MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa believe they can help make Wisconsin a winner again.
The freshman linebackers have offered ample evidence of that lately while finally providing Badgers
fans something to cheer in an otherwise dismal season.
In two games since moving into Wisconsin’s starting lineup, Catalano and Posa have combined for 51 tackles and 3½ sacks. They were the two best players on the field Saturday when Wisconsin beat then-No. 24 Washington 13-10 to snap the Badgers’ six-game skid.
“They’re playing the game the way the game’s supposed to be played,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said.
Catalano’s 19 tackles against Washington were the most by any Wisconsin player in a single game since Mike Taylor had 22 stops in a 33-29 loss to Ohio State way back in 2011.
Posa had 11 tackles and 2½ sacks. His strip sack and recovery in the third quarter gave Wisconsin the ball at Washington’s 7-yard line to set up the Badgers’ lone touchdown, and his fourth-down sack in the closing minutes thwarted the Huskies’ comeback attempt.
That made Posa the first Bowl Subdivision player to have at least 10 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the same game since Texas’ Joseph Ossai did it in 2020.
“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it,” Posa said of the victory.
The two freshmen play with remarkable poise, no matter how jittery they might get before the start of each game.
“In high school, I would throw up a lot before games,” Catalano said. “I haven’t thrown up too much in college, but I definitely still get those nerves, for sure. I think once I get those first few snaps in or that first contact, I’m usually settled in by then.”
In this era of college football with players available to transfer virtually at will and profit off their name, image and likeness, anytime a freshman on a losing team plays well, it leads to questions about whether that program will be able to keep him.
Plenty of social media posts from Wisconsin fans after the Washington game celebrated the win while expressing concern over whether these two freshman would stick around.
Posa and Catalano have indicated there’s no reason to worry.
Catalano grew up rooting for the Badgers and graduated from Germantown High School as the all-time leading tackler in Wisconsin prep football history with 583 career stops.
“I absolutely love it here, love the staff, love the players around me,” Catalano said. “Hearing that noise, it’s cool to hear fans want you and everything, but I try to stay focused on the teams coming up and stay process oriented.”
Posa said he feels a kinship to Fickell and Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel because of their shared background in a different sport. Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh announced last week that Fickell would remain the Badgers’ coach beyond this season.
“Coach Fick and Coach Tress, they’re both wrestlers,” said Posa, a three-time New Mexico state high school wrestling champion. “Wrestlers click. The mindset — just the grit and toughness — I loved it. … I wanted to be tough and be gritty, so I chose Wisconsin.”
While Posa was finishing out his high school career in Albuquerque, Catalano said he shared video clips of old Badgers football highlights with him and sent reminders of all Wisconsin had to offer — from its food to its state parks — to help lure Posa to Madison.
They now room together alongside teammates Mike Roeske and Logan Powell, and the two linebackers are often studying film and competing against each other in just about everything.
Posa and Catalano also helped each other deal with adversity during a trying season. They’ll face more challenges the next few weeks.
Wisconsin (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) is a 29½-point underdog Saturday at No. 2 Indiana (10-0, 7-0, No. 2 College Football Playoff), according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Badgers follow that up by hosting Illinois (6-3, 3-3) and visiting Minnesota (6-3, 4-2).
Unless the Badgers run the table, Wisconsin will end up with a second straight losing season, something that hasn’t happened here since 1991-92. Wisconsin is at risk of losing more than seven games in a season for the first time since a 1-10 finish in 1990.
Amid all these setbacks, Catalano and Posa remain enthusiastic about what they eventually can accomplish together.
“The future’s bright,” Posa said. “The ’26 class we have going on, I’ve texted some of those dudes. I think we’re really going to build something special in Madison. We’re going to be national title contenders. I promise you that.”
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