Wisconsin loses running back Dilin Jones and center Jake Renfro for the rest of the season
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin won’t have its leading rusher or starting center for the rest of the season.
Badgers coach Luke Fickell announced Monday that running back Dilin Jones and center Jake Renfro had season-ending surgeries while Wisconsin was off last week. Fickell said reserve safety Matthew Traynor has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and also is out for the season.
Wisconsin (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) carries a six-game skid into a home game Saturday with No. 24 Washington (6-2, 3-2).
Jones was dealing with turf toe that already had caused him to miss Wisconsin’s 21-7 loss to No. 6 Oregon on Oct. 25. He has rushed for 300 yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries.
Renfro has been dealing with ankle and knee injuries that caused him to miss four of Wisconsin’s first eight games. He has made 36 career starts and was part of Cincinnati’s 2021 College Football Playoff team.
Jones’ injury likely means a bigger role for Gideon Ituka, who rushed for 85 yards on 21 carries against Oregon. Wisconsin also has Cade Yacamelli, who has run for 128 yards on 38 attempts this season.
The losses of Jones and Renfro are the latest setbacks for a Wisconsin offense that ranks 135th out of 136 Bowl Subdivision teams — ahead of only UMass — in points per game (12.5), yards per game (261.9) and yards per play (4.45).
Wisconsin also has an uncertain quarterback situation heading into the game against Washington.
Billy Edwards Jr. sprained his knee in the second quarter of Wisconsin’s season opener and has played only one full series since. Danny O’Neil initially replaced Edwards before Hunter Simmons took over for his first of four straight starts on Oct. 4.
O’Neil has gone 61 of 88 for 635 yards with five touchdown passes and five interceptions. Simmons is 46 of 92 for 469 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.
“There’s a lot of variables still to what we’re doing at that position in particular,” Fickell said.
One of those variables could include freshman Carter Smith, who hasn’t played yet this season.
“Carter Smith’s in the mix, so to speak,” Fickell said. “After a bye week, we got him there, got some more opportunities for him. That’s one of those things where we’ll just have to see. There’s a lot of chances for a lot of guys. Carter’s definitely one of them.”
Fickell said Edwards’ status for the rest of the season remains up in the air.
“That’s what’s been as much of a struggle for us to continue to grow as anything,” Fickell said. “There’s not a cut-and-dried (answer) to some types of injuries, and especially the one that he has.”
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football