MADISON, Wis. — Carson Van Dinter did not know what role awaited him when he transferred to Wisconsin after two seasons at Iowa State. The Kaukauna native found one quickly on special teams. Van Dinter blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown in his first game at Camp Randall Stadium, turning a homecoming into a defining moment for the Badgers newcomer. The play came after Wisconsin adjusted its punt rush following an earlier attempt. Coach Luke Fickell said Van Dinter pressed for the opportunity to attack the punt and then followed through. “After the first punt rush, he and the coach made an adjustment on the sideline to let him go,” Fickell said. “He was pretty adamant: ‘I can get there.’ And he was right. He made the adjustment, made the play and finished the play.” Van Dinter said his immediate concern after getting a hand on the ball was making sure he could recover it cleanly without accidentally kicking it. Once he reached the end zone, the moment became difficult to process. “When I blocked it, I was just trying to make sure I didn’t kick it when I was trying to pick it up,” Van Dinter said. “That’s what was going through my mind. After I scored, I kind of blacked out. My first game at Camp Randall was pretty cool.” Although Van Dinter has not played on Wisconsin’s offense or defense, his special-teams contribution has given him a clear path to helping the team. For a player returning from Iowa State to his home state, that impact arrived almost immediately.