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Carter Smith gives Wisconsin Badgers hope at QB, showing progress in loss to Indiana

The Wisconsin Badgers have been looking for a quarterback solution all season. Luke Fickell seems to have found something with his fourth-string option: Carter Smith.
Lorin Cox|
Nov 15, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Carter Smith (5) throws a pass in front of Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium.
Nov 15, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Carter Smith (5) throws a pass in front of Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers have been looking for a quarterback solution all season.

Luke Fickell seems to have found something with his fourth-string option: Carter Smith.

After helping lead the Badgers to a much-needed win over Washington last week, he couldn't duplicate that result against the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers.

But the true freshman quarterback showed real progress in his first-career start, and more importantly, he gives Wisconsin fans hope under center moving forward.

Strong start

In the first half against Indiana, Smith started 7-for-11 for 91 yards and a touchdown.

He wasn't slicing and dicing the Hoosiers' secondary, but he did a good job of escaping pressure and taking what the defense gave him.

It was the type of game manager the Badgers have been looking for all season.

Wisconsin has play-makers at wide receiver, tight end and running back (when healthy). They just need someone who can consistently get the ball into their hands, even if it's a check-down.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers running back taken to hospital after taking hits to head against Indiana

Credit to offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes for putting a first-year quarterback in position to succeed with smart play-calling.

He fooled everyone on 4th-and-1 when he put in heavy personnel and went to play action to free up tight end Lance Mason for a 45-yard touchdown pass.

He was wide open, but not every Badgers quarterback can make that throw flowing left, under pressure, without setting his feet.

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Ugly moments

Smith's performance certainly had plenty of flaws, too.

He looked like a true freshman out there when he stared down wide receiver Trech Kekahuna on a corner route, inviting the underneath coverage to sink back and step in front for an ugly interception.

To his credit, he had the right idea with where he wanted to go on the play. If Smith throws the ball much earlier with better anticipation and touch, he has room to fit the pass in there between the deep cornerback and the underneath slot defender.

But his internal clock has to tell him that when he has that much time to wait for the play to develop, the coverage is going to react accordingly.

That's a play where he needs to take what the defense is giving him on 1st and 10, instead of trying to force a big play downfield.

Still, the potential is there for Smith to be a dual-threat weapon under center who can run the offense with some consistency that has been missing all season for Wisconsin.

It wasn't good enough to beat the No. 2 team in the country, but it could help carry the Badgers to more wins in the future.

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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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