MADISON, Wis. _ Wisconsin junior kicker Rafael Gaglianone, almost perfect in UW's first three games before sitting out last week because of a back injury, will miss the rest of the season, UW officials announced Thursday.
"You're disappointed for Rafael because of all the work he's put in and how well he was playing," UW head coach Paul Chryst said in a release. "From a football perspective, I've appreciated the way the other guys in that unit have responded this week."
Because Gaglianone has played in only three games this season, UW officials plan to apply for a medical hardship waiver so that he can regain the year of eligibility.
With Gaglianone out, former walk-on Andrew Endicott will again handle field-goal and extra-point attempts.
Endicott, a fifth-year senior from Roseville, Calif., made a 41-yard field goal and 3 of 4 extra-point attempts last week in UW's 30-6 victory over Michigan State.
Gaglianone has a history of back problems. He missed all of spring practice in 2015 after the UW training staff advised him to rest his back.
"Unfortunately this isn't his first experience with something like this," Chryst said, "but we've seen that Raf is going to do everything he can to get back on the field as soon as he can."
Because he wasn't able to do any lower-body work in the weight room that offseason, he lacked sufficient leg strength and made only 18 of 27 field-goal attempts. That came after he made 19 of 22 attempts as a freshman in 2014.
Gaglianone about 25 pounds after last season to ease the strain on his back, hit the ball exceptionally well in camp and made 7 of 8 field-goal attempts in UW's first three games.
If Endicott can fill in for Gaglianone, his loss could be minimized. However, the injury has to hurt Gaglianone on a personal level.
He changed his uniform number to No. 27 from No. 10 to honor his fallen friend, Nebraska punter Sam Foltz.
Foltz and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler were killed in a one-vehicle accident in July in Waukesha County. They were in the state working a camp for specialists at Kettle Moraine High School.
When Gaglianone drilled a 47-yard field goal to beat LSU in Week 1, he celebrated by touching his chest and pointing to the sky to honor Foltz.
"It was amazing just to play for Sam and just kind of spread the work on who he was, the amazing person he was," Gaglianone said after the opener. "He was even more special off the field.
"It feels good to honor him the right way."
