Wisconsin Football Report Card: Grading Every Offensive Position After Thrilling Penn State Win

Wisconsin overcame a 17-point deficit to stun Penn State in Happy Valley, with several offensive performances helping fuel the comeback.

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Left for dead down 17-0 in the second quarter, Wisconsin roared back and stunned No. 13 Penn State with a 24-20 victory in Happy Valley. This is the biggest win of Luke Fickell’s tenure and a potentially program-shifting moment for the Badgers. But for the game within the game, Badgers On SI has grades for each position group, starting with the offense.

Quarterback

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Starting at signal-caller, this was the toughest grade to hand out this week. Colton Joseph looked out of sorts for almost the entirety of the game, particularly in the second quarter when a horrific throw to the flat resulted in a pick-six before he threw another interception on the next drive. That wasn’t his last turnover either, as the Old Dominion transfer made a poor read and threw another interception on the first play of a drive early in the fourth quarter after the Wisconsin defense forced a three-and-out. Those are critical mistakes that simply can’t happen as an underdog on the road.

For all of the bad, Joseph continued to battle. First came a seven-yard keeper to cut the deficit to 10 points right before halftime. Then, facing third-and-10, he found Eugene Hilton Jr. in the corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 20-17 Penn State with 3:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. And last, but oh certainly not least, Joseph found a wide-open Jacob Harris over the seam who rumbled his way to paydirt for a miraculous 72-yard touchdown to put the Badgers on top 24-20 with just 1:13 remaining in regulation.

All told, Joseph completed 18-of-38 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while taking 13 carries for 39 yards (3.0 yards per carry) and a touchdown. With three turnovers and a completion percentage under 50%, there’s simply no way a “good” grade can be handed out. With that being said, Joseph was instrumental in the comeback victory, and it wouldn’t do justice to the result of the game to give him a failing grade. 

Plenty of questions remain with Joseph, and his performance next week at home against Michigan State looms as a major litmus test.

Grade: C

Running Backs

Wisconsin Badgers running back Darrion Dupree | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin’s running backs struggled in Week 3 against Eastern Michigan, but that was without starter Abu Sama III seeing any action due to injury. Sama returned against Penn State but suffered an apparent injury following a 17-yard run in the second quarter and didn’t return, finishing with five carries for 34 yards (6.8 yards per carry).

His departure pushed Darrion Dupree into the feature role, and the junior stepped up. On eight carries, Dupree totaled 52 yards (6.5 yards per carry) with a long of 17 yards. While he did have an inexplicable drop on Wisconsin’s final drive of the third quarter, Dupree was an asset as a pass catcher with four receptions for 44 yards.

Losing Sama for an extended period would be a significant blow for the Badgers, who were already without reserve running back Bryan Jackson II against Penn State and could have their depth tested moving forward. Even so, Dupree performed admirably at Beaver Stadium and inspired some confidence should he be thrust into a primary role against Michigan State.

Grade: B+

Wide Receivers

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Wisconsin aerial attack struggling for much of Saturday’s contest, it wasn’t a stellar overall showing for the wide receivers. After huge performances against Eastern Michigan, Tyrell Henry and Chris Brooks Jr. were both held to just two catches, with Henry going for 14 yards and Brooks for 16. Oklahoma State transfer Shamar Rigby made his first catch as a Badger for 11 yards, but his impact continues to be minimal. Malachi Coleman, the showstopper from Week 1 against Notre Dame, returned from injury and logged 27 snaps but didn’t see a target.

This week, it was Eugene Hilton Jr.’s moment to shine. “Shine” is a bit hyperbolic, as the sophomore totaled just two receptions for 29 yards on eight targets and was flagged for offensive pass interference on Wisconsin’s first play of the game. Hilton’s catches were critical, however, as his 11-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was a great grab that cut the deficit to just three points. In my opinion, Hilton is the most talented player in this unit, and continuing to get him involved should be a priority.

All in all, the Badgers’ wideouts didn’t stand out in Happy Valley, but it’d be naive not to consider Colton Joseph’s accuracy issues when evaluating the group. Hilton’s clutch touchdown helps carry the grade for the unit.

Grade: C+

Tight Ends

Wisconsin Badgers tight end Jacob Harris | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tight ends were a non-factor in Wisconsin’s first two games, but boy has that flipped. Coming off a three-reception, 89-yard performance against Eastern Michigan, Jacob Harris was even more involved against Penn State, emerging as the team’s leading receiver with five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown—a game-winning 72-yard touchdown with 1:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, to be exact. The Bowling Green transfer’s mental toughness stood out, as the seismic touchdown came right after he committed a pair of false starts. Talk about making up for your mistakes!

The rest of the room did little, as Grant Stec had just a five-yard reception, while Emmett Bork was held without a catch and flagged for a false start. Ryan Schwendeman didn’t see a target in his return from a foot injury.

At the risk of putting too much stock in a two-game (or really a one-play) sample size, I think the Badgers have really found something with Harris. Athletic, sure-handed and armed with a winning mentality, it’s hard not to be a big fan of the 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end.

Grade: A

Offensive Line

The offensive line has been a constant talking point early this year, as the trenches are a defining part of Wisconsin’s program history. All things considered, the unit performed fairly well against Penn State, particularly in pass protection. Five of the six linemen who played earned PFF pass-blocking grades of 84.0 or better.

The lone exception was left tackle PJ Wilkins, who was credited with all three pressures allowed by the line and also committed a false start. Right guard Stylz Blackmon, who continues to see his playing time dip with Emerson Mandell getting healthy, was also flagged for a false start, as was right tackle Kevin Heywood. Despite the penalty, Heywood finished with a 73.6 overall PFF grade, the top mark among the group.

Center Austin Kawecki has been a bit of a disappointment as a veteran transfer from Oklahoma State and had trouble with snaps at times against Penn State, but he’s certainly held his own better than Wilkins. The Ole Miss transfer’s struggles are becoming increasingly concerning, and his grip on a starting role should be slipping.

The false starts obviously aren’t ideal, and Wilkins’ struggles hurt the unit’s overall showing, but the challenging road environment at Beaver Stadium deserves consideration. In Wisconsin’s first true road game of the season, the offensive line held up well enough for me to bump this grade from an initial B- to a B.

Grade: B