2017 Wisconsin Badgers football team

2017 Wisconsin Badgers football
2017 Wisconsin Badgers football
Big Ten West Division champion; Orange Bowl champion
Big Ten Championship Game, L 21–27 vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl, W 34–24 vs. Miami (FL)
Conference	Big Ten Conference
	West Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 6
AP	No. 7
Record	13–1 (9–0 Big Ten)
Head coach	Paul Chryst (3rd season);
Offensive coordinator	Joe Rudolph (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jim Leonhard (1st season)
Base defense	3–4
MVP	Jack Cichy; Garret Dooley; Joe Ferguson; Lubern Figaro; Troy Fumagalli; Rachid Ibrahim; Leon Jacobs; Natrell Jamerson; Alec James; Chikwe Obaseh; Austin Ramesh; Conor Sheehy; Derrick Tindal
Captain	Jack Cichy; Michael Deiter; D'Cota Dixon; T. J. Edwards; Troy Fumagalli; Natrell Jamerson; Alec James; Conor Sheehy
Home stadium	Camp Randall Stadium
Uniform
	Seasons ← 2016 2018 →

The 2017 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers, led by third-year head coach Paul Chryst, were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

2017 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 5 Ohio State xy$	8	–	1	12	–	2
No. 15 Michigan State	7	–	2	10	–	3
No. 8 Penn State	7	–	2	11	–	2
Michigan	5	–	4	8	–	5
Rutgers	3	–	6	4	–	8
Indiana	2	–	7	5	–	7
Maryland	2	–	7	4	–	8
West Division
No. 7 Wisconsin xy	9	–	0	13	–	1
No. 17 Northwestern	7	–	2	10	–	3
Iowa	4	–	5	8	–	5
Purdue	4	–	5	7	–	6
Nebraska	3	–	6	4	–	8
Minnesota	2	–	7	5	–	7
Illinois	0	–	9	2	–	10
Championship: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 21
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

Coming off a Cotton Bowl-winning season in 2016, the 2017 team began the year ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll and were the favorites to repeat as West Division champions and return to the Big Ten Championship Game.^[1] The Badgers fulfilled that expectation by winning all 12 of their regular season games, including wins over ranked opponents Iowa and Michigan. They entered the 2017 Big Ten Championship Game ranked third in the AP Poll, with a potential spot in the College Football Playoff on the line, but fell to No. 8 Ohio State, 21–27. Wisconsin was invited to the Orange Bowl, where they defeated Miami (FL). Their 13 wins were the most in school history.

The Badgers were led on offense by freshman running back Jonathan Taylor, who led the Big Ten and was third in FBS in rushing yards with 1,977 yards. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook finished with 2,644 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. On defense, linebacker T. J. Edwards was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and ESPN.

Recruiting

Recruits

The Badgers signed a total of 18 recruits.

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Kayden Lyles OG	Scottsdale, Arizona	Middleton HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	323 lb (147 kg)	Oct 1, 2015
Kayden Lyles OG	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Aaron Vopal DE	De Pere, Wisconsin	De Pere HS	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Jan 25, 2016
Aaron Vopal DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Logan Bruss OG	Kimberly, Wisconsin	Kimberly HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	Feb 22, 2016
Logan Bruss OG	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Alex Fenton TE	Menomonie, Wisconsin	Menomonie HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Feb 22, 2016
Alex Fenton TE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jack Coan QB	Sayville, New York	Sayville HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Mar 24, 2016
Jack Coan QB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jake Ferguson TE	Madison, Wisconsin	Memorial HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	209 lb (95 kg)	Mar 31, 2016
Jake Ferguson TE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Cade Green WR	Austin, Texas	Lake Travis HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Mar 31, 2016
Cade Green WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Tyler Beach OT	Port Washington, Wisconsin	Port Washington HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	Apr 3, 2016
Tyler Beach OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Izayah Green-May DE	Bolingbrook, Illinois	Bolingbrook HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Apr 23, 2016
Izayah Green-May DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Madison Cone CB	Kernersville, North Carolina	East Forsyth HS	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	May 6, 2016
Madison Cone CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Danny Vanden Boom QB	Kimberly, Wisconsin	Kimberly HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	196 lb (89 kg)	Jul 5, 2016
Danny Vanden Boom QB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Faion Hicks CB	Pembroke Pines, Florida	Flanagan HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Oct 16, 2016
Faion Hicks CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Adam Bay LS	Mesa, Arizona	Desert Ridge HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Oct 30, 2016
Adam Bay LS	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Emmet Perry WR	DeSoto, Texas	DeSoto HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Oct 31, 2016
Emmet Perry WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Andrew Van Ginkel DE	Rock Valley, Iowa	Iowa Western Community College	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Nov 1, 2016
Andrew Van Ginkel DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jonathan Taylor RB	Salem, New Jersey	Salem HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	211 lb (96 kg)	Nov 1, 2016
Jonathan Taylor RB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Scott Nelson S	Detroit, Michigan	University of Detroit Jesuit HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	184 lb (83 kg)	Jan 9, 2017
Scott Nelson S	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Danny Davis WR	Springfield, Ohio	Springfield HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 1, 2017
Danny Davis WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Wisconsin Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017. "2017 Wisconsin Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.

Watchlists and preseason awards

Michael Deiter

Rimington Trophy^[2]

Troy Fumagalli

John Mackey Award

Schedule

Wisconsin's 2017 schedule consisted of seven home and five away games in the regular season. The Badgers hosted Big Ten foes Northwestern, Purdue, Maryland, Iowa, and Michigan, while traveling to Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota.^[3]

The team also played three non-conference games: the Utah State Aggies from the Mountain West Conference (MWC), the Florida Atlantic Owls from Conference USA, and the FBS independent BYU Cougars

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	8:00 p.m.	Utah State*	No. 9	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPN	W 59–10	75,324
September 9	11:00 a.m.	Florida Atlantic*	No. 9	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN	W 31–14	77,542
September 16	2:30 p.m.	at BYU*	No. 10	LaVell Edwards Stadium Provo, UT	ABC	W 40–6	61,143
September 30	11:00 a.m.	Northwestern	No. 10	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ABC	W 33–24	80,584
October 7	7:00 p.m.	at Nebraska	No. 9	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (Freedom Trophy)	BTN	W 38–17	89,860
October 14	2:30 p.m.	Purdue	No. 7	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN	W 17–9	78,580
October 21	11:00 a.m.	Maryland	No. 5	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	FOX	W 38–13	78,058
October 28	11:00 a.m.	at Illinois	No. 5	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	ESPN	W 24–10	42,101
November 4	11:00 a.m.	at Indiana	No. 9	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	ABC	W 45–17	43,027
November 11	2:30 p.m.	No. 20 Iowa	No. 8	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Heartland Trophy)	ABC	W 38–14	80,462
November 18	11:00 a.m.	No. 24 Michigan	No. 5	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (College GameDay)	FOX	W 24–10	81,216
November 25	2:30 p.m.	at Minnesota	No. 5	TCF Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN (Paul Bunyan's Axe)	ABC	W 31–0	47,327
December 2	7:00 p.m.	vs. No. 8 Ohio State	No. 4	Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN (Big Ten Championship Game)	FOX	L 21–27	65,886
December 30	7:00 p.m.	at No. 10 Miami (FL)*	No. 6	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, FL (Orange Bowl)	ESPN	W 34–24	65,032
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 31 released prior to game All times are in Central time

^[4]

Game summaries

Utah State

Utah State at No. 9 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Aggies	10	0	0	0	10
• No. 9 Badgers	0	10	28	21	59

Date: September 1
Location:
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game start: 8:05 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:20
Game attendance: 75,324
Game weather: Temperature: 65, Wind: ESE 6, Weather: Clear
Referee: D. Willard
TV announcers (ESPN): Adam Amin (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (color), Molly McGrath (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 9 carries, 87 yards (long 41), 9.7 yards/carry, 1 touchdown
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 15 completions, 23 passing attempts, 244 yards, 16.3 avg, 3 touchdowns
Receiving: Troy Fumagalli – 5 receptions, 105 yards (long 44), 21.0 avg, 1 touchdown
Defense: T. J. Edwards – 7 Tackles (5 solo), 1 tackle-for-loss for 1 yd, 2 pass breakups, 1 interception for 7 yds

Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic at No. 9 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	7	7	0	0	14
• No. 9 Badgers	14	10	7	0	31

Date: September 9
Location:
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game start: 11:00 a.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:08
Game attendance: 77,542
Game weather: Temperature: 62, Wind: ESE 9, Weather: Sunny
Referee: M. Kluczynski
TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color), Lisa Byington (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 26 carries, 223 yards (long 64), 8.6 yards/carry, 3 touchdowns
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 16 completions, 28 passing attempts, 201 yards, 12.6 avg, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Receiving: Troy Fumagalli – 8 receptions, 92 yards (long 20), 11.5 avg, 1 touchdown
Defense: Chris Orr – 8 Tackles (6 solo), 1 tackle-for-loss for 3 yds, 1 sack for loss of 3 yds

At BYU

No. 10 Wisconsin at BYU

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 10 Badgers	10	14	7	9	40
Cougars	3	3	0	0	6

Date: September 16
Location:
LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
Game start: 2:36 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 2:59
Game attendance: 61,143
Game weather: Temperature: 64, Wind: S 5, Weather: Fair
Referee: D. Capron
TV announcers (ABC): Mike Patrick (play-by-play), Tommy Tuberville (color), Paul Carceterra (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 18 carries, 128 yards (long 18), 7.1 yards/carry, 1 touchdown
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 18 completions, 19 passing attempts, 256 yards, 14.2 avg, 4 touchdowns
Receiving: Quintez Cephus – 5 receptions, 54 yards (long 16), 10.8 avg, 2 touchdowns
Defense: Dontye Carriere-Williams – 8 Tackles (6 solo), 1 interception for 0 yds

Northwestern

Northwestern at No. 10 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	3	7	0	14	24
• No. 10 Badgers	7	0	14	12	33

Date: September 30
Location:
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game start: 11:06 a.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:15
Game attendance: 80,584
Game weather: Temperature: 61, Wind: SE 6, Weather: Sunny
Referee: D. Capron
TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (color), Allison Williams (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 19 carries, 80 yards (long 11), 4.2 yards/carry, 2 touchdowns
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 11 completions, 20 passing attempts, 197 yards, 17.9 avg, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Receiving: Quintez Cephus – 4 receptions, 99 yards (long 61), 24.6 avg
Defense: Garret Dooley – 9 Tackles (3 solo), 5 tackles-for-loss for 20 yds, 3.5 sacks for loss of 17 yds

At Nebraska

No. 9 Wisconsin at Nebraska

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 9 Badgers	10	7	7	14	38
Cornhuskers	0	10	7	0	17

Date: October 7
Location:
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Game start: 7:11 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:10
Game attendance: 89,860
Game weather: Temperature: 69, Wind: SW 7, Weather: Clear
Referee: J. Servinski
TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color), Lisa Byington (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 25 carries, 249 yards (long 75), 10.0 yards/carry, 2 touchdowns
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 9 completions, 17 passing attempts, 113 yards, 12.6 avg, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Receiving: Quintez Cephus – 4 receptions, 68 yards (long 31), 17.0 avg, 1 touchdown
Defense: D'Cota Dixon – 9 Tackles (6 solo), 1 pass breakup

Purdue

Purdue at No. 7 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Boilermakers	3	3	3	0	9
• No. 7 Badgers	14	3	0	0	17

Date: October 14
Location:
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game start: 2:40 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:07
Game attendance: 78,580
Game weather: Temperature: 59, Wind: E 9, Weather: Light rain
Referee: J. O'Neill
TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color), Lisa Byington (sidelines)

Sources:^[5]^[6]

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 30 carries, 219 yards (long 67), 7.3 yards/carry, 1 touchdown
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 13 completions, 18 passing attempts, 199 yards, 15.3 avg, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Receiving: Quintez Cephus – 5 receptions, 100 yards (long 41), 20.0 avg, 1 touchdown
Defense: Leon Jacobs – 9 Tackles (4 solo), 0.5 tackle-for-loss for 1 yd, 1 interception for 2 yds, 1 QB hurry

Maryland

Maryland at No. 5 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Terrapins	0	3	10	0	13
• No. 5 Badgers	7	14	7	10	38

Date: October 21
Location:
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game start: 11:05 a.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:16
Game attendance: 78,058
Game weather: Temperature: 62, Wind: S 15, Weather: Partly cloudy
Referee: M. Cannon
TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis (play-by-play), Brady Quinn (color), Bruce Feldman (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 22 carries, 126 yards (long 15), 5.7 yards/carry, 1 touchdown
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 16 completions, 24 passing attempts, 225 yards, 14.1 avg, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Receiving: Troy Fumagalli – 7 receptions, 83 yards (long 20), 11.9 avg
Defense: T. J. Edwards – 5 Tackles (3 solo), 1 interception return 54 yds for a touchdown, 1 pass breakup

At Illinois

No. 5 Wisconsin at Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 5 Badgers	7	10	0	7	24
Fighting Illini	0	3	0	7	10

Date: October 28
Location:
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
Game start: 11:01 a.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:09
Game attendance: 42,101
Game weather: Temperature: 39, Wind: W 14, Weather: Cloudy
Referee: J. McGinn
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick (play-by-play), Tommy Tuberville (color), Paul Carceterra (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 12 carries, 73 yards (long 29), 6.1 yards/carry
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 10 completions, 19 passing attempts, 135 yards, 13.5 avg, 1 interception
Receiving: Kendric Pryor – 2 receptions, 37 yards (long 19), 18.5 avg
Defense: Garret Dooley – 5 Tackles (3 solo), 1 tackle-for-loss for 6 yds, 1 sack for 6 yd loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup

At Indiana

No. 4 Wisconsin at Indiana

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 4 Badgers	0	14	10	21	45
Hoosiers	7	3	7	0	17

Date: November 4
Location:
Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Game start: 11:06 a.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:15
Game attendance: 43,027
Game weather: Temperature: 51, Wind: SE 8, Weather: Cloudy
Referee: J. Servinski
TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), Tom Luginbill (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 29 carries, 183 yards (long 45), 6.3 yards/carry, 1 touchdown
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 13 completions, 20 passing attempts, 158 yards, 12.2 avg, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Receiving: Kendric Pryor – 3 receptions, 63 yards (long 32), 21.0 avg
Defense: Nick Nelson – 5 Tackles (5 solo), 1 tackle-for-loss for 3 yds, 4 pass breakups

Iowa

No. 25 Iowa at No. 6 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 25 Hawkeyes	7	0	7	0	14
• No. 6 Badgers	3	14	7	14	38

Date: November 11
Location:
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game start: 2:36 p.m. CST
Elapsed time: 3:14
Game attendance: 80,462
Game weather: Temperature: 30, Wind: S 9, Weather: Cloudy
Referee: J. O'Neill
TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color), Holly Rowe (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 29 carries, 157 yards (long 19), 5.4 yards/carry
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 11 completions, 18 passing attempts, 135 yards, 12.3 avg, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
Receiving: Danny Davis – 4 receptions, 74 yards (long 28), 18.5 avg
Defense: Ryan Connelly – 9 Tackles (6 solo), 2 tackles-for-loss for 14 yds, 1 sack for loss 12 yds, 1 forced fumble, 1 QB hurry

Michigan

No. 19 Michigan at No. 5 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Wolverines	0	7	3	0	10
• No. 5 Badgers	7	0	14	3	24

Date: November 18
Location:
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game start: 11:05 a.m. CST
Elapsed time: 3:30
Game attendance: 81,216
Game weather: Temperature: 37, Wind: N 14, Weather: Cloudy
Referee: M. Cannon
TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (color), Jenny Taft (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 19 carries, 132 yards (long 52), 6.9 yards/carry
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 9 completions, 19 passing attempts, 143 yards, 15.9 avg, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Receiving: A. J. Taylor – 3 receptions, 79 yards (long 51), 26.3 avg, 1 touchdown
Defense: T. J. Edwards – 11 Tackles (7 solo), 2.5 tackles-for-loss for 12 yds, 1 sack for loss 10 yds, 1 pass breakup, 1 QB hurry

At Minnesota

No. 5 Wisconsin at Minnesota

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 5 Badgers	7	10	7	7	31
Golden Gophers	0	0	0	0	0

Date: November 25
Location:
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Game start: 2:36 p.m. CST
Elapsed time: 2:44
Game attendance: 47,327
Game weather: Temperature: 40, Wind: WNW 12, Weather: Sunny
Referee: J. McGinn
TV announcers (ABC): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (color), Quint Kessenich (sidelines)

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 20 carries, 149 yards (long 53), 7.5 yards/carry, 1 touchdown
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 15 completions, 19 passing attempts, 151 yards, 10.1 avg, 3 touchdowns
Receiving: Danny Davis – 5 receptions, 41 yards (long 10), 8.2 avg, 1 touchdown
Defense: Ryan Connelly – 6 Tackles (5 solo), 3.0 tackles-for-loss for 26 yds, 2 sacks for loss 24 yds

Vs. Ohio State

No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 8 Buckeyes	14	7	3	3	27
No. 3 Badgers	7	3	3	8	21

Date: December 2
Location:
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Game start: 7:20 p.m. CST
Elapsed time: 3:43
Game attendance: 65,886
Game weather: Indoors
Referee: D. Willard
TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (Play-By-Play), Joel Klatt (Analyst) and Jenny Taft (Sidelines)

The No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers (12-1, 9-0) were defeated by the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2, 8-1) 27-21 at Lucas Oil Stadium in the Big Ten Championship. Paul Chryst is now 0-2 versus the Buckeyes, and Urban Meyer is now 5-0 versus the Badgers, though two of the victories came in overtime. This was Wisconsin's fifth appearance in the Championship game, and their second straight and Ohio State's third.

Statistical Leaders

Rushing: Jonathan Taylor – 15 carries, 41 yards (long 7), 2.7 yards/carry
Passing: Alex Hornibrook – 19 completions, 40 passing attempts, 229 yards, 12.1 avg, 2 interceptions
Receiving: Troy Fumagalli – 5 receptions, 45 yards (long 11), 9.0 avg
Defense: Andrew Van Ginkel – 3 Tackles (1 solo), 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception returned 9 yds for touchdown

Vs. Miami (FL)

No. 6 Wisconsin vs. No. 11 Miami

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 6 Badgers	3	21	3	7	34
No. 11 Hurricanes	14	0	7	3	24

Date: December 30
Location:
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Game start: 7:11 p.m. CST
Elapsed time: 3:23
Game attendance: 65,032
Game weather: Temperature: 59, Wind: Calm, Weather: Clear
Referee: M. Loefer
TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy (Play-By-Play), Brian Griese (Analyst), Todd McShay, and Molly McGrath (Sidelines)

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	9	9	10	9	10	9	7	5	5	4	6	5	5	3 (10)	6	7
Coaches	10	11	12	10	10	8	6	5	5	4	3	4	4	3 (21)	6	6
CFP	Not released									9	8	5	5	4	6	Not released

Roster

2017 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`2`	Kendric Pryor	Fr
WR	`4`	A. J. Taylor	So
RB	`5`	Chris James	Jr
WR	`6`	Danny Davis III	Fr
RB	`7`	Bradrick Shaw	So
RB	`9`	Rachid Ibrahim	Sr
QB	`10`	Jack Coan	Fr
WR	`11`	Jazz Peavy	Sr
QB	`12`	Alex Hornibrook	So
QB	`15`	Danny Vanden Boom	Fr
WR	`16`	Jack Dunn	Fr
WR	`17`	George Rushing	Sr
QB	`19`	Karé Lyles	Fr
FB	`20`	Austin Ramesh	Sr
RB	`21`	Mark Saari	Jr
WR	`22`	Cade Green	Fr
RB	`23`	Jonathan Taylor	Fr
WR	`24`	Adam Krumholz	Fr
RB	`28`	Taiwan Deal	Jr
FB	`30`	Aaron Maternowski	Fr
TE	`30`	Coy Wanner	Fr
RB	`34`	Sam Brodner	Fr
RB	`36`	Hunter Johnson	Fr
RB	`37`	Garrett Groshek	Fr
WR	`38`	Sam DeLany	Fr
FB	`39`	Jake Whalen	So
WR	`43`	Peter Roy	Jr
FB	`45`	Alec Ingold	Jr
TE	`46`	Gabe Lloyd	Fr
TE	`49`	Kyle Penniston	So
OL	`52`	Jacob Maxwell	Jr
OL	`60`	Logan Bruss	Fr
OL	`61`	Tyler Biadasz	Fr
OL	`62`	Patrick Kasl	Fr
OL	`63`	Michael Deiter (C)	Jr
OL	`64`	Brett Connors	Jr
OL	`65`	Tyler Beach	Fr
OL	`66`	Beau Benzschawel	Jr
OL	`67`	Jon Dietzen	So
OL	`68`	David Moorman	So
OL	`70`	Josh Seltzner	Fr
OL	`71`	Cole Van Lanen	Fr
OL	`73`	Alex Fenton	Fr
OL	`75`	Micah Kapoi	Jr
OL	`76`	Kayden Lyles	Fr
OL	`77`	Blake Smithback	Fr
OL	`78`	Jason Erdmann	So
OL	`79`	David Edwards (C)	So
TE	`81`	Troy Fumagalli (C)	Sr
WR	`82`	Emmet Perry	Fr
TE	`84`	Jake Ferguson	Fr
TE	`85`	Zander Neuville	Jr
TE	`86`	Luke Benzschawel	Fr
WR	`87`	Quintez Cephus	So
WR	`89`	Deron Harrell	Fr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
S	`2`	Patrick Johnson	So
OLB	`5`	Garret Dooley	Sr
S	`8`	Joe Ferguson	Sr
S	`10`	Seth Currens	Fr
CB	`11`	Nick Nelson	Jr
CB	`12`	Natrell Jamerson (C)	Sr
S	`13`	Evan Bondoc	Jr
S	`14`	D'Cota Dixon (C)	Sr
OLB	`17`	Andrew Van Ginkel	Jr
ILB	`18`	Arrington Farrar	Jr
CB	`19`	Titus Booker	So
CB	`20`	Faion Hicks	Fr
CB	`21`	Caesar Williams	Fr
ILB	`23`	Mason Stokke	Fr
CB	`24`	Madison Cone	Fr
S	`25`	Scott Nelson	Fr
CB	`25`	Derrick Tindal	Sr
S	`26`	Eric Burrell	Fr
DB	`27`	Cristian Volpentesta	Fr
S	`28`	Blake Mielke	So
CB	`29`	Dontye Carriere-Williams	Fr
S	`31`	Lubern Figaro	Sr
S	`31`	Tyler Mais	Fr
ILB	`32`	Jake Collinsworth	Fr
OLB	`32`	Leon Jacobs	Sr
DE	`34`	Chikwe Obasih	Sr
ILB	`37`	Ethan Cesarz	Fr
OLB	`41`	Noah Burks	Fr
ILB	`43`	Ryan Connelly	Jr
OLB	`45`	Hegeman Tiedt	Fr
ILB	`45`	Nick Thomas	So
ILB	`47`	Griffin Grady	So
ILB	`48`	Jack Cichy (C)	Sr
OLB	`50`	Izayah Green-May	Fr
DE	`52`	David Pfaff	So
ILB	`53`	T. J. Edwards	Jr
ILB	`54`	Chris Orr	So
OLB	`55`	Christian Bell	Fr
OLB	`56`	Zack Baun	So
DE	`57`	Michael Balistreri	Fr
DE	`57`	Alec James (C)	Sr
ILB	`58`	Mike Maskalunas	Fr
OLB	`59`	Tyler Johnson	So
DE	`69`	Aaron Vopal	Fr
NT	`74`	Gunnar Roberge	So
DE	`93`	Garrett Rand	So
DE	`94`	Matt Henningsen	Fr
DE	`94`	Conor Sheehy (C)	Sr
OLB	`95`	Keldric Preston	Fr
DE	`96`	Billy Hirschfeld	Jr
DE	`97`	Isaiahh Loudermilk	Fr
DE	`98`	Kraig Howe	So
NT	`99`	Olive Sagapolu	Jr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
P	`15`	Anthony Lotti	So
K	`27`	Rafael Gaglianone	Jr
P	`38`	P. J. Rosowski	Jr
K	`39`	Zach Hintze	So
LS	`51`	Adam Bay	Fr
P	`90`	Connor Allen	So
LS	`91`	Josh Bernhagen	Fr
K	`98`	Collin Larsh	Fr

Head coach

Paul Chryst (Wisconsin)
Also Quarterbacks coach

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Joe Rudolph (Wisconsin)
Associate head coach, offensive coordinator, offensive line coach
Jim Leonhard (Wisconsin)
Defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach
Bob Bostad (UW–Stevens Point)
Inside linebackers
Inoke Breckterfield (Oregon State)
Defensive line coach
Ted Gilmore (Wyoming)
Passing game coordinator, wide receivers coach
Chris Haering (West Virginia)
Special teams coordinator
John Settle (Appalachian State)
Running backs coach
Tim Tibesar (North Dakota)
Outside linebackers coach
Mickey Turner (Wisconsin)
Tight ends coach
Ross Kolodziej (Wisconsin)
Strength and conditioning coach
Antonio Fenelus (Wisconsin)
Graduate assistant

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: August 19, 2017

Injuries

At the start of the season four players were announced as out for the season due to injury; Senior ILB Jack Cichy (right knee), Freshman ILB Mason Stokke (right leg), Sophomore OLB Zack Baun (left foot), Freshman RB Sam Brodner (right knee).

2018 NFL Draft

2018 NFL Draft class

2018 NFL draft selections
Round	Pick #	Team	Player	Position
4	110	Oakland Raiders	Nick Nelson	Cornerback
5	156	Denver Broncos	Troy Fumagalli	Tight end
5	164	New Orleans Saints	Natrell Jamerson	Safety
6	202	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jack Cichy	Linebacker
7	230	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leon Jacobs	Defensive end

Signed undrafted free agents

Garret Dooley, LB, Minnesota Vikings^[7]
Alec James, DE, Arizona Cardinals^[7]
Austin Ramesh, FB, Arizona Cardinals^[7]
Connor Sheehy, DE, Green Bay Packers^[7]

References

^ Lesmerises, Doug (July 21, 2017). "Ohio State Buckeyes picked to win Big Ten in cleveland.com 2017 preseason poll". Cleveland.com.
^ "Rimington Trophy Official Website: THE WATCHLIST".
^ "Football - Wisconsin Athletics - 2017 Football Schedule". Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
^ "2017 Wisconsin Badgers Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
^ "Purdue-Wisconsin Pre-game Notes" (PDF). PurdueSports.com. CBS Interactive. October 9, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
^ "Purdue vs Wisconsin (Oct 14, 2017 at Madison, Wis.)" (PDF). www.grfx.cstv.com. Purdue University. October 14, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Undrafted free agent signings 2018: Tracking all the post-draft moves". April 28, 2018.

[1] Lesmerises, Doug (July 21, 2017). "Ohio State Buckeyes picked to win Big Ten in cleveland.com 2017 preseason poll". Cleveland.com.

[2] "Rimington Trophy Official Website: THE WATCHLIST".

[3] "Football - Wisconsin Athletics - 2017 Football Schedule". Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.

[4] "2017 Wisconsin Badgers Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved February 17, 2017.

[5] "Purdue-Wisconsin Pre-game Notes" (PDF). PurdueSports.com. CBS Interactive. October 9, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

[6] "Purdue vs Wisconsin (Oct 14, 2017 at Madison, Wis.)" (PDF). www.grfx.cstv.com. Purdue University. October 14, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.

[sbnation.com-7] "Undrafted free agent signings 2018: Tracking all the post-draft moves". April 28, 2018.

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[5]

[6]

[7]

2017 Wisconsin Badgers football

Big Ten West Division champion Orange Bowl champion
Big Ten Championship Game, L 21–27 vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl, W 34–24 vs. Miami (FL)
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	West Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 6
AP	No. 7
Record	13–1 (9–0 Big Ten)
Head coach	Paul Chryst (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Joe Rudolph (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jim Leonhard (1st season)
Base defense	3–4
MVP	Jack Cichy Garret Dooley Joe Ferguson Lubern Figaro Troy Fumagalli Rachid Ibrahim Leon Jacobs Natrell Jamerson Alec James Chikwe Obaseh Austin Ramesh Conor Sheehy Derrick Tindal
Captain	Jack Cichy Michael Deiter D'Cota Dixon T. J. Edwards Troy Fumagalli Natrell Jamerson Alec James Conor Sheehy
Home stadium	Camp Randall Stadium
Uniform

Seasons ← 2016 2018 →