For Badgers, Las Vegas Bowl is chance for seniors to get one more win

LAS VEGAS — With one day left, all indications point to the Wisconsin Badgers and Arizona State Sun Devils playing their bowl game in Las Vegas despite COVID-19 leading other games to be canceled.

On Wednesday, tight end Jake Ferguson said the pandemic taught him one key thing: learn to appreciate every game you get.

Head coach Paul Chryst said the Las Vegas Bowl is very important to the team; it’s both a chance for seniors to get one last win but also a chance for younger players to get some invaluable experience.

With the tangible prize of a trophy standing in front of him, Chryst spoke about the intangibles of what the week means.

“(I’m) grateful for one more opportunity, last opportunity for this team to be able to play,” he told reporters.

While the Las Vegas Bowl wasn’t the preseason goal, Ferguson knows the game is important.

“It’s always good to get one in the W column, but I think finishing this one off, ending this season with this team… this is a special team. Gone through a lot of adversity,” he said.

That adversity includes dealing with COVID-19, which is keeping starting fullback John Chenal and some other players home.

“I’ve loved and appreciated the ways guys have approached everything,” Chryst said. “Certainly we’re aware of it. We’ve had some players not on the trip because of it, but you just kind of roll with it.”

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Arizona State is rolling with the punches too, heading into the game without its starting running backs and corners.

“We just prepare for the opponent,” Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards said, “and we’re playing a very good opponent. They’ve been very consistent all season.”

That’s thanks in large part to star tailback Braelon Allen, who has piled up 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns essentially in eight games.

“The game’s going to be won up front, so it’s about who wants it more? Do they want it more than us or do we want it more than them?” Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels said.

On a sun-soaked bowl-game eve, there’s still a full day to contemplate that before the Sun Devils and the favored Badgers enter Allegiant Stadium for the first time.

“We’ve had the opportunity to play at some stadiums similar and things like that. You know, it’s always exciting to go see them all and to kind of play in the NFL stadiums, because obviously that’s a lot of people’s goals,” Badgers linebacker Jack Sanborn said.

The Badgers will get a chance to walk through the stadium on Thursday morning about eight hours before kickoff.

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