The Wisconsin Badgers were without nine starters against the Oregon Ducks. This elevated many underclassmen to the top of the roster, giving them a chance to show their prowess. None did it better than Mason Posa, who led both teams with 13 tackles. After the game, he showed why he makes a perfect Badger with his comment about one of his tackles to the Oregon quarterback.
He said, "I think I broke the quarterback's nose. I was pretty happy. I saw him bleeding a little bit."
#Badgers LB Mason Posa:
— Seamus (@seamus_rohrer) October 26, 2025
“I think I broke the quarterback’s nose. I was pretty happy. I saw him bleeding a little bit.”
True Freshman Mason Posa was the star of the game for the Badgers
Related: Luke Fickell defends the Hunter Simmons decision at QB but indicates some regret
This team has lacked fight and physicality ever since Luke Fickell came to the Badgers. This tough-nosed, bleeding down your shirt, style of play that made the Badgers, the Badgers, seems to be back in the true freshman.
There are some who will see it as a classless comment and think Posa is out trying to hurt players. Yet you can't want a physical football team making hard tackles and playing more aggressively than the other team without this mindset. I.E., the Watt brothers, nicest guys off the field, absolute dogs on it.
The reality of this mindset is that if Posa were the one to break his nose during that tackle, he probably would have said the same thing. "I think I broke my nose. I was happy. I was bleeding a little bit." The comment is not about hurting another player; it's about the physicality the game demands and the output of a player who is going to play through pain, fight through tackles, and make a name for himself.
Posa is a true freshman, and he may understand what it looks like to be a Badger better than most, if not all, of his teammates. He's a dog for this, and wait until next time when he's the one with blood on his jersey and the same smile on his face.