12 Badgers earn Big Ten defensive honors
MADISON – Wisconsin enters the Big Ten championship game ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense and No. 2 nationally in scoring defense.
Not surprisingly, several members of that unit received all-conference honors on Tuesday.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards and cornerback Nick Nelson, both redshirt juniors, were consensus all-Big Ten picks.
The Big Ten released all-league honorees on defense and special teams on Tuesday. Offensive awards are scheduled to be released Wednesday and individual awards, including coach of the year, are to be released on Thursday.
Safety D'Cota Dixon, who has missed two of the last four games because of a leg injury, was named first team by the coaches and third team by the media.
Other Badgers recognized were: ends Alec James (second team, coaches and media) and Conor Sheehy (second team, coaches; third team, media); outside linebacker Garret Dooley (second team, coaches; third team, media), and cornerback Derrick Tindal (third team, coaches).
UW's total of seven defenders on the first, second and third teams tied with Ohio State for most players honored. The Badgers (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and Buckeyes (10-2, 8-1) play for the Big Ten championship at 7:17 p.m. Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Five other members of UW's defense were consensus honorable mention picks: inside linebacker Ryan Connelly, outside linebacker Leon Jacobs, safety Natrell Jamerson, nose tackle Olive Sagapolu and reserve safety Joe Ferguson.
On special teams, kicker Rafael Gaglianone was named to the second team by the coaches and the media.
Ferguson was the Badgers' representative for the Sportsmanship Award.
Nelson, who sat out last season after transferring from Hawaii, does not have an interception this season. However, he is No. 2 in the league in passes defended with a program-record 20.
Edwards has 67 total tackles, which isn't in the top 40 among Big Ten players. However, he is one of the better two-way linebackers in the nation. Edwards plays in UW's base and nickel packages and has four interceptions, tied for the No. 3 mark in the league. He has one interception return for a touchdown.
Despite missing the Illinois and Iowa games and playing sparingly at Indiana and at Minnesota, Dixon is third on UW in tackles with 51. He also has an interception and one forced fumble.
James (51⁄2 sacks) and Sheehy (51⁄2 tackles for loss), both fifth-year seniors, have anchored a line that was without fellow senior end Chikwe Obasih (left knee) for six games.
James and Sheehy, along with Sagapolu, have been instrumental in keeping opposing linemen from getting out on UW's linebackers.
Dooley, in his first season as a fulltime starter, is third in the Big Ten in sacks (71⁄2) and has 11 tackles for loss.
Tindal has teamed with Nelson to give UW an outstanding cornerback duo. He has eight passes broken up, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Gaglianone, who missed all but three games last season because of a back injury, has bounced back by making 12 of 14 field-goal attempts.