Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
WHEN: Saturday, November 18 | 6:30 PM (CT)
WHERE: Camp Randall Stadium | Madison, Wisconsin
TV: NBC (Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, Kathryn Tappen)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
NEBRASKA
Record: 5-5 (3-4 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Maryland (L 10-13)
Streak: Lost 2
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (5-5, 1st year NU | 52-48, 8th year overall | 0-0 vs. Wisconsin)
WISCONSIN
Record: 5-5 (3-4 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Northwestern (L 10-24)
Streak: Lost 3
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Luke Fickell (6-5, 1st year | 69-30, 8th year overall | 0-1 vs. Nebraska)
THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS
5 - Nebraska has held the opposition without a rushing touchdown for five straight games, its longest stretch of not allowing a rushing touchdown since 1996.
20 - Nebraska has limited five consecutive opponents to 20 or fewer points in Big Ten play. The last time Nebraska held five straight opponents to 20 points or less was the final eight games of the 2009 season.
40 - Nebraska right tackle Bryce Benhart is expected to make his 40th career start on Saturday night, all at right tackle. Benhart would be just the third Nebraska offensive lineman to start 40 games in a career, joining Jeremiah Sirles (41) and Brendan Jaimes (40)
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska completes its 2023 road schedule on Saturday night when the Huskers travel to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. The matchup between Big Ten West foes is set for 6:30 p.m. at UW's Camp Randall Stadium. NBC will provide the television coverage and the game can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, the official Huskers App and Huskers.com.
Both teams are looking to clinch a postseason berth as Nebraska and Wisconsin battle for the Freedom Trophy that was established in 2014. The teams enter the contest with matching 5-5 overall records, including 3-4 marks in Big Ten Conference play, and are in search of a sixth win to clinch bowl eligibility.
Nebraska is coming off a heart-breaking 13-10 loss to Maryland on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, as the Terrapins kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. The game was a defensive and field position struggle, with the two defenses combining for eight takeaways in the contest.
The Husker defense was strong once again, holding the high-powered Maryland offense scoreless in the first quarter and limiting the Terrapins to just one touchdown. Offensively, Nebraska played three quarterbacks in the game and produced 183 rushing yards, but could not overcome five turnovers.
Wisconsin heads into the matchup coming off a 24-10 loss to Northwestern on Saturday in Madison. The setback was the third straight for the Badgers after opening the season with a 5-2 record under first-year Head Coach Luke Fickell. Wisconsin has a balanced offensive attack, gaining 154.3 yards per game on the ground while throwing for 217.8 yards per contest. The Badgers' defense is once again strong, allowing just 333.1 yards and 19.6 points per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska and Wisconsin will meet for the 17th time on Saturday and the eighth time at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin holds a 12-4 edge and has the past nine straight games in the series.
- Nebraska and Wisconsin have played 11 games since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, including the Huskers' first-ever Big Ten game at Wisconsin on Oct. 1, 2011.
- The schools met twice in 2012, including the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. Nebraska and Wisconsin did not play in 2013 when they were in opposite divisions, and the 2020 game was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Saturday's game will mark the fourth time n 17 meetings that neither team has been ranked. NU has been ranked in nine of 16 games and the Badgers have been ranked in seven of the contests.
- NU played Wisconsin five times prior to joining the Big Ten, including four times between 1965 and 1974.
Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Series History
1901 - Wisconsin 18, Nebraska 0 (Milwaukee)
1965 - #2 Nebraska 37, Wisconsin 0 (Lincoln)
1966 - #7 Nebraska 31, Wisconsin 3 (Madison)
1973 - #2 Nebraska 20, Wisconsin 16 (Lincoln)
1974 - Wisconsin 21, #4 Nebraska 20 (Madison)
--------------------Big Ten--------------------
2011 - #7 Wisconsin 48, #8 Nebraska 17 (Madison)
2012 - #22 Nebraska 30, Wisconsin 27 (Lincoln)
2012 - Wisconsin 70, #14 Nebraska 31 (Indianapolis)
2014 - #22 Wisconsin 59, #11 Nebraska 24 (Madison)
2015 - Wisconsin 23, Nebraska 21 (Lincoln)
2016 - #11 Wisconsin 23, #7 Nebraska 17 (OT) (Madison)
2017 - #9 Wisconsin 38, Nebraska 17 (Lincoln)
2018 - #16 Wisconsin 41, Nebraska 24 (Madison)
2019 - #15 Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 21 (Lincoln)
2021 - #19 Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28 (Madison)
2022 - Wisconsin 15, Nebraska 14 (Lincoln)
ABOUT WISCONSIN
Wisconsin has fielded a football team since 1889 and has an all-time record of 739-517-53. The Badgers have claimed 14 Big Ten Conference championships, most recently in 2012.
The Badgers have an overall bowl record of 19-15. Most recently, Wisconsin picked up a 24-17 win against Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in 2022.
First Year: 1889
All-Time Record: 739-517-53
Bowl Record: 19-15
Conference Titles: 14
National Titles: 0
Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium
Capacity: 75,822
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Enrollment: 49,886
Colors: Cardinal & White
ABOUT 2023 WISCONSIN FOOTBALL
Wisconsin has a 5-5 overall record (3-4 Big Ten) and is on a three-game losing skid after falling to Ohio State, Indiana and Northwestern in its last three games.
The Badgers are averaging 372.1 yards per game, with 217.8 yards per game through the air and 154.3 yards per game on the ground. Tanner Mordecai has completed 145-of-224 passes for 1,382 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Will Pauling has 56 receptions for 596 yards and three touchdowns, followed by Bryson Green with 25 catches for 375 yards and a score. Braelon Allen leads the Badger rushing attack with 757 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games this season.
Defensively, Wisconsin is allowing 333.1 yards per game and 19.6 points per game. Hunter Wohler leads the Badgers with 95 tackles, followed by Jake Chaney and C.J. Goetz with 62 and 48 tackles, respectively. Goetz has totaled a team-high nine tackles for loss, while Darryl Peterson leads the Badger defense with 4.5 sacks on the season. Ricardo Hallman has pulled in a team-leading five interceptions in 10 games.
2023 Wisconsin Schedule/Results
Buffalo (W 38-17)
at Washington State (L 22-31)
Georgia Southern (W 35-14)
at Purdue (W 38-17)
Rutgers (W 24-13)
Iowa (L 6-15)
at Illinois (W 25-21)
Ohio State (L 10-24)
at Indiana (L 14-20)
Northwestern (L 10-24)
Nebraska
at Minnesota
ABOUT WISCONSIN HEAD COACH LUKE FICKELL
Luke Fickell is in his first season at the helm of the Wisconsin football program and has led the Badgers to a 5-5 record through 10 games this season.
Fickell arrived at Wisconsin after spending six seasons as the head coach at Cincinnati. With the Bearcats, Fickell posted a 57-18 overall record and led Cincinnati to five bowl game appearances, including the 2020 Peach Bowl and the College Football Playoff Semifinals in 2021.
Prior to his stops at Wisconsin and Cincinnati, Fickell was a graduate assistant at Ohio State (1999), assistant coach at Akron (2000-01) and held an assistant coach and defensive coordinator role at Ohio State (2002-2016). Fickell gained head coaching experience with the Buckeyes after serving as Ohio State's interim head coach in the 2011 season.
Fickell will be taking on Nebraska for the second time as a head coach following a 34-27 loss to the Huskers as the interim head coach at Ohio State in 2011.
LAST MEETING
Wisconsin 15, Nebraska 14
November 19, 2022
LINCOLN - A late-game score pushed Wisconsin to a 15-14 victory over Nebraska at Memorial Stadium, after the Badgers' Graham Mertz punched in a one-yard rushing touchdown with 35 seconds left.
It was the third score of the half for Wisconsin who scored all 15 points in the latter after being shutout in the first half. The Huskers had one final drive to go the length of the field but were held to just one first down in their final possession as time expired.
Nebraska's Trey Palmer grabbed a pair of touchdowns in the second and third quarter in the loss, his second multi-touchdown effort of the season.
The first score came after Malcolm Hartzog picked off Mertz for his team-leading third interception of the season. Nebraska then drove 37 yards on eight plays into the end zone for a 7-0 lead to get the 86,068 fans in attendance warmed up on a chilly, 28-degree day.
Palmer was then left wide open on a 20-yard post route with 34 seconds left in the third quarter for his team-leading seventh receiving score on the season. He is now tied for the sixth-most receiving touchdowns in a single season in Nebraska history.
Nebraska's offense totaled 171 yards, with 106 yards through the air and 65 yards on the ground. Casey Thompson completed 12-of-19 passes for 106 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Palmer paced the receiving core with four catches for 47 yards and two scores, while Travis Vokolek added two grabs for 20 yards.
The Big Red held the Badgers to just 83 passing yards, as Mertz finished the day going 8-of-18 for 83 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ernest Hausmann recorded a career-high 12 tackles and held the Badgers to a little over 200 yards on the ground, led by Chez Mellusi's 98 yards who took over for Braelon Allen.
Neither squad got anything going in the opening quarter, as they combined for just 89 yards of total offense. Wisconsin pieced together a 10-play drive to get into field-goal range, before Ochaun Mathis forced an intentional-grounding penalty to drive the Badgers outside the 40.
The two teams traded punts until Hartzog's third interception of the season set Nebraska up at the Wisconsin 37-yard line. With 10:13 left in the half, it marked the first time that the Huskers reached Badger territory on the afternoon.
Nebraska turned the takeaway into points, as Thompson went 3-for-4 with 29 passing yards on the quick scoring drive. A pair of grabs from Palmer, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown reception, gave the Huskers a 7-0 lead with 6:40 remaining.
Wisconsin got the ball back and immediately ventured on a 13-play drive that stalled just outside the red zone. Nate Van Zelst left his 39-yard field goal short with 14 seconds left, and the Big Red took a seven-point advantage into the locker room.
It was the second-straight time at home that Nebraska shutout its opponent in the first half, doing so against Minnesota two weeks ago.
After a pair of three-and-outs, Wisconsin embarked on its third of four 10+ play drives, anchored by 59 rushing yards that set up a 25-yard field goal from Van Zelst to cut the lead to 7-3.
With 4:50 left in the third, the Huskers offense exploded on a nine play, 79-yard drive capped off with Palmer's second touchdown of the afternoon for a 14-3 lead. Nebraska converted on a pair of third downs to capture a double-digit lead with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
However, Wisconsin responded with a swift 75-yard scoring drive after Skyler Bell reeled in a 10-yard pass from Mertz. Although the Badgers failed the two-point conversion, Wisconsin cut NU's lead to 14-9 with 10:07 left in the game.
Following a Nebraska three-and-out with 3:11 remaining, the Badgers drew up a 27-yard pass to Isaac Guerendo, followed by a Mertz sneak for the touchdown and lead. Nebraska got the ball back with just over 30 seconds left but fell short as time expired.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (5-5, 3-4) | at | WISCONSIN BADGERS (5-5, 3-4) |
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WHEN: Saturday, November 18 | 6:30 PM (CT)
WHERE: Camp Randall Stadium | Madison, Wisconsin
TV: NBC (Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, Kathryn Tappen)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
NEBRASKA
Record: 5-5 (3-4 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Maryland (L 10-13)
Streak: Lost 2
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (5-5, 1st year NU | 52-48, 8th year overall | 0-0 vs. Wisconsin)
WISCONSIN
Record: 5-5 (3-4 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Northwestern (L 10-24)
Streak: Lost 3
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Luke Fickell (6-5, 1st year | 69-30, 8th year overall | 0-1 vs. Nebraska)
THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS
5 - Nebraska has held the opposition without a rushing touchdown for five straight games, its longest stretch of not allowing a rushing touchdown since 1996.
20 - Nebraska has limited five consecutive opponents to 20 or fewer points in Big Ten play. The last time Nebraska held five straight opponents to 20 points or less was the final eight games of the 2009 season.
40 - Nebraska right tackle Bryce Benhart is expected to make his 40th career start on Saturday night, all at right tackle. Benhart would be just the third Nebraska offensive lineman to start 40 games in a career, joining Jeremiah Sirles (41) and Brendan Jaimes (40)
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska completes its 2023 road schedule on Saturday night when the Huskers travel to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. The matchup between Big Ten West foes is set for 6:30 p.m. at UW's Camp Randall Stadium. NBC will provide the television coverage and the game can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, the official Huskers App and Huskers.com.
Both teams are looking to clinch a postseason berth as Nebraska and Wisconsin battle for the Freedom Trophy that was established in 2014. The teams enter the contest with matching 5-5 overall records, including 3-4 marks in Big Ten Conference play, and are in search of a sixth win to clinch bowl eligibility.
Nebraska is coming off a heart-breaking 13-10 loss to Maryland on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, as the Terrapins kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. The game was a defensive and field position struggle, with the two defenses combining for eight takeaways in the contest.
The Husker defense was strong once again, holding the high-powered Maryland offense scoreless in the first quarter and limiting the Terrapins to just one touchdown. Offensively, Nebraska played three quarterbacks in the game and produced 183 rushing yards, but could not overcome five turnovers.
Wisconsin heads into the matchup coming off a 24-10 loss to Northwestern on Saturday in Madison. The setback was the third straight for the Badgers after opening the season with a 5-2 record under first-year Head Coach Luke Fickell. Wisconsin has a balanced offensive attack, gaining 154.3 yards per game on the ground while throwing for 217.8 yards per contest. The Badgers' defense is once again strong, allowing just 333.1 yards and 19.6 points per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska and Wisconsin will meet for the 17th time on Saturday and the eighth time at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin holds a 12-4 edge and has the past nine straight games in the series.
- Nebraska and Wisconsin have played 11 games since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, including the Huskers' first-ever Big Ten game at Wisconsin on Oct. 1, 2011.
- The schools met twice in 2012, including the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. Nebraska and Wisconsin did not play in 2013 when they were in opposite divisions, and the 2020 game was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Saturday's game will mark the fourth time n 17 meetings that neither team has been ranked. NU has been ranked in nine of 16 games and the Badgers have been ranked in seven of the contests.
- NU played Wisconsin five times prior to joining the Big Ten, including four times between 1965 and 1974.
Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Series History
1901 - Wisconsin 18, Nebraska 0 (Milwaukee)
1965 - #2 Nebraska 37, Wisconsin 0 (Lincoln)
1966 - #7 Nebraska 31, Wisconsin 3 (Madison)
1973 - #2 Nebraska 20, Wisconsin 16 (Lincoln)
1974 - Wisconsin 21, #4 Nebraska 20 (Madison)
--------------------Big Ten--------------------
2011 - #7 Wisconsin 48, #8 Nebraska 17 (Madison)
2012 - #22 Nebraska 30, Wisconsin 27 (Lincoln)
2012 - Wisconsin 70, #14 Nebraska 31 (Indianapolis)
2014 - #22 Wisconsin 59, #11 Nebraska 24 (Madison)
2015 - Wisconsin 23, Nebraska 21 (Lincoln)
2016 - #11 Wisconsin 23, #7 Nebraska 17 (OT) (Madison)
2017 - #9 Wisconsin 38, Nebraska 17 (Lincoln)
2018 - #16 Wisconsin 41, Nebraska 24 (Madison)
2019 - #15 Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 21 (Lincoln)
2021 - #19 Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28 (Madison)
2022 - Wisconsin 15, Nebraska 14 (Lincoln)
ABOUT WISCONSIN
Wisconsin has fielded a football team since 1889 and has an all-time record of 739-517-53. The Badgers have claimed 14 Big Ten Conference championships, most recently in 2012.
The Badgers have an overall bowl record of 19-15. Most recently, Wisconsin picked up a 24-17 win against Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in 2022.
First Year: 1889
All-Time Record: 739-517-53
Bowl Record: 19-15
Conference Titles: 14
National Titles: 0
Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium
Capacity: 75,822
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Enrollment: 49,886
Colors: Cardinal & White
ABOUT 2023 WISCONSIN FOOTBALL
Wisconsin has a 5-5 overall record (3-4 Big Ten) and is on a three-game losing skid after falling to Ohio State, Indiana and Northwestern in its last three games.
The Badgers are averaging 372.1 yards per game, with 217.8 yards per game through the air and 154.3 yards per game on the ground. Tanner Mordecai has completed 145-of-224 passes for 1,382 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Will Pauling has 56 receptions for 596 yards and three touchdowns, followed by Bryson Green with 25 catches for 375 yards and a score. Braelon Allen leads the Badger rushing attack with 757 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games this season.
Defensively, Wisconsin is allowing 333.1 yards per game and 19.6 points per game. Hunter Wohler leads the Badgers with 95 tackles, followed by Jake Chaney and C.J. Goetz with 62 and 48 tackles, respectively. Goetz has totaled a team-high nine tackles for loss, while Darryl Peterson leads the Badger defense with 4.5 sacks on the season. Ricardo Hallman has pulled in a team-leading five interceptions in 10 games.
2023 Wisconsin Schedule/Results
Buffalo (W 38-17)
at Washington State (L 22-31)
Georgia Southern (W 35-14)
at Purdue (W 38-17)
Rutgers (W 24-13)
Iowa (L 6-15)
at Illinois (W 25-21)
Ohio State (L 10-24)
at Indiana (L 14-20)
Northwestern (L 10-24)
Nebraska
at Minnesota
ABOUT WISCONSIN HEAD COACH LUKE FICKELL
Luke Fickell is in his first season at the helm of the Wisconsin football program and has led the Badgers to a 5-5 record through 10 games this season.
Fickell arrived at Wisconsin after spending six seasons as the head coach at Cincinnati. With the Bearcats, Fickell posted a 57-18 overall record and led Cincinnati to five bowl game appearances, including the 2020 Peach Bowl and the College Football Playoff Semifinals in 2021.
Prior to his stops at Wisconsin and Cincinnati, Fickell was a graduate assistant at Ohio State (1999), assistant coach at Akron (2000-01) and held an assistant coach and defensive coordinator role at Ohio State (2002-2016). Fickell gained head coaching experience with the Buckeyes after serving as Ohio State's interim head coach in the 2011 season.
Fickell will be taking on Nebraska for the second time as a head coach following a 34-27 loss to the Huskers as the interim head coach at Ohio State in 2011.
LAST MEETING
Wisconsin 15, Nebraska 14
November 19, 2022
LINCOLN - A late-game score pushed Wisconsin to a 15-14 victory over Nebraska at Memorial Stadium, after the Badgers' Graham Mertz punched in a one-yard rushing touchdown with 35 seconds left.
It was the third score of the half for Wisconsin who scored all 15 points in the latter after being shutout in the first half. The Huskers had one final drive to go the length of the field but were held to just one first down in their final possession as time expired.
Nebraska's Trey Palmer grabbed a pair of touchdowns in the second and third quarter in the loss, his second multi-touchdown effort of the season.
The first score came after Malcolm Hartzog picked off Mertz for his team-leading third interception of the season. Nebraska then drove 37 yards on eight plays into the end zone for a 7-0 lead to get the 86,068 fans in attendance warmed up on a chilly, 28-degree day.
Palmer was then left wide open on a 20-yard post route with 34 seconds left in the third quarter for his team-leading seventh receiving score on the season. He is now tied for the sixth-most receiving touchdowns in a single season in Nebraska history.
Nebraska's offense totaled 171 yards, with 106 yards through the air and 65 yards on the ground. Casey Thompson completed 12-of-19 passes for 106 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Palmer paced the receiving core with four catches for 47 yards and two scores, while Travis Vokolek added two grabs for 20 yards.
The Big Red held the Badgers to just 83 passing yards, as Mertz finished the day going 8-of-18 for 83 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ernest Hausmann recorded a career-high 12 tackles and held the Badgers to a little over 200 yards on the ground, led by Chez Mellusi's 98 yards who took over for Braelon Allen.
Neither squad got anything going in the opening quarter, as they combined for just 89 yards of total offense. Wisconsin pieced together a 10-play drive to get into field-goal range, before Ochaun Mathis forced an intentional-grounding penalty to drive the Badgers outside the 40.
The two teams traded punts until Hartzog's third interception of the season set Nebraska up at the Wisconsin 37-yard line. With 10:13 left in the half, it marked the first time that the Huskers reached Badger territory on the afternoon.
Nebraska turned the takeaway into points, as Thompson went 3-for-4 with 29 passing yards on the quick scoring drive. A pair of grabs from Palmer, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown reception, gave the Huskers a 7-0 lead with 6:40 remaining.
Wisconsin got the ball back and immediately ventured on a 13-play drive that stalled just outside the red zone. Nate Van Zelst left his 39-yard field goal short with 14 seconds left, and the Big Red took a seven-point advantage into the locker room.
It was the second-straight time at home that Nebraska shutout its opponent in the first half, doing so against Minnesota two weeks ago.
After a pair of three-and-outs, Wisconsin embarked on its third of four 10+ play drives, anchored by 59 rushing yards that set up a 25-yard field goal from Van Zelst to cut the lead to 7-3.
With 4:50 left in the third, the Huskers offense exploded on a nine play, 79-yard drive capped off with Palmer's second touchdown of the afternoon for a 14-3 lead. Nebraska converted on a pair of third downs to capture a double-digit lead with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
However, Wisconsin responded with a swift 75-yard scoring drive after Skyler Bell reeled in a 10-yard pass from Mertz. Although the Badgers failed the two-point conversion, Wisconsin cut NU's lead to 14-9 with 10:07 left in the game.
Following a Nebraska three-and-out with 3:11 remaining, the Badgers drew up a 27-yard pass to Isaac Guerendo, followed by a Mertz sneak for the touchdown and lead. Nebraska got the ball back with just over 30 seconds left but fell short as time expired.
