The Wisconsin Badgers had a tough day at the office on Saturday, losing 34-0 to the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium.
While the result and the game overall were a rough one, the team didn’t
seem to give up on themselves from start to finish, with the offense finally getting going on the last possession.
Perhaps the best epitome of that was starting linebacker Christian Alliegro, who had exited the game in the first quarter with a hand injury and was questionable to return. Alliegro did return shortly after and ended up with six tackles in the loss.
Well, it wasn’t just any injury that Alliegro faced. It was a broken hand that the Badgers needed to tape up and then tape up even heavier during the second half. Nonetheless, Alliegro played and didn’t even get off the field when he returned, showcasing the fight he has, despite a tough day for the team.
“A guy like Christian Alliegro broke his arm in the first quarter,” head coach Luke Fickell said after the game. “They took him in, X-rayed it, and it was a part of his arm. He casted it up, and they said he could try to play if he wanted to. I think he played every snap from there on out. Came into halftime, casted it even more, went back out and played the entire second half. He cares. He is not going to let his brothers down.”
Alliegro’s mentality impressed his teammates, but it has also come to be the expectation for him.
“It says a lot about him. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Christian,” outside linebacker Darryl Peterson said after the game. “I didn’t even know he broke his hand. I knew he hurt himself, but it goes to show that he didn’t bat an eye. He came in and still played well for us.”
