Wisconsin Week 11 Defensive Snap Count Breakdown: Injuries Ravage Badgers Secondary

The Badgers' defense is coming off a tough showing against Maryland and its backup quarterback, Cardell Williams.

The journeyman gunslinger completed a stunning 21-of-23 passes, including 19 straight completions. Though Wisconsin did well to limit big plays though much of the afternoon, it cracked at the worst time, allowing a game-tying 39-yard touchdown reception on a brutal blown coverage.

As we continue to unpack a rough day for Mike Tressel's unit, and as we did for the offense, Badgers On SI has defensive snap counts and analysis from the Week 11 loss to Maryland.

Author's note: snap count data from Pro Football Focus.

Defensive Line

- Charles Perkins (31)
- Hammond Russell IV (30)
- Junior Poyser (24)
- Nolan Vils (23)
- Dillan Johnson (8)
- DeNigel Cooper (5)
- Jacob Anderson (3)

Perkins out-snapped Russell this week, but the defensive line pecking order remained pretty similar. Vils' 23 snaps tied his season high from Week 5 against Michigan State. Anderson and Cooper remain largely rotational pieces for EJ Whitlow's group. Otherwise, not many notable takeaways from the defensive front in College Park.

Outside Linebacker

Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Nicolas Clayton. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

- Nick Clayton (45)
- Tyreese Fearbry (45)
- Michael Garner (21)
- Justus Boone (17)

The Badgers kept their outside linebacker rotation at four players in the absence of star pass-rusher Sebastian Cheeks. Clayton's 45 snaps were a career-high, while Garner got back in the rotation without the top player in the room.

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Inside Linebacker

- Cooper Catalano (64)
- Mason Posa (61)
- Jon Jon Kamara (14)
- Thomas Heiberger (4)
- Aaron Witt (3)

Catalano, as he has several times this season, played every single snap on defense. Impressively, Posa played all but three despite suffering what appeared to be a painful injury and walking gingerly to the injury tent. Kamara saw a healthy 14 snaps after he played just two last week against Rutgers, but Heiberger and Witt remain afterthoughts in this room for the second straight week.

Cornerback

- Eric Fletcher Jr (63)
- Bryce West (47)
- Donovan Dunmore (43)
- Javan Robinson (21)

The Badgers were exceedingly banged up at cornerback in College Park. After getting hurt against Rutgers, Jai'mier Scott didn't play though he wasn't listed on Wisconsin's final injury report. With Robinson banged up during the game, that meant the Badgers had to turn to Fletcher and Dunmore as their two starting outside corners, both of whom played their most snaps in a Badgers uniform.

Safety

- Cairo Skanes (35)
- Marvin Burks (34)
- Matt Jung (33)
- Matthew Traynor (30)

Wisconsin may have lost Jung for the season after he was carted off the field with what appeared to be a serious right leg injury. He typically plays just about every snap on defense, but in his absence, the Badgers had to go deeper into their room. Carson Van Dinter, who was a game-time call, didn't play, which meant Traynor notched easily his most career snaps in a Badgers uniform. Skanes was at the top of the room for the first time in his career.

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