Michigan

Wisconsin opens season by hosting Western Michigan in Friday night matchup

Published

2 years ago

August 30, 2024

Press Room

Wisconsin opens season by hosting Western Michigan in Friday night matchup

(AP) – The Wisconsin Badgers will play host to the Western Michigan Broncos at Camp Randall Stadium on Friday.

The game will air on FS1 at 8 p.m. According to BetMGM College Football Odds, Wisconsin is favored by 24.5 points.

In their series history, Wisconsin leads 4-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Wisconsin would love to show how far it has come, particularly on offense, after going 7-6 each of the last two seasons. Wisconsin is attempting to improve to 16-0 in night games at Camp Randall Stadium against unranked teams. Western Michigan is seeking to beat a Big Ten school for the first time since 2016 when the Broncos defeated both Northwestern and Illinois while putting together an undefeated regular season under current Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck. Western Michigan ended that season by losing to Wisconsin 24-16 in the Cotton Bowl, which represents the last meeting between these two teams.

KEY MATCHUP

Western Michigan’s offensive line vs. Wisconsin’s defensive line: Center Jacob Gideon and guard Addison West lead an offensive line that must avoid getting pushed around for the Broncos to have any chance of pulling the upset. Gideon has 35 career starts, and West has 24. Tedi Kushi also is back after making 10 starts last year. Wisconsin lost its most experienced defensive lineman when James Thompson Jr. underwent season-ending surgery for an upper-body injury.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Western Michigan: RB Jalen Buckley rushed for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns on 189 carries as a redshirt freshman last season. He was named the Mid-American Conference’s freshman of the year and earned third-team all-MAC honors.

Wisconsin: QB Tyler Van Dyke, who transferred from Miami, is trying to bounce back from a 2023 season in which he struggled with injuries and threw a career-high 12 interceptions. The Badgers would love to see Van Dyke recapture the form he showed in 2021 when he threw 25 touchdown passes with only six interceptions and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Year.

FACTS & FIGURES

Wisconsin is coming off back-to-back 7-6 seasons and enters the year outside the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2016. That 2016 team went 11-3 and capped the year with that Cotton Bowl triumph over Western Michigan. … Western Michigan has a new offensive coordinator (Walt Bell), defensive coordinator (Scott Power), and special teams coordinator (Dan Sabock) after going 4-8 last year in head coach Lance Taylor’s debut season. … Western Michigan QB Hayden Wolff, who began his college career at Old Dominion, is working with his seventh different offensive coordinator in six seasons. … Wisconsin CB Ricardo Hallman had seven interceptions last season, tying Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts for the most by any Football Bowl Subdivision player.

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Michigan

Morez Johnson Jr. NBA mock draft projection: Where Michigan star is expected to land

Published

3 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Morez Johnson Jr. NBA mock draft projection: Where Michigan star is expected to land

The 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament is down to its Sweet 16 and we’ll have a Final Four by Sunday evening. For half of the college stars taking the court this weekend, it’s one final opportuniy to impress NBA teams with their play at full game speed when the lights are brightest as this year’s draft class comes into focus.

The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY’s latest mock draft, Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. is expected to go in the first round. Here’s how USA TODAY currently projects the big man’s draft night will play out.

Our draft order is based on ESPN’s projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.

Morez Johnson Jr. 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 25 overall, Los Angeles Lakers

Kalbrosky’s Analysis:

Morez Johnson Jr. is one of the best, most underrated two-way players in the NCAA. He is a crucial part of the Michigan identity this season and has thrived since transferring to the Wolverines from Illinois. Johnson’s shooting form at the free throw line looks good, and he scores well near the rim, especially when cutting to the basket. The former FIBA U-19 Team USA standout and All-Big Ten big man is a trustworthy defensive playmaker, too, and should find minutes at the next level.

See USA TODAY’s full mock draft here

Morez Johnson Jr. player profile

(all stats as of March 15)

Position: Forward-Center
Current Team: Michigan
13.1 points per game
7.2 rebounds per game
1.1 assists per game
62.8% field goal percentage
37.9% three-point field goal percentage

Los Angeles Lakers 2026 projected draft picks

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Michigan

Woman struck, fatally injured, while walking on the Lodge Freeway, state police say

Published

15 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Woman struck, fatally injured, while walking on the Lodge Freeway, state police say

March 27, 2026 / 7:44 AM EDT
/ CBS Detroit

A pedestrian was struck and died of her injuries early Friday on the Lodge Freeway in Detroit.

Emergency dispatchers started to get calls about 2:30 a.m. about someone who was walking along the Lodge, and then were notified that the person had been struck by a vehicle, the Michigan State Police reported.

When troopers arrived, they found multiple cars stopped along the freeway, and people standing around a woman who was severely injured.

Detroit EMS pronounced the woman dead at the scene, state police said. She has not yet been identified.

The driver who struck the woman did not stay at the scene.

“Troopers are currently using technology that is available in the area to identify the vehicle involved,” MSP F/Lt. Mike Shaw said.

The Lodge Freeway, also known as M-10, was closed at about 2:46 a.m. Friday between Chicago Boulevard / Hamilton Avenue and Clairmount Street for the investigation and emergency assistance, according to Michigan Department of Transportation reports. The Lodge was reported back open at 6:05 a.m.

Michigan Department of Transportation traffic reports are at the MI Drive site.

State police said their investigation is continuing. Those who witnessed the crash or have other information are asked to call the MSP Metro South Post at 734-287-5000 or Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 800-SPEAK-UP.

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