Wisconsin Football Studs and Duds From Win Over Georgia Southern

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football team bounced back against Georgia Southern for a 35-14 victory following their loss in Pullman a week ago.

Wisconsin visited the Washington State Cougars last week and lost a tough game against a solid team. The Badgers struggled on both sides of the ball against the Cougars and raised plenty of questions about the future of the team.

Head Coach Luke Fickell has commanded the Badgers for three weeks now and has yet to display the dominant team fans were hoping for. Despite the Badgers failing to find the blowout against the Eagles they wanted, plenty of things went right.

Wisconsin Football Beat Georgia Southern Eagles, 35-14, Behind Five Interception Defensive Performance 

Sep 16, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers tight end Tucker Ashcraft (38) stiff arms Georgia Southern Eagles defensive back TJ Smith (5) during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Wisconsin football aimed to bounce back from their loss against the Eagles by playing an all-around game. Against the Cougars in Pullman, the Badgers struggled to score when they needed to, and likewise could not stop the Cougars when needed. Defensively, the Badgers put on quite the display with six turnovers forced and six sacks as well. Offensively, Wisconsin was able to get the job done, but certainly still looked like a team searching for their identity.

Like every week, below are the Wisconsin Badgers football studs and duds for the win over the Georgia Southern Eagles.

Wisconsin Football Studs: Tucker Ashcraft, Jordan Turner, Hunter Wohler

Generally speaking in the game against the Eagles, Wisconsin had a solid team performance. Due to this, it is rather hard to pick out just three studs following the game, but there are three in particular who deserve it.

Starting with the Freshman tight end Tucker Ashcraft, the game against the Eagles was another chance to prove himself. Wisconsin has struggled to have a consistent offense so far this year, but one thing they have been able to do is run effectively. A key reason as to why the Badgers have been able to do this is due to the blocking from their tight ends. Ashcraft hauled in two receptions for 32 yards and recorded one of the highest offensive grades on the team.

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jordan Turner provided consistent pressure and support in the run defense for the Badgers. Turner recorded five tackles and one stop as the Badgers turned into a nightmare for the Georgia Southern offense.

Entering the third game of the season, the Wisconsin Badgers did not have a turnover yet. However, on the second drive, safety Hunter Wohler changed that for the team with a wonderful interception. Wohler did not stop there as he also snagged a second interception later in the game, helping the Badgers climb to five picks on the day. The safety also added 10 tackles and a sack to his fantastic stat line as he commanded the Badgers defense.

Wisconsin Football Duds: Ricardo Hallman, Tanner Mordecai, Jason Maitre

As usual, it is a pain to pick out three players who did perform up to their own expectations. For the third game of the season, two players struggled with the same issue while another still appeared lost on the field.

Both corner backs Ricardo Hallman and Jason Maitre had a difficult time in coverage against the Eagles. The duo combined for 11 receptions and 161 yards, but each defender also had an interception. Despite struggling in coverage and allowing a few big plays, both Maitre and Hallman still played great for the Badgers.

On the offensive side of the ball, Wisconsin football quarterback Tanner Mordecai entered the game with plenty of expectations for himself. The Badgers quarterback has not played well this far into the season. Mordecai currently has a quarterback rating of 39%, along with only two touchdowns. A year ago, Mordecai recorded 33 touchdowns for the Southern Methodist Mustangs. While the Mustangs and Badgers are two different offenses, Mordecai was expected to replicate his play.

Instead, the quarterback has been hit with plenty of adversity as the season progresses. The Senior will need to connect with his receivers downfield in the coming games to help bring the offense alive.

Wisconsin Football Defeats Georgia Southern: Here’s What Stood Out

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