Wisconsin kicker Gaglianone out for season following surgery
The Wisconsin Badgers announced Thursday that junior kicker Rafael Gaglianone is out of the season after having surgery for a back issue.
Gaglianone was hurt on a field-goal attempt in Week 3 against Georgia State and missed the Badgers' 30-6 win over Michigan State last week and had been deemed questionable for this Saturday's game in Ann Arbor, Mich., between No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 4 Michigan. A similar injury forced Gaglianone to miss spring practice in 2015.
"Unfortunately this isn't his first experience with something like this, but we've seen that Raf is going to do everything he can to get back on the field as soon as he can," head coach Paul Chryst said in a release.
Gaglianone made 7 of 8 field-goal attempts this season and is tied for Mike Allen for fifth place on Wisconsin's all-time field goals list. Overall at Wisconsin, Gaglianone, who earned the starting placekicker job as a freshman, has made 44 of 57 field-goal attempts (77.2 percent).
Andrew Endicott attempted field goals in Gaglianone's place against Michigan State and made his only attempt from 41 yards. Endicott, a senior, had never attempted a field goal in a regular-season game in either high school or college. His only previous field goals came when he made two in an all-star game in high school. Endicott made 3 of 4 extra-point attempts vs. the Spartans.
Based on his participation in only three games this season, Gaglianone will be eligible to apply for a medical hardship waiver with the NCAA and seek an additional season of competition.
