The Wisconsin Badgers closed out their abbreviated 2020 season with a 42-28 victory over Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec.30.

In a year where COVID dominated the headlines, BadgerBlitz.com looks back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye toward the future.

QBs | RBs / FBs | WRs | TEs | O-Line |

The No.1 goal of Wisconsin’s defense annually is stopping the run and making opponents one dimensional. With two veteran defensive ends in Isaiahh Loudermilk and Garrett Rand setting the edge and Keeanu Benton taking on double teams up the middle, the Badgers were stout from start to finish in not letting teams move the ball on the ground.

The Badgers finished the season allowing just 96.1 rushing yards per game, the top mark in the Big Ten and the fifth-best number in the nation. The Badgers allowed only one rush over 31 yards all season, held three straight opponents under 100 team rush yards, allowed only two players to break 100 yards rushing and only gave up two touchdowns on the ground (both in the fourth quarter with no impact on the final score).

Junior nose tackle Bryson Williams earned his starting job in 2019 because he performed so well in place of an injured Olive Sagapolu the year before. Unfortunately for him, the knee injury he suffered early last season has relegated him to a back-up role. That’s not to say Williams isn’t a good player, because he is, but Benton has been solid for the Badgers over the last two seasons in the middle of the defensive line, having not missed a game and logging 11 starts. This season, Benton played 173 snaps to Williams’ 49.

Having depth certainly doesn’t hurt and Williams and Benton were the only two nose tackles on the roster last season. In a year where there really wasn’t a low point for the unit, it was disappointing to see Williams not be utilized more by defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield.

With Breckterfield reportedly off to Vanderbilt, the Badgers’ next defensive line coach will have the task of replacing both starters at the defensive end position. Loudermilk declared for the NFL Draft and Rand announced he is retiring from football due to health concerns. While Matt Henningsen can slot into that role after missing most of the season with a left arm injury (he has 15 career starts), the spot opposite him will be home to some fierce competition between a host of young recruits like juniors Boyd Dietzen and Isaiah Mullens, redshirt sophomores Rodas Johnson and Gio Paez and sophomore Cade McDonald, the latter two getting a combined 27 snaps in the bowl game.