Wisconsin Sports Headlines – 7/20/2020

The Latest Sports Headlines: 

>>Z Smith Rated Top Edge Rusher In NFL

(Green Bay, WI)  —  After his first season in Green Bay it shouldn’t be too surprising that Touchdown Wire ranks Za’Darius Smith the top edge rusher in the NFL.  Smith piled up 13-and-a-half sacks and led the league in total pressures with 105 after signing the four-year deal with the Packers.  Columnist Doug Farrar pointed to his ability to rush the quarterback and disrupt the passing game from all directions and any gap in the line.  Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine recognized Smith’s potential as a defensive force.  If he can do it again over the length of his contract, that free agent signing will emerge as one of the best in league history.

 

>>Coach Bud:  Bledsoe Will Be Available For Bucks First Bubble Game Against Boston

(Orlando, FL)  —  Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer expects Eric Bledsoe to be on the court when his team takes on Boston in the first game a week from Friday. Bledsoe tested positive for COVID-19, but he is also asymptomatic.  The eight games leading into the playoffs are important and having Bledsoe and his 15 points-a-game in the lineup would be a big help.  The Bucks have a six-and-a-half-game cushion, but they still want the top seed.  Bledsoe has had some issues in the postseason, so it’s obvious he wants the chance to change that narrative.  The first game for Milwaukee is July 31st.

 

>>Brewers Manager Counsell Setting His Season-Opening Pitching Rotation

(Milwaukee, WI)  —  Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell has named the starting pitchers for his team’s first two games in the shortened regular season.  It was no big surprise that Brandon Woodruff was tabbed for the season opener, but sending Brett Anderson to the mound for the second game wasn’t expected.  Anderson is an effective pitcher who has an injury-plagued career.  Additional Brewers news coming out over the weekend concerned slugger Logan Morrison and reliever Justin Grimm making their way onto the 30-man roster.  Morrison has shown a lot of power during his brief time with the team.

 

>>Badger TE Jake Ferguson Makes John Mackey Award Watch List

(Madison, WI)  —  Wisconsin redshirt junior tight end Jake Ferguson is the latest Badger to make a college football preseason watch list.  The Madison native is one of 36 tight ends in competition for the John Mackey Award.  Ferguson caught 33 passes for 407 yards and two scores last season.  With the graduation of Quintez Cephus and A-J Taylor, he figures to be targeted even more often this year.  Ferguson and teammates Jack Coan, Nakia Watson and Jack Sanborn are all on watch lists as the season approaches.

 

>>Success Has Padded The UW Bank Account

(Madison, WI)  —  Football and basketball teams always in the battle for a conference title, women’s hockey and volleyball playing in national title games – success on the field has improved the University of Wisconsin bank accounts. USA Today reports over the last five seasons the U-W athletics department ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference for revenue.  Ohio State is at the top, followed by Michigan and Penn State.  The school’s revenue was up by nearly 34 million dollars during the 2018-2019 school team, reaching an all-time high of more than 157 million dollars.  That’s good for 11th in the nation.

 

>>Northwoods League Scores

K-Town 7, Kenosha 1

Fond du Lac 13, Wisconsin 7. (DH)

Wisconsin 4, Fond du Lac 3. (7)(DH)

Green Bay 12, Rockford 0

Wisconsin Rapids 8, La Crosse 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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