With Nebraska up next, Wisconsin is looking for answers on and off field

Wisconsin players stood in a crowded interview room in the bowels of Kinnick Stadium on Saturday afternoon wearing hoodies and grim looks. These weren’t the kind of questions they were used to answering.

On-field issues were tough enough to talk about. A dominant defensive effort wasn’t enough in a 24-10 loss to Iowa that all but knocked the Badgers (5-5) out of the Big Ten West race. It left them scrambling to extend their bowl streak to 21 with two games left against Nebraska and Minnesota.

But that wasn’t nearly all for a program that has long stiff-armed drama. Star running back Braelon Allen addressed rumors about a potential transfer to Michigan. Teammates backed 40-year-old head coach Jim Leonhard, who has yet to officially have his interim tag removed. Mostly, replies were short and cliché.

“We’ve been through worse before, man,” outside linebacker Nick Herbig said. “We’ve been at rock bottom. This one stings but we’re going to have to wipe it off and move on.”

The biggest blow came Monday morning as details emerged from the shocking shooting at the University of Virginia by a former player Sunday night. One of the three players killed was one-time Wisconsin receiver Devin Chandler, who spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons in Madison before transferring. UW officials canceled a scheduled media availability with Leonhard and players, instead sending the Badgers home to process what had happened.

Such is the headspace of Wisconsin as it begins preparations for Saturday’s 11 a.m. game against Nebraska. The Huskers — in the midst of a monthslong coaching search, quarterback injuries and another empty November — won’t be the only ones at Memorial Stadium feeling their way through uncertain times.

News of Chandler’s death prompted a wave of social-media reaction from his old teammates. “Rest easy, Dev,” Allen wrote. “Make it make sense,” said Herbig.

“I can’t breathe, my boy,” wrote reserve defensive lineman Curtis Neal. “… I should never have to make a RIP post about you. I’m hurt.”

The tragedy struck following a weekend in which a vintage Wisconsin defensive showing — six sacks among 11 TFLs and just 146 total yards allowed against Iowa — went for naught. Special teams gave up a punt block for the first time in five years. Quarterback Graham Mertz completed 16 of 35 passes for 176 with one touchdown and two interceptions while losing a fumble. Allen carried 17 times for 40 yards as he continues to work through a shoulder injury that he said afterward is prompting him to avoid contact.

“Defense played their ass off the whole game and gave us the ball back consistently,” Allen said. “We have the best edge rusher in the country (in Herbig) …we’ve gotta do something with that.”

Allen, whose 1,029 rushing yards still rank 17th among FBS backs, also shot down rampant speculation he was talking with Michigan about a future transfer. It’s “the honest truth” he hasn’t been in contact with UM or any other school, he said, acknowledging that Wisconsin’s uncertain coaching future perhaps fueled the message-board chatter.

“We’ve made it pretty clear as a team that we want Coach Leonhard to be our coach,” Allen said. “… We’re going to continue to play for him to get him that job.”

Leonhard said player poaching is going on across college football. Wisconsin’s counter has been to be clear and consistent with players about the vision for what’s to come and how to get there.

In the era of the transfer portal and name-image-likeness financial considerations, it might not be enough. Rules might not be either.

“I would never accuse any teams of tampering with your players but teams are tampering with other people’s players,” Leonhard said. “It’s unfortunate to see where it’s at.”

Wisconsin hasn’t lost to Nebraska in a decade and is a 13-point favorite coming to Lincoln. Yet these Badgers aren’t the picture of stability like so many of their predecessors. As with the Huskers, their own house is in disorder. The rest of the regular season, in some ways, has become a ramp-up to a looming offseason full of change.

For now, the UW offense is searching for answers. The coaching situation is fluid. Everyone is mourning. Somewhere in the middle of all of it is a game against Nebraska that players said has to be the focus. Somehow.

“We’ll find a way to show up next week, I promise,” Leonhard said. “I’m excited for the challenge and we’ve got to move on — quick — if we’re going to have success next week.”