Michigan falters as OSU holds steady
By Andrew Haffner and Zach Rastall | Oct. 22, 2015Michigan State-Michigan. That is all.
Michigan State-Michigan. That is all.
1. Stave’s roller coaster ride
Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda self-admittedly has a difficult time talking about what his defense does well.
After losing two straight games to Minnesota last week, No. 16 Wisconsin (4-4, 12-6) looks to regroup as it faces Iowa (0-8, 10-11) and No. 3 Nebraska (7-1, 16-2) on the road this weekend. “Coming off a week where we played Minnesota twice, statistically, both teams looked pretty even,” said UW head coach Kelly Sheffield.
The No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers (4-0-0 WCHA, 6-0-0 overall) return home to Madison and LaBahn Arena this weekend to face the No. 6 Bemidji State Beavers (3-0-1, 6-0-2). The last time the two foes met, Wisconsin got the upper hand with a 4-0 victory in Grand Forks, N.D. The Badgers will come into the matchup boasting four straight consecutive shutouts over conference opponents with a 22-0 goal differential.
The Badgers will once again go on the road this Saturday, taking on Maryland, following an exciting two-game homestand in which Wisconsin continued its winning streak.
On any given Saturday in the fall, Camp Randall Stadium is typically packed to the brim. That’s not necessarily the case at kickoff, which students usually miss because they’re busy cashing the keg at their buddy’s cousin’s girlfriend’s pregame on Breese Terrace, but they get there eventually.
With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Wisconsin men’s soccer team takes a break from conference play to face in-state opponent UW-Milwaukee. The Badgers (1-2-2 Big Ten, 3-9-2 overall) look to earn their fourth win of the season, all of which have come on the road.
Men’s Hockey After a rough weekend for the Badgers, which saw them lose to both Boston College and Boston University by a combined score of 10-1, head coach Mike Eaves quickly answered any and all questions about his team’s goaltending situation. The answer for this week will be freshman Matt Jurusik, who played 56 minutes in relief in Friday night’s game against Boston College and saved a Wisconsin record 40 shots in the Badgers’ loss to Boston University the following evening. Eaves took many positives from last week’s blowout losses, but was especially pleased with his freshman goalie’s performance. “It was one of the positives that came out of the weekend, and we spoke about it right after the game with the guys,” Eaves said.
We may actually be nearing the apocalypse. Think about it: We are living in a world where Donald Trump is a leading presidential candidate, and the University of Iowa football team has an extremely high chance of finishing the regular season undefeated. If it’s hard for you to comprehend putting the words “undefeated” and “Kirk Ferentz” into the same sentence, I’m right there with you. However, the Hawkeye’s head coach threw some liquid nitrogen onto his hot seat and has the Hawkeyes primed for a Big Ten West division title, and maybe, just maybe, even more. Forrealz?
Coming off of a thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Michigan Thursday night, the Badgers squared off against Michigan State on a crisp Sunday afternoon, prevailing 1-0 in what was often a gridlocked match.
After falling to Minnesota at home last week, the Badgers had a chance to return the favor over the weekend.
No. 2 Wisconsin (4-0 WCHA, 6-0 overall) concluded another sweep this weekend over struggling WCHA opponent St. Cloud State (0-4, 2-4) to remain undefeated.
While the Wisconsin men’s basketball team is entering a new era as a result of both Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker’s departures, the women’s basketball team is defined by continuity and experience.
The Badgers (6-1-1 Big Ten, 9-4-3 overall) had another tough Big Ten matchup at the McClimon Soccer Complex against Michigan (5-2-1, 10-2-1) Thursday, but they were able to steal a 3-2 win in exciting fashion.
Many of the Badger faithful expected Wisconsin (2-1 Big Ten, 5-2 overall) to roll over a weak Purdue team (0-3, 1-6). While it wasn’t as lopsided as expected in the beginning, UW defeated the Boilermakers by a respectable 24-7 score.
After a thrilling and much-needed win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Badgers return home next week to face the Purdue Boilermakers.
One week after Iowa traveled to Camp Randall Stadium and upset the Badgers in a close game, they looked to solidify their position as one of the favorites to win the Big Ten West with a win over Illinois. Coming in as 10-point favorites, many expected Iowa to command the game from the start.
Bouncing back from a tough week against Iowa, redshirt senior Joel Stave earned the title of MVP this week by leading the Badgers on not one, but two game-winning drives.