As Wisconsin's bid for back-to-back upsets of Top 25 teams fell short, a familiar face was a big reason why the Badgers were sent home without a win.
Wisconsin fell 31-7 against No. 2 Indiana, and it was a former Badger who ended up doing most of the damage for the Hoosiers. Tight end Riley Nowakowski, who played for Wisconsin from 2020-2024, racked up 65 yards on four catches and added a touchdown as well. It was the most catches and the most yards Nowakowski had posted all season.
After a 37-yard gain in the first half, Nowakowsi was then the one to put the game out of reach, snagging a 21-yard touchdown pass to put the Hoosiers up 24-7 late.
Former Badger Nowakowski deals fatal blow to Wisconsin's upset bid
Nowakowksi, a Milwaukee native, transferred to Indiana after spending five seasons with the Badgers. He left during this past transfer cycle, citing the culture head coach Curt Cignetti had built.
“It showed me the mentality of Cig, and then talking to him and how he is, there was just this like sense of urgency, and never being satisfied," said Nowakowski on the Under the Hood podcast. That’s something that my parents always brought me up with, like hey ‘I don’t care if we’re up 50 points, 60 points, I don’t care if we’re down 20, it’s the same mentality over and over again. I don’t care if life is coming at you hard, or you’re living the good life, you’ve got to still approach life the same way every day.’ So that was a really big thing that drew me to Cig and this program.”
It's hard to blame him for wanting to go and win after spending several mediocre years at Wisconsin. The Badgers are now 3-7 on the year after finishing 5-7 last season, while Indiana will make a run at a national title.
Nowakowski currently has career highs in catches and yards with 19 receptions for 231 yards on the year.