'Sconnie Six Pack 11/20
Badgers get bowl eligible, Wisconsin volleyball is one win away from a Big Ten title, Axe Week begins, the Chicago Blackhawks retire #81 and more in today's six pack
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Wisconsin football wins ninth-consecutive game over Nebraska to reach bowl-eligibility
In a game that the Badgers did not lead until the final 35 seconds, Wisconsin (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-8, 2-6 Big Ten) by a score of 15-14. Wisconsin overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter on a windy day in Lincoln.
Following its loss to Iowa the previous week, Wisconsin nearly lost a second-straight game in which it significantly outgained its opponent. Nebraska only managed 171 yards of offense to Wisconsin’s 318. Both teams struggled to pass the ball in part due to strong winds throughout the game. In his return from injury, ‘Huskers quarterback Casey Thompson passed for only 106 yards. Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz passed for 83 yards on the day including only 19 passing yards in the first half.
Wisconsin finally put up a classic performance in the ground-game that Badgers fans have waited for all year. The Badgers ran for a combined 235 yards on the day, including their stable of running backs (Braelon Allen, Chez Mellusi, and Isaac Guerendo) combining for 4.83 yards per carry. Mellusi led all rushers with 98 yards on 21 carries in is return from a wrist injury. Allen ran for 92 yards on 18 carries before exiting the game with an apparent leg injury. The severity of Allen’s injury is unclear; it is something to watch for ahead of Wisconsin’s game against Minnesota this upcoming Saturday.
Wisconsin’s third running back, Guerendo, highlighted Wisconsin’s day as his 27-yard reception set-up the Badgers’ go-ahead touchdown. Wisconsin’s offense ran a seven-play, 50-yard touchdown drive on which Mertz’ pass to Guerendo amassed 32.5% of his total passing yards for the day on just one play. Three plays later, Mertz ran a successful quarterback dive from nearly the two yard line to score the decisive touchdown.
The victory made Wisconsin bowl-eligible for the 21st consecutive season. It is the third-longest active streak, behind just Georgia and Oklahoma, and the eighth-longest streak of all-time.
In the hours following the victory, Wisconsin’s athletic department officially posted its head coaching vacancy for applications. Two sources with knowledge of the coaching search told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that current interim head coach Jim Leonhard will be named the team’s head coach within the next week.
Up next for Wisconsin is the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe against Minnesota. Beyond Braelon Allen’s injury, the Badgers will likely be down their best defender for the first half of the game. Nick Herbig was ejected in the second half of yesterday’s game against Nebraska for targeting. Herbig leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss and sacks and leads all teams in FBS in sacks per game.
#3 Wisconsin volleyball wins five-set thriller over #14 Penn State
Wisconsin (23-3, 17-1 Big Ten) won its 16th consecutive match after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten) in five sets (25-19, 22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 15-12). The 16 match winning streak ranks fourth all-time in program history.
After Wisconsin coming out to a 2-1 lead after three sets, Penn State came out in dominant fashion in the fourth set to stay alive. Although Penn State hit .258 for the whole match, it hit .355 in the fourth set and added three of its five aces on the night.
It was the Badgers’ block, led by Devyn Robinson and Danielle Hart, that proved decisive in the fifth set. Wisconsin out-blocked Penn State 15-6 on the night including nine by Robinson and eight by Hart. The fifth set went back and forth with Wisconsin opening an early four point lead, followed by a 5-0 run by Penn State with the Nittany Lions eventually opening up an 11-9 lead. Wisconsin’s own 5-0 run would flip the advantage for the final time of the night as Hart ultimately ended the match with a block to win set five 15-12.
Hart is on an unbelievable run in the last four matches. Beginning with a perfect hitting performance last weekend against Rutgers, she has zero errors on her last 51 attack attempts.
Wisconsin is now just one win away from winning its fourth-consecutive Big Ten championship - a streak only ever achieved before by Penn State. With a one full-game lead in the standings over both Nebraska and Ohio State - and Wisconsin will travel to play both next weekend - the Badgers can clinch at least a share of the title by winning either one of its next two matches, or with a loss by both Nebraska and Ohio State today. Nebraska plays #19 Purdue and Ohio State plays unranked Indiana in matches you can watch at noon CST on Big Ten Network and 1:00PM on B1G+ respectively.
#3 Wisconsin women’s hockey ties #1 Minnesota thanks to a Wisconsin goal with just 10.5 seconds remaining
The Badgers opened the scoring and nearly took a 2-0 lead over the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first period, but it was ultimately Wisconsin that needed a last-second comeback to force a tie-game. Minnesota won the shootout for an extra point in the WCHA conference standings. The Badgers and Gophers will play the second game in their two-game series today. You can watch it at 2:00PM CST on B1G+
The Badgers scored at the 8:11 mark of the first period to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Wisconsin thought it has increased its lead to 2-0 just a few minutes later, but a play that was originally called a goal was overturned following a video review that determined the Badgers had committed goalie interference. Minnesota added a shorthanded goal in the first period before outscoring Wisconsin 2-1 in the second period to give the Gophers a 3-2 lead that was nearly good enough.
Badgers head coach Mark Johnson pulled goalie Cami Kronish with 1:44 remaining in regulation. It was not until over a minute and a half later that captain Britta Curl found the puck in traffic and tied the game with just 10.5 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Both teams were held scoreless in the overtime period, thanks in-part due to a highlight reel save by Wisconsin’s goalie Cami Kronish. Taylor Heise for Minnesota, the 2022 Patty Kazmaier award winner and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship MVP, appeared to have Kronish beat with a wrist shot. Kronish, with the puck tumbling behind her head, quickly stuck her glove behind her back to make the save and keep the Badgers alive.
The former Olympian for Minnesota, Abbey Murphy, scored the lone goal of the shootout to award Minnesota the additional point in conference play.
Wisconsin men’s hockey earns decisive victory over Lindenwood
Wisconsin won its fourth-straight game over programs in their first few seasons of NCAA play last night. The most recent victory, was the first done in decisive fashion as the Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Lindenwood Lions by a score of 5-1.
In a game with plenty of special teams opportunities, Wisconsin converted on three of eight power plays. The Badgers also added a shorthanded goal by Owen Lindmark to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead to open the game. Wisconsin’s power play shined this weekend, scoring five powerplay goals on 15 attempts in the two games against Lindenwood. Lindenwood scored its lone goal of the night to cut Wisconsin’ lead to 4-1 at the 17:06 mark of the third period when the game was already well within the Badgers’ hands.
Wisconsin will next have a bye week before returning for a pair of games at the Kohl Center on December 2nd and 3rd against #3 Michigan.
Axe Week Extra: Minnesota fashions championship rings despite not winning championship
This is the most wonderful time of the year. Holidays bring us together to spend time with family, eat good food, exchange gifts, and most importantly, destroy the hopes and dreams of Minnesota Gophers football fans. That’s right: it’s finally Axe Week.
To celebrate, journey back in time with me to three years ago. Minnesota was riding high after hosting ESPN’s College Gameday and - well, actually, hosting a morning talk show was apparently a top-ten moment in program history. Decidedly so, as Minnesota even had championship rings commissioned with the ESPN College Gameday logo on them.
Besides the corporate sponsorship, Minnesota also emblazoned their rings with the Big Ten West championship trophy. Most teams commemorate seasons for trophies they win, but not Minnesota. Minnesota used this ring to commemorate a trophy their bitter rival, the Wisconsin Badgers, took from them on the last day of the season in decisive fashion. The great pontificator himself, Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck, however, took it upon himself to declare his Golden Gophers the “Big Ten West co-champions.” Despite not playing for the Big Ten championship, which is what the Big Ten West division winner does each season, PJ decided to celebrate… something. I’m still not sure what.
Congratulations on hosting a three-hour talk show Minnesota! Here’s to the next one!
Topping-off the six pack: The Chicago Blackhawks retire Marian Hossa’s #81
I could not be more excited to finish today’s six pack writing about the Demigod himself, Marian Hossa. After winning three Stanley Cup Championships with Chicago, Hossa will become the eighth player to have their jersey number retired by the ‘Hawks. Not only do I get to write about the event, I even get to attend it myself. I’ll be at the United Center all afternoon and into the evening eventually seated in section 111 row 11.
I have attended one other jersey number retirement before, Brett Favre’s with the Green Bay Packers, but I am much more impressed already with the fanfare the ‘Hawks are providing for this event. The ceremony is in conjunction with Chicago’s 6:00PM CST game against the Pittsburgh Penguins (one of Hossa’s former teams), but fans are encouraged to arrive early to the United Center to partake in the pre-game festivities including:
an interactive display that will take fans through Hossa's entire career from a young player in Slovakia to reaching the Hockey Hall of Fame
a special pregame panel discussion with former teammates of Hossa that will take place in the United Center Atrium at approximately 3:50PM CST.
the on-ice jersey retirement ceremony at 4:30PM CST
If hockey or sports history are your thing, you can watch the on-ice ceremony as it will air live on ESPN+ and the NHL Network outside of Chicago, on NBC Sports Chicago locally.
On, Wisconsin and Go ‘Hawks.