Hopefully, Jim Harbaugh continues to come up short at Kinnick, as he gets another crack at Iowa in Week 5.
Iowa travels to Rutgers to kickoff Big Ten play in 2022.
The final five games all come in the B1G West with 3 of 5 games in Kinnick.
Wisconsin hasn't played in Indy, since before the pandemic. Will the reset on offense get them there?
“I had a feeling that changes needed to be made,” Chryst said. “That doesn’t necessarily always mean personnel changes, either. But if we were going to move forward, we had to do some things differently.”
Iowa may have a first year QB coach, while the Badgers have a first year QB coach and OC in former PSU WR Bobby Engram. He is one of many new coaches.
“If you’re not growing, you’re not evolving, then you’re just going to be left behind in the dust,” QB Graham Mertz said, as he enters year 3 as QB1. “So for me, it’s how do I have the open mind to know and have that conviction behind saying this is going to be my best year yet? And it’s going to be.”
Mertz, the highest-rated high school quarterback to sign with Wisconsin in the era of internet recruiting rankings, is eager to turn his potential into better production. Mertz dropped 11 pounds during the offseason to weigh in at 216 pounds in the spring and said he felt more mobile and more flexible and that he was “throwing better than I ever have.” Wisconsin’s three other scholarship quarterbacks are Chase Wolf, Deacon Hill and Myles Burkett, but only Wolf — a career backup — has played in a college game. That means this is Mertz’s team for another season. - The Athletic
Iowa QB Spencer Petras didn't lose as much weight, but there appears to be some parallels between both programs with QB1. Each QB has a win and a loss in the Iowa-Wisconsin series.
“The vibe of the offense is a lot better right now,” Badgers tight end Jack Eschenbach said. “Guys are loving it. They’re stepping up, making plays. You can kind of just see it.”
Wisconsin’s tight ends were depleted by injuries last season, to the point that Eschenbach said the group has joked about getting together for “a little spiritual cleanse” to lift the injury curse. Eschenbach (right shoulder), Clay Cundiff (right leg) and Cam Large (right leg) all did not participate in spring practices while recovering from injuries. The good news for Wisconsin is that Eschenbach and Cundiff both said they expect to return for the summer and be ready by the season. Those two players could be the Badgers’ top two tight ends. - The Athletic
Clay Cundiff says he expects to return for the summer after suffering a season-ending leg injury last season. (John Fisher / Getty Images)
Eschenbach is a 6-foot-6 pass catcher who played the most snaps of any returning tight end on the team with 210 last season. Cundiff provides a good blend of blocking and receiving ability and caught a 43-yard pass against Notre Dame — Wisconsin’s longest play from scrimmage in that game. Hayden Rucci, who was limited to six games last season because of a sprained Lisfranc ligament in his left foot, likely is the Badgers’ best blocker. Young tight ends Cole Dakovich and Jack Pugh have the potential to carve out roles, as does fifth-year senior Jaylan Franklin, who transitioned from outside linebacker to tight end before the 2020 season. - The Athletic
It will be interesting to see how this front-runner in the West performs, with five offensive starters back, a new offensive coaching staff and DC Jim Leonard only returns three defensive starters lead by sophomore OLB Nick Herbig and two junior linemen.
Special teams and the receivers are the lowest rated rooms for the Badgers, as they replace their FG kicker, their top three receivers and nine of their top 11 tacklers in 2022.
Wisconsin did hit the portal in the secondary and at wide receiver this off season. Iowa should have the edge on experience in Game 10 at Kinnick.
This should be a B1G one for the Hawks, along with several others.
Iowa travels to Rutgers to kickoff Big Ten play in 2022.
The final five games all come in the B1G West with 3 of 5 games in Kinnick.
Wisconsin hasn't played in Indy, since before the pandemic. Will the reset on offense get them there?
“I had a feeling that changes needed to be made,” Chryst said. “That doesn’t necessarily always mean personnel changes, either. But if we were going to move forward, we had to do some things differently.”
Iowa may have a first year QB coach, while the Badgers have a first year QB coach and OC in former PSU WR Bobby Engram. He is one of many new coaches.
“If you’re not growing, you’re not evolving, then you’re just going to be left behind in the dust,” QB Graham Mertz said, as he enters year 3 as QB1. “So for me, it’s how do I have the open mind to know and have that conviction behind saying this is going to be my best year yet? And it’s going to be.”
Mertz, the highest-rated high school quarterback to sign with Wisconsin in the era of internet recruiting rankings, is eager to turn his potential into better production. Mertz dropped 11 pounds during the offseason to weigh in at 216 pounds in the spring and said he felt more mobile and more flexible and that he was “throwing better than I ever have.” Wisconsin’s three other scholarship quarterbacks are Chase Wolf, Deacon Hill and Myles Burkett, but only Wolf — a career backup — has played in a college game. That means this is Mertz’s team for another season. - The Athletic
Iowa QB Spencer Petras didn't lose as much weight, but there appears to be some parallels between both programs with QB1. Each QB has a win and a loss in the Iowa-Wisconsin series.
“The vibe of the offense is a lot better right now,” Badgers tight end Jack Eschenbach said. “Guys are loving it. They’re stepping up, making plays. You can kind of just see it.”
Wisconsin’s tight ends were depleted by injuries last season, to the point that Eschenbach said the group has joked about getting together for “a little spiritual cleanse” to lift the injury curse. Eschenbach (right shoulder), Clay Cundiff (right leg) and Cam Large (right leg) all did not participate in spring practices while recovering from injuries. The good news for Wisconsin is that Eschenbach and Cundiff both said they expect to return for the summer and be ready by the season. Those two players could be the Badgers’ top two tight ends. - The Athletic
Clay Cundiff says he expects to return for the summer after suffering a season-ending leg injury last season. (John Fisher / Getty Images)
Eschenbach is a 6-foot-6 pass catcher who played the most snaps of any returning tight end on the team with 210 last season. Cundiff provides a good blend of blocking and receiving ability and caught a 43-yard pass against Notre Dame — Wisconsin’s longest play from scrimmage in that game. Hayden Rucci, who was limited to six games last season because of a sprained Lisfranc ligament in his left foot, likely is the Badgers’ best blocker. Young tight ends Cole Dakovich and Jack Pugh have the potential to carve out roles, as does fifth-year senior Jaylan Franklin, who transitioned from outside linebacker to tight end before the 2020 season. - The Athletic
It will be interesting to see how this front-runner in the West performs, with five offensive starters back, a new offensive coaching staff and DC Jim Leonard only returns three defensive starters lead by sophomore OLB Nick Herbig and two junior linemen.
Special teams and the receivers are the lowest rated rooms for the Badgers, as they replace their FG kicker, their top three receivers and nine of their top 11 tacklers in 2022.
Wisconsin did hit the portal in the secondary and at wide receiver this off season. Iowa should have the edge on experience in Game 10 at Kinnick.
This should be a B1G one for the Hawks, along with several others.
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