MADISON, Wis. – Nobody in the Big Ten West had more games canceled than the University of Wisconsin due to COVID. It’s part of the reason why the Badgers didn’t want to miss any more opportunities to play.

Even though UW fell far short of its expectations of competing for a Big Ten championship and a berth in the College Football Playoffs, there’s been an excitement level in the program with the Badgers (3-3) being invited to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to face Wake Forest (4-4) next Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C.

“Beginning of the season, we wanted the opportunity to be able to play,” head coach Paul Chryst said. “As the season progressed, and even at the end (in) a conversation with Coach Alvarez, if we found a way to earn a way to an opportunity to play in another game, we would gladly accept it. I’m grateful for the team for giving us the opportunity.”

Following last weekend’s conclusion of Big Ten games, Minnesota, Nebraska and Penn State all announced they would not pursue a bowl game. The Gophers had been dealing with COVID issues throughout the final month of the regular season, while the Huskers and Nittany Lions avoided any canceled games due to an outbreak on their team.

All three teams finished with losing records but with the NCAA waiving win requirements for this bowl season, there would have been a spot for them considering eight teams with losing records were invited to play bowl games.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to have one more game,” Chryst said. “Our kids are excited about it.”

Not surprisingly, Wisconsin’s bowl experience will look vastly different than it has in past years. A usual bowl berth would give the Badgers at least three weeks off and 15 practices, some of which the staff would use for developmental practices for younger players.

The Badgers only have nine days on campus before leaving for Charlotte with the lengthened regular season, leaving limited time to work the reserves.

“We can sneak a very little in, and we’re gonna, but the truth of it is, it is more like a long game week than it is a short bowl prep,” Chryst said. “Just with the way it is right now and the roster, guys are still able to get a lot of work.”

The players were set to go through individual work this past Tuesday and Wednesday have a practice designed to focus solely on internal issues.

“Those will be great opportunities for young guys that are playing and young guys that maybe aren’t playing, and can still get some good work,” Chryst said.

Wisconsin typically leaves a week before its bowl kickoff to practice on site, participate in media responsibilities and take part in bowl-coordinated activities. Because of COVID, the Badgers will leave for Charlotte the day before and depart back to Madison or head home before returning for the first day of classes, set for Jan. 25.

“Our kids, many will leave from Charlotte to go back home,” he said. "They’ll have a good chunk of time back home."

Offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph said Wednesday that “there’s a chance” senior left tackle Cole Van Lanen could play in Wednesday’s bowl game after an injury flared up the day before UW hosted Minnesota. The decision was relatively easy to move Jon Dietzen back to left tackle, a position where he started all 12 games in 2018, but the senior hadn’t worked at the position the entire season in games or practice.

To help knock the rust off, Rudolph said the two worked on a crash course in the offensive line room Saturday morning, followed by the two working on sets in the indoor practice facility.

“He beat me around for a little while, but we got all hit fits and I thought he did a great job,” Rudolph said. “He really did. I thought he stepped up. To me, there was a group of seniors that gave everything they had in that game and he was one of them. I’m really proud of him.”

Chryst had no health update on players who missed Wisconsin’s win over Minnesota Saturday (namely receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor and Van Lanen) or quarterback Graham Mertz, who suffered a head injury in the third quarter and did not return (he was spotted on the field after the game celebrating with his teammates). In his place, sophomore quarterback Chase Wolf finished 4-for-5 for 15 yards, a 4-yard touchdown on his first pass and an interception.

“Every time you get to play, those are valuable reps and these certainly with the game in the balance,” Chryst said. “You appreciate a guy who is ready to come in. Throughout all this year and last, and his teammates know this, Chase is a guy who will do anything he can for this team. It was fun to see.”

True freshman Jalen Berger hasn’t played since testing positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 11, the day before UW played at Iowa. The true freshman has a chance to return for the bowl game since a recent decision by the Big Ten reduced the number of days players must sit out after contracting COVID-19 from 21 to 17.

“You think he’s going through COVID protocol, but here is a freshman, far away from home, that has to be isolated all by himself,” Rudolph said. “That sucks, man. It’s hard enough getting through all of this. The kids that have gone through all of this, I give them a lot of credit.”

In three games this season, Beger leads the team in rushing with 267 yards and an average of 5.9 yards per carry.