It's officially game week for the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers open the 2025 season as 17.5-point favorites against a Miami (OH) RedHawks team that finished with nine wins, including a dominant 43-17 Arizona Bowl victory over Colorado State. Wisconsin looks to overcome a daunting schedule to start a new bowl streak that ended last season with a 5-7 record.
Here are four RedHawks players Badger fans should know about before Thursday's game.
DeQuan Finn
The RedHawks must replace their long-time starting quarterback, Brett Gabbart, who threw for over 10,000 yards from 2019 to 2024. The team landed their starter for 2025 in Finn, a seventh-year quarterback who transferred into the program from Baylor.
Finn is no stranger to the Mid-American Conference (MAC). As a member of the Toledo Rockets, Finn won the 42nd Vern Smith Leadership award as the top player in the MAC in 2023 with 2,384 passing yards and 530 rushing yards before their bowl game.
In his last game against a Big Ten opponent, Finn almost led Toledo to an upset in Champaign. The Rockets held a 19-7 lead in the third quarter before falling to Illinois, 30-28. Against the Fighting Illini, Finn was 20-of-38 for 230 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also had 20 carries for 75 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground in the Rockets' loss.
While Finn did not replicate his success at Toledo down in Waco, he remains a true dual-threat quarterback who can beat you with his arm and his legs. If the Badgers want to have any success against the RedHawks, Mike Tressel's unit must contain a quarterback who was named 2025 First-Team preseason All-MAC by Athlon Sports' Steve Lassan.
Eli Blakey and Silas Walters
Miami (OH) needs a leader on defense, as the RedHawks' leader in tackles and MAC Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Matt Salopek, exhausted his eligibility. The RedHawks have strong defenders in linebackers Corban Hondru and Oscar McWood. However, my vote for the leaders of the RedHawks' defense goes to both RedHawks' safeties, Blakey and Walters.
Last season, Blakey received nomination to the 2024 All-MAC Third Team Defense. He was third on the team with 89 total tackles and second on the team with 46 solo tackles. Walters was second last season with 95 total tackles and third with 52 solo tackles. In addition, Walters finished the season with 12 passes deflected.
Blakey and Walters were both named to Lassan's preseason All-MAC second team, occupying two of three safety spots.
Dom Dzioban
As a 17.5-point favorite against a team from the MAC, the Badgers should win this game by a comfortable margin. However, this RedHawks team hung tough last season against Northwestern before falling 13-6 in their opening game. If this game comes down to a field goal, Dzioban is capable of knocking in a game-winner.
Dzioban, a 2024 first-team All-MAC placekicker, comes into this season as arguably the best kicker in the MAC. Last season, Dzioban was 26-of-30 on all field goal attempts, including a perfect 19-for-19 on field goals between 20 and 39 yards. In addition, Dzioban was 33-of-34 on all extra-point attempts. The senior placekicker was the only kicker in the MAC to make the 2025 Lou Groza Award watchlist.