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Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards has been ruled out of the Badgers season opener against LSU on Saturday.

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Stopping LSU running back Leonard Fournette is already a tough job. Now, that task gets even more difficult for Wisconsin with the news that linebacker T.J. Edwards will not be available for the season opener on Saturday night in Lambeau Field.

Edwards, the Badgers leading tackler last season, suffered a broken foot over the summer that kept him from taking part in all of fall camp. While his status was uncertain for a while, it wasn’t until Monday that head coach Paul Chryst ruled the redshirt junior unavailable for the SEC-Big Ten matchup.

This is a major blow to the Wisconsin defense that will try to stop Fournette and the Tigers offense. While the running back deservedly gets a lot of attention, the improvement of quarterback Brandon Harris and the explosiveness of wide receivers Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural make the Tigers even more dangerous on offense.

The Badgers are opening the season with a SEC opponent for the third straight year after losses to LSU in 2014 and Alabama last season. Though Wisconsin finished No. 2 in total defense last season (and No. 1 in scoring defense), the departures of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda to LSU and three starters in the secondary have left plenty of question marks coming into the season.

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