# 2023 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2023 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a member of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by first-year head coach Luke Fickell. The team played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

## Offseason
### 2023 NFL Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 2 | 43 | Joe Tippmann | C | New York Jets |
| 2 | 49 | Keeanu Benton | NT | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 4 | 132 | Nick Herbig | OLB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Undrafted | Undrafted | Tyler Beach | OT | Houston Texans |

### Transfers

Wisconsin outgoing transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Transfer to |
| Deacon Hill | #10 | QB | 6'3 | 262 | Freshman | Santa Barbara, CA | Iowa |
| Logan Brown | #50 | OL | 6'6 | 310 | Junior | Grand Rapids, MI | Kansas |
| Stephan Bracey | #10 | WR | 5'10 | 182 | Junior | Grand Rapids, MI | Central Michigan |
| Graham Mertz | #5 | QB | 6'3 | 216 | Junior | Overland Park, KS | Florida |
| Titus Toler | #41 | S | 5'11 | 180 | Junior | Bellflower, CA | Boise State |
| Tristan Monday | #91 | DE | 6'4 | 274 | Freshman | Scottsdale, AR | Arizona State |
| Isaac Guerendo | #20 | RB | 6'0 | 223 | Senior | Clayton, IN | Louisville |
| Semar Melvin | #20 | CB | 5'11 | 178 | Junior | Pembroke Pines, FL | Michigan State |
| Jaylan Franklin | #81 | TE | 6'4 | 243 | Senior | Brownstown, MI | Michigan State |
| Dean Engram | #6 | WR | 5'9 | 170 | Senior | Washington, DC | |
| Julius Davis | #32 | RB | 5'10 | 201 | Senior | Menomonee Falls, WI | Montana State |
| Spencer Lytle | #7 | ILB | 6'2 | 234 | Senior | Redondo Beach, CA | Stanford |
| Avyonne Jones | #8 | CB | 5'11 | 187 | Freshman | Southlake, TX | Coastal Carolina |
| Vito Calvaruso | #91 | K | 6'3 | 198 | Senior | Jefferson City, MO | |
| Al Ashford III | #30 | CB | 6'0 | 181 | Sophomore | Denver, CO | Utah State |
| A'Khoury Lyde | #4 | CB | 5'9 | 191 | Freshman | Wayne, NJ | Delaware |
| Marshall Howe | #12 | QB | 6'1 | 187 | Freshman | Pacific Palisades, CA | Yale |
| Markus Allen | #14 | WR | 6'1 | 190 | Sophomore | Clayton, OH | |
| Drew Evans | #77 | OL | 6'5 | 260 | Freshman | Fort Atkinson, WI | Indiana |
| Keontez Lewis* | #3 | WR | 6'2 | 196 | Junior | East St. Louis, IL | Southern Illinois |
| Dylan Barrett* | #61 | OL | 6'5 | 320 | Junior | St. Charles, IL | Iowa State |
| Myles Burkett* | #16 | QB | 6'0 | 202 | Freshman | Franklin, WI | Albany |
| Ross Gengler* | #53 | OLB | 6'2 | 230 | Junior | Delavan, WI | Wisconsin–La Crosse |
| Chimere Dike* | #13 | WR | 6'1 | 200 | Senior | Waukesha, WI | Florida |
| Skyler Bell* | #11 | WR | 6'0 | 195 | Sophomore | Bronx, NY | UConn |
| Jordan Mayer* | #95 | OLB | 6'4 | 235 | Freshman | Jefferson Hills, PA | Penn State |
| Trey Wedig* | #78 | OL | 6'7 | 315 | Junior | Oconomowoc, WI | Indiana |
| Jordan Turner* | #54 | ILB | 6'1 | 238 | Junior | Farmington, MI | Michigan State |
| Rodas Johnson* | #56 | DE | 6'2 | 295 | Senior | Columbus, OH | Texas A&M |
| Darian Varner* | #19 | DE | 6'3 | 275 | Junior | Norfolk, VA | Cincinnati |
| Keane Bessert* | #60 | LS | 6'2 | 230 | Freshman | Fruita, CO | Kansas State |
*Entered NCAA transfer portal midseason or prior to bowl game
Wisconsin incoming transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous team |
| Nick Evers | #7 | QB | 6'3 | 186 | Freshman | Flower Mound, TX | Oklahoma |
| Tanner Mordecai | #8 | QB | 6'3 | 214 | Graduate Student | Waco, TX | SMU |
| Jason Maitre | #3 | S | 5'10 | 188 | Graduate Student | Orlando, FL | Boston College |
| Darian Varner | #9 | DE | 6'2 | 260 | Junior | Norfolk, VA | Temple |
| Joe Huber | #60 | OT | 6'5 | 310 | Junior | Dublin, OH | Cincinnati |
| Jake Renfro | #56 | OL | 6'3 | 290 | Senior | Mokena, IL | Cincinnati |
| Jeff Pietrowski | #47 | DE | 6'1 | 250 | Junior | Lakewood, OH | Michigan State |
| Braedyn Locke | #16 | QB | 6'1 | 195 | Freshman | Rockwall, TX | Mississippi State |
| Nathanial Vakos | #90 | K | 6'1 | 188 | Sophomore | Avon, OH | Ohio |
| Will Pauling | #19 | WR | 5'10 | 165 | Sophomore | Chicago, IL | Cincinnati |
| Quincy Burroughs | #12 | WR | 6'2 | 202 | Freshman | Jacksonville, FL | Cincinnati |
| C.J. Williams | #8 | WR | 6'2 | 190 | Sophomore | Santa Ana, CA | USC |
| Bryson Green | #9 | WR | 6'0 | 203 | Junior | Allen, TX | Oklahoma State |
| Nyzier Fourqurean | #12 | CB | 6'1 | 185 | Junior | Mentor, OH | Grand Valley State |
| Michael Mack | #9 | CB | 6'1 | 180 | Junior | Potomac, MD | Air Force |

## Preseason
### Spring game

The Badgers held a spring game titled "The Launch" on April 22, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
| White | 21 | 12 | 33 |
| Red | 14 | 10 | 24 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
* Date: April 22, 2023
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.

### Preseason Big Ten poll

Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2023 poll, Wisconsin was projected to finish first in the West Division.
Media poll (West Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Wisconsin | 233 (20) |
| 2 | Iowa | 232 (16) |
| 3 | Minnesota | 176 (1) |
| 4 | Illinois | 152 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 116 |
| 6 | Purdue | 89 |
| 7 | Northwestern | 38 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2, 2023 | 2:30 p.m. | Buffalo* | No. 19 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | FS1 | W 38–17 | 76,224 |
| September 9 | 6:30 p.m. | at Washington State* | No. 19 | Martin StadiumPullman, WA | ABC | L 22–31 | 33,024 |
| September 16 | 11:00 a.m. | Georgia Southern* | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | BTN | W 35–14 | 75,610 |
| September 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at Purdue | | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | FS1 | W 38–17 | 55,529 |
| October 7 | 11:00 a.m. | Rutgers | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | Peacock | W 24–13 | 74,885 |
| October 14 | 3:00 p.m. | Iowa | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Heartland Trophy) | FOX | L 6–15 | 76,205 |
| October 21 | 2:30 p.m. | at Illinois | | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | FS1 | W 25–21 | 54,205 |
| October 28 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 3 Ohio State | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | NBC | L 10–24 | 76,453 |
| November 4 | 11:00 a.m. | at Indiana | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | BTN | L 14–20 | 45,466 |
| November 11 | 2:30 p.m. | Northwestern | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | FS1 | L 10–24 | 76,124 |
| November 18 | 6:30 p.m. | Nebraska | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Freedom Trophy) | NBC | W 24–17 $^{OT}$ | 72,237 |
| November 25 | 2:30 p.m. | at Minnesota | | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | FS1 | W 28–14 | 48,119 |
| January 1, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. No. 13 LSU* | | Raymond James StadiumTampa, FL (ReliaQuest Bowl) | ESPN2 | L 31–35 | 31,424 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central timeSource: ||||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Wisconsin football current coaching staff :
| Name | Position | Alma mater | Years at Wisconsin |
| Luke Fickell | Head Coach | Ohio State University | 1st |
| Phil Longo | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | Rowan University | 1st |
| Mike Tressel | Defensive coordinator/inside linebackers | Cornell College (IA) | 1st |
| Colin Hitschler | Co-defensive coordinator/safeties | University of Pennsylvania | 1st |
| Jack Bicknell Jr. | Offensive line | Boston College | 1st |
| Mike Brown | Associate head coach/wide receivers | Liberty University | 1st |
| Devon Spalding | Running backs | Central Michigan University | 1st |
| Nate Letton | Tight ends | Centre College | 1st |
| Paul Haynes | Cornerbacks | Kent State University | 1st |
| Greg Scruggs | Defensive line | University of Louisville | 1st |
| Matt Mitchell | Special teams coordinator/outside linebackers | Cornell College (IA) | 1st |
| Greg Gillum | Chief of staff | Ohio State University | 1st |
| Pat Lambert | Director of recruiting | University of Cincinnati | 1st |
| Max Stienecker | Director of recruiting strategy | University of Cincinnati | 1st |
| Brady Collins | Director of football strength & conditioning | University of Kentucky | 1st |

### Roster

Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 19 | 19 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | 21 | 19 | RV | — | — | RV | RV | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Buffalo

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| No. 19 Badgers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: September 2, 2023
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C); Sunny; Wind at S13 MPH
* Game attendance: 76,224
* Referee: Kole Knueppel
* TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Chez Mellusi 1-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 7:16 Wisconsin 7–0 Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 3:53.
BUF – Cole Harrity 7-yard pass from Cole Snyder (Alex McNulty kick), 5:07. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:09.
Second quarter
WIS – Chimere Dike 29-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 1:00. Wisconsin 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:08.
BUF – Alex McNulty 53-yard field goal, 0:07. Wisconsin 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 0:53.
Third quarter
WIS – Chez Mellusi 89-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 8:28 Wisconsin 21–10 Drive: 1 plays, 89 yards, 0:15.
WIS – Braelon Allen 6-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 2:37 Wisconsin 28–10 Drive: 8 plays, 97 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 37-yard field goal, 13:45. Wisconsin 31–10. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:56.
BUF – Cole Harrity 3-yard pass from Cole Snyder (Alex McNulty kick), 7:43. Wisconsin 31–17. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 0:40.
WIS – Braelon Allen 22-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 6:38 Wisconsin 38–17 Drive: 3 plays, 46 yards, 1:05.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 24/31, 189 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
BUF – Cole Snyder – 26/41, 194 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
WIS – Chez Mellusi – 13 rushes, 157 yards, 2 TD
BUF – Mike Washington – 12 rushes, 52 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 5 receptions, 55 yards
BUF – Cole Harrity – 5 receptions, 47 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
WIS – Hunter Wohler – 11 tackles
BUF – Shaun Dolac – 8 tackles, 1 TFL, INT :

### at Washington State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Badgers | 3 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 22 |
| Cougars | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
* Date: September 9, 2023
* Game time: 6:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C); Sunny; Wind at NE6 MPH
* Game attendance: 33,024
* Referee: Tyler Wadekamper
* TV announcers (ABC): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
WSU – Kyle Williams 4-yard pass from Cam Ward (Dean Janikowski kick), 5:34. Washington State 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:02.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 49-yard field goal, 1:07. Washington State 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 29 yards, 4:21.
Second quarter
WSU – Lincoln Victor 1-yard pass from Cam Ward (Dean Janikowski kick), 14:10. Washington State 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 1:44.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 34-yard field goal, 10:17. Washington State 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:53.
WSU – Dean Janikowski 46-yard field goal, 7:14. Washington State 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 3:03.
WSU – Brennan Jackson 2-yard fumble return (Dean Janikowski kick), 2:08. Washington State 24–6. 0:41.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 29-yard field goal, 0:21. Washington State 24–9. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 1:47.
Third quarter
WIS – Chez Mellusi 2-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 6:15 Washington State 24–16 Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:58.
WIS – Skyler Bell 16-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (failed 2-point conversion attempt by Chez Mellusi), 0:25. Washington State 24–22. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:08.
Fourth quarter
WSU – Nakia Watson 1-yard run (Dean Janikowski kick), 5:30. Washington State 31–22 Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:49.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 25/40, 278 yards, 1 TD
WSU – Cam Ward – 20/32, 212 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
WIS – Chez Mellusi – 12 rushes, 49 yards, 1 TD
WSU – Cam Ward – 17 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 5 receptions, 78 yards
WSU – Lincoln Victor – 7 receptions, 55 yards, 1 TD
Top defenders
WIS – Hunter Wohler – 13 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD
WSU – Jaden Hicks – 9 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PD :

### Georgia Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Badgers | 0 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 35 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: September 16, 2023
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C); Cloudy; Wind at NW4 MPH
* Game attendance: 75,610
* Referee: Tim O'Dey
* TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst) and Elise Menaker (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
WIS – Tanner Mordecai 1-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 14:18 Wisconsin 7–0 Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:40.
GASO – OJ Arnold 4-yard run (Michael Lantz kick), 12:11 Tied 7–7 Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:03.
Third quarter
GASO – Jjay Mcafee 25-yard pass from Davis Brin (Michael Lantz kick), 12:33. Georgia Southern 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:04.
WIS – Braelon Allen 4-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 10:53 Tied 14–14 Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:35.
WIS – Tanner Mordecai 18-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 7:40 Wisconsin 21–14 Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 1:59.
WIS – Braelon Allen 2-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:39 Wisconsin 28–14 Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:05.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Chez Mellusi 1-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 5:51 Wisconsin 35–14 Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:41.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 19/30, 236 yards
GASO – Davis Brin – 33/52, 383 yards, 1 TD, 5 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 12 rushes, 94 yards, 2 TD
GASO – OJ Arnold – 10 rushes, 66 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
WIS – Chimere Dike – 3 receptions, 57 yards
GASO – Derwin Burgess Jr. – 8 receptions, 124 yards
Top defenders
WIS – Hunter Wohler – 10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 INT
GASO – Marques Watson-Trent – 8 tackles :

### at Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 14 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 38 |
| Boilermakers | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
at Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
* Date: September 22, 2023
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C); Cloudy; Wind at SE4 MPH
* Game attendance: 55,529
* Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
* TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Tanner Mordecai 14-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 10:05 Wisconsin 7–0 Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:25.
WIS – Tanner Mordecai 6-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 3:26 Wisconsin 14–0 Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:44.
PUR – Julio Macias 34-yard field goal, 0:17. Wisconsin 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:09.
Second quarter
WIS – Braelon Allen 14-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 6:36 Wisconsin 21–3 Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 8:41.
Third quarter
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 38-yard field goal, 11:44. Wisconsin 24–3. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:07.
PUR – Tyrone Tracy Jr. 19-yard run (Julio Macias kick), 8:42 Wisconsin 24–10 Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:02.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 22-yard field goal, 3:54. Wisconsin 27–10. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:48.
PUR – Hudson Card 6-yard run (Julio Macias kick), 0:00 Wisconsin 27–17 Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 48-yard field goal, 12:52. Wisconsin 30–17. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 2:01.
WIS – Braelon Allen 4-yard run (Tanner Mordecai pass), 3:35 Wisconsin 38–17 Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 1:27.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 17/27, 174 yards, 1 INT
PUR – Hudson Card – 21/38, 202 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 16 rushes, 116 yards, 2 TD
PUR – Tyrone Tracy Jr. – 8 rushes, 84 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
WIS – Chimere Dike – 3 receptions, 67 yards
PUR – Deion Burks – 6 receptions, 73 yards
Top defenders
WIS – James Thompson Jr. – 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 PD
PUR – Sanoussi Kane – 9 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PD :

### Rutgers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Scarlet Knights | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Badgers | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: October 7, 2023
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C); Sunny; Wind at NW13 MPH
* Game attendance: 74,885
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (Peacock): Brendan Burke (play-by-play), Kyle Rudolph (analyst) and Lewis Johnson (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 39-yard field goal, 11:44. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 3:16.
Second quarter
WIS – Braelon Allen 18-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 4:28 Wisconsin 10–0 Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:29.
WIS – Ricardo Hallman 95-yard interception (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:04 Wisconsin 17–0
Third quarter
RUT – Aaron Young 10-yard pass from Evan Simon (Jai Patel missed kick), 1:26. Wisconsin 17–6 Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:02.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Tucker Ashcraft 3-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 10:51. Wisconsin 24–6 Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 5:35.
RUT – Ian Strong 11-yard pass from Gavin Wimsatt (Jai Patel kick), 4:07. Wisconsin 24–13 Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 0:35.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 17/31, 145 yards, 1 TD
RUT – Gavin Wimsatt – 16/35, 181 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 21 rushes, 101 yards, 1 TD
RUT – Gavin Wimsatt – 9 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 8 receptions, 68 yards
RUT – Isaiah Washington – 3 receptions, 53 yards
Top defenders
WIS – C.J. Goetz – 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL
RUT – Wesley Bailey – 4 tackles, 2 sack, 2 TFL :

### Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
| Badgers | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: October 14, 2023
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); Cloudy; Wind at N17 MPH
* Game attendance: 76,205
* Referee: Chris Coyte
* TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst), and Allison Williams (sidelines)
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
IOWA – Leshon Williams 82-yard run (Drew Stevens kick), 11:49 Iowa 7–0 Drive: 3 plays, 90 yards, 1:20.
Third quarter
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 36-yard field goal, 9:55. Iowa 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 5:01.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 52-yard field goal, 3:58. Iowa 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:55.
Fourth quarter
IOWA – Drew Stevens 48-yard field goal, 13:08. Iowa 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:44.
IOWA – Braedyn Locke sacked for a safety, 12:55. Iowa 12–6.
IOWA – Drew Stevens 40-yard field goal, 1:55. Iowa 15–6. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:06.
Top passers
WIS – Braedyn Locke – 15/30, 122 yards, 1 INT
IOWA – Deacon Hill – 6/14, 37 yards
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 18 rushes, 87 yards
IOWA – Leshon Williams – 25 rushes, 174 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
WIS – Bryson Green – 5 receptions, 86 yards
IOWA – Erick All – 2 receptions, 19 yards
Top defenders
WIS – Alexander Smith – 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1.5 TFL
IOWA – Sebastian Castro – 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PD :

### at Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 18 | 25 |
| Fighting Illini | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: October 21, 2023
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C); Sunny; Wind at NW21 MPH
* Game attendance: 54,205
* Referee: Kole Knueppel
* TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
ILL – Tanner Arkin 1-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (Caleb Griffin kick), 6:07. Illinois 7–0 Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:39.
Second quarter
ILL – Tip Reiman 3-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (Caleb Griffin kick), 2:12. Illinois 14–0 Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 7:53.
WIS – Braelon Allen 4-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:31 Illinois 14–7 Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:37.
Third quarter
ILL – Kaden Feagin 12-yard run (Caleb Griffin kick), 4:30 Illinois 21–7 Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:57.
Fourth quarter
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 41-yard field goal, 14:13. Illinois 21–10. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 5:17.
WIS – Will Pauling 20-yard pass from Braedyn Locke (Riley Nowakowski pass), 7:21. Illinois 21–18 Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 3:25.
WIS – Nolan Rucci 3-yard pass from Braedyn Locke (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:27. Wisconsin 25–21 Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 2:57.
Top passers
WIS – Braedyn Locke – 21/41, 240 yards, 2 TD
ILL – Luke Altmyer – 13/21, 100 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 29 rushes, 145 yards, 1 TD
ILL – Luke Altmyer – 16 rushes, 100 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 7 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD
ILL – Casey Washington – 4 receptions, 34 yards
Top defenders
WIS – Maema Njongmeta – 12 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL
ILL – Johnny Newton – 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL :

### No. 3 Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Buckeyes | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Badgers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: October 28, 2023
* Game time: 6:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C) • Wind: S at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 76,453
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter)
Game information :
First quarter
OSU – Jayden Fielding 27-yard field goal, 8:09. Ohio State 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 2:53.
Second quarter
OSU – Marvin Harrison Jr. 16-yard pass from Kyle McCord (Jayden Fielding kick), 10:36. Ohio State 10–0 Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 2:57.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 19-yard field goal, 0:00. Ohio State 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 5:09.
Third quarter
WIS – Will Pauling 13-yard pass from Braedyn Locke (Nathanial Vakos kick), 12:30. Tied 10–10 Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:30.
OSU – Marvin Harrison Jr. 19-yard pass from Kyle McCord (Jayden Fielding kick), 7:14. Ohio State 17–10 Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:16.
Fourth quarter
OSU – TreVeyon Henderson 33-yard run (Jayden Fielding kick), 5:15 Ohio State 24–10 Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:30.
Top passers
WIS – Braedyn Locke – 18/39, 165 yards, 1 TD
OSU – Kyle McCord – 17/26, 226 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 10 rushes, 50 yards
OSU – TreVeyon Henderson – 24 rushes, 162 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 4 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD
OSU – Marvin Harrison Jr. – 6 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
WIS – Maema Njongmeta – 10 tackles, 1 sack, 2.5 TFL
OSU – Tyleik Williams – 4 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 PD :

### at Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
* Date: November 4, 2023
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C) • Wind: SW at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 45,466
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (sideline reporter)
Game information :
First quarter
IU – Brendan Sorsby 8-yard run (Chris Freeman kick), 9:59 Indiana 7–0 Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:53.
Second quarter
IU – Chris Freeman 27-yard field goal, 8:08. Indiana 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 3:12.
WIS – Bryson Green 54-yard pass from Braedyn Locke (Nathanial Vakos kick), 4:11. Indiana 10–7 Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:50.
IU – Donaven McCulley 7-yard pass from Brendan Sorsby (Chris Freeman kick), 0:41. Indiana 17–7 Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:24.
Third quarter
WIS – Will Pauling 18-yard pass from Braedyn Locke (Nathanial Vakos kick), 10:14. Indiana 17–14 Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:46.
Fourth quarter
IU – Chris Freeman 50-yard field goal, 1:10. Indiana 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 2:57.
Top passers
WIS – Braedyn Locke – 21/41, 243 yards, 2 TD
IU – Brendan Sorsby – 19/31, 186 yards, 1 TD
Top rushers
WIS – Cade Yacamelli – 10 rushes, 48 yards
IU – Josh Henderson – 15 rushes, 40 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Bryson Green – 4 receptions, 96 yards, 1 TD
IU – Donaven McCulley – 5 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD
Top defenders
WIS – Jordan Turner – 8 tackles, 1 sack, 3.0 TFL, QB hurry
IU – Aaron Casey – 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 4.0 TFL, forced fumble :

### Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Badgers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: November 11, 2023
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C) • Wind: S at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 76,124
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (FS1): Chris Myers (play-by-play), Robert Smith (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 33-yard field goal, 10:25. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:30.
NU – A.J. Henning 23-yard pass from Ben Bryant (Jack Olsen kick), 4:12. Northwestern 7–3 Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:08.
Second quarter
NU – Ben Bryant 1-yard run (Jack Olsen kick), 12:54 Northwestern 14–3 Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:08.
NU – Camron Johnson 24-yard pass from Ben Bryant (Jack Olsen kick), 6:41. Northwestern 21–3 Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 3:32.
NU – Jack Olsen 28-yard field goal, 1:06. Northwestern 24–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 4:23.
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
WIS – Jackson Acker 3-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 00:11 Northwestern 24–10 Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 3:27.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 31/45, 255 yards
NU – Ben Bryant – 18/26, 195 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
WIS – Cade Yacamelli – 9 rushes, 47 yards
NU – Cam Porter – 18 rushes, 72 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 10 receptions, 96 yards
NU – A.J. Henning – 3 receptions, 70 yards, 1 TD
Top defenders
WIS – Hunter Wohler – 10 tackles, 1.0 TFL
NU – Devin Turner – 10 tackles :

### Nebraska

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Badgers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: November 18, 2023
* Game time: 6:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C) • Wind: W at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Clear
* Game attendance: 72,237
* Referee: Chris Coyte
* TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter)
Game information :
First quarter
NEB – Chubba Purdy 55-yard run (Tristan Alvano kick), 11:33 Nebraska 7–0 Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:27.
NEB – Jaylen Lloyd 58-yard pass from Chubba Purdy (Tristan Alvano kick), 6:00. Nebraska 14–0 Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 3:35.
Second quarter
WIS – Jackson Acker 26-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 6:37. Nebraska 14–7 Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:47.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 33-yard field goal, 1:54. Nebraska 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 2:00.
Third quarter
WIS – Braelon Allen 2-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 7:47 Wisconsin 17–14 Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:31.
Fourth quarter
NEB – Tristan Alvano 30-yard field goal, 0:04. Tie 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:33.
Overtime
WIS – Braelon Allen 3-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:00 Wisconsin 24–17 Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 0:00.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 18/28, 160 yards, 1 TD
NEB – Chubba Purdy – 15/23, 169 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 22 rushes, 62 yards, 2 TD
NEB – Chubba Purdy – 14 rushes, 105 yards , 1 TD
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 8 receptions, 79 yards
NEB – Billy Kemp – 8 receptions, 43 yards
Top defenders
WIS – Jordan Turner – 9 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1.5 TFL
NEB – Marques Buford Jr. – 10 tackles, 1.5 TFL :

### at Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 25, 2023
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C) • Wind: SW at 9 miles per hour (14 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy/Light snow
* Game attendance: 48,119
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (FS1): Jeff Levering (play-by-play) and Mark Helfrich (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
MINN – Jordan Nubin 1-yard run (Dragan Kesich kick), 12:21 Minnesota 7–0 Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:34.
Second quarter
WIS – Braelon Allen 5-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 13:04 Tie 7–7 Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 5:16.
MINN – Daniel Jackson 7-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis (Dragan Kesich kick), 4:30. Minnesota 14–7 Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:36.
WIS – Will Pauling 11-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 2:38. Tie 14–14 Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:52.
Third quarter
WIS – Braelon Allen 4-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 9:24 Wisconsin 21–14 Drive: 2 plays, 54 yards, 0:25.
WIS – Riley Nowakowski 5-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:10. Wisconsin 28–14 Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 4:55.
Fourth quarter
No scoring
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 14/22, 145 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
MINN – Athan Kaliakmanis – 16/28, 167 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Braelon Allen – 26 rushes, 165 yards, 2 TD
MINN – Jordan Nubin – 24 rushes, 93 yards , 1 TD
Top receivers
WIS – Chimere Dike – 2 receptions, 46 yards
MINN – Daniel Jackson – 9 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD
Top defenders
WIS – Hunter Wohler – 12 tackles, QB hurry
MINN – Cody Lindenberg – 11 tackles, 1.0 TFL :

### vs No. 13 LSU (ReliaQuest Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wisconsin | 14 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| No. 13 LSU | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: January 1, 2024
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Wind: N at 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 31,424
* Referee: Mark Duddy
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sideline reporter)
Game information :
First quarter
WIS – Bryson Green 20-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 8:28. Wisconsin 7–0 Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 2:15.
WIS – Will Pauling 53-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:23. Wisconsin 14–0 Drive: 2 plays, 60 yards, 0:28.
Second quarter
LSU – Harold Perkins 1-yard run (Nathan Dibert kick), 6:00 Wisconsin 14–7 Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:11.
LSU – Kaleb Jackson 12-yard run (Nathan Dibert kick), 1:28 Tie 14–14 Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:28.
WIS – Will Pauling 9-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Nathanial Vakos kick), 0:47. Wisconsin 21–14 Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
WIS – Jackson Acker 33-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 12:14 Wisconsin 28–14 Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:46.
LSU – Brian Thomas Jr. 38-yard pass from Garrett Nussmeier (Nathan Dibert kick), 10:33. Wisconsin 28–21 Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:36.
LSU – Chris Hilton Jr. 14-yard pass from Garrett Nussmeier (Nathan Dibert kick), 4:44. Tie 28–28 Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:10.
WIS – Nathanial Vakos 21-yard field goal, 1:18. Wisconsin 31–28. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 3:19.
Fourth quarter
LSU – Brian Thomas Jr. 4-yard pass from Garrett Nussmeier (Nathan Dibert kick), 3:08. LSU 35–31 Drive: 8 plays, 98 yards, 3:02.
Top passers
WIS – Tanner Mordecai – 27/40, 378 yards, 3 TD
LSU – Garrett Nussmeier – 31/45, 395 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
WIS – Jackson Acker – 14 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD
LSU – Josh Williams – 12 rushes, 51 yards
Top receivers
WIS – Will Pauling – 8 receptions, 143 yards, 2 TD
LSU – Brian Thomas Jr. – 8 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
WIS – Hunter Wohler – 7 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 2 PBU
LSU – Major Burns – 13 tackles, 1.5 TFL :

## Awards and honors

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Date awarded | Ref. |
| Braedyn Locke | Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week | October 23, 2023 | |
Individual Awards :
| Player | Award |
| Braelon Allen | Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media)/Third Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches) |
| Hunter Wohler | Second Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches) |
| Ricardo Hallman | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media)/Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches) |
| Tanor Bortolini | Third Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media)/Honorable Mention Offense (Coaches) |
| Will Pauling | Third Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches)/Honorable Mention Offense (Media) |
| Nathanial Vakos | Honorable Mention Special Teams (Media) |

## 2024 NFL Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 4 | 117 | Tanor Bortolini | C | Indianapolis Colts |
| 4 | 134 | Braelon Allen | RB | New York Jets |