MIKE LUCAS Senior Writer

BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. — On a day that should have marked the renewal of the longest uninterrupted series in FBS history — Minnesota and Wisconsin have played 113 consecutive years — UW linebacker Jack Sanborn showed up at Camp Randall Stadium for a Saturday practice. Not a game, a practice.

"It was bittersweet," Sanborn confided.

On Tuesday (Nov. 24) of game week, the Border Battle in Madison between the Gophers and the Badgers was canceled after Minnesota paused all team-related activities due to an upsurge in positive COVID-19 tests within the program. The last time these schools didn't play was 1906.

For whatever frustrations that had built up, the Saturday morning practice was a physical escape — "We still played a little bit of football," said Sanborn — but it understandably couldn't fill the emotional void for players and coaches, especially since it was Wisconsin's third cancelation in five weeks.

"Obviously, you're like, 'Wow, we should be playing for the Axe today,'" Sanborn said. "But, at the same time, you're out there playing football; you're still out there playing with the guys. So, you still get to play football. But we'd have much preferred to be playing Minnesota that day."

Prior to Saturday's opening kickoff against Indiana, when Sanborn and his teammates run out of the tunnel in the north end zone of Camp Randall, there will be no band playing and no fans cheering. But Sanborn guaranteed there will be no looking back or feeling sorry for themselves, either,

It's one of the few guarantees that he or anyone else can make with certainty.

"One of the things we've kind of gotten used to this year — which isn't a good thing — is just moving on and understanding, 'Hey, we're prepping for this team now. That game is gone,'" said Sanborn, the UW's leading tackler with 20, seven more than anyone else.

"It's something that we don't like. But it's something that has become a little bit normal. And we've got a history with that (cancelations). So, let's just turn the page. Move on. We're on to Indiana. That's what everyone on the defense understands and is doing. Just keep working and get better."

In respect to how the abnormal has become the normal, he rationalized, "That's something you could say about everything and the way of life now compared to what it was. It's been abnormal since March. We never thought this would be the normal eight months ago. Believe it or not, it's normal now.

"I was joking around with one of the strength coaches and saying, 'This is the most bye weeks we've ever had.' In a normal season, like last year, you know exactly what you're doing, and you know every week is going to be the same. A pattern forms on what you're doing this day and this day and this day. You just go through that pattern for 13 weeks, or whatever it is, and it becomes normal each week.

"Now this year, it's the new normal, it's truly about taking it day-by-day because anything can happen any day, any week.

"We've seen everything can change in one day or a couple of days."

Adapt. Stop-start. Adapt. Stop-start. Adapt. Stop-start.

"For sure, it's been a crazy year," Sanborn said. "But three months ago, or whenever it was, we didn't have a season on the schedule. We all thought, 'We're not playing football this year. It's gone.' That was a reality check right there. It was like, 'Whoa, this can happen.'

"And then, when it's brought back, like it has been, every game is an opportunity, every game is something that just three months ago was taken away from us. And we would have done anything then to be in the position to play a football game like we are now.

"Three months ago, we weren't even sure we'd be able to run out of the tunnel or be together as a team or be in that locker room again. That's what it's all about right now. We're going to go out there Saturday and try to win … we've got a good team to play in Indiana and that's where our focus is.

"We'd really love it if the fans were there. The fans are a part of what makes college football in Madison so special come game days. But we're able to go out and play and we're going to make the most of it. What's in front of us is all we can control and that's pretty much that day and that week."

Playing in the Big Ten Championship Game is no longer in their control because the conference's mandated policy dictates that a team must play at least six games to qualify for a trip to Indianapolis. Prior to Minnesota's pause, Wisconsin had to pause and cancel games with Nebraska and Purdue.

"It's tough because obviously that's the goal," Sanborn said of playing for a league title in Lucas Oil Stadium, a home-away-from-home for the Badgers, who have made more appearances (six) in Indy than anybody. "It's just the type of year that it's been. But we're really not looking at that."

Instead, the Hoosiers are clearly in their sights.

"We still have a game to play … we still have Indiana coming up which is a very good team," reiterated Sanborn, who posed this, "What type of team do we want to be?" And he answered, "We want to go into every game and win. We want to show everyone how good of a team we are."

After Saturday's practice, Sanborn went home and watched college football.

"I made sure to watch that one," he said of Indiana's 27-11 home win over Maryland. "It was a little different than watching game film. You have the commentary and all that kind of stuff. But you can see how they play and what they do and what they like to do."

It was a costly victory for the Hoosiers, who lost starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to a season-ending injury (ACL) in the third quarter. Penix had been having an MVP-type of season while passing for over 300 yards three times, including 491 and five touchdowns in a 42-35 loss at Ohio State.

"Penix was playing unbelievable," said Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. "I feel for the kid because obviously he's had injuries a couple of years in a row (Penix suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in November of 2019). When he's been on the field, it's been lights out."

Replacing Penix will be Jack Tuttle, a redshirt sophomore from San Marcos, California. The Badgers have some familiarity with Tuttle in that they were among the schools who pursued him coming out of Mission Hills High School. He went to Utah for one semester before transferring to Indiana.

Tuttle has two of the most dangerous receiving threats in the Big Ten: Ty Fryfogle, who has 33 catches for 652 yards and seven TDs, and Whop Philyor, who has 32 catches for 367 yards and two scores. Fryfogle is the first receiver in Big Ten history with back-to-back 200-yard games.

Both took a back seat against Maryland. The Hoosiers had 48 rushes for 234 yards.

The twist was that there were many direct snaps to a running back.

"They can really do some things to change the math in the box," Leonhard said, "and you've got to be creative sometimes to regain that number. It goes to the flexibility of what we do on defense. I like the adjustments we have. Myself, I have to be smart. I can't put us in tough situations consistently.

"Otherwise, they can cause some problems with it."

The Badgers are once again among the national leaders in rushing defense. The sample size is small, just three games, but opponents are averaging only 67.3 yards on the ground. Michigan was limited to 47 yards on 19 carries while Northwestern managed just 24 on 23 rushes.

"We're flexible," Leonhard said. "We're not one of those teams that's just going to say, 'This is what we do and it's either going to work or not going to work.' We love to put our guys in positions to make plays and be aggressive in the run game.

"To me, the number one thing is a mindset. It's what we're about. That's where we start our game-planning. That's where we base our defense off of — finding ways to stop the run."

Sanborn has that mindset. He had a career-high 14 tackles at Northwestern.

"I'm given opportunities to make plays and I've been fortunate enough to make them," said Sanborn, who sees himself as a playmaker. "Whether it's the run game or in the pass game, I feel like I'm an unselfish player who will do everything for the good of the team. That's the main goal.

"That's why in the stat sheet it looked like I had a good game. But it was still a loss."

Sanborn has seen the benefits in Leonhard's consistent messaging, "Just keep playing, just keep going." He also has followed the lead of coach Paul Chryst, who has been steadfast. Come hell or high water or pandemic, he has refused to compromise his competitive values. Not in his DNA.

"You get another opportunity, and that's what this is all about," Chryst said of Saturday's game against Indiana. To his thinking, it applies to any game, against anyone, at any time. "I've always believed that you play it out and then at the end, you see what you've earned.

"It's never been just about the end. You're going to miss the best part if you play a game just worrying about whether you won or lost. You're going to miss the best part, and that's playing the game. And the same thing can be said about a season.

"If you're just going to be worried about and focused only on what's at the end, then you're going to miss the best part of the journey and that's the day-in and day-out. We didn't win today? We've got to learn from it and then we get another opportunity hopefully next week to play.

"It's all of our job to take advantage of that opportunity."

It's why Sanborn's heart will be racing when he runs out of the tunnel at Camp Randall.

Guaranteed.