Wisconsin

Will Pauling shares one of his goals and four other things we learned from UW football media day

Published

2 years ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Will Pauling shares one of his goals and four other things we learned from UW football media day

MADISON – Soon the questions swirling around the Wisconsin football team will begin to be answered.

Who will emerge as the starting quarterback? Can the defense pressure signal callers? Will the depth necessary to compete with the top teams in the Big Ten be developed?

Fall camp begins Tuesday morning at UW-Pletteville, but before the Badgers left town they held their local media day at the McClain Center where UW coach Luke Fickell, defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and offensive coordinator Phil Longo and a host of players met with reporters.

Here are four things we learned.

Will Pauling is committed to more YAC

Pauling led the Badgers 74 catches, but his average yards per catch was a modest 11.31 yards. Fickell has said he hopes Pauling has fewer catches and more yards this season.’

Pauling also wants to boost his average this season, in part by doing a better job of fighting through contact after making a grab.

“It’s just mentality after you get the ball of not letting the first guy tackle you, making the first guy miss,” Pauling said. “(Wide receivers) coach (Kenny) Guiton has been on us big this spring (about) no spot catches and that is basically catching the ball and not getting any yards after the catch.”

QBs Tyler Van Dyke, Braedyn Locke have made each other better

Part of the reason Tyler Van Dyke holds an edge in the race for the starting quarterback job entering camp is that Braedyn Locke has forced the transfer from Miami to be on top his game when it comes to mastering the playbook.

“Braedyn is a savant,” Longo said. “He’s really, really intelligent. I can’t keep him out of the office. He studies everything. He’s obsesses with it.”

Locke, meanwhile, has been pushed to match Van Dyke’s ability to throw the ball even though his arm isn’t as strong.

“That challenges Braedyn,” Longo said. “He’ll go out there and he’ll lay one on. He hit a running back down the sideline towards the end of spring ball. That was a pretty long throw and dropped it in perfectly. … It was an explosive gain for us and Braedyn kind of shook his head like ‘That’s a hell of a throw there.’”

Transfer DL Brandon Lane has already made an impression

The Badgers signed defensive lineman Brandon Lane after spring practice in an effort to bolster their defensive front. We won’t know for a couple of weeks if the transfer from Stephen F. Austin can work his way into the rotation, but he has already made an impression with his size (6-3, 312) and passion for the game.

“When he first got here he was a little tired from the workouts and everything, but he was giving you a full-motor effort,” senior defensive lineman James Thompson said. “During the OTAs that dude was all gas, no breaks.

“I think it gave everybody else (the mindset that) ‘Oh, he’s doing that, let me do this (too.) It’s another level of pushing each other and another level of accountability. When you see someone else work hard that means I’ve got to work hard, too because I’m not going to be the weak link of the team.”

Former Boston College WR passing test so far

Another post-spring practice transfer, receiver Joseph Griffin, has been as advertised so far, displaying good speed to go along with his 6-4, 208-pound frame. The Springfield, Massachusetts, native ranked second on the Eagles last season in catches (25) and receiving yards (345).

However the optimism he has created is tinged with a wait-and-see mindset.

“I think everyone tends to look really good until you put the helmet and shoulder pads on and then things start to separate a bit,” Longo said. “(Wide receivers) coach (Kenny) Guiton is really excited about suiting him up and we’ll push the ball to him in certain practices to see how he handles that. And he’s still kind of in that learning phase because he got here so late, but we’re definitely happy to have him on the roster.”

Running back room is as deep as Chez Mellusi has seen it

Longo declared that the team is deeper this season compared to last at nearly every position. On offense, that increased depth is especially being felt at running back.

In addition to the return of Chez Mellusi, Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli, the team added Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker and welcomed three freshmen: Gideon Ituka, Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree. Jones and Dupree were four-star recruits.

“We have a lot of bodies,” Mellusi said. “I’ve never been in a running back room where I think we’ve got nine guys in the room. Going into fall camp I’m excited to lead this group of guys. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of touches to go around, but fall camp is long. A lot of people are going to get to show what they can do.”

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin man accused of setting fire to congressman’s office over TikTok ban gets 7 years in prison

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2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin man accused of setting fire to congressman’s office over TikTok ban gets 7 years in prison

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin man who allegedly told police he tried to set fire to a Republican congressman’s office last year because he was angry that the lawmaker backed a bill requiring TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell off its U.S. operations was sentenced Thursday to seven years in prison.

In addition to the prison time, Fond du Lac County Circuit Judge Tricia Walker sentenced 20-year-old Caiden Stachowicz to seven years of extended supervision, court records show.

Stachowicz, of Menasha, pleaded no contest to an arson charge in November. Prosecutors dropped burglary and property damage counts in exchange for Stachowicz’s no contest plea, which isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for the purposes of sentencing.

Stachowicz’s attorney, Timothy Hogan, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

According to a criminal complaint, a police officer responded to a fire outside Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman’s office in Fond du Lac, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee, at around 1 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2025, and saw Stachowicz standing nearby.

He told the officer that he started the fire because he doesn’t like Grothman, according to the complaint. He initially planned to break into the office and start the fire inside but he couldn’t break the window, so he poured gas on an electrical box behind the building and around the front of the building, lit a match and watched it burn, according to the complaint.

He said he wanted to burn down the office because the federal government was shutting down TikTok in violation of his constitutional rights and peace was not longer an option, the complaint states. He added that Grothman voted for the shutdown, but he didn’t want to hurt Grothman or anyone else.

This undated photo provided by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department and the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office on Nov. 10, 2025, shows Caiden Stachowicz. Credit: AP/Uncredited

Grothman voted for a bill in April 2024 that required TikTok’s China-based company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operation. The deadline was Jan. 19, 2025, but President Donald Trump has issued multiple executive orders prolonging it. TikTok finalized a deal two months ago to create an American version of of the social video platform. Trump praised the deal.

A spokesperson for Grothman’s congressional office didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

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Wisconsin

Carrington scores 18 points to lead Wisconsin’s 78-45 throttling of Maryland

Published

14 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

MADISON (AP) — Reserve Braeden Carrington scored 18 points, John Blackwell scored 14 points and Wisconsin poured it on in the second half to dismantle Maryland 78-45 on Wednesday night.

Nick Boyd scored 13 points and reserve Austin Rapp scored 11 points for Wisconsin (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten), which had 11 players enter the scoring column.

The Badgers’ Andrew Rohde passed out six of Wisconsin’s 15 assists and didn’t commit a turnover. Wisconsin turned it over only three times.

Andre Mills scored 14 points and Elijah Saunders scored 11 points for Maryland.

Wisconsin turned an already commanding 34-21 first-half stranglehold into a 21-point lead 5 1/2 minutes into the second half. The Badgers shot 48% (27 of 56) and made 42% (13 of 31) from 3-point range. The Badgers scored 44 second-half points.

It was the fewest point Maryland (11-19, 4-15) has ever posted against Wisconsin in the shot-clock era. It was also Maryland’s lowest point total of the season.

Wisconsin has won five of its last seven. Maryland has lost five of its last six.

Up next

Maryland wraps up the regular season hosting 11th-ranked Illinois on Saturday.

Wisconsin ends the regular season at No. 15 Purdue on Saturday.

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Wisconsin

Flood Safety Week runs March 9-13 as Wisconsin braces for a spring swell

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Flood Safety Week runs March 9-13 as Wisconsin braces for a spring swell

(WLUK) — As winter thaws, Wisconsinites are encouraged to think about preparing for potential flooding.

Gov. Evers has declared March 9 -13 as Flood Safety Week in Wisconsin.

During Flood Safety Awareness Week, ReadyWisconsin is asking everyone to review their flooding risk and take proactive steps to protect their families, homes, and businesses before waters rise.

Know your flood risk. Assess the potential for flooding on your property if you live in a flood plain, near a body of water, or have a basement. Plan with your family for what you will do if the floodwaters begin to rise.
Consider flood insurance. Most homeowner, rental, and business insurance policies generally do not cover flooding. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Most flood coverage requires 30 days to take effect. Find more information about flood insurance options here.
Move valuables or mementos out of the basement and store them in waterproof containers.
Elevate or flood-proof your washer, dryer, water heater, and HVAC systems. Relocate electrical outlets to three feet above the floor.
Have copies of important documents (personal identification like passports and birth certificates, medical records, insurance policies, and financial documents) in a waterproof container.
Build a “Go Kit.” Include items such as food, water, cash, and medications.
Make an emergency plan. If you can’t make it home or need to leave quickly, identify a meeting place for your family. Make a list of emergency numbers and important contacts.
Keep water out of and away from your house. Clean gutters regularly, direct downspouts away from your foundation, repair cracks in your foundation, improve grading so water flows away from your house, and cover window wells.

When flooding occurs, keep the following steps in mind:

Stay up to date on the forecast. Identify multiple ways to receive alerts about dangerous weather conditions and potential flooding, such as a NOAA Weather Radio, trusted local news outlets, and mobile weather apps. Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on your smartphones.
Never drive or walk through flooded areas. Just six inches of fast-moving water can sweep adults off their feet, while just 12 inches can carry away a small car or 24 inches for larger vehicles. Moving water is not the only danger, your vehicle could potentially stall when driving through floodwater.

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Flooding could potentially impact your health as well. Avoid entering floodwaters, which can contain bacteria from human and animal waste, sharp objects, hazardous chemicals, downed power lines, and other dangerous items. If your home floods, follow cleaning and disinfection guidelines to avoid mold growth.

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