Oct 103 min read

Wisconsin Aims for Rutgers Victory to Jump-start Season

Rutgers | QB Athan Kaliakmanis — © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Wisconsin Badgers (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten Conference) face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-1, 1-1) at noon EST on Oct. 12 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. Wisconsin is coming off a dominant 52-6 victory over Purdue (1-4, 0-2), while Rutgers suffered its first loss of the season, 14-7 to Nebraska (5-1, 2-1). Can Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell lead the Badgers to a road win and spark a conference winning streak? Or will Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano have the Scarlet Knights ready to notch their fifth win in pursuit of a magical season?

What's at Stake?

If Wisconsin beats Rutgers and wins another road game next week at Northwestern (2-3, 0-2), it'll improve to 5-2 with a winnable matchup against No. 4 Penn State (5-0, 2-0) at Camp Randall Stadium on Oct. 26. A seven- or eight-win season could be back in reach, giving Badger Nation renewed optimism.

After finishing 7-6 in 2023 and starting 4-1 this year, Rutgers is on track for consecutive winning seasons for the first time since going 9-4 in 2011 and 2012, when they were in the Big East. As ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit noted in July, the Scarlet Knights have a favorable schedule to make a run. A win over Wisconsin can spark that streak. Of Rutgers' final six B1G games, only one opponent, No. 23 Illinois (4-1, 1-1), does not have a losing conference record.

Key Players: Wisconsin Badgers

Cade Yacamelli, Running Back (PFF Season Grade: 83)

With starting RB Chez Mellusi out indefinitely, the Badgers will need production from other RBs besides Tawee Walker. Yacamelli has rushed 26 times for 192 yards, with 108 coming after contact. Most impressively, he leads the team with 7.4 yards per carry, so expect Wisconsin to give him 10-15 touches against Rutgers.

Hunter Wohler, Safety (PFF Season Grade: 68.4 )

In 2023, Wohler was a tackling force, finishing with 120 total tackles, 74 solo, for an average of 9.2 per game. However, this season his production has dropped to 29 tackles in five games, averaging 5.8 per game.

One reason for the decline is Wisconsin's reduced use of Wohler in the box—123 snaps this year compared to 190 through five games last year. Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel needs to scheme more opportunities for Wohler to play near the line of scrimmage to counter Rutgers' rushing attack, which averages 205.8 yards per game, sixth in the Big Ten.

Key Players: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Athan Kaliakmanis, Quarterback (PFF Season Grade: 78.2)

Wisconsin fans are familiar with Kaliakmanis from his two seasons at Minnesota (3-3, 1-2), where he went 1-1 against the Badgers. This year, he has thrown for 947 yards, 8 TDs and 3 INTs. However, his completion percentage remains a concern at 55.6 percent, consistent with his struggles in 2022 (54.1 percent) and 2023 (53.1 percent) with the Gophers.

Dariel Djabome, Linebacker (PFF Season Grade: 80.5)

Djabome ranks fourth in the B1G with 44 tackles and will be key in stopping Wisconsin's rushing attack. He’s well-equipped for the task as PFF rates him as the fourth-best run defender in the Big Ten with a score of 84.9. Since Wisconsin QB Braedyn Locke has yet to consistently win games through the air, Rutgers will aim to make the Badgers one-dimensional by forcing them to rely on the pass without a running game to help.

Dariel Djabome | Rutgers LB #28 — © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Trends to Watch

Wisconsin has a perfect 5-0 record against Rutgers. Since 2014, the Badgers are 60-31 (.659) in Big Ten play, trailing only Ohio State (84-7) and Michigan (68-23) in conference wins.

Game Prediction

Rutgers is a slight favorite in this matchup (-2.5 per Action Network) and poses a tough challenge for Wisconsin. The Scarlet Knights feature a strong rushing attack led by RB Kyle Monangai (667 yards, second in the Big Ten) and a defense that allows just 15.8 points per game. Expect Rutgers to win a low-scoring, hard-fought battle as the new-look Badgers fall to a team using the old Wisconsin-proven formula of running the ball and playing great defense.

Prediction: Rutgers 21, Wisconsin 13.