Abu Sama, Wisconsin’s leading rusher, is still listed as questionable for their Homecoming game this Saturday. This marks the *third straight day* his status has been up in the air for the Badgers’ critical matchup against Michigan State, and that’s a problem.
The Sama Situation: Who Steps Up?
Sama took an upper body hit in the second quarter of Wisconsin’s 24-20 win at Penn State on September 26, and he was done for the day. That’s a brutal blow when you’re talking about your top guy on offense, especially after snagging that Big Ten opener win. If Sama can’t roll, junior Darron Dupree is gonna step in. Dupree actually looked pretty solid last week, ripping off 52 yards on eight carries and pulling in four passes for 44 yards. He’s got game, no doubt, but can he really fill Sama’s shoes for a huge Homecoming showdown?
The Full Injury Rundown for Both Squads
The Big Ten drops these availability reports four days out, then updates ’em every night until the final call two hours before kickoff. For Day 3, neither team saw any change from Day 2, which means Wisconsin is still dealing with some heavy hitters sidelined. Cornerback Cai Bates, receiver Jaylon Domingeaux, and offensive lineman Michael Roeske are all **out**. Running back Mason Lane is also on that questionable list with Sama. Good news, though: offensive lineman Emerson Mandell, tight end Ryan Schwendeman, punter Sean West, and running back Bryan Jackson are all **probable** to play.
Michigan State, man, their injury list is wild. They’ve got cornerbacks NiJhay Burt, Keshawn Williams, and Tyran Chappell, plus running back Cam Edwards, fullback Jack Coyne, offensive lineman Tristan Comer, and tight end Jay Caudill all **out**. Linebacker Jordan Hall is **doubtful**, and then they’ve got a whole crew listed **questionable**: cornerback Tre Bell, linebackers Cam Slodghill, Dion Crawford, and Brady Pretzlaff, offensive linemen Conner Moore and Eli Bickel, and defensive lineman Cal Thursh. That’s a seriously long list of names for the Spartans to figure out.
So yeah, with Sama’s status up in the air and all these other injury questions, Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) has their work cut out against Michigan State (2-2, 0-1). Kickoff is at 11:30 a.m. this Saturday, October 3. How the Badgers handle Sama’s potential absence is going to be HUGE for this Homecoming game. Who steps up? We’ll be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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