Badgers could get three key starters back at Indiana
MADISON – Wisconsin coach Paul
Chryst can’t declare his football team completely healthy.
Yet UW appears close to getting several key players back for its Big Ten game Saturday at Indiana. Freshman wide receiver Danny Davis, who has missed the last two games because of a left-leg injury, has been cleared to play. Davis has only seven catches, but his 22.9-yard average is the No. 1 mark on the team.
Tailback Jonathan Taylor (left ankle), wide receiver Quintez Cephus (head) and safety D’Cota Dixon (right leg) remain questionable for Indiana but all three practiced during the week and are set to travel with the team. Reserve tailback Chris James, who has missed the last three games because of a leftleg injury, also could be available.
“Everyone else has done something in practice,” Chryst said after practice Thursday. “We’ll kind of see how the week goes here.”
Taylor leads the Big Ten and is No. 5 nationally in rushing at 148.1 yards per game. He rushed 12 times for 73 yards last week at Illinois before leaving with 11 minutes 20 seconds left in the first half. It appeared Taylor suffered a leftankle injury.
Cephus leads UW in catches (28), receiving yards (477) and touchdown catches (five). He was the victim of a helmet-to-helmet hit with 9:45 left in the first half at Illinois. He finished the game but was listed as questionable on the preliminary injury report on Monday.
The training staff determined shortly before warm-ups at Illinois that Dixon could not play.
Dixon leads the team in tackles with 43.
Asked if he feels good about the chances of Taylor, Cephus and Dixon playing, Chryst said:
“We’ll see how the week goes. They did a little bit each day. We’ll get a good indicator tomorrow and certainly Saturday. But we feel comfortable and confident bringing them on the trip.
“You get to this point in the season,
every one of those guys you want with you and they certainly help you.
“And if they can’t, it’s time and opportunity for others to step up, either guys that are taking their spot or guys around them have got to raise their level.” Eyeing a record: Redshirt senior outside linebacker Leon Jacobs can tie the program mark for games played (54) Saturday at Indiana.
Jacobs has started all eight games this season and 12 overall. He is in the midst of his best season at UW and has 34 tackles, tied for the fourth-highest total on the team.
Jacobs would become the 11th UW player to hit the 54-game mark.
November to remember? UW is scheduled to play four games in November – Saturday at Indiana, Nov. 11 against visiting Iowa, Nov. 18 against visiting Michigan and Nov. 25 at Minnesota.
UW is a combined 15-2 in November in the last four seasons.
The losses came in 2015 against Northwestern and in 2013 against Penn State. Both losses came at home.
Extra points: UW has won six consecutive road games, dating to last season. Only Oklahoma (14) and Alabama (13) have longer active streaks…
UW is 11-1 in road games under Chryst.