NFL Mock Draft

1. Texans: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2. Bears: Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama

3. Seahawks: Jalen Carter, EDGE, Georgia

4. Lions: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

5. Eagles: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

6. Panthers: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

7. Jaguars: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

8. Cardinals: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

9. Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

10. Falcons: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

11. Packers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

12. Raiders: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

13. Texans: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

14. Steelers: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

15. Lions: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

16. Chargers: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

17. Patriots: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

18. Commanders: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

19. Bucs: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame

20. Seahawks: Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida

21. Titans: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

22. Jets: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

23. Giants: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

24. Broncos: Cody Mauch, OT, North Dakota State

25. Ravens: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

26. Bengals: Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

27. Cowboys: Clark Phillips, CB, Utah

28. Chiefs: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

29. Vikings: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

30. Bills: Brian Branch, S, Alabama

31. Eagles: Bijon Robinson, RB, Texas

Packers Mock Draft

This has been a bad performance this season by the Packers. There will be a lot of changes this offseason and the draft is a part of that. Here is my current Packers mock draft as of now:

 

1) Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

This would be cool, as Peter’s grandfather Bob, was a guy cog on the offensive line during the Lombardi years. The Packers may have found a right tackle of the future in Yosh Njiman, but they very easily could want an upgrade. Even if they do really like Yosh at right tackle, the team is in cap hell next season at about $30 mil over the cap. David Bakhtiari is aging and extremely expensive and could be a cap casualty. I see the Packers taking one or two offensive linemen in the draft with one of the picks being high. Skoronski is a big-time offensive tackle prospect and would be a starter from day one.

 2) Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

If the Packers can’t get Michael Mayer, Darnell Washington is a good consolation prize. If only the Packers could trade tight end rooms with Georgia. Green Bay also loves taking Georgia guys, having taken Eric Stokes, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt in the first round the past two seasons. He has a great combination of size and speed. While he has potential as a pass catcher, he really will make his mark as a blocker. As for the Packers tight end room, everyone is a free agent outside of Josiah Deguara. I like Marcedes Lewis as a blocker, but he is old. Washington could fit right in as a blocker. I like Big Bob Tonyan, but he is not really starting caliber and his 2020 season looks more like a fluke. I do think he has a role on this team if he wants to come back on the cheap, though. Washington could come in and grow along with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs and form a formidable passing attack for the Green & Gold.

3)               3) Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

The Packers could use another wide receiver in addition to picking Washington. Green Bay drafted three receivers last year—Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure—all of whom have a future on the team. Those three are also the only wide receivers under contract for 2023. While Aaron Rodgers may want both Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb back, they don’t really move the needle and the organization may want to go in a different direction. I think another year in the system for those three will be huge, but they could use one more weapon. Due to his slight frame (5-10, 171), he will likely be relegated to slot receiver in the NFL. Considering Watson and Doubs are outside receivers, this makes sense. He is explosive and was very productive at UNC. One downside would be his blocking would need to improve and the Packers like to draft receivers who can block.

4)           4) Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M

You might be thinking “why a running back?” Well, despite being the best playmaker on a struggling Packers offense, Aaron Jones may very easily be a cap casualty because they did his contract where the team could easily move on from him after two years. With Green Bay in cap hell, Jones very easily could be moved on from. If so, then Achane would fill in as the lightning to AJ Dillon’s thunder. To quote the remake of The Longest Yard, he’s so fast, he makes fast people look not fast. He could find himself in day two territory, though, so this could be wishful thinking.

5)              5) Ji'Ayir Brown, S, Penn State

Another possible wishful thinking pick. Brown could come in and contribute right away. Green Bay’s safety play this season has been so abysmal. Unfortunately, Darnell Savage’s fifth year option was picked up and he has been awful this season and Adrian Amos’ play has fallen off a cliff. Rudy Ford has been a savior of sorts at safety. He makes plays every game. Still, a running mate for Ford (if he is a starter for the future) because one is desperately needed.

7a) Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska

Palmer, a transfer from LSU, recently declared for the NFL Draft. He has a ton of talent and has had one of the best seasons in Nebraska history at wide receiver. He does most of his damage in the slot, which is what the Packers could use. All Green Bay has under contract for next year are the three rookies from the 2021 draft class. It wouldn’t surprise me to see multiple receivers taken. He does need to correct his drops, though, as he has a 14 percent drop way, which is obviously way too high and will push him to day three. If that can be corrected, he could be a really good receiver.

7b) Cory Durden, DL, North Carolina State

Green Bay always takes a defensive lineman at some point in the draft. You can never have too many defensive linemen. They also need to find someone who can stop the run. I like Reed, but he is a free agent. Devonte Wyatt will hopefully be better in year two. Kenny Clark should be back to being the man.

7c) Sav'ell Smalls, EDGE, Washington

The Packers should take an EDGE at some point too. I like what I have seen from last year’s draft pick Kingsley Enagbare and Rashan Gary emerged into one of the league’s best pass rushers before his injury. He won’t be himself for a bit after coming back, so another EDGE is a must. They could take one higher than the last pick in the draft, but it will depend on how the board falls.

Top 20 coaches who have not made the Final Four

Honorable Mention

Bobby Hurley, Arizona State (160-120, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: HM

Anthony Grant, Dayton (295-162, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: HM

Kevin Willard, Maryland (270-210, 5 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 20

Ben Jacobsen, Northern Iowa (321-201, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 19

Steve Alford, Nevada (557-309, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, 4 Sweet 16s)—previous: 18

Todd Golden, Florida (57-36, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance)—previous: N/A

Fran McCaffery, Iowa (493-339, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Dan Hurley, UConn (224-152, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Leon Rice, Boise State (244-144, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Penny Hardaway, Memphis (85-43, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance)—previous: N/A

 

20. Matt McMahon, LSU (154-67, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Matt McMahon is in his first year with LSU after coming over from a successful stint at Murray State where he led the Racers to a 154-67 record with three trips to the NCAA Tournament, including twice making it to the second round. He took over for Steve Prohm, who left for Iowa State, and elevated the program even further. He is coming off a season in which he led Murray State to 31 wins before being upset by giant killers St. Peter’s in the second round. It will be interesting to see how he does down on the bayou. The Tigers are coming off a season where they were a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

19. Steve Pikiell, Rutgers (290-247, three NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 17

Perhaps it is a bit unfair to actually move Pikiell down on this list since he led Rutgers to another really good season. After leading Stony Brook to at least 20 wins in six of his last seven seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance, he came to a program that hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991. He had three below .500 seasons with Rutgers to start his career, but then it all came together. Pikiell would have led the Knights to three consecutive tournament berths if COVID hadn’t halted play in 2020, which has not happened in program history. As a matter of fact, Rutgers had only once made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (1975-76) before making it the past two seasons.

18. Jamie Dixon, TCU (445-207, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 15

It was tough moving Dixon as well, as he led TCU to a second-round appearance, where the Horned Frogs nearly, and perhaps should have, upset top-seeded Arizona. The dominant 69-42 win over Seton Hall in the first round was the first victory in the Big Dance since 1987. He took over a dormant program after Trent Johnson couldn’t win in his four years with the program. TCU only had one winning season and was a combined 8-64 in conference play, never finishing higher than ninth in the conference under Johnson. Prior to Dixon, TCU had not made either the NCAA Tournament or NIT since 2005, and not made the Big Dance this millennium. He has led his alma mater to four 20-win seasons with two trips to the NCAA Tournament. One thing he does need to do, though, is finish above .500 in the Big 12, something he has not done quite yet.

17. Mike Brey, Notre Dame (571-311, 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, two Elite 8s)—previous: 12

Another coach who was moved down despite a very successful season. Brey’s Fighting Irish won 24 games, the most the program has won since winning 26 in 2016-17. They also won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since that season as well, defeating Rutgers in double overtime in the First Four and upsetting Alabama in the first round before falling to Texas Tech. Unfortunately, in his 22 seasons in South Bend, he has advanced past the first weekend just three times and time may be running out for him to get that elusive Final Four appearance.

16. Mike White, Georgia (243-128, four NCAA Tournament appearances, one Elite 8)—previous: 9

I think Mike White saw the writing on the wall that he was in a do-or-die season at Florida, so he bolted to Georgia, a place where there is no pressure because nobody really cares about basketball there. I mean, their football team is the national champs and is off to a great start in 2022 as well, so that is understandable. After starting out his career with the Gators with four consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins, he has yet to crack that mark in his last three. He came from Louisiana Tech, where he found plenty of success. In his final three years with Louisiana Tech, he led the Bulldogs to 83 wins and a conference title all three years. However, he could not get his team over the hump and into the Big Dance and had to settle for the NIT all three seasons.

15. Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s (480-200, nine NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16)—previous: 16

Bennett is kind of in an uphill climb to reach the Final Four being at a school like St. Mary’s. He led the Gaels to a tremendous 26-8 season, reaching the second round of the tournament for the fourth time in his tenure after destroying Indiana. He also led them to an upset of Gonzaga to finish the regular season. Bennett took over a woeful St. Mary’s program and has turned it into a powerful program, but I have a hard time seeing him take St. Mary’s to the Final Four, so unless he goes to another program, I think he may be on this list for awhile.

14. Ed Cooley, Providence (313-210, 6 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)—previous: N/A

A new entrance to the list, Ed Cooley has done a masterful job at Providence. After having a number of seasons of around 20 wins, Cooley had his breakout season this past year, leading the Friars to a 27-8 record and 14-3 mark in conference play. In his first five tournament appearances, his team only advanced past the first round once, but made it to the second weekend in 2022 and put a scare into eventual national champion Kansas and actually had the lead with under six minutes to play. Only time will tell if this was a one-year wonder for Cooley or if he has something brewing.

13. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State (119-40, three NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 13

Dutcher took over for Steve Fisher in 2017 and has not skipped a beat. He has averaged nearly 24 wins a season in his five years but has not yet made it past the first round. Granted, his team finished 30-2 with Malachi Flynn in 2019-20, but the tournament was cancelled. But still, the team was a No. 6 seed twice and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and has still not won a game in the Big Dance. You can never say never, but his at his age (62) after being an assistant under Fisher for so many years at Michigan and SDSU, it may be tough to reach the Final Four without taking another job. He was rumored to be in the running for a job at his alma mater (Minnesota), but ultimately Ben Johnson got that job.

12. Nate Oats, Alabama (157-79, five NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16)—previous: 14

After a fantastic second season at Alabama, his third season saw his team go just 19-14 and get bounced in the first round of the tournament by Notre Dame. After leading Buffalo to 59 wins and two NCAA Tournament appearances his final two seasons there, the Watertown, Wis., native, left for Alabama, where he guided the Tide to the Sweet 16 in 2021 for the first time since 2004. Still just 47 years old, he has a chance to make his way off this list in the next several years.

11. Andy Enfeld, USC (224-146, 5 NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, one Elite 8)—previous: N/A

I admit, I did not like USC’s hire of Enfeld when he was brought in by the Trojans in 2013. I thought he was just a product of one great, lucky, run by Florida Gulf Coast. But he took over a program that had just 20 wins in the previous two seasons, but he got to work and turned the program around. After two subpar seasons to begin his tenure, he has won at least 20 games in six of his last seven seasons, including a combined 51 his past two seasons. He led the Trojans to the Elite 8 in 2021, losing to UCLA. As a No. 10 seed this past season, his team was bounced by Miami by two. His program was close in 2021, so I wouldn’t put it past him to take a step further sometime.

10. Juwan Howard, Michigan (61-32, two NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, one Elite 8)—previous: 7

Mike Tyson…..errrr…..Juwan Howard led his team to the Sweet 16 as a No. 11 seed. He led the Wolverines a conference championship and trip to the Elite 8 in 2021, but that is the only season in his three coached that his team finished higher than seventh in the Big Ten standings. Taking over for a legend in Jon Beilein is no easy task. Hunter Dickinson comes back, which will help him. It will be interesting to see if he has another season like he had in 2020-21 if he decides to stay at his alma mater or if he takes his talent to the NBA.

9. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M (300-192, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 6

Following two subpar seasons in his first two years in College Station, his team finally broke out last year. While his team didn’t make the tournament, his team did finish 27-13 and probably should have made the dance. With Virginia Tech, he led the Hokies to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1966-67 and nearly knocked off Duke. Before Virginia Tech, he averaged more than 23 wins per season with Marquette and made the Sweet 16 twice and an Elite 8. The former Mike McConathy assistant certainly has the Aggies on the right track and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him reach the Final Four at some point.

8. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona (33-4, one NCAA Tournament appearance, one Sweet 16)—previous: N/A

I put Tommy this high since he led Arizona to a No. 1 seed and a Sweet 16 appearance in his first season. I “only” put him at No. 8 because it is his first season and he’ll need a few more good seasons to show this was not a fluke. With that being said, the program was in a bit of turmoil when Sean Miller was fired. All Tommy Lloyd did was lead the Wildcats to a conference regular season and tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He was looked at as a rising star in the coaching profession at Gonzaga and the possible heir apparent once Mark Few retired. It just seems like it is a matter of time before he reaches the Final Four. I will say, though, I said that about Sean Miller a number of times, so we’ll see.

7. Greg Gard, Wisconsin (144-78, five NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16s)—previous: 10

For the second time in three seasons, Greg Gard led the Wisconsin Badgers to a regular season Big Ten championship. This time, it was on an incredible banked in 3-pointer from Chucky Hepburn. Unfortunately, the NCAA Tournament success hasn’t followed. After Hepburn got hurt against Iowa State, Wisconsin lost in the second round of the tournament. However, if he keeps having regular season success, the postseason success will eventually come. I mean, his predecessor Bo Ryan didn’t go to the Final Four until 2014 and he had been coaching at UW since 2001-02. Most of the time, the Badgers didn’t even advance to the second weekend. It will be interesting to see how the Badgers perform without First Team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year Johnny Davis.

6. Brad Underwood, Illinois (203-93, six NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 8

It was another successful regular season for Underwood, leading Illinois to a conference regular season title, tying with Wisconsin, after earning the conference tournament crown in 2021. But unfortunately, like most of his buddies from the Big Ten, fell short in the NCAA Tournament, as Illinois lost in the second round for the second consecutive season. After an incredible run at Stephen F. Austin in which he led the Lumberjacks to an 89-14 record and an incredible 53-1 conference record, he led the Oklahoma State Cowboys to the tournament in 2017. It feels like just a matter of time for Underwood to break through, although I say it with a lot of the coaches on this list. It will be a bit more difficult without All-American Kofi Cockburn.

5. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State (221-141, seven NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16)—previous: 4

Holtmann makes it three straight from the Big Ten. Holtmann has always had good seasons with the Buckeyes, but not many standout seasons. His OSU team was a No. 2 seed, despite going just 21-10, in 2021 and lost to Oral Roberts in the first round. Under his watch, the Buckeyes have only won more than 21 games once, and that was his first season (he has coached five at OSU). He came to the Buckeyes from Butler, where he was hired to take over for a Butler legend in Brad Stevens. Holtmann was 70-31 in three seasons and reached the Sweet 16 in 2017. His overall record is a little deceiving, as he turned around a Gardner-Webb program that had not had a winning record since 2005-06. In his first two seasons with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, they went 23-41 and did not finish higher than ninth in the Big South. However, in his third season, he led them to a 21-13 record and a berth in the CIT.

4. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State (617-452, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, four Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 3

After five really good seasons at Florida State, he had a bit of a down year, one in which the Seminoles were just 17-14 and came in eighth place in the ACC. But this doesn’t take away from what he has accomplished in the past five years.  The Seminoles made it to the second weekend the three NCAA Tournaments prior to 2021-22. At 74, he is the oldest coach on the list and it seems like he is getting better with age. His head coaching career began in 1986 with Oklahoma State, and he lasted four seasons with a 47 percent winning percentage. He went to Miami for 10 years, turning around the program, and making the NCAA Tournament his final three seasons with the Hurricanes. In 2002-03, he went to Tallahassee and turned things around. In 2018, he led them to their first Elite 8 in 25 years. One must wonder how many years he has left in him.

3. Eric Musselman, Arkansas (183-62, five NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, two Elite 8s)—previous: 5

Musselman has improved every year he has been Arkansas. This past season, he led the Razorbacks to a 28-9 record and trip to the Elite 8 for the second straight season, falling to top-seeded Duke. Musselman came to Fayetteville after beginning his collegiate head coaching career at Nevada. In his first season there, he rebuilt the Wolfpack after a 9-22 season. He led Nevada to a 15-win increase in 2015-16 and a CBI championship. In his next three seasons, he led them to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the Sweet 16 in 2018. Musselman has proven he is worthy of this job and may exit this list sooner rather than later.

2. Matt Painter, Purdue (409-197, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, five Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 2

At some point Matt Painter will lead his Boilermakers to a Final Four, right? In 2022, everything seemed to be rolling his way. In his bracket, No. 2 Kentucky lost in the first round, No. 1 Baylor lost in the second round and No. 4 UCLA lost in the Sweet 16. The Boilers had to beat No. 15 St. Peter’s and No. 8 North Carolina to reach the elusive Final Four. But Purdue was upset by three against St. Peter’s. Everything seemed to be there for them and the Boilers blew it. But on the bright side, people thought the same about Tony Bennett after his Cavaliers lost blowing a double-digit lead to Syracuse in the Elite 8 in 2016. Three years later, the Cavs won it all. People were saying the same stuff about Bennett that they’re saying about Painter right now. His time will eventually come.

1.      1. Sean Miller, Xavier (278-133, nine NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: N/A

From 2017-20, Sean Miller took home the top spot on this list. After not coaching last year, he relinquished the top spot. Now, after he is back with Xavier, he re-claims the dubious top spot on this list. Before being fired by Arizona, he was a monster there, going 302-109 in 12 seasons, winning at least 30 games four times. It seems like he is snake bit, however. Going to four Elite 8s and not winning one will make it seem that way. It does not help that two of the best teams Miller has had ran into Frank Kaminsky in the Elite 8. At some point, though, Miller will break through, you’d think. It is a mystery how he has yet to reach the Final Four. I know I have been saying this for awhile, but it is just a matter of time for him, but it became tougher at a program like Xavier than it was at Arizona.

Packers Mock Draft

I have not done one since last season and since we are done with the first few waves of free agency and the Green Bay Packers have been able to re-sign key pieces (Rasul Douglas, DeVondre Campbell) and of course, made the big trade of Devonte Adams to Las Vegas. So here we go, my Packers mock draft, which will without a doubt be way off…

1a. Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

Green Bay’s need for a wide receiver has been well-documented, as has its tendency to shy away from taking that position in round one. The last time the Packers took a wide receiver in the first round was Javon Walker in 2002. But they are in desperate need of some weapons without Adams. As of right now, they have Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Amari Rodgers…..and then not much else. While the Packers won’t reach to grab one just to grab one, I do expect them to take at least one with their four top 60 picks….and maybe two.

Chris Olave would be a big-time get at No. 22 for the Packers. He had a tremendous combine and had a great career at Ohio State. He is a good athlete who is a great route runner. Olave had 936 yards receiving with 13 touchdowns.

 

1b. David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan

One big question would be….would an Ohio State and Michigan co-exist if they were each first round picks by Green Bay? All kidding aside, with the release of Za’darius Smith and retirement of Whitney Mercilus, the Packers are in desperate need of an edge rusher. If Rashan Gary or Preston Smith were to get hurt, they would be screwed. One could argue that the team’s biggest need is an edge rusher.

Ojabo was a top 10 pick before he suffered a torn Achilles last month at Michigan’s pro day. He comes with a major risk, but the upside at the back end of the first would be too good to pass up. The last Michigan edge rusher they drafted has turned out pretty well, eh?

 

2a. George Pickens, WR, Georgia

I admit, they would have to trade up for him or draft him at 28. His draft stock has gained a lot of steam recently and could very easily go in the first round. But he would be a perfect player for the Packers to draft. If the Packers drafted two wide receivers early, it would not shock me. Going into the season with Olave, Pickens, Cobb, Rodgers and Lazard would make me feel more comfortable about the position than I do now.

I am a HUGE fan of Pickens and think he could end up becoming the best wide receiver in the draft class. Early in the 2021 practices, he suffered an ACL tear, but he came back to play in the final few games of the season, including making a huge impact in the championship game win over Alabama. He is a physical receiver who can high-point the ball effectively and could be a huge weapon for the reigning MVP.

 

2b. DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

Leal is another guy who may not be available late in the second, but I would love it if he is. For as long as I can remember, everybody has be shouting from the rooftops to get Kenny Clark some help. TJ Slaton, last year’s mid-rounder, came on at the end of last season and has become a solid rotational piece.

With the signing of Jarran Reed, the Packers have Clark, Reed, Slaton and Lowry, but no one outside of Clark really strikes fear into the hearts of opponents. Leal could make this one scary defense, even more than it already is. He has a ton of talent and the Packers could try to reach in and try and turn him into a star and finally get a stud next to Kenny.

 

3. Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina

The Packers have tried and tried to find a tight end, both via the draft and free agency. Jimmy Graham and Jace Sternberger flopped. Josiah Deguara hasn’t developed as much as the Packers would hop, granted some of that is due to injury. Robert Tonyan is coming off an ACL tear and will likely miss some action early in the season. Even with him, they re-signed him to a 1-year deal. The Packers have some depth at the position, but no “alpha dog” on the team and they haven’t one of those at the position since Jermichael Finley.

He is a good athlete and is a very good receiving tight end, as evidenced by his 59 catches for 912 yards and 12 scores for the Chanticleers.

 

4a. Dominique Robinson, EDGE, Miami (OH)

The Packers will need to come away with multiple wide receivers and multiple edge rushers in the draft. If both pan out, fantastic. You can never have too many edge rushers. Another thing is that Ojabo might not be full strength quite yet with the Achilles injury. Like I mentioned under Ojabo, if Rashan Gary or Preston Smith were to get hurt, they would be screwed. More edge rushers the merrier.

Robinson is a developmental prospect, as he was a wide receiver as recent as 2019. But with development, he could become a major threat rushing the passer. He is a tremendous athlete, so he has good measurables to work with, which could help him become a terrific edge.

 

4b. Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State

The Packers are in need of an offensive tackle. Right now, Green Bay has a major hole at right tackle with the release of Billy Turner. They could still bring back Dennis Kelly, but they have not as of this moment. Also, David Bakhtiari is coming back from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2020 season and if he can’t come back to All-Pro Dave, they will need a left tackle. Offensive tackle is right up there with edge rusher and wide receiver as the team’s biggest need. Fortunately, this is a deep tackle class.

He would likely stay at right tackle or move inside to play guard in the NFL. If they take him here, they’d want him to play tackle. Even though they let Lucas Patrick walk, they have drafted a number of interior linemen the past two drafts to take his place.

 

5. Matt Henningsen, DL, Wisconsin

You just knew I would have the Packers taking a former Badger, didn’t you? Just like you can never have too many edge rushers, you can never have too many defensive linemen as well. Henningsen is super strong and athletic, not to mention is tremendous against the run. On the third day, he has upside to come in and be a rotational piece on the defensive line. A rotation of Clark, Lowry, Leal, Reed Lancaster and Henningsen had the potential to be a weapon.

 

7a. Cobie Durant, CB, South Carolina State

Yet another position that you can never have enough of is cornerback. I admit, I love this dude’s name, but he is also a very talented prospect. The Packers have depth at the position after retaining Rasul Douglas. With Douglas, Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, the Packers have depth at the position. However, with the departure of Chandon Sullivan to Minnesota, Green Bay needs a slot cornerback. Jaire can play it, but they prefer him on the outside. He is a small cornerback, which probably would relegates him to slot duties in the NFL and push him into the later rounds. Cobie is also an older prospect, which the Packers don’t necessarily pick often. Durant is versatile, having played both cornerback and safety and played…..wait for it……all throughout special teams for SCSU. He has terrific athleticism, instincts and ball skills. He could be a steal at this point.

 

7b. Tyler Goodson, RB, Iowa

It would not surprise me to see Green Bay take a running back and maybe stash him on the practice squad for a year or maybe play him for a bit while Kylin Hill recovers from his injury. Also, I don’t anticipate Aaron Jones being on the team in 2023, so picking a player to help replace him would be such a Packers-type move. He is a talented back who could stand to sit a year to refine his skillset at the position, but he does have the tools.

 

7c. Aqeel Glass, QB, Alabama State

Green Bay should always go back to the Ron Wolf strategy of taking a quarterback every year. Doing that, he drafted solid starters or quality backups like Ty Detmer (1992), Mark Brunell (1993), Matt Hasselbeck (1998) and Aaron Brooks (1999), all of whom were drafted in the fourth round or later. Even with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love, it is never bad to keep a developmental quarterback on the roster. I like Kurt Benkert, but he’ll be 27 by the time the new season rolls around and has his limitations. Glass has ideal measurements as a quarterback and has a big, strong arm. One thing that could keep the Packers from drafting him is his hand size since they like quarterbacks with big hands to be able to grip the ball in the cold…..and Glass’ hands definitely do not fit that mold.

1. Wisconsin 38, Minnesota 17 (2019)

The build up to this game was enormous. With three weeks left in the regular season, Wisconsin trailed by two games. Minnesota was undefeated, while Wisconsin had two losses, to Ohio State and an embarrassing loss to Illinois. The Gophers had just had one of their biggest wins in 50 years, knocking off Penn State to reach a perfect 9-0. The same week, Wisconsin held off Iowa 24-22 in Madison. Following the win over Iowa, the Badgers needed help from the Hawkeyes if they wanted to earn a trip to the Big Ten Championship game. They got the help, as Iowa beat Minnesota the next week as Wisconsin defeated Nebraska in Lincoln. Each team won in the second to last week of the season, which set up the big showdown to see who would play Ohio State in Indianapolis, as 9-2 Wisconsin played at 10-1 Minnesota.

It was being built up as the biggest game for Minnesota in more than 50 years. The Gophers had not won the Big Ten since 1967 and defeating Wisconsin would be one step closer to doing just that. The Gophers had dominated the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium 37-15 the year before and Wisconsin was out for revenge. To make things even better, College Gameday was in town. Up to that point, Minnesota was one of just a handful of teams to have never hosted Gameday. The show chose that site over great games like Auburn/Alabama and Michigan/Ohio State. The game was on ABC at 2:30 CST with the A-team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. And oh yeah, one of the greatest trophies in college football—Paul Bunyan’s Axe—was on the line.

Wisconsin and Minnesota—the biggest meeting since the 1960s. The hype was enormous. All the folks on Gameday picked the Gophers, including Pat McAfee. Despite Minnesota getting most of the love, Wisconsin was put as a slight favorite. I guess maybe Vegas knew something many fans did not?

I mentioned the raucous crowd at TCF Bank Stadium….and it didn’t get any quieter at the beginning of the game when the Gophers defense stuffed Wisconsin on the first possession and a short punt set up the Gophers near midfield. Two plays into the possession, Tanner Morgan found a WIDE open Rashod Bateman running a post down the field, and he jogged into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.

The whole game changed, though, in the second possession. Wisconsin registered one first down before punting. The Gophers then moved inside the 40, but were stuffed on back-to-back plays, forcing them into a 4^th-and-2. Instead of going for it, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck chose to punt. Momentum gone. They couldn’t get it back the remainder of the game.

While Wisconsin didn’t score on its ensuing possession, it did get the offense going and gain confidence before Aron Cruickshank fumbled after receiving the snap out of the shotgun.

But the Badgers responded with a takeaway of their own. On third down, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan threw to the left sideline, but was intercepted by Caesar Williams. That pick led to a field goal to cut it to 7-3.

Wisconsin took the lead on its next possession, turning a seven-play 82-yard drive into a touchdown. On a third down from their own 35, they ran a tight end middle screen and he broke a tackle which would have stopped him shy of the line to gain. Jake Ferguson broke numerous tackles for 20 yards, moving into Gophers territory.

Three plays later, Bucky had that lead. The Badgers ran a wheel route and Coan threw it down the right sideline to JT23, who caught it at the 6 and back pedaled into the end zone for the score.

The Gophers reached the Minnesota 49, but a Jack Sanborn sack ended the hopes for a score before the end of the half.

Wisconsin owned the second half right from its first offensive possession. The Badgers held the Gophers off the scoreboard to begin the half, but were backed up to their own 9 after the punt.

It took Bucky just four plays to go the 91 yards to make it a two-score game and it started with the first play of the drive. Backed up, Chryst called a deep ball. Coan found his favorite target, Quintez Cephus, for 31 yards to the 40. Three plays later, Coan went deep to Cephus for a 47-yard touchdown in a blizzard.

After Minnesota booted a field goal, Wisconsin took control of the game. With the score 17-10, the Badgers ran some trickery on the ensuing kickoff. Cruickshank caught the kickoff and handed it off to Isaac Guerendo, who was running from right to left. He found some room and blasted for a long return down to the Gophers 39.

Two plays later, Wisconsin made it a two-score game once again. With the ball at the 26, Wisconsin ran a jet sweep with Kendric Pryor, who received great blocking and he sprinted untouched for the touchdown to quickly answer the Gophers score to make it 24-10.

Minnesota had a tremendous drive going, aiming to cut it back to one score again. Morgan found Bateman for 18 yards down to the Wisconsin 6, as the Gophers were knocking on the doorstep as the fourth quarter began.

Two plays gained them two yards, which set up third down from the 4. On third down, Morgan looked to the back left corner of the end zone intended for Tyler Johnson that was knocked away by Williams. On fourth down, Morgan went back to that same matchup at the goal line. Once again, Williams was equal to the task, knocking the pass away to keep the lead at 14.

With a 96-yard drive, the Badgers broke it open. Specifically, one play daggered the Gophers. The Badgers faced a 3^rd-and-6 at their own 19. Minnesota had a chance to get the ball back with good field position. However, Coan took the snap and the Gophers brought the blitz. Wisconsin had a screen called, the perfect play call. Coan dumped it to running back Garrett Groshek, who rumbled 70 yards down to the Gophers 11.

One play later, JT23 busted through for an 11-yard touchdown to break the game open. His second score of the game made it 31-10.

If the Badgers didn’t have the game in hand before, it did following Minnesota’s next drive. On the first play of the possession, Morgan was sacked by Garrett Rand and lost the ball and Wisconsin recovered.

Four plays later, JT crashed in from a yard out to cement the Badgers trip to Indianapolis and give Bucky a 38-10 lead.

The Gophers scored a late touchdown, but it was too little, too late, for Minnesota. Wisconsin gained 453 yards of total offense to win by 21.

Wisconsin went to 10-2 with the win and the win helped them make a return trip to the Rose Bowl. What makes this so high is destroying the dreams of Minnesota fans. In the biggest game for the Gophers in more than 50 years, the Badgers obliterated them. Fun times in Madison.

2. Wisconsin 16, LSU 14 (2016)

I was debating if I should put this No. 1 or 2. Nevertheless, this was an enormous win by the Badgers. Yes, I went to this game, so I am biased and feel obligated to put this right near the top. But there were so many storylines to this game. First off, Wisconsin was facing off against former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who bolted to LSU in the offseason. Secondly, the No. 5 Tigers came in as one of the preseason favorites to make it to the College Football Playoff, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette. On the other hand, Wisconsin had to play LSU and Ohio State in Wisconsin, while playing Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa all on the road. Many, such as Colin Cowherd, predicted the Badgers to be a 6-6 team. Arnie Spanier said Wisconsin was not that good any more and that LSU would cover the massive 10.5-point spread with ease. And oh yeah, the game was at Lambeau Field, the crown jewel of all NFL stadiums. As former boxing referee Mills Lane would say, “Let’s get it on!”

College Gameday was in the house for this one. I mean, despite the fact that there were so many other great games that weekend, there was no way the show was not going to be held at Lambeau. Many called it the greatest opening weekend for college football ever. It did not disappoint. It was quite impressive that out of all the outstanding games that weekend, they chose this matchup for College Gameday. The Badgers had to replace their winningest quarterback of all-time, Joel Stave. They replaced him with senior Bart Houston, who waited for his turn despite being a highly ranked recruit coming in from California. Fittingly, Houston was named after former Packers legend Bart Starr, who had played in that stadium 50 years before. You can't make this stuff up.

In addition to Cowherd and Spanier, seemingly nobody gave the Badgers much of a chance to beat the mighty LSU Tigers. But, as Chris Berman would say, "that’s why they play the game."

Wisconsin received the opening kickoff and would get a pair of first downs on Aranda’s defense before having to punt. LSU would go three-and-out on its first possession, which was a theme for the Tigers offense in the first half. LSU would gain just 64 yards on 21 plays in the first half and four of the six drives would last three or fewer plays for the Tigers.

Twice the Badgers would drive deep into LSU territory, but would be turned away each time. On its second drive, Bucky would drive to the Tigers 23 on the strength of a Houston 21-yard pass to Rob Wheelwright. However, on the 4th-and-1, Clement would be stopped behind the line of scrimmage and the Badgers had to turn the ball over on downs. On their very next drive, Wisconsin would move into the red zone. However, on 3rd-and-9 from the LSU 10, Houston went to the right corner of the end zone intended for Kyle Penniston, but it was woefully underthrown and easily picked off by Rickey Jefferson.

It would remain scoreless until well into the second quarter. In a defensive struggle, turnovers would be magnified. They took points off the board for Wisconsin in the first quarter, but it would benefit from a big one in the second. Following a P.J. Rosowski punt, the Tigers started at their own 36. On the first play, they ran a jet sweep with running back Derrius Guice, and he was tackled and fumbled near the sideline. After a few seconds with the ball sitting on the ground, Conor Sheehy recovered for the Badgers at the 36.

This time, the scoring chance would not go to waste. Wisconsin would pick up two first downs on the drive to move down the field to the LSU 12, where the drive would stall. On the third down play, Houston threw a pass off the hands of Wheelwright in the end zone, so the Badgers had to settle for three. Rafael Gaglianone’s 30-yard field goal split the uprights and Bucky took the 3-0 lead with a little more than four minutes remaining in the first half.

Wisconsin’s defense was not done making plays in the second quarter, though. After one first down from LSU’s offense, Fournette gained nine yards on two carries to set up a 3rd-and-1. After the Heisman Trophy candidate was stuffed on third down, Les Miles decided to roll the dice on fourth down in his own territory. Fournette got the carry again, and he was stopped short of the first down by Jack Cichy and Arrington Farrar and Bucky took over on downs at the LSU 45.

Wheelwright would make his presence felt in the first half. The senior had four catches for 60 yards, three catches of which came in the first half. On the opening play of the drive, Houston found Wheelwright along the sideline, who broke a tackle and ran to the middle of the field for a 12-yard gain and a first down. That would set up Gaglianone for a 48-yard field goal, which he drilled with less than a minute left in the half. That would remain the score at the end of one half of play.

You can’t understate the job Wisconsin’s defense did in the first half. Now, no one will ever confuse LSU’s offense with the 1999 St. Louis Rams, but to hold a team to 64 yards of offense in the first half is really impressive. What is even more impressive is that they held arguably the nation’s best running back (and future top five draft pick) to just 35 yards on 11 carries. He would break off a few long runs in the second half to inflate his numbers, but for the most part, he was bottled up by a salty Wisconsin front seven. You knew LSU would not stay down for long, though.

However, the Tigers offense would pick up in the second half right where it left off in the first, going three and out and having to punt. Wisconsin would waste little time in the second half putting the first touchdown on the board. Following the LSU punt, the Badgers would travel 58 yards in less than two minutes to put them ahead by two scores. The first three plays of the drive went for first downs, starting with a 27-yard pass from Houston to tight end Troy Fumagalli to move the ball to the LSU 31. This would be the coming out party for Fumagalli. After having 500 yards receiving combined in his first two seasons, the big tight end would catch seven passes for an even 100 yards against the vaunted LSU defense. Clement would do the rest on the drive. The first three carries went for a combined 26 yards to move it to the 5. Then he would get the ball again and make a cut and fight his way into the end zone for the score. Clement was first ruled down at the 1, but after review, it was determined that he broke the plane. Bucky led 13-0.

Fournette finally made his presence felt on the next drive. He would gain 51 yards on the next four carries to move to the Wisconsin 32. But the Badgers defense would stand tall and push the Tigers back and force a punt. But that is the whole game changed.

After a few short runs from Clement set up a 3rd-and-4, Houston made a game-changing mistake. He went back to pass from his own end zone and fired a dangerous pass along the left sideline that was picked off by LSU’s Tre’Davious White, who picked it off and weaved his way 21 yards for the first Tigers score of the season.

It only got worse for the Badgers on the next drive. Even though Wisconsin still had the lead by six, the momentum was swinging to the side of the SEC school. After the kickoff, the Badgers gained one yard in two plays. On the third down, Houston found junior wide receiver George Rushing for a first down, but he would be hit and the ball came free. White recovered it for the Tigers and they were in business again at the Wisconsin 41. That was the third turnover for the Badgers and every one was painful. Thinking the defense would be on its heels after a sudden change of possession, Miles went for a shot. Brandon Harris struggled mightily on the day, only going 12-of-21 for 131 yards, but he would find a wide open Fournette down the left sideline for 31 yards. It would not take long for the Tigers to go from being down 13-0 to in front 14-13, as Harris threw a short pass to wide receiver Travin Dural, who shook free of D’Cota Dixon and waltzed into the end zone from 10 yards away. It was quite a turn of events.

The score would stay that way until late in the game. That isn’t to say there weren’t key plays, though. Starting inside linebacker T.J. Edwards broke his foot during the summer and would miss this game, so ‘Three sack’ Jack Cichy started in place of him. Already without Edwards, the other starting inside linebacker, Chris Orr, tore his ACL on the very first defensive snap of the season. Down both starting inside linebackers, former walk-on sophomore Ryan Connelly made one of the biggest plays of the game, and maybe the season. With LSU facing a 3rd-and-8 from its own 33, Miles called a screen pass. Harris threw it to Fournette and the blocking was set up nicely, but Connelly knifed through to bring down the 228-pound running back in the open field. That forced the Tigers to punt with a little more than eight minutes to play.

Wisconsin started at its own 23, looking for one of its biggest non-conference regular season wins of all-time. Houston, despite making his first start, looked as poise as you can be, completing all three passes he attempted on the drive for 38 yards. He and his big tight end got the drive rolling, as the two connected on 20-yard pass to move into Tigers territory. Backup running back Dare Ogunbowale would run for 14 yards on the the ensuing play and all of a sudden, Wisconsin was at the LSU 33. However, Paul Chryst would play it conservative and settle for the field goal attempt of 47 yards.

Gaglianone, wearing No. 27, had already hit two on the day, including one of 48. The kicker had switched his number to 27 from No. 10 to honor his friend Sam Foltz. In July of 2016, former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler and Foltz, who was entering his senior season at Nebraska, were returning from a kicking camp at Wisconsin when the car Sadler was driving lost control on wet pavement, left the road and struck a tree. Both were killed. LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also in the car, but he survived and needed stitches in addition to suffering burns to his legs. It would only make sense that Gaglianone would be called upon to give Wisconsin a lead against the No. 5 team in the country late in the game.

The snap was good and Gaglianone’s kick was drilled right down the middle to give the Badgers the 16-14 lead with 3:47 remaining. It did not make it by much, but it was plenty much for the Badgers. To celebrate his big-time kick, Gaglianone pointed to his jersey. “That one was for you brother,” he tweeted after the game. “I know you were looking down and helping me make those kicks!!”

LSU had one more chance, and it was up to Wisconsin’s defense to bring home the win. The Badgers wouldn’t have had it any other way. The Tigers offense had not done much of anything to that point, gaining just 217 yards. But the drive started well for LSU, as Harris found tight end DeSean Smith for 19 yards up to the 44. Three plays later, the Tigers looked to be in business, as Harris connected with future Green Bay Packer Malachi Dupri for a first down to move to the Wisconsin 45. That was only their second third down conversion of the game. It looked even more like LSU would come out of Lambeau with a win when Fournette blasted through a hole for 15 yards before being upended by safety Leo Musso and injuring his leg. That injury would force him to miss LSU’s next game against Jacksonville State. With less than a minute and half left in the game, the Tigers were without their best player and were just whistled for a false start. Instead of being able to run the ball with confidence since Fournette was out of the game, Harris had to put the ball in the air.

Going into the season, people wondered who would replace the starting safeties from 2015, Michael Caputo and Tanner McEvoy. Those two complemented each other well. Caputo was the safety who played in the box and McEvoy was the center fielder, leading the team with six interceptions as a senior. Most of all, Caputo added leadership to a young cornerback duo. Musso had to take on more of a leadership role, and helped lead a secondary that was second in the country in interceptions. The safeties combined for nine and would make numerous big plays throughout the season. Not one was bigger than D’Cota Dixon’s in the season opener.

Harris went back to pass on the game-deciding play, and quickly was under pressure from Vince Biegel, who came in unblocked. The LSU quarterback was able to spin away from Biegel and find some space to throw. Unfortunately, for the Tigers, he rushed his throw intended for wide receiver D.J. Chark that was picked off by Dixon to seal the deal. In celebration, the safety was leveled by LSU offensive lineman Josh Boutte, which deservedly got him ejected and suspended for the following week's game. Houston took a knee three times and the Badgers emerged with a monumental win over LSU at Lambeau Field. The win was the first victory for Wisconsin over an AP top five team while unranked since 1985. It also snapped LSU’s FBS-record 52-game non-conference winning streak. The Badgers also snapped a seven game losing streak to top 10 teams.

There are no words that can describe how big this victory was. For a team that came into the season with really low expectations by Wisconsin standards, this gave them confidence that they could compete with the big boys. This win jump-started the Badgers to what would turn out to be an incredible season that would end with a victory in the Cotton Bowl in Texas.

3. Wisconsin 34, Miami 24 (2017)

Wisconsin came into the 2017 Orange Bowl looking for a program-record 13th win. The Badgers torpedoed through the regular season, going 12-0 with only one game being won by one score. It was their first perfect regular season since 1912. However, they were stopped one win short of the College Football Playoff, as the Badgers fell 27-21 to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship. Their consolation was a berth in the Orange Bowl......against the Miami Hurricanes and their turnover chain. Just like the previous season when it was Wisconsin’s first trip to the Cotton Bowl, this would be the first trip to the Orange Bowl. It was their second meeting in a bowl game, with the Badgers winning the previous matchup 20-14 in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl. In a battle of two good defenses, I expected a low-scoring game. What we got was the Alex Hornibrook Show, as the Badgers quarterback threw four touchdown passes helping the Badgers win their 13th game of the season, 34-24.

Wisconsin received the ball to start, and would pick up a first down, moving into Miami territory. However, on Jonathan Taylor’s first carry of the game, he would carry the ball to the Hurricanes 30-yard-line, but would fumble. Well, he was down before he fumbled, but the officials ruled it a fumble anyway and it would be Miami football.

Enter the turnover chain.

Miami would blow into Wisconsin territory in two plays, which both picked up first downs. Wisconsin would hold the Canes after that, and Miami’s Michael Badgley would not even come close to making the field goal attempt. It was way wide right and way short. Wisconsin would take over in solid field position, and Jonathan Taylor would make up for his fumble on the previous drive by rushing four times for 38 yards, setting up a Rafael Gaglianone field goal to put Bucky on the board first.

But after that, the rest of the quarter was all Hurricanes. Just like their first drive, the Canes started out with two first downs on their first two plays and they moved inside the Badgers 40. Miami then went to the ground to score. Three players carried the ball on the final five plays of the drive, and it ended when Travis Homer blasted his way into the end zone from five yards away and Miami took a 7-3 lead.

It did not get better for Wisconsin, as it was called for a holding on the ensuing kickof return, and the Badgers had to start at their own 9. Three plays lost three yards, and the Badgers were forced to punt, and Anthony Lotti’s punt went out of bounds at the Wisconsin 45. Miami’s DeeJay Dallas made quick work of the Wisconsin defense, as he carried the ball twice on the drive, including a 39-yard touchdown run down the right sideline. In the span of three minutes, it went from a Wisconsin 3-0 lead to a 14-3 deficit.

The Badgers would be forced to punt from their own 22 on the next possession, so it looked like the Hurricanes would be in position to blow the game open. But the game turned in the other direction. After Homer was tackled for a loss of five to end the first quarter, Miami quarterback Malik Rosier tried to throw a wide receiver screen to Braxton Berrios, but was picked off by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. The interception set up the Badgers with great field position at the Canes 23. Three plays later, Wisconsin faced a 3rd-and-7 from the Miami 20. Hornibrook, who had a tremendous game, threw a back shoulder pass to freshman wide receiver Danny Davis. The freshman caught it inside the 5, despite blanket coverage from Miami’s Dee Delaney, and fell into the end zone for the score. As Matt Lepay would say, “....and the Badgers are back in the fight!”

That started a terrific evening for Hornibrook. For the game, he was 23-of-34 for 258 yards and four touchdowns. After the Van Ginkel interception, the sophomore quarterback ended the half completing 11 of 12 passes for 116 yards and three scores. He had a subpar first quarter, completing only three passes in nine attempts for 23 yards. But in his final three quarters, he was flawless, completing 20 of 25 passes for 235 yards and all four of his touchdowns.

Wisconsin’s defense stopped Miami’s offense in three plays on its next possession, so Hornibrook and company took advantage and re-captured the lead. He led the Badgers on a 12-play, 71-yard march that was capped off by another Hornibrook touchdown pass, this one to sophomore wide receiver A.J. Taylor. Star freshman running back Jonathan Taylor was bottled up on this particular drive, rushing for 15 yards on five carries, but Hornibrook more than made up for it. The Pennsylvania native was 4-for-4 on the drive for 46 yards, including the touchdown to A.J. Taylor. On the touchdown, once again, it was terrific coverage by the Miami defender. This time it was Sheldrick Redwine on the coverage, and Hornibrook threw it to a perfect spot. The Wisconsin quarterback made a great throw, but A.J. Taylor made an even better catch. He caught with his left hand while being covered tightly by Redwine, and secured the Badgers first lead of the quarter.

Miami’s offense went three plays and out once again, and Hornibrook went back to work. The Hurricanes defense stuffed Jonathan Taylor on this drive once again, but the Badgers quarterback looked like Aaron Rodgers once again. Hornibrook went 4-for-5 for 48 yards and a touchdown on the drive that gave them a 24-14 lead with 28 seconds left in the half. Two of his completions were on 3rd-and-long. Hornibrook’s touchdown pass was a pass over the middle to Danny Davis, his second of the game, who beat Redwine to give Bucky the 10-point lead going into halftime.

Playing in its home stadium, you knew Miami would not go away quietly. The Hurricanes cut the deficit to three on their second possession of the second half. After a short punt from Anthony Lotti, the Canes traveled 46 yards in just two plays. Rosier scrambled and found a wide open Lawrence Cager, who beat top cover man Nick Nelson, for a 38-yard score.

Miami had everything going its way, as it forced a Wisconsin three-and-out and then would travel 37 yards on two plays to move to the Badgers 24. But on 2nd-and-10, Rosier took a shot into the end zone and was picked off by the Florida native Derrick Tindal.

The teams would trade field goals following the interception, and the Badgers would need a touchdown to try to seal the game. In a big-time drive to give the Badgers the 34-24 lead, Jonathan Taylor ran the ball once for no yards. Hornibrook, on the other hand, threw the ball six times on the 8-play drive, going 6-for-6 for 74 yards and the touchdown. On the drive, the Badgers never once faced third down, and the drive was capped off with Davis’ third touchdown reception of the game. The true freshman had only caught two touchdowns in the first 13 games of the season.

Miami had one more opportunity in the game, as Jeff Thomas beat Tindal on a 48-yard reception down to the Wisconsin 10. But the ensuing three plays gained only four yards, and Badgley’s 24-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright. So with 4:34 to go and the Badgers up 10, it was all but over.

Wisconsin had a nice bounce back win over Miami after the crushing loss to Ohio State. It was a great ending to what was one of the best seasons in school history.