Apprehension surrounded Wisconsin’s offensive line ahead of their matchup with Notre Dame today, with ESPN’s Pete Thamel delivering a mixed bag of news for the Badgers early Sunday morning.
While Notre Dame probably anticipated facing both offensive linemen Kevin Heywood and Emerson Mandell, Mandell has been ruled out. Wisconsin will have to manage without Mandell, a 12-game starter from last season. Meanwhile, Heywood, who sustained an injury early in fall camp and had been spotted wearing a walking boot, is set to play.
Considering the Fighting Irish boast a defensive front that could rank among the nation’s elite this year, this update is far from ideal for Wisconsin. Securing another surprise victory at Lambeau Field required the Badgers to be completely healthy, which they evidently are not.
Look for Notre Dame to exploit the Badgers’ adjusted offensive line, though the coaching staff likely planned for these absences given the players’ recent statuses. It remains to be seen how heavily the absence of Mandell, coupled with the return of Heywood, will affect Wisconsin’s performance.
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This story was first published by Fighting Irish Wire: Urgent: Wisconsin missing key starting offensive lineman against Notre Dame
