Wisconsin loses starting NT Sagapolu for the season

Coach Paul Chryst announced starting nose tackle Olive Sagapolu will miss remainder of season after having surgery.

Wisconsin has had a disappointing season, and it did not get any better on Thursday when coach Paul Chryst announced that starting nose tackle Olive Sagapolu will miss the remainder of the season after having surgery on his right arm.

“He’s been great how he’s handling it, but you feel bad for him,” Chryst told reporters, according to Madison.com. “He was playing really good, and he’s done that for a long time.”

Sagapolu was injured in Wisconsin’s loss to Northwestern two weeks ago and he missed Saturday’s home game against Rutgers.

He finished the season with 23 tackles, including 4 1/2 tackles for loss and two sacks, which tied him for second on the team. He also had an interception.

The rest did not produce the desired results, so it was decided that the senior would undergo surgery.

The Badgers are preparing for a road trip to Penn State, and Badgers starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook remains questionable with a head injury.

Wisconsin was ranked No. 4 in the preseason Associated Press poll but the Badgers are now 6-3 and no longer among the top 25. They are 4-2 in the Big Ten, leaving them one game behind Northwestern in the Big Ten West standings.