The 2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by fourth year head coach Paul Chryst and competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Returning many key players from their Orange Bowl-winning 2017 team, the 2018 team was expected to compete for a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. They were ranked fourth in the pre-season AP Poll, tied for the highest start in school history. In the third game of the year, the Badgers were upset by unranked BYU. Wisconsin ultimately lost four more games during the season, including a loss to rival Minnesota that snapped a Wisconsin 14-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2004. The Badgers were 5–4 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Pinstripe Bowl to play Miami (FL) in a rematch of the 2017 Orange Bowl, where they defeated the Hurricanes once again to finish the season at 8–5.
The Badgers were led offensively by sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor, who led FBS in both rushing yards (2,194) and rushing attempts (307), and was awarded the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back. He became the third Badger player to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a single season after Ron Dayne and Melvin Gordon. Taylor was named a consensus first-team All-American, as was offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel. Four members of the offensive line received first-team all-conference honors: Benzschawel, Tyler Biadasz, Michael Deiter, and David Edwards. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook led the team in passing with 1,532 yards and 13 touchdown passes.
Offseason 2018 NFL draft
4110Oakland RaidersNick NelsonCB5156Denver BroncosTroy FumagalliTE5164New Orleans SaintsNatrell JamersonS6202Tampa Bay BuccaneersJack CichyLB7230Jacksonville JaguarsLeon JacobsOLB
Recruiting
The Badgers signed a total of 20 recruits.
Preseason
Award watch lists Lott TrophyT. J. EdwardsLBSRChuck Bednarik AwardT. J. EdwardsLBSRD'Cota DixonSSRMaxwell AwardJonathan TaylorRBSODavey O'Brien AwardAlex HornibrookQBJRDoak Walker AwardJonathan TaylorRBSOJohn Mackey AwardZander NeuvilleTESRKyle PennistonTEJRButkus AwardRyan ConnellyLBSRT. J. EdwardsLBJRAndrew Van GinkelLBJRJim Thorpe AwardD'Cota DixonSSRBronko Nagurski TrophyD'Cota DixonSSRT. J. EdwardsLBSROlive SagapoluDTSROutland TrophyBeau BenzschawelOLSRTyler BiadaszOLSOMichael DeiterOLSRDavid EdwardsOLJROlive SagapoluDTSRLou Groza AwardRafael GaglianoneKSRRay Guy AwardAnthony LottiPJRWuerffel TrophyD'Cota DixonSSRWalter Camp AwardT. J. EdwardsLBSRJonathan TaylorRBSOJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardAlex HornibrookQBJRManning AwardAlex HornibrookQBJR
Schedule Wisconsin's 2018 schedule consisted of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Badgers hosted Big Ten opponents Nebraska, Illinois, Rutgers, and Minnesota and traveled to Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, and Penn State, and Purdue.
The team's three non–conference games were against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from Conference USA (C-USA), New Mexico Lobos from the Mountain West Conference (MWC), and the BYU Cougars, who compete independently in football.
Schedule Source:
Personnel
Roster
Game summaries
Western Kentucky
New Mexico
BYU
At Iowa
Nebraska
At Michigan
Illinois
At Northwestern
Rutgers
At Penn State
At Purdue
Minnesota
vs Miami (FL)–Pinstripe Bowl
Rankings
Awards and honors Individual Awards Jake Wood Dungy–Thompson Humanitarian Award Jonathan Taylor Doak Walker Award Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year Michael Deiter Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year
All-Big Ten Jonathan Taylor RB 1 1 Tyler Biadasz C 1 1 Michael Deiter OG 1 1 Beau Benzschawel OG 1 1 David Edwards OT 2 1 T. J. Edwards LB 2 1 D'Cota Dixon DB 3 3 Ryan Connelly LB 3 Hon. Jake Ferguson TE Hon. Hon. Rafael Gaglianone K Hon. – Andrew Van Ginkel LB – Hon.Hon. = Honorable mention. Reference:
Players drafted into the NFL
3 78 Michael Deiter G Miami Dolphins 5 143 Ryan Connelly LB New York Giants 5 151 Andrew Van Ginkel LB Miami Dolphins 5 169 David Edwards OL Los Angeles Rams
Signed undrafted free agents Beau Benzschawel, OL, Detroit Lions T. J. Edwards, LB, Philadelphia Eagles Alec Ingold, FB, Oakland Raiders
References