Cooper Catalano has heard enough about the interception he didn’t make.
Late in Wisconsin’s 24-20 comeback win over Penn State, Catalano jumped a Rocco Becht pass and got both hands on a ball that probably would have gone the other way for six.
It fell incomplete.
“A lot,” Catalano said when asked how much grief he has gotten since. “A lot. A lot of people have texted me. A lot of people on the team. Oh yeah.”
Catalano can laugh about it now because Wisconsin finished the job.
The sophomore linebacker played all 67 defensive snaps and finished with nine tackles, three solo stops, and that pass breakup. According to PFF, Catalano was Wisconsin’s highest-graded defender with an 81.7 defensive grade and a 79.9 run-defense grade. He also generated a pressure and allowed just 27 yards on three catches across four targets in coverage.
His near-interception also wasn’t an accident.
Penn State had shown Wisconsin the same concept on the first possession of the game. When Catalano recognized the formation and receiver split later in the game, he knew what was coming.
“I saw it was coming,” Catalano said. “And yeah, you know, it hit me right there, so it wasn’t a great spot to catch it.”
The missed opportunity didn’t matter because Wisconsin’s defense kept doing what it had done throughout the second half.
The Badgers forced four consecutive three-and-outs between the third and fourth quarters while their offense worked its way back into the game. Even after Wisconsin fell behind 17-0 in the second quarter, Catalano said the mood on the defensive sideline never changed.
“I think the biggest thing is handling adversity, being down 17-0 at one point,” Catalano said. “And our team didn’t flinch, offense or defense.”
That might be the most meaningful thing Wisconsin can take from Happy Valley.
Wisconsin’s defense has quietly been an effective unit through four games. According to Game on Paper, the Badgers rank No. 19 nationally in defensive EPA per play allowed and No. 12 in EPA per dropback, while sitting No. 49 in adjusted EPA per rush. They’re allowing 20 points per game, good for 46th nationally.
But beating Penn State required something different. It wasn’t just about playing good defense over four quarters and hoping to create havoc. The Badgers needed repeated stops while their offense struggled, then one more after Jacob Harris’ 72-yard touchdown gave Wisconsin the lead.
Catalano said the sideline felt different as Wisconsin worked through it.
“You know, talking to the guys on the sideline, we never lost hope,” Catalano said. “You know, we were all talking about, hey, we got each other’s back, and we’re ready to go out there. So it was a really cool feeling out there because it’s something I haven’t felt before.”
Now comes the other part of winning a game like that.
Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) gets its next opportunity Saturday when Michigan State (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) comes to Camp Randall Stadium for an 11:30 a.m. kickoff on BTN. And Catalano said defensive coordinator Mike Tressel has already given the group its message for handling success.
“He said, stay humble or be humbled,” Catalano said. “We’re still learning and growing from this last game. Obviously, we weren’t perfect. We gave up some shots the last game. So we’re talking about staying humble and don’t want to be humbled. It’s the biggest game of the year coming up.”
Michigan State will present a different challenge. Catalano expects a physical offense intent on establishing the run, which puts the responsibility back on a Wisconsin defense that just showed what it can look like when all 11 players stay connected and play disciplined.
That’s where Catalano believes the formula is fairly simple.
“We always talk about trust and belief on defense,” Catalano said. “You know, everyone doing their job and trusting everybody else to make the play if they’re not the one to make the play.”
Penn State gave Wisconsin reason to believe that formula works. Michigan State will test whether or not the Badgers can do it again.
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