Injuries rendered the Wisconsin roster nearly unrecognizable Saturday versus Northwestern, and the Wildcats pounced on the oportunity to shred an inexperienced roster.
Sophomore quarterback Jack Coan made his first start after concussion symptoms sidelined Alex Hornibrook. Nose tackle Olive Sagapolu was dealing with lingering knee issues, decreasing his productivity and frequency of play. Reggie Pearson and Eric Burrell started at safety with D’Cota Dixon and Scott Nelson both out.
Once a roster was finalized, the Wisconsin team of late October looked wildly different than the team which began the year. But with mainstays Jonathan Taylor and the nation’s best offensive line, there always felt like a chance the Badgers could succeed without issue.