Indiana
Wisconsin football insider: Underdog Badgers land a few shots on No. 2 Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, IND. – A look back at Wisconsin’s 31-7 loss to No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Memorial Stadium.
Big picture
The loss assures the Badgers (3-7, 1-6 Big Ten) a second straight losing season, but most understood this was a game where they faced long odds to win. Wisconsin is like most struggling teams. It gives you glimpses of good play but sometimes can’t sustain it enough to win. They were able to sustain it last week against Washington, but Indiana is a much better team with a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback (Fernando Mendoza).
The big takeaway is that Wisconsin, with a freshman quarterback and another injury (Gideon Ituka) managed to land a few punches against a team headed for a high seed in the College Football Playoff.
Box score | Standings | UW schedule
Turning point: Opportunity missed late in the first half
Wisconsin was set to head into the half on a high after Carter Smith connected with tight end Lance Mason for a 45-yard touchdown with 3 minutes 42 seconds to go in the second quarter. The extra point tied the game, 7-7.
The Badgers, who were 29½-point underdogs, needed one final stop to go into halftime. They couldn’t get it. Boosted by a 37-yard pass play from Mendoza to former Badgers tight end Riley Nowaowski, Indiana scored a field goal with 55 seconds to play.
And when Indiana added a touchdown on its first possession of the second half, you knew the Badgers would face an uphill battle getting back into the game.
Thumbs up: Peterson and Perkins have solid performances, Posa delivers again
- Darryl Peterson finished with six tackles and a career-high 2 ½ sacks. The sacks led to two punts and a stalled Hoosiers drive that forced a field goal.
- Defensive tackle Charles Perkins, who has missed time due to injury, finished with four tackles and two tackles for a loss, both season highs.
- The Badgers remained aggressive in short-yardage situations, going for it twice on fourth down and converting each time.
- Linebacker Mason Posa led the Badgers with 12 tackles and one sack. It was his third straight game of double-digit tackles.
- D’Yoni Hill admitted to getting beat on a deep ball early in the third quarter that led to Indiana’s second touchdown, but he is an aggressive and sure tackler. He finished with nine tackles, one shy of his career high.
Thumbs down: Missed FG, turnovers hamper Badgers
- Freshman QB Carter Smith lost a fumble and had a pass intercepted in the second half. Both turnovers led to IU touchdowns.
- Nathanial Vakos missed a field goal for the second straight week. His 42-yard attempt would have given UW a lead after the first possession.
- UW held the ball 17 minutes 12 seconds in the first half but less than 9 minutes in the second half.
Wisconsin football schedule: Badgers host Illinois in final home game of the season
The Illini (7-3, 4-3) bounced back from back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Washington last month with wins over Rutgers on Nov. 1 and Maryland on Nov. 15. The Badgers are 2-1 against Illinois since Bret Bielema took over in 2021, but that loss was at home in 2022 in what turned out to be Paul Chryst’s final game as head coach.
Indiana
Fernando Mendoza, citing Raiders obligations, misses Indiana’s White House visit
Fernando Mendoza did not attend Indiana University’s visit to the White House commemorating the Hoosiers’ college football national championship on Monday. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback said earlier this month that he would not attend if it interfered with any activities with his new team.
“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here,” Mendoza said following a rookie minicamp practice. “I got to prove myself. I can’t miss practice. I don’t know anything official. I don’t have the calendar, but I just wouldn’t. As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look, and I want to try to best serve my teammates. And I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”
According to the team’s official offseason schedule, the Raiders did not have any formal practices or workouts on Monday. The team’s next organized activity is May 18, its first OTA workout.
“Fernando couldn’t be here today because, as I said, he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders,” President Donald Trump said in his address. “Let’s see how good of a team they have, and I think he’s gonna do great. He’s a winner.”
Mendoza wasn’t the only absence. Center Pat Coogan and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds were among the other Hoosiers not in attendance for the event due to NFL obligations. Indiana had a program-record eight players selected in April’s NFL Draft.
Trump highlighted Mendoza’s accomplishments and contributions to the school’s first football national title. He celebrated Mendoza as Indiana’s inaugural Heisman Trophy winner and praised his fourth-quarter touchdown run in the championship game against Miami.
“He’s gonna be a good one,” Trump said.
Indiana was well-represented by returning members of the team. Charlie Becker, one of Mendoza’s go-to receivers during the College Football Playoffs, and Jamari Sharpe, whose late interception secured the title-game victory, both spoke on behalf of the school, as did head coach Curt Cignetti.
Mendoza is one of four members of the national champion Hoosiers who joined the Raiders this offseason. Running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. signed as undrafted free agents in the days following the draft. Wide receiver Jonathan Brady earned a contract after impressing as a tryout player during rookie minicamp.
Indiana
Suspect in custody after Muncie triple shooting leaves 1 woman dead, 2 men injured
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating a triple shooting that took place on Muncie’s south side Sunday evening that left a woman dead and two men injured.
According to police, at approximately 5:27 p.m., Muncie Police Officers were dispatched to the 2700 block of South Walnut Street in reference to reports of several people being shot.
Officers arrived and located three gunshot victims: A 23-year-old female who died from “multiple wounds,” a 39-year-old male who is hospitalized in stable condition, and a 40-year-old male who was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital in critical condition.
Police say a suspect is in custody, a 21-year-old man.
Police did not provide any additional information.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Muncie Police Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or dispatch at 765-747-4838.
Indiana
Indiana Pacers exec apologizes to fans after losing first-round pick
Candace Parker, Cynthia Cooper share thoughts on Knicks playoff run
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Sports Seriously
The Indiana Pacers lost 63 games this season for a chance at a franchise-changing lottery pick. On Sunday, May 10, they lost that chance, too.
All Pacers president Kevin Pritchard could do was apologize for taking the risk.
Indiana’s pick landed at No. 5 in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, one spot outside the top four protections attached to a midseason trade. The selection now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers .
Shortly after the results were announced, Pritchard took social media and apologized.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.”
The Pacers entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick after finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA. It wasn’t enough.
Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to Los Angeles in the midseason deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, along with the conditional 2026 first-rounder. The pick was theirs to keep only if it landed in the top four.
Zubac appeared in just five games for Indiana after the trade because of a fractured rib.
“This team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” Pritchard wrote. “We have always been resillient.”
Pritchard will have to be resilient if he looks at the replies to his statement. About half of the Pacers fans’ comments were not happy, and fans of other teams called him out for “tanking.”
There were also a large number of fans who were supportive of Pritchard taking that risk.
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s NBA Finals. The Pacers will have him Pascal Siakam and a roster they think is built to compete. They just won’t have that first-round pick to add to it.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins June 23 in Brooklyn.
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