Stock up, stock down for Wisconsin football after Week 7 loss to Iowa
Wisconsin football stock report after the 37-0 home loss to Iowa. Who’s rising, who’s falling, and what it means heading into Week 8.
The Wisconsin football team (2-4, 0-3 Big Ten) didn’t just lose to Iowa; it got exposed in every way that matters. A 37–0 shutout at Camp Randall on homecoming wasn’t just one bad night; it was the culmination of weeks of warning signs that finally broke through the surface.
The Badgers spent an entire offseason preaching toughness, discipline, and growth, only to deliver a performance that showed none of the above.
This was supposed to be the measuring stick game, the one that proved Wisconsin could respond, correct course, and fight its way out of the spiral. Instead, it was a complete unraveling. A team that talks about “pounding the rock” never landed a blow. A program built on physicality got bullied at home in front of a fan base that’s running out of patience.
Head coach Luke Fickell called it “as low as it can be,” and it’s hard to argue otherwise. Effort wasn’t the issue. Energy wasn’t the issue. Execution was, and at this point, so is belief. Wisconsin is a team that knows it doesn’t have an identity and is caught between what it wants to be and what the film keeps showing it is: a group that competes hard but struggles to execute during games and collapses when it matters most.
“I’ve never been in this position,” Fickell said. “But, you get some ass whoopings, and at some point in time, you figure out whether this is you’re tired of it, sick of it, or you’re not. And that’s where we are as a program, as a team. We either figure out that we’re tired of it and find a way to make sure that we’re going to be able to fight back, because that’s what I’m going to do.
“Whether it’s not good enough or whether it’s not enough, that’s for somebody else to make a decision on.”
Still, as bad as it looked, there were a few individual efforts from players worth pointing out who continued to fight and flash signs of growth even as everything else crumbled around them. And there were plenty of others whose struggles helped define the night and, frankly, the season so far.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at whose stock is rising and whose is falling after Wisconsin’s blowout loss to Iowa in Week 7.
📈 Stock up: RB Dilin Jones
In a game where everything that could go wrong did, Dilin Jones was one of the few constants that refused to fold.
The redshirt freshman carried the ball 16 times for 69 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt with a long of 13. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones earned a 66.9 rushing grade, forced two missed tackles, and gained 43 of his yards after contact in a matchup where the Iowa Hawkeyes’ defense largely dominated the line of scrimmage.
Jones also caught a pass and picked up four first downs, quietly embodying the kind of toughness and fight that Wisconsin’s coaching staff has been preaching for since they arrived on campus. The numbers won’t jump off the page, but the effort will. He ran hard, finished runs, and kept battling even as the game slipped out of reach before halftime.
We’re at a point in the season where the bright spots are getting harder to find, but Jones gave the Badgers something to hang onto. His vision and burst showed flashes of what Jeff Grimes’ zone running scheme is supposed to look like when executed with decisiveness. Wisconsin may have finally stumbled onto one of its better offensive line combinations up front, and if that group holds, Jones’ production could keep trending up.
Statistically, Jones’ year hasn’t matched the preseason expectations, but that’s hardly an indictment of his ability. It’s a reflection of the chaos around him. What stood out was that he’s still running like someone who believes. And in a locker room searching for answers, that matters.
📈 Stock up: C Jake Renfro
It’s been a long road back for offensive lineman Jake Renfro, but his return to the lineup against Iowa brought something this offense has been desperate for: stability. The veteran center logged 57 snaps and finished with a 67.0 overall offensive grade, including a 66.4 in run blocking and an impressive 82.4 in pass protection, per Pro Football Focus.
Outside of one early penalty, Renfro didn’t allow a single pressure or sack, which stands out on a night when the rest of Wisconsin’s offense struggled to do much of anything right. His presence helped settle down communication along the interior, and for the first time in weeks, the Badgers looked somewhat organized up front in their protections and run fits.
There’s still plenty of work to be done, but it’s clear that this offensive line functions best with Renfro making the calls and checks at the line of scrimmage. After everything he’s dealt with in his career: multiple injuries, setbacks, and long recoveries — seeing him back healthy and anchoring the group again is a genuine positive in an otherwise ugly performance.
📈 Stock up: LB Tackett Curtis
It’s been an up-and-down season for Tackett Curtis, but Saturday was one of his cleaner, more complete performances for Wisconsin this year.
The junior linebacker finished with four total tackles, three of them solo, and posted a 79.4 overall defensive grade, including a 77.3 against the run and a 73.1 in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.
Curtis played 50 snaps and looked explosive at times, flying sideline to sideline and showing the kind of instinctive closing speed that made him such a highly touted recruit. He was targeted just once in coverage, allowing a three-yard reception, but otherwise held his ground and tackled well in space.
While Iowa’s offense isn’t exactly built to test linebackers in the passing game, Curtis still made the most of his opportunities. He looked confident, decisive, and in control, which are three traits that haven’t always shown up consistently this season. It was the type of performance that reminds you of his upside and why the staff remains high on his long-term potential in Mike Tressel’s defense.
📈 Stock up: LB Cooper Catalano
It’s been a while since true freshman Cooper Catalano saw the field, but when he finally got his shot against Iowa, he made it count.