Tyson Gay takes down Usain Bolt - Universal Sports
LEXINGTON, US - The teenage daughter of former US Olympic sprinter, Tyson Gay, has died in a shooting in the state of Kentucky in the US.
Police say 15-year-old Trinity Gay, a star high school runner herself, was struck by a bullet during a shootout at about 4 am in the parking lot of the Cook Out restaurant.
She was pronounced dead at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital.
Witnesses told police gunfire was exchanged between a gray Dodge Charger and a dark-colored sports car with tinted windows. Authorities found the Dodge and detained two people for questioning as they continue to search for the other vehicle.
Messages of support came to Tyson Gay and his family from the athletics world.
"Sending our thoughts and prayers to TysonLGay and his loved ones as they mourn the tragic and senseless loss of his daughter, Trinity," USA Track and Field tweeted.
"Condolences to Tyson Gay and his family... 15-year-old girl dies after shooting at Lexington restaurant," tweeted former Olympic sprint rival Ato Boldon from Trinidad and Tobago.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper, Trinity Gay was a sophomore sprint star at Lafayette High School, where her father once ran. She was a fourth-generation sprinter who placed fourth in last year"s girls 100m state final.
"Our hearts are broken this morning over the loss of Trinity to this tragic and senseless act of violence," Fayette County School Superintendent Manny Caulk said in a statement to the newspaper.
Tyson Gay is the fastest sprinter in history not to have an Olympic medal after a career nagged by doping disqualifications.
The 2007 world 100- and 200-meter champion and four-time US 100m champion suffered a hamstring injury at the 2008 Olympic trials and did not medal at Beijing.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Gay was on the US 4x100 relay that finished second to Usain Bolt-led Jamaica but the Americans were stripped of the medal in 2014 based on a positive test by Gay in May of 2013 that he blamed on an unnamed third party.
Gay served his suspension and returned to run again two months ago at the Rio Olympics where the Americans ran third in the 4x100 relay behind Jamaica and Japan, only to be disqualified because of a faulty exchange between teammates Justin Gatlin and Mike Rodgers.
Tennessee hasn"t beaten Georgia in Athens, Ga., since Oct. 7, 2006.
Mark Bergin, WBIR 5:03 AM. EST October 04, 2016
Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel runs the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Neyland Stadium on Oct. 10, 2015. (Photo: Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports)
ATHENS, Ga. -No. 11 Tennessee takes its 10-game winning streak on the road for its first SEC road game of the season on Saturday afternoon against the No. 25 Georgia Bulldogs.
A win against Georgia would give Tennessee its first 5-0 start since the 1998 national championship season.
The Vols havent beaten the Bulldogs in Athens, Ga., since Oct. 7, 2006.
Heres what you need to know about Georgia:
Editors Note: The AP Top 25 Poll was used for the rankings in this story. This story was originally published on Sept. 30, and has been corrected to fix embeds.
Overview: Ole Miss walloped Georgia 45-14 last Saturday.
The Rebels led 45-0 until midway through the fourth quarter of the game.
First-year head coach Kirby Smart leads Georgia after spending the past eight seasons at Alabama, primarily as the teams defensive coordinator.
Smart was a four-year letterman as a defensive back at Georgia from 1995-1998. He began his coaching career as an administrative assistant with Georgia in 1999.
Date: Oct. 1
Game Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
TV: CBS
Site: Sanford Stadium
Nickname: Bulldogs
2016 Record: 3-1 (1-1 SEC)
Coach: Kirby Smart
Series against UT: Tennessee is 22-21-2 all-time against Georgia. The Vols snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bulldogs in 2015 with a thrilling 38-31 comeback win at Neyland Stadium.
The last four meetings between the teams have been decided by seven points or less.
The series dates back to 1899.
Georgia is a home underdog this week for just the second time in the last 10 years.
Phil Steele (@philsteele042) September 27, 2016
Things to know about the Georgia Bulldogs
1.The possible return of junior running back Nick Chubb:Multiple media outlets reported Chubb will miss Saturday"s game against Tennessee with an ankle injury.
The Bulldogs running back injured his ankle during the first half of the Ole Miss game. Chubb had 12 carries for 57 yards before the injury.
Although Tennessee coach Butch Jones said he anticipates seeing Chubb in uniform, it is unclear if Chubb will play.
SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaumreported Smart said Chubb is a game-time decision for Saturday"s game.
Georgia will rely on freshman Brian Herrien and junior Sony Michel if Chubb doesnt play.
Butch: I have a tremendous amount of respect for Nick Chubb, and we 100% anticipate him playing. You want to face teams at their best.
Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) September 28, 2016
Chubb hasnt rushed for more than 100 yards in a game since Georgias season-opening 33-24 win against North Carolina on Sept. 3.The Bulldogs running back had 32 attempts for 222 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Tar Heels.
Chubb had 13 consecutive games where he ran for at least 100 yards before a season-ending left knee injury on the first play from scrimmage against Tennessee a year ago.
During the past three seasons, Georgia is 11-3 in games where Chubb rushes for 100 yards or more.
Chubb enters Saturdays game third in the SEC in rushing yards.
2. Freshman quarterback Jacob Eason to make his fourth start: Eason is the first Bulldogs true freshman starting quarterback since Matthew Stafford in 2006.
Senior quarterback Greyson Lambert started the season-opener against North Carolina. Eason is 2-1 as a starter.
Eason"s favorite target is junior wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, who has a team-best 21 receptions for 318 receiving yards and five total touchdowns.
3. Both teams have a knack for comeback wins: The Bulldogs rallied from a 10-point deficits in wins against North Carolina and Missouri.
Tennessee rallied from a 10-point deficit against Appalachian State, a 14-point deficit against Virginia Tech and a 21-point deficit against Florida.
4. Both teams are ranked: Tennessee is 8-5 against Georgia when the two teams are ranked. The last time both squads met while in the top 25 came in 2006.
With the game on the line, Georgia turned to a personnel grouping that has rarely worked all year long.
Nick Chubb lined up as a fullback, and Isaiah McKenzie motioned as a receiver. The options on this play, in any formation, have been to either run the ball with Chubb up the middle or get McKenzie to the outside. Georgia went with the sweep to McKenzie, who was stopped on fourth-and-1 by Vanderbilt star inside linebacker Zach Cunningham.
Just like that, ballgame.
Vanderbilt picked up its first road SEC win under head coach Derek Mason in 10 attempts by beating Georgia 17-16. The Commodores (3-4, 1-3 SEC) only totaled 173 yards on offense yet came out with the victory over Georgia (4-3, 2-3), which posted 421 total yards.
Four who mattered
Eason: Eason had a bounce-back game after a dreadful performance a week ago. Against the Commodores, Eason completed 27-of-40 passes for 346 yards and a touchdown. It also marked the first time in five games he did not throw an interception.
Cunningham: Cunningham was all over the place making plays on the defensive side. He finished the game with 19 tackles (six solo) and was a force in controlling Georgias running game. Cunningham was the one who tackled McKenzie to win the game.
Georgia outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter: Carter had himself a big day rushing the passer, as he picked up two sacks. Carter now has four sacks for the season, all of which have come in the past three games.
Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb: Webb was bottled up in the running game but had the Commodores best play on a 37-yard screen pass. It helped set up the eventual game-winning touchdown. He finished with 48 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards.
Turning point
Struggling all game offensively and down 16-10, Vanderbilt drove the ball 75 yards down the field to take the lead. On that particular drive, Webb took a third-down screen 37 yards deep into Georgia territory, which helped set up a 2-yard Khari Blasingame score.
Observations
Killer penalties: Georgia finished the game with eight penalties for 53 yards. It was quite an undisciplined display of football throughout in this department. But the biggest penalty came with a little more than seven minutes to go in the game. Brandon Kublanow was called for a hold on a play in which Eason would have picked up 20 yards on a scramble. Instead of getting points, Georgia ended up punting to end the drive.
Lack of run game: A week after gashing South Carolina for 326 rushing yards, the Bulldogs were contained to a season-low 75 yards on the ground. This came a week after Kentuckys rushing attack accounted for 258 yards in a win over the Commodores. Webb outrushed Nick Chubb 48-40 by the end of the game.
Special teams coverage problems persist: Outside of place-kicking, Georgia had a tough time with special teams. On the opening kickoff, Darrius Sims returned the ball 95 yards to the Georgia 4-yard line, which had 2 yards added to the end of the play due to an offsides penalty. Sims nearly had another big return but was tackled by place-kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. Vanderbilt punter Sam Loy ended up averaging 47.2 yards per attempt on kicks that went low and were avoided. Head coach Kirby Smart was visibly upset with his special teams unit again following the loss.
Worth mentioning
First field goals beyond 30: Blankenship hit field goals from 45, 22 and 36 yards, in that order, against the Commodores. It marked the first time Georgia was able to get a field goal from more than 30 yards this season.
Bellamys big individual day: Georgia outside linebacker Davin Bellamy tied a career high with eight tackles. This included a shared sack in the fourth quarter alongside defensive lineman David Marshall.
Ledbetter contributes: In his first game since serving a six-game suspension, defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter posted a career-best four tackles.
They said it
Smart on the loss: We didnt play very well. We didnt coach very well. We didnt come out with very good passion and energy. I was really disappointed in the start of the game, and we lost momentum in the half there.
McKenzie on losing to Vanderbilt: We just have to get better. Theres nothing you can do about it. They came out and competed. They won the game and they did their best job. Now we have to go back to practice and do do our job and play the best Georgia football we can play.
Mason on what the victorys meaning: Its the biggest win that Ive had probably in my career because Im the head coach. Im not an assistant coach. This is a win that I think could help move this program forward. Again, I want our fans to get excited about Vanderbilt football.
Whats next?
Georgia is off next week and will head to Jacksonville for its annual game against Florida on Oct. 29.
James Hermsen said the best part of pedaling a pedicab on Husker gamedays is meeting people.
That seems odd, when you consider most of the time his customers only see his back.
Well, you lean back and you can talk and visit and find out why theyre in town, what they want to see and how much they love Nebraska football, said Hermsen, who has been pedaling his pedicab for five years.
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More people than ever want to ride the pedicabs to Memorial Stadium, to the bars and back to their hotels and their parking place than ever before.
Hermsen was one of the first, and now there are almost 40 pedicabs available in Lincoln on Friday nights and gamedays.
Dan Warren has seen his pedicab business grow from one bike to 10 and now to 25. Hes considering buying 10 more of the $4,000-$5,000 bikes that can carry the rider and up to four passengers. His Pedal Pushers business is in operation almost year-round.
He got started in the business when he asked a pedicab driver in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, if he could take over pedaling. He came back to the U.S. and started up pedaling in Lincoln almost immediately.
A week ago, he had seven of his pedicabs take a wedding party from 40th Street and Sheridan Boulevard to the Country Club of Lincoln.
"When Pinnacle Bank Arena opened, I decided to expand, and we keep growing, Warren said.
Hermsen has taken his pedicab to Sturgis, South Dakota, for the big motorcycle rally and to the College World Series in Omaha. We really dont have to sell much once people see us and hop in, he said. "I think people want to have fun. Travel in a different way, travel in style. Sometimes, for the older folks, its a great way to get from The Cornhusker Mariott to the West Stadium.
The pedicab pedalers stake out corners in the Haymarket, and at Ninth and O streets, 13th and Q, and 12th and P.
Theres competition, but its not cutthroat, because there is plenty of business for everybody, Warren said. New York City, now there is aggressive competition. Here, weve all got enough to go around.
A lot of the business comes from word of mouth and some from repeat customers. Warrens Pedal Pushers take reservations (402-610-6227).
We get a lot of reservations, and once in a while, weve have the group of guys who just want to tour Lincoln and ride around for five hours, stopping at hot spots and see the sights, Warren said.
Hermsen, who sells eyewear for Spokiz (glasses for kids without ears) as his full-time job, said even the long days of pedaling 600 to 800 pounds of people and biking up the hill from the arena to the stadium is fun.
You have to be in shape and you have to really love it, because you start in the morning and you finish after midnight, he said.
The pedal masters work for tips.
Warren said tips are usually $10 to $20, but occasionally there are the ride-and-dash customers.
But they appreciate a good ride, some conversation and a time to relax and they come back the next week, he said.
There is music available in some pedicabs. Hermsen has a device that you can plug in earphones and he brings a blanket.
The pedicabs are insured, and for Warren"s Pedal Pushers, the pedicabs are leased for the day to the different pedalers.
Everybody in the business needs to be a bike guy, be able to ride those 50-mile rides, at least, or its going to be a short day, said Warren, who works for Aqua Systems during the week. I love riding the bike and most of the guys I hire are bike guys.
Hermsen said since most of the pedalers are bike-experienced, they know how to stoke up on carbs during the day, stay hydrated and maybe take a break to let the lactic acid wear off.
And the best thing is when Nebraska wins, Warren said. You feel good. The fans feel great and everybody feels like partying and having some more fun.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers in 30 Minutes - 10/15/16
Clemson took the lead with Watsons strike to Scott. Edmond then reached high to grab a long throw down the middle from Ryan Finley of the Wolfpack, and the Tigers escaped with their goals of the A.C.C. title game and the College Football Playoff intact.
ARKANSAS 34, MISSISSIPPI 30 Jared Cornelius scored on a 6-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to lift No. 22 Arkansas (5-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) over No. 12 Mississippi (3-3, 1-2).
The junior Austin Allen went 19 of 32 for 229 yards and three touchdowns for the Razorbacks. Arkansass Rawleigh Williams added a career-high 180 yards rushing on 27 carries.
SYRACUSE 31, VA. TECH 17 Eric Dungey accounted for 417 yards and two touchdowns, and host Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 A.C.C.) stunned No. 17 Virginia Tech (4-2, 2-1) for its first victory over a ranked opponent since 2012.
Fans stormed the field and carried Dungey off after he passed for 311 yards and ran for 106. He scored on a 1-yard sneak to give the Orange a 24-17 lead with 7 minutes 56 seconds to go.
ALABAMA 49, TENNESSEE 10 Jalen Hurts and Bo Scarbrough each rushed for more than 100 yards, and No. 1 Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC) again got points from its defense and special teams in a blowout at No. 9 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2).
Hurts, the Crimson Tides freshman quarterback, ran for 132 yards and three touchdowns as Alabama outrushed the Volunteers, 438 yards to 32. Scarbrough rushed for 109 yards on five carries, including an 85-yard touchdown.
NEBRASKA 27, INDIANA 22 Terrell Newby ran for one score, Tommy Armstrong Jr. hooked up with Stanley Morgan Jr. on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 9:57 to play, and No. 10 Nebraska (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) held off host Indiana (3-3, 1-2).
The Cornhuskers won their seventh straight game over all and their fifth in a row in the series, the last one played in 1978. It was also the first time that Nebraska has won its first six games since 2001.
BAYLOR 49, KANSAS 7 Seth Russell threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more while playing only in the first half, Ryan Reid returned the first of his two interceptions for a score, and No. 11 Baylor (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) routed Kansas (1-5, 0-3) in Waco, Tex.
HOUSTON 38, TULSA 31 Emeke Egbule returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:21 remaining to allow No. 13 Houston (6-1, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) to survive host Tulsa (4-2, 1-1).
FLORIDA ST. 17, WAKE FOREST 6 Travis Rudolph had a career-high 13 receptions for 238 yards as No. 14 Florida State (5-2, 2-2 A.C.C.) overcame three turnovers to defeat visiting Wake Forest (5-2, 2-2).
N. CAROLINA 20, MIAMI 13 Mitch Trubisky threw two touchdown passes, Malik Carney forced a turnover with 1:31 left to thwart Miamis final chance, and visiting North Carolina (5-2, 3-1 A.C.C.) upset the No. 16 Hurricanes (4-2, 1-2).
FLORIDA 40, MISSOURI 14 Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson returned interceptions for touchdowns, helping No. 18 Florida (5-1, 3-1 SEC) pound visiting Missouri (2-4, 0-3) to move into first place in the conferences Eastern Division.
OKLAHOMA 38, KANSAS ST. 17 Baker Mayfield completed 25 of 31 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns, Dede Westbrook had nine receptions for 184 yards and three scores, and No. 19 Oklahoma (5-2, 3-0 Big 12) pulled away from visiting Kansas State (3-3, 1-2).
W. VIRGINIA 48, TEXAS TECH 17 Skyler Howard ran for two touchdowns and threw for a third to lead No. 20 West Virginia (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) past host Texas Tech (3-3, 1-2) and keep the Mountaineers in the hunt for the conference title.
UTAH 19, OREGON ST. 14 Joe Williams, who left the team after the second game of the season because of injuries, returned and had a 5-yard first-quarter touchdown run for No. 21 Utah (6-1, 3-1 Pacific-12) as the Utes topped host Oregon State (2-4, 1-2).
W. MICHIGAN 41, AKRON 0 Jarvion Franklin rushed for a team-record 281 yards, Zach Terrell threw for two scores and ran for two more, and No. 24 Western Michigan (7-0, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) ranked in the top 25 for the first time in team history pounded host Akron (4-3, 2-1).
EAST
ILLINOIS 24, RUTGERS 7 Kendrick Foster scored two touchdowns, Darius Mosely returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown, and Illinois (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten) halted a four-game losing streak with a win at Rutgers (2-5, 0-4).
S. FLORIDA 42, UCONN 27 Quinton Flowers passed for two touchdowns and ran for three more, and South Florida (6-1, 3-0 American) finished with 316 yards rushing in its win over Connecticut (3-4, 1-3) in Tampa, Fla.
SACRED HEART 31, CORNELL 24 Nate Chavious ran for two touchdowns, R. J. Noel threw for two more even as he was picked off four times, and visiting Sacred Heart (5-1) held off Cornell (3-2).
PRINCETON 31, BROWN 7 John Lovett threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third to lead Princeton (4-1, 2-0 Ivy League) past visiting Brown (1-4, 0-2).
HOLY CROSS 27, HARVARD 17 Geoff Wade threw for two touchdowns as Holy Cross (3-4) handed visiting Harvard (4-1) its first loss of the season.
FORDHAM 44, YALE 37 Kevin Anderson went 18 of 27 for 270 yards and five touchdowns four in the first half and host Fordham (4-2) edged Yale (1-4).
DARTMOUTH 20, TOWSON 17 Charlie Miller and Jeremiah Douchee blocked field-goal attempts in the final three minutes, and host Dartmouth (3-2) held on against Towson (1-5).
PENN 35, COLUMBIA 10 Alek Torgersen threw three touchdown passes to help Pennsylvania (3-2, 2-0 Ivy) trounce Columbia (1-4, 0-1) in Philadelphia.
STONY BROOK 14, RHODE ISLAND 3 Stacey Bedell and Jordan Gowins, who each ran for more than 100 yards, punched in back-to-back fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead host Stony Brook (4-2, 3-0 Colonial) over Rhode Island (1-6, 0-4).
MARIST 44, MOREHEAD ST. 41 Mike White passed for 377 yards and five touchdowns, Juston Christian caught six passes for 217 yards and three scores, and the two hooked up for a 32-yard game winner in overtime as visiting Marist (3-3, 3-0 Pioneer League) outlasted Morehead State (2-5, 1-3).
WAGNER 25, C.C.S.U. 21 Matthias McKinnons 1-yard touchdown run with 1:06 left capped a 15-point fourth quarter, and visiting Wagner (4-2, 2-0 Northeast Conference) rallied to beat Central Connecticut State (1-5, 0-2).
"The Dawgs Are Coming" 2016-17 UGA Football Hype Video
On Oct. 9, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took part in the second presidential debate, the two facing new scandals that arose over the past two weeks.
One of these topics, concerning Republican candidate Donald Trump and his defense Sunday night of lewd comments hemade about women in 2005, evoked a viral response from former University of Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley.
When probed at the debate for his reasoning behind his comments about kissing and groping women and making sexual advances towards married women, Trump said it was locker room talk."
Conley tweeted about Trump"s statement, saying that, as an athlete who spends a lot of time in a locker room, the candidate"s comments were not reflective of "locker room talk."
Conleys first tweet received over 9,300 likes and over 5,700 retweets as of 2 a.m. Oct. 10, but also spurred several negative responses, some of which got deleted due to the current Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers replies.
After a large response, Conley posted a tweet standing by his prior position.
This story appears in the Oct. 17, 2016, issue of Sports Illustrated. Subscribe to the magazine here.
Growing up in Brookfield, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee, Chikwe Obasih lived a few minutes drive from Joe Thomas, the Browns" All-Pro offensive tackle, who was a stalwart on Wisconsin"s offensive line from 2003 through "06. Thomas"s mother, Sally, was Obasih"s school nurse at Hillside Elementary, and he eventually went to Brookfield Central, a high school known for churning out Badgers players. By his junior year Obasih, a defensive end, was the No. 1 recruit in the state in his class, and he looked like a lock to head to Madison.
But Obasih resisted. He didn"t want to feel forced into the Wisconsin pipeline, so he considered Stanford, Vanderbilt and Illinois. Eventually, though, he signed with the Badgers. It just made too much sensealthough logic has played almost no role in his football career since.
Now a junior on a unit that has not finished worse than No. 7 in total defense during his time in Madison, Obasih may not be the Badgers" best-known player, but he"s the heart of their squad, embodying the ethos of the D: Embrace the weird.
Obasih is an outsized character, and one of the ways he expresses that is by assigning his teammates ... characters. Junior outside linebacker T.J. Watt, Obasih says, is Arnold Schwarzenegger in a comedic role. "He"s the type who"s going to start playing Christmas music in October and come screaming down the hallway singing joyfully," he adds. "Action Schwarzenegger" is a designation reserved for Watt"s injured position mate, mullet-wearing senior Vince Biegel. Junior inside linebacker Jack Cichy is a "little rabid bunny who has claws, and he tries to be really badass, but he"s just adorable." Fellow inside linebacker T.J. Edwards is Uncle Tito from the early 2000s Nickelodeon show Rocket Power, Obasih says, comparing the "15 freshman All-America to a storytelling Hawaiian fry cook. And so he works his way through the entire starting defense, dropping references to everything from Batman & Robin to The Pink Panther.
Obasih doesn"t comment on his own role, but he fancies himself the director of this slapstick comedy turned on-field horror film. Really, though, it"s new coordinator Justin Wilcox who"s orchestratingand in many ways fosteringthe madness. Going into Saturday"s game against No. 2 Ohio State in Madison, this crazy and cohesive group will be the key to the eighth-ranked Badgers" attack on the Big Ten"s most versatile and talented team.
*****
Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire/AP
In the bowels of Camp Randall Stadium, a massive television mounted on a wall next to the Badger Alley Bistro is tuned to the Big Ten Network, which is rebroadcasting Wisconsin"s showdown with Michigan at the Big House. It"s the Wednesday after the game, and a group of elementary school children is there for a field trip. On the TV it"s 70 Wolverines, and one of the boys looks up, tugs a friend"s sleeve and asks if the Badgers are playing right now. "No," the friend says. "They played already. They lost. But not a lot of points."
Even the kid knows where to find a bright spot in a loss. The Badgers ended up falling 147, dropping them to 41, but "not a lot of points" has been their thing. Wisconsin, unranked in the preseason, came out of nowhere to beat No. 5 LSUand former defensive coordinator Dave Arandain Week 1, allowing only 14 points, and since then the team has given up 10, 17, 6 and 14 to enter Saturday"s game with the FBS"s fourth-best scoring defense (12.2 points per game). The Badgers have held opponents to a Big Ten-leading 90.4 rushing yards per game (along with 291.4 total yards, better than all but 10 FBS teams), and their secondary, a potential weakness entering 2016, has surrendered only three passing touchdowns.
Their formula relies on a stout run defense that allows minimal gains on first down, which limits offenses" options on second down, then applying the heat on third, when Wisconsin has held opponents to just a 23.0% conversion rate. In Ohio State"s power spread, which is averaging 53.2 points and 537.6 yards, the D will face its toughest test this season. Sophomore linebacker Chris Orr, who tore his ACL on Wisconsin"s first defensive series of 2016, still travels with the team and watches film with Wilcox. The keys to stopping the Buckeyes, he says, are exactly the things the Badgers do well: Line up fast, play with tempo and dominate in the trenches. The pass rush will also be crucial, which means the Badgers will need linebackers Garret Dooley, a junior, and Zack Baun, a freshman, to continue to play at a high level. "People try to hype up football like it"s a bigger game than it is," Orr says. "It"s really simple: Play fast, play smart, play physical." Still, to come out with a win, Wisconsin"s defense will have to be close to perfecta reality that bothers not one of its players.
BECHT: Bowl Projections: Where will Wisconsin, Ohio State play in postseason?
Cichy, whose wavy brown hair is shaved on the sides and long on top, looks more like a Mad Max character than a long-eared mammal, and he"s exacting in his view of defense. "We see a lot of these games that are 5048 or something," he says. "I couldn"t play defense like that." Senior free safety Leo Musso agrees. This unit"s mentality, he says, is that 14 points is 14 too many, regardless of the result. Says Wilcox, "You never condone in victory that which you wouldn"t in defeat."
Aranda was the mad scientist behind that mentality. During his three years in Madison the Badgers were first in the country in yards allowed per game, surrendering just 289.4. Their scoring defense ranked second, passing defense second and rushing defense fourth. Wilcox, who arrived after two seasons at USC, inherited a group light on big-name recruits (among the starters there are just two four-star prospects and no five-stars) but long on both experience and that very Wisconsin brand of tough. In light of the team"s success Wilcox knew major changes weren"t in order. Instead, he took the 34 man defense Wisconsin has run for years and tweaked it, changing only the terms for play calls, not for reading offensive formations. He drilled down on fundamentals during spring ball to help forge a defense in which technique would become instinct, so that regardless of talent or athleticism, Wisconsin could line up and play with anyone.
By the time camp started, the new coordinator was able to set his players (relatively) free. "Once they understand the concepts of the defense and the techniques that they can use at their position, then they need to go play the game," Wilcox says. "I just don"t want them to be robotic, and there"s a fine line in there. Freedom is a bit of a relative term. But as long as you know where you fit within things, then yeah, play the game."
For the players Wilcox was a perfect fit. None disparage Aranda"s approachhow could they?but for a group whose core has played together for years, this freedom feels earned. "I think we"re not so uptight," senior cornerback Sojurn Shelton says. "My previous years here, don"t get me wrong, I played among some pretty good [defenses]. But this year, guys are coming out and being who they are." Quirks and all.
*****
Patrick S Blood/Icon Sportswire/AP
The week before Wisconsin"s Sept. 24 win over then No. 8 Michigan State 306, Biegel went to the barber to update his mullet. He often has designs shaved into the close-cropped sides of his head, but this time he decided to have them shaved completely, which left him looking an awful lot like Cichy. The two linebackers are already connected by position and by their reputation as the two loudest players on the defense, although Cichy says his screams are motivational while Biegel"s are nonsense, yelling for yelling"s sake.
The two aren"t afraid to disagree, which they often do. But their jawing is restricted to the field, good-natured and often constructive. Cichy thinks it"s a by-product of how much the pair cares, and the tendency to chatter among themselves spread to the whole unit once the players were comfortable enough around one another that no hard feelings would ensue. "You don"t have to agree with the way I see things, but if you can understand it and respect it and you can add your input, I think that"s really big," says Shelton. "And that"s a really big key. If Jack sees something on the field, and I think it"s different, we can definitely talk about it without it being a big situation."
FIAMMETTA: Power Rankings: Big Ten dominates the top 10 after Week 6
The Badgers have also tried to channel more emotion into games this year. They"ve found they play better when they"re tackling with abandon, when they care less about how things look and more about how they feel. Shelton says he doesn"t mind if opposing players or fans think they look arrogant; that"s not what celebrations mean to him. Screaming, hand motions, dancesthey"re all outgrowths of a good play and of the years of work he and his teammates have put into the game.
With so many characters, though, it"s easy to wonder how the operation remains so cohesive. This summer, when the unit was running stairs, one playerguys decline to say whodecided to have some fun, cheering and laughing as he ran to get through the ordeal. It was how he coped. Another defender didn"t like that reaction and voiced his displeasure. The two began to squabble, but Watt intervened, and the tension passed as quickly as it popped up. Such moments are inevitable but fleeting. "I will say this," adds Orr. "We like to keep smiles on each other"s faces."
*****
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Shelton has been a starter on teams that have won at least nine games in each of his first three years. But in the week leading up to Michigan, he says, he felt an energy he"d never experienced as a Badger. When Wisconsin entered halftime down 70, the locker room remained upbeat. Players resolved to let loose in the second half, to dance and thump and screamwhich is exactly what they did as they tied the game in the third quarter.
Then, in the fourth, the Badgers were again down a touchdown, and the Big House roared. It should have been daunting, but Shelton fed off the chaos. When the game went to a TV timeout, he took the few free seconds to soak in the scene. "You look around you and say, This is what I came here for," Shelton says. "I came here to be down seven with six minutes left, and we have to get these guys off the field."
The defense held, but Wisconsin could not even the score. Still, that mind-set remains: These players came to Madison knowing they"d be underrated, knowing they"d rarely be favored against the likes of Michigan and Ohio Stateand knowing the culture of Badgers football would make them believe no game was out of reach. Cichy, a former walk-on, turned down multiple lower-level offers for a chance to be part of the front seven. Musso picked Wisconsin even though the coaches wanted him to play a totally new position, because he"d grown up near Madison and sold Cokes at Camp Randall as a middle schooler, where he"d seen so many underdogs succeed before himJ.J. Watt, Joe Schobert, Jared Abbrederisthat he couldn"t help but believe. "Playing on this defense definitely re-sparked my love for the game," Musso says.
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Theirs is an identity built as much on what they have to prove as quirky personalities. To be a former zero-star recruit like Cichy is as laudable as it is to be a four-star like Obasih. To be talented is fine, but to walk that line between crazy and confidentwell, that"s the goal.
When Aranda left for LSU, his players wished their beloved coordinator well. The money was good in Baton Rouge, they say he told them. He also, Obasih recalls, said he wanted to try his defense on a group with more natural talent. And yet, in the opener, LSU still lost to the Badgers 1614.
Ohio State will arrive with what"s perceived to be more natural talent too. As Obasih recalls the phrase, his voice drops. "Whatever," he says. His eyes narrow, and for the first time he turns serious. "It"s whatever."
