of the game, Bart Houston enters and the highly recruited quarterback from the Class of 2012 starts making it rain while the former walk-on stews on the bench. That’s what plenty of Wisconsin fans saw last Saturday against Illinois. It’s not really what happened, but it’s what people saw.
Football is a team sport, but sometimes one player can have a game-changing impact on their team.
NFL fans were treated Sunday to a free live stream on Yahoo of the Bills and Jaguars battling it out at Wembley Stadium in London. It’s usually a relief not having to watch the Jaguars play until after Sunday morning breakfast, potentially the best meal of the week, but Jacksonville and Buffalo actually put on a good show and represented the League well in Europe.
It’s safe to say that Bart Houston had thrown a myriad of touchdown passes before Saturday’s 24-13 win against the Illinois Fighting Illini. Yet it’s not hyperbolic to say that Houston’s two touchdown passes on Saturday were unlike any he’s ever thrown prior to this weekend.
No. 25 Wisconsin (8-1-1 Big Ten, 11-4-3 overall) will look to take sole possession of the Big Ten championship against Northwestern (6-3-1, 12-4-2) in its final regular season game at home Wednesday. The Badgers have already locked up a share of the conference championship, but a victory would give it to them outright.
Men’s Hockey The Badgers (0-3-3) are coming off of a slightly better weekend, both tying (5-5) and losing (1-2) to Ferris State (4-2-2) in Michigan.
Wisconsin headed east looking to grab a share of its first Big Ten title since 1994, needing a win over the struggling Maryland Terrapins. The Badgers (8-1-1 Big Ten, 11-4-3 overall) didn’t disappoint, defeating Maryland (1-8-1, 6-11-1) 1-0 to clinch a share of their first conference crown in over two decades. What has become something of a normal sight for this Wisconsin team is the defense locking down its opponents early on in games.
Coming off back-to-back losses to Minnesota, No. 16 Wisconsin had a huge weekend, sweeping Iowa and pulling off a huge road upset against No. 3 Nebraska.
The No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers (6-0-0 WCHA, 8-0-0 overall) finished off the series sweep of Bemidji State (3-2-1, 6-2-2) in dominating fashion, securing the victory 4-0 and earning their sixth consecutive shutout.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – When redshirt junior quarterback Joel Stave left the game with a head injury late in the first quarter, redshirt junior Bart Houston was thrust into an uncomfortable spot.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - “It’s the next man up.” This quote has been uttered by head coach Paul Chryst, offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph, redshirt senior quarterback Joel Stave and on Saturday night in Champaign, Ill., redshirt junior quarterback Bart Houston was the next man up to say the phrase. Late in the first quarter of Wisconsin’s (3-1 Big Ten, 6-2 Overall) 24-13 win over Illinois (1-2, 4-3), Stave was sacked by junior defensive end Carroll Phillips, who beat redshirt senior left tackle Tyler Marz to the inside.
Facing its biggest challenge of the year so far, No. 3 Wisconsin (5-0-0 WCHA, 7-0-0 overall) continued its defensive dominance Friday night, as it recorded its fifth-consecutive shutout en route to defeating No. 6 Bemidji State (3-1-1, 6-1-2) 3-0.
The Badgers will travel to Big Rapids, Mich. this weekend with hopes of avenging last week’s nightmare performance in Boston. Despite being outscored 10-1 in its last two games, Wisconsin has remained confident with its sights set high on the Ferris State Bulldogs this weekend.
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