Appleton's playing time comes after adversity
By Justin Dean and Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau | Nov. 4, 2009Wisconsin wide receiver Kraig Appleton believes in the power of positive thinking.
Wisconsin wide receiver Kraig Appleton believes in the power of positive thinking.
The Wisconsin women's volleyball team kicked off the second half of Big Ten play this past weekend, winning 3-1 against No. 13 Michigan and falling in a sweep to Michigan State.
Prior to Saturday's game against Purdue, Wisconsin junior tight end Lance Kendricks had never even attempted a carry in a game. By the end of the contest, he had racked up 94 rushing yards, including a 54-yard burst in the third quarter which led to a touchdown. With Kendricks' additional 21 yards receiving head coach Bret Bielema was impressed with his overall play.
For three weeks the doubts and questions festered. Can the Badgers respond well to a loss? How do they avoid the snowball effect that led to a four-game losing streak last season?
For most of the season, the Badger defense has looked for that complete game, one where it came out and dictated the terms of a game to an FBS offense.
If the Wisconsin men's hockey team was expecting a scare at home on Halloween weekend, they warded off any possibility of that with a stout defense and a high-powered offense.
After a shaky start to the season, the Wisconsin women's hockey team needed to make a statement this weekend in their series against No. 2 Minnesota, and that's exactly what they did.
The Phillies-Yankees World Series matchup is without a doubt intriguing. The teams boast a pair of frightening lineups and stellar rotations. The Phillies are trying to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since 1999 and 2000. Ironically, this was the last time the Yankees were crowned champions.
While most of the campus is figuring out Halloween costumes and buying tickets for Freakfest, the Wisconsin men's hockey team is preparing to host another talented opponent this weekend. The Badgers welcome the New Hampshire Wildcats to the Kohl Center on Friday night to kick off a weekend matchup between two potent squads.
After three series against mid- and lower-level conference competition, the Wisconsin women's hockey team faces its biggest test of the year this weekend with a series against undefeated rival Minnesota.
The Wisconsin volleyball team hopes to make a statement on a two-game road swing this weekend in Michigan.
After two games against top-10 opponents, is seemed like a bye week came at a good time for Wisconsin. With most of its injured players back and rested, now comes the challenge of getting back on the winning track.
The mantle for Badger athletics is usually carried by football and basketball, two sports that have a certain style to them. Both have an aura of teams that boast less talent than top foes, but can hang with the best due to strong fundamentals, good coaching and a slow-paced, disciplined approach. Furthermore, neither sport was considered a powerhouse in any fashion before 1990, and since have been seen as spunky overachievers.
Seniors Chris Maragos and O'Brien Schofield are leading an improved Wisconsin defense this season. Both are enjoying career years. Maragos leads the Badgers in interceptions with three, including one to secure the victory over Fresno State. Schofield has racked up 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss while getting national attention for his skills. While the defensive is prone to struggle to stay strong all game, the leadership of Maragos and Schofield is the key to this squad's success.
When an opponent goes into the penalty box and a two-minute one-man advantage is given to the Badgers, senior center Blake Geoffrion and the rest of the Wisconsin power-play unit have one thing in mind: put the puck in the back of the net. Through the first two weekends of the regular season, Geoffrion has already tallied three goals, and they have all come on the power play.
Cincinnati and Texas, the lone unbeatens in the Big East and the Big-12 respectively, will be put to the test Saturday. Meanwhile, the winner of the USC and Oregon matchup in Eugene will likely produce the frontrunner for the Pac-10 title. With Iowa comfortably leading the Big Ten, some of the middle of the pack teams will try to separate themselves this weekend.
As disappointing as the Badger's last two games have been, their season is far from unsalvageable.
The conference race is heating up and teams are beginning to battle for bowl game positioning as the Big Ten surpasses its halfway point in the schedule.
Last night the NBA season kicked off, and while I'm excited to see how it plays out, there is one major weakness that none of the other ""big three"" sports have: professional basketball does not have real rivalries.