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Studs and duds from Wisconsin Badgers 24-10 loss to Michigan Wolverines

The Wisconsin Badgers started off hot against the Michigan Wolverines but couldn't sustain it for four quarters. A few individual standouts largely contributed to the ups and downs.
Lorin Cox|
Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Hunter Simmons (15) covers his ears in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium.
Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Hunter Simmons (15) covers his ears in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers showed signs of life in their 24-10 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in Week 6.

They started off well and fought tough for a few quarters before the talent gap became too much to overcome, but the loss represented progress for a Badgers team that struggled to put up a fight in their last two games.

This game gave them plenty to build off of for the future, but they still have a lot to work on, too.

Here are the studs and duds from the performance:

Stud: WR Vinny Anthony

The offensive struggles have kept Vinny Anthony from making the kind of impact he's produced in recent years, but he quickly developed a strong connection with third-string quarterback Hunter Simmons and looked like his old self.

He retook his place as the team's leading receiver this season, adding nine catches for 97 yards against the Wolverines.

Wisconsin wasn't able to get a lot going in the vertical passing game, but Simmons consistently hit Anthony on time on underneath routes and let the receiver show off his play-making after the catch.

No other Wisconsin receiver had more than 30 yards, and only one other player (TE Lance Mason) had more than one catch.

Dud: FS Matthew Jung

Matthew Jung is filling in for injured starter Preston Zachman, and he's been a weak spot in the secondary.

He gave up a couple of downfield throws to the Wolverines, and he had an egregious missed tackle that directly lead to a Michigan touchdown on what should have been a short slant pass.

Jung needs to focus on wrapping up as a tackler instead of going for the big hits, because he's missed far too many of them this season.

He was far from the only Badgers defender who didn't play well, but his mistakes are magnified at the safety position where he is often the last line of defense.

When Zachman is able to return, it should be a big boost on the back end.

Stud: Early running game

Wisconsin started the game looking like the offense straight out of the 2010s.

On the opening drive, the Badgers marched down the field, running the ball nine times for 39 yards as Dilin Jones really started getting going for the first time this season.

It looked like a promising turnaround for the ground game. Unfortunately it did not last.

Dud: Later running game

After a successful opening drive of Wisconsin establishing the run, Michigan adjusted well.

The Badgers never got the ground game going again.

After that first drive, Wisconsin rushed for just 36 yards for the rest of the game, despite 19 attempts.

Even if you take out a 12 yard loss by quarterback Hunter Simmons, it still wasn't anywhere close to the running game that the Badgers needed.

Credit to the Wolverines' defense, but this has been an ongoing problem for UW this season.

Stud: EDGE Mason Reiger

The broadcast team couldn't pronounce his last name correctly, but Mason Reiger did a great job of giving them plenty of opportunities to say it out loud.

He was once again a consistent threat as a pass rusher, and he knifed his way into the backfield multiple times to stop star Michigan running back Justice Haynes.

Reiger finished with five tackles and one tackle for loss, but the stat sheet doesn't reflect the size of his impact on the game.

He was everywhere, and he continues to look like a budding star for the Badgers' defense with a real NFL future in front of him.

Dud: 2 QB system

Third-string quarterback Hunter Simmons was far from perfect, but his coaching staff wasn't doing him any favors by taking him out of the game on occassion.

Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes insisted on trying out the two-quarterback offense, with backup Danny O'Neil getting a handful of snaps under center.

O'Neil finished without a pass or rush attempt in the game, making it feel pretty pointless to put him in the game.

His snaps usually included some sort of option play, where O'Neil could choose to run or pass it if the defense gave him the right read, but his snaps ended up producing handoffs.

Those plays took Simmons out of the game and made it harder for him to develop and stay in a rhythm in the game.

The third-stringer clearly looked like their best healthy QB right now with Billy Edwards still sidelined. The coaching staff should leave him on the field and let him play.

Stud: P Atticus Bertrams

A stud performance by the punter is usually a sign of a losing football team, but Atticus Bertrams still deserves credit for what he did with his leg against Michigan.

He pinned the Wolverines back close to their own goal line on multiple occasions. Credit to his coverage team for downing the ball effectively.

Bertrams landed three punts inside the 20 yard line, and he boomed two punts for more than 50 yards.

He averaged over 45 yards per punt in this game, helping the Badgers flip the field and make Michigan have to sustain long drives to score.

His leg was a real factor in keeping this game so close.

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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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