The Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the No. 16 USC Trojans at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night, looking to bounce back from their 17-7 loss to the No. 12 UCLA Bruins last weekend.
The Badgers were on a four-game win streak going into last weekend and were expected to be fresh coming off their bye. The defense stood up to the challenge, stopping one of the best rushing attacks in the NCAA, but they did struggle to defend third downs in the passing game.
USC, on the other hand, is coming off their bye week after an impressive 31-23 road win over Penn State, easing some of the tension from head coach Lincoln Riley. The Trojans are 6-1 this season, with their lone loss being to Oregon. But USC hasn’t been convincing in any of its recent wins, and they’re now heading on the road into another tough environment in Madison.
Heading into Saturday, we’ve got a loaded injury report on both sides.
For the Badgers, there are only five players with a ‘probable’ or ‘questionable’ diagnosis. Starters Javan Robinson, Darrion Dupree, and Austin Kawecki are probable, while running back Nate Palmer and wide receiver Malachi Coleman are questionable.
Wisconsin opened the week with Robinson and Coleman as questionable. Robinson was finally upgraded to probable on Friday, while Coleman remains questionable.
Kawecki has been probable all week. Dupree wasn’t on the injury report on Wednesday, but popped up on Thursday and Friday, although he was still listed as probable on both days. Palmer started the week as doubtful, but was upgraded to questionable on Thursday and Friday.
USC’s side is more of an issue. The Trojans are without wideout Terrell Anderson, wideout Corey Simms, safety Kendarius Reddick, linebacker Taylor Johnson, linebacker Roman Marchetti, and Kilian O’Connor.
Where things get more interesting is the questionable section, as tight end Mark Bowman, wideout Luc Weaver, and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri are all questionable for the game, while Jahkeem Stewart and Jaydn Walker are questionable.
Getting Bowman, a five-star true freshman, back for the Trojans would be huge. Former Wisconsin transfer Tucker Ashcraft could be the starter if Bowman remains out, as he’s been the last two games.
Elsewhere, Weaver saw an uptick in role with Anderson and Simms up for the season. He’s questionable.
Abasiri is also a key cog for the Trojans up front. Stewart, a former five-star and another much-needed player for USC, should play on Saturday night.