The Badgers have a great opportunity to bounce back this week.

Wisconsin welcomes the 2-6 Scarlet Knights to Madison after the latest chapter in head coach Luke Fickell's long Iowa nightmare dropped Wisconsin to 5-3 and 3-2 in Big Ten play.

This is a game Wisconsin can't afford to lose. The Badgers have finally entered the lighter part of their schedule, as they face three of the conferences' bottom five teams over the next three weeks. After the disappointing loss to Iowa, Wisconsin absolutely must handle business against an inferior Rutgers team.

This will be the first career start for true freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins, who replaces a supposedly injured Colton Joseph. As the Badgers look to unlock their passing game, this should be the week to do it; Rutgers secondary allows an unimpressive 223.6 passing yards per game, 90th in the nation.

How to watch Rutgers at Wisconsin

- Matchup: Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2 B1G) vs. Rutgers (2-6, 1-4 BIG)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 7
- Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
- Time: 3:15 p.m. CT
- Watch: BTN
- Stream: Fox One App
- Listen: Badger Sports Radio Network
- TV Talent: Jeff Levering (PxP), Jake Butt (Analyst), Brooke Fletcher (Sidelines)
- Radio Talent: Matt Lepay (PxP), Mark Tauscher (Analyst), Patrick Herb (Sidelines)
- Odds: Wisconsin -17.5 | O/U 45.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

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Series History

- All-time series history: Wisconsin leads, 6-0
- In Madison: Wisconsin leads, 3-0
- Current Streak: Wisconsin, 6 wins
- Last Meeting: Oct. 12, 2024 (Piscataway) — Wisconsin 42, Rutgers 7

Sitting at five wins, Wisconsin is one win away from a bowl game. The Badgers haven't made a bowl game since the 2023 season, when they narrowly lost a shootout to LSU down in Tampa Bay at the ReliaQuest bowl.

Wisconsin has won six straight home games and will look to make it seven in a row. Its six straight wins at Camp Randall Stadium is the longest such streak since the 2019-2020 seasons. It's allowed just two touchdowns at home, tied with Notre Dame for the lowest in the country.

The Badgers have outscored Rutgers by an average of 30.7 points across their previous six meetings. The last time Wisconsin hosted Rutgers, they won 24-13 punctuated by a spectacular 95-yard pick six from former cornerback Ricardo Hallman.

Wisconsin hasn't lost to a team with a losing record at the time of the game since the 2023 season.

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