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Wisconsin Badgers defense ranks No. 1 in college football by analytics model after Week 1

Lorin Cox|
Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Reiger (22) celebrates following a sack during the second quarter against the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Camp Randall Stadium.
Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Reiger (22) celebrates following a sack during the second quarter against the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers defense wasn't just dominant against Miami (OH). They were one of the best in the country.

Pro Football Sports Network created a metric called Defense IMPACT grade, measuring overall performance of a defense each week.

The Badgers earned the highest score in the country for Week 1.

Wisconsin shutout the RedHawks, holding quarterback Dequan Finn to under 100 passing yards and picking him off twice.

The Badgers defense also kept Miami under 60 rushing yards at only 1.5 yards per carry.

According to PFF, the pass rush had Finn under pressure on 11 of his 25 drop backs, despite Luke Fickell only blitzing seven times.

The RedHawks were 0-for-9 on third down conversions and only crossed midfield on two of their drives.

It was an all-around impressive performance from every level of the Badgers' defense.

12 different players recorded at least one quarterback pressure, and no defender gave up more than two catches or 20 yards in coverage, according to PFF.

Some of that is a reflection of an opponent outside of the Power Four conferences, but Wisconsin still scored higher than defenses playing FCS and other small school opponents.

The Badgers should dominate again this week against Middle Tennesee State before the defense is tested for the first time in Week 3 against Alabama, though the Crimson Tide are looking more vulnerable than expected, too.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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