When the Wisconsin Badgers and Iowa Hawkeyes clash this Saturday, bragging rights will be at stake. Iowa defensive back Sebastian Castro has been stirring things up with some trash talk, while the Badgers aim to rebound after losing their lead against Penn State.
However, when these two teams meet, it won’t be the anticipated showdown between Tyler Van Dike and Cade McNamara. Instead, Braedyn Locke will start for Wisconsin, while McNamara will also be sidelined for the Week 10 matchup.
On Tuesday Morning, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed that McNamara is in concussion protocol and will be sidelined this weekend. Due to his head injury, backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan will step in to lead the Iowa offense on the field.
Brendan Sullivan will start for Iowa against Wisconsin in Week 10
The truth is, even before his injury, McNamara hadn’t been performing well for the Hawkeyes. Fans had been calling for more playing time for Sullivan, who got his chance against Northwestern and threw for 79 yards in the decisive win.
Now, Sullivan is set to make his first start, and he’ll be facing a fired-up Wisconsin team. Last week, the Badgers missed a golden opportunity to secure their biggest upset of the season against Penn State.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and the Badgers suffered a tough loss in front of their home fans. Locke recognizes he didn’t perform well enough and is now driven to prove his doubters wrong. Sullivan, meanwhile, plays with swagger and brings a lot of confidence to the field.
Sullivan has a reputation as a gamer, which is why many Iowa fans are eager to see him start on Saturday and perhaps keep the job, even once McNamara is healthy. That said, making a first start in a Big Ten rivalry game is challenging, and Wisconsin will aim to make things tough for Sullivan. This only adds intrigue to the matchup, and Badgers fans have reason to be optimistic about a possible victory.
