Wisconsin

Wisconsin football’s glimpses of progress don’t last against loaded Indiana Hoosiers squad

Published

4 months ago

November 16, 2025

Wisconsin football’s glimpses of progress don’t last against loaded Indiana Hoosiers squad

BLOOMINGTON, IND. – Given the Wisconsin football team’s résumé, a win would have been a lot to expect.

Indiana is the No. 2-ranked team in the country for a reason. The Hoosiers are getting outstanding quarterback play, have potential NFL talent on the offenisve line and at receiver and have studs at each level of the defense.

Indiana is headed to the College Football Playoff. The Badgers are still finding their way.

So one week after getting its first Big Ten win of the season, did UW show progress in its 31-7 loss to Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 15?

In answering that question, consider:

Indiana’s 10-7 halftime lead equaled its second-closest first half of the season. It was tied with Iowa and led Oregon by 3 points.
The Badgers’ five sacks Saturday were the most allowed by Indiana this season. Wisconsin’s seven tackles for a loss was the second-highest total for a Hoosiers’ opponent.

Of course the Badgers need much more to become a consistent winner, but what they showed Saturday was more in line with what we saw from the team in its two previous games against Oregon and Washington than what it delivered against Iowa, Ohio State and Maryland.

The challenge Saturday was maintaining that standard of play for 60 minutes against a team that ranks top six nationally in total offense and defense.

“I think the first half you saw us execute a majority of the half, and I think that wasn’t the case in the second half,” said graduate outside linebacker Darryl Peterson, who had a career-high 2½ sacks. “Obviously, the last two games, we’ve got to try to put together four quarters of execution, all three phases.”

Famililar struggles haunt Badgers

Despite the spirited start, Wisconsin’s Achilles heel came back to trip it.

It gained just 23 yards in the second half, and its 168 total yards for the game was its second-lowest total of the season behind the 144 it gained against No. 1 Ohio State.

Injuries played a role in those struggles. Running back Gideon Ituka, a spark for the run game the previous two games, was carted off the field and taken to the hospital after a hard hit in the third quarter and center Davis Heinzen, who made his third straight start, didn’t finish the game due to an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, the defense didn’t force a turnover for the sixth game this season and was carved up by IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who connected on 22 of 24 throws for 299 yards. Big plays were huge as he gained 166 of those yards on just five completions.

His opposite number, Wisconsin freshman Carter Smith, completed nine of 15 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown.

“It’s a tale of two halves,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “In the first half, to be honest with you, that’s kind of the way you’d draw it up for us, methodically doing some things, moving the football, taking care of the football, eliminating big plays other than one defensively.

“I think that was the idea of the way we want to be able to play right now and the complementary idea of what football’s got to look like for us.”

The ups and downs of Carter Smith’s first start

Smith was given a looser rein in his second game and was given the opportunity to make more plays downfield.

The coaches showed him great trust in calling what proved to be Wisconsin’s biggest play of the day, a 45-yard touchdown pass to tight end Lance Mason on a fourth-and-1 play.

That score tied the game, 7-7, with 3 minutes 42 seconds to go in the first half, but in the second half Smith turned it over twice. The crucial one was his fumble at the UW 21 that almost instantly led to a Hoosiers touchdown that pushed their lead to 24-7. Two of Indiana’s three second-half touchdowns came off Smith turnovers.

The Badgers tried to take some chances in the second half. They just didn’t work out.

“To think that you’re going to methodically drive 12, 13 plays down the field on a really, really good football team, it’s not (realistic) …” Fickell said. “We’ve got to be able to take some more shots. We’ve got to give him some more opportunities. We’ve got to turn him loose a little bit more, and unfortunately, you know, it didn’t work well for us.”

Smith entered the game during the second series against Washington but didn’t get starter snaps in practice that week. Heading into the Indiana game, he received more of those reps in practice.

He also had more put on his plate.

“That’s something that comes with playing quarterback,” Smith said about the added workload. “So it’s something I need to get better with is having a lot on my plate and being able to handle it all.”

Two games to go, much to accomplish

The loss guarantees Wisconsin (3-7, 1-6) its second straight losing season, but the team has two games remaining.

Next Illinois (7-3, 4-3) comes to Camp Randall on Nov. 22; then UW plays at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3) on Nov. 29.

“We got to keep pushing, and we’re going to find out a hell of a lot about everybody that’s in this program, whether they’re seniors that have two guaranteed opportunities to play the game of football left, or young guys,” Fickell said. “Everything has got to be evaluated, and we’ve got to grow.”

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 7, 2026

Published

3 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 7, 2026

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing

17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 7 drawing

Midday: 9-3-6

Evening: 4-0-4

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 7 drawing

Midday: 8-0-7-4

Evening: 4-7-8-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from March 7 drawing

Midday: 05-07-09-10-11-13-14-15-16-17-18

Evening: 01-03-04-05-07-08-11-14-16-18-19

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from March 7 drawing

01-07-11-22-28

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from March 7 drawing

09-13-14-31-36-37, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks numbers from March 7 drawing

06-07-09-19-31-34

Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Wisconsin

Purdue Basketball: Wisconsin Preview: Stats, Analytics, Analysis

Published

16 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Purdue Basketball: Wisconsin Preview: Stats, Analytics, Analysis

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Season

2/28: W – 63 – 62 vs Oregon @ Home

2/24: W – 72 – 68 vs Indiana @ Away

2/17: W – 78 – 74 vs Maryland @ Home

Position	#	Player	Class	Height	Weight	Min	Pts	Reb	Ast
Point Guard	2	Nick Boyd	Sr.	6’3”	177	31	20	4	4
Shooting Guard	25	John Blackwell	Jr.	6’4”	203	33	18	5	2
Small Forward	7	Andrew Rohde	Sr.	6’6”	195	26	6	2	3
Power Forward	32	Aleksas Bieliauskas	Fr.	6’10”	235	18	4	4	1
Center	31	Nolan Winter	Jr.	7’0”	235	31	13	9	2

Position	#	Player	Class	Height	Weight	Min	Pts	Reb	Ast
Guard/Wing	0	Braeden Carrington	Sr.	6’5”	200	18	9	3	1
Power Forward	22	Austin Rapp	So.	6’10”	238	22	9	4	2
Center	23	Will Garlock	Fr.	7’0”	243	7	1	1	1

Nolan Winter went down with an ankle injury in Wisconsin’s 78-45 demolition of Maryland. He’s listed as day-to-day. If he’s unable to answer the bell, look for Bieliauskas to move to center and Austin Rapp to move into the starting lineup at power forward.

(Per KenPom.com – National Rank / Big 10 Rank in ())

Adjusted Efficiency: 124 (18) – Big 10 Only: 118.6 (4)

Adjusted Tempo: 69.1 (91) – Big 10 Only: 67.7 (3)

Average Possession Length: 17 (105) – Big 10 Only: 18.1 (7)

Effective Field Goal%: 54.2 (64) – Big 10 Only: 53.7 (9)

Offensive Rebound%: 29.7 (214) – Big 10 Only: 28.8 (6)

Three Point%: 35.7 (80) – Big 10 Only: 32.8 (8)

Two Point %: 54.9 (61) – Big 10 Only: 54.2 (10)

Adjusted Efficiency: 102.1 (48) – Big 10 Only: 112.3 (9)

Adjusted Tempo: 69.1 (91) – Big 10 Only: 67.7 (3)

Average Possession Length: 17 (105) – Big 10 Only: 18.1 (7)

Effective Field Goal%: 54.2 (64) – Big 10 Only: 53.6 (12)

Offensive Rebound%: 29.7 (214) – Big 10 Only: 34.9 (18)

Three Point%: 35.7 (80) – Big 10 Only: 32.8 (8)

Two Point %: 54.9 (61) – Big 10 Only: 54.2 (10)

I usually find a stat mismatch that favors Purdue in this section, but I feel like this is a “throw the stats out the window” type of game. The Boilermakers have rolled over at home against the top of the Big 10 this season. Needless to say, that’s surprising for a group of battle-tested seniors who started the season with National Championship aspirations.

The “Big 3” has turned into “maybe one of the three show up?” for Purdue.

Their last home win was a 93-64 beatdown of the Hoosiers, where Braden, Trey, and Fletcher all played up to their preseason expectations, and the game was never in doubt. That’s what I’m looking for in their last game in Mackey. Things haven’t gone the way we hoped this season, but a win against Wisconsin would give the Boilermakers some much-needed momentum heading into the Big 10 Tournament.

If all three Purdue seniors show up, this game shouldn’t be close, especially considering….

If Winter can’t go, or is significantly hindered by a bum ankle, it’s going to be tough sledding for the Badgers today. As a veteran ankle sprainer, I wouldn’t be super optimistic about his chances of being anywhere close to 100%, he’s in the “oh man, this thing is throbbing, swollen, and purple” part of the recovery process. Throw in the fact that Wisconsin has the Big 10 tournament looming, and I’m doubtful that the Wisconsin big man plays in this game.

The Battle of the Backcourt

Nick Boyd and John Blackwell have been outstanding this season. That’s not great for a Purdue team with only one guard capable/interested in playing defense. CJ Cox will probably have to guard Blackwell because he’s too strong for Braden or Fletcher off the bounce. That, I assume, leaves Braden on Nick Boyd, and that should give everyone some indigestion. At the very least, Purdue’s senior guard needs to match Boyd’s point production because, based on all available data, he’s going to get into the lane at will and torture the Boilermakers.

Wisconsin: Prefer not to say

Looking Into My Crystal Ball

I smashed my crystal ball after the Ohio State loss. As I said above, I’d like to think that Purdue’s seniors show up today and give the home crowd a show in their last home game. That’s certainly one of the scenarios that could play out today, and it’s the one I’ll be hoping for.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin safety Austin Brown shows out freakish skills on Pro Day

Published

1 day ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin safety Austin Brown shows out freakish skills on Pro Day

MADISON – Luke Fickell has long been a fan of Austin Brown’s potential.

The Wisconsin football coach sung the praises of the senior safety before last season and reiterated that opinion after an 11-tackle performance in a Week 3 loss to Alabama.

“He’s one of the more talented guys I think we have on the entire team,” Fickell said in September. “As far as speed, size, ability to run, ability to tackle, he’s one of those guys that I’ve always kept saying, your ability is everything that they’re looking for at the next level. Your ability to show that is what’s going to be the biggest difference.”

Brown was one of the iron men of the Wisconsin defense in 2025. He played 672 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, second only to cornerback Ricardo Hallman. His presence was especially key given the season-ended injury to field safety Preston Zachman

Brown finished fourth on the Badgers with 53 tackles and earned an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl. He started for the West in the Shrine Bowl, played 32 snaps and finished with one tackle in a 21-17 victory for over the East.

Friday March 6 at the McClain Center the Badgers held their Pro Day, a perfect time to shine for a player who was listed as one of athletic freaks in college football by The Athletic last summer.

Brown didn’t disappoint.

Unofficially Brown posted the No. 1 vertical of the day, 43 feet, the No. 2 broad jump (10-9), the second fastest 40-yard dash (4.47 seconds), the third-fastest shuttle run (4.21) and the fifth-best three cone drill time (7.05).

He also benched 225 pounds 20 times, which put himself behind some of UW’s linemen and tight end Lance Mason – Ben Barten did it 33 times – but it was better than any safeties or cornerback invited to the NFL Combine.

Brown has been training at X3 Performance in Fort Myers, Fla.

“I’m not satisfied by any means, but I’m happy with my overall performance,” Brown said. “On my vertical I did really good. I wanted to get another inch or two, but you can only get so much. On my bench, I wanted to get 20, and I lost some weight, so I didn’t want to lose any strength with that.”

Brown, who is 6-foot-1, played at about 215 pounds last season. He said he weighed 209 when he started training for the draft and was at 200 pounds with 8% body fat Friday.

“I had a lot of meetings with scouts just through the postseason stuff, Shrine Bowl and all that so I got to talk to a lot of them personally,” Brown said. “(Today) I just wanted to show them my athletic ability across the board overall, and I feel like I did that.”

What Brown showed during his college career was the ability to fill a variety of roles. It is the kind of the experience that could pay off for an NFL hopeful.

“I feel like versatility is one of my best strengths,” he said. “I’ve played both safety spots. I’ve played dime, I’ve played nickel when I started my junior year. I’ve played every special team, so I feel like versatility is one of my great strengths and that’s something I can hang my hat on.”

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