The Wisconsin Badgers closed out the 2019 season with a 28-27 loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
With the dust now settled, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye on the future as well.
QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS |.OFFENSIVE LINE | DEFENSIVE LINE |
High Point: Linebackers help bring Axe back to Madison
Two senior leaders, Zack Baun and Chris Orr, helped bring the Axe back to Madison after a convincing 38-17 win road win over Minnesota. From his outside linebacker position, Baun led the Badgers with nine tackles, including two sacks. Orr was right behind his counterpart with seven tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Both were excellent in their final season at UW.
Low Point: Orr goes down in Big Ten title game
Wisconsin was rolling in the first half of the Big Ten title game against Ohio State. Up 14-0, the Badgers were trying to keep the Buckeyes out of the end zone with roughly 6:30 left to play in the first half.
In an effort to tackle running back J.K. Dobbins, Orr banged helmets with teammate Garrett Rand. Both left the game. Rand returned on the next defensive series but Orr, UW's statistical and emotional leader on that side of the ball, did not.
“The ref was like, if you don’t get up, you’re going to have to go out,” Orr recalled. “I didn’t want to go out of the game, so I tried to hurry up and get out. If I would have collected myself more and just left for a play, I wouldn’t have missed any time."
“But because I got all wobbly,” Orr added, “I really couldn’t go back in the game.
Ohio State scored on its first five possessions of the second half to turn a 21-7 deficit into a run-away victory.
“It was demoralizing to see everybody go to war, come up short and you can’t be there with them, physically,” Orr said. “It’s hard to sit there and watch any time you are forced to watch football, the game you love. You put all these hours of work in to get to that position and then you have to watch. There’s no worse feeling than that.”
Pro Football Focus
2020 Snapshot
What To Watch In Spring Camp
Wisconsin will have to replace two of its four starting linebackers in 2020, along with reserves Tyler Johnson (graduation) and Christian Bell (transfer). On the inside, Leo Chenal is expected to fill Orr's starting job, though he'll be pushed by Mike Maskalunas. On the outside, Baun leaves a huge void as an edge pass rusher. Izayah Green-May, Jaylan Franklin and Spencer Lytle are options to start opposite Noah Burks in his place. Preston Zachman, Nick Herbig and Jordan Turner are expected to enroll early for spring camp, with Malik Reed, Kaden Johnson and Aaron Witt coming in this summer.
