First Look: Wisconsin
Right: Junior running back P.J. Hill carries the load offensively for the Badgers this season.
Athlon Sports Photo
While on paper Wisconsin may have been a Big Ten title contender in the preseason, once everything is settled at the end of the November, the Badgers will be looking up to a few teams ahead of them in the final conference standings.
The biggest reason is UW’s schedule. None of the other eight teams in the Big Ten since 1993 have drawn Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State on consecutive Saturday’s to begin conference play.
And the Badgers have already lost to the Wolverines.
Leading by a score of 19-0 fueled on four field goals by Philip Welch, Michigan scored 27 unaswered points to defeat Wisconsin 27-25, last Saturday.
The Wolverines, who turned the ball over five times and gained just one first down in the first half, were booed off the field as they made their way to the locker room in Michigan Stadium at intermission.
Look, I said this before the season began and I will say it again, Wisconsin is overrated.
Allan Evridge, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound senior quarterback, is Wisconsin’s third starting QB in as many years. And he’s not that good.
Evridge has completed just 57.7 percent of his passes for 752 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions through four games.
Can you say “eight-men-in-the-box?”
The Badgers are definitely more of a running team than a passing one. P.J. Hill, a 5-foot-11, 236-pound junior running back, gets the bulk of the carries. He has 449 yards on 92 carries with four touchdowns, but he may not even be the best back on the the team.
John Clay, a 6-foot-2, 237-pound freshman has just 29 rushing attempts for 191 yards, but that averages out to 6.6 yards per carry to go along with four touchdowns. Hill averages 4.9 yards per attempt.
Also getting into the mix at running back is 5-foot-11, 207-pound sophomore Zack Brown, who has 174 yards in 33 attempts with two touchdowns.
Wisconsin’s all-World tight end, 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior Travis Beckum, has just six receptions for 68 yards and no TDs, though he has been hampered with an injury.
Just two Badgers have more than 10 receptions. Garrett Graham, a 6-foot-4, 237-pound junior tight end, has 11 catches for 154 yards and three touchdowns. David Gilreath, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound sophomore wide receiver also has 11 receptions for 139 yards and a score.
So, in essence, Wisconsin is not going to spread the ball out, but they would rather pound you with their power running game. A strategy that plays right into the hands on the Ohio State defense.
The Badgers have played just one ranked opponent in four games, defeating Fresno State 13-10, but it’s the same Fresno team that needed an overtime session to beat Toledo.
Wisconsin’s other wins have come against Akron (38-17), and Marshall (51-14).
So far in 2008, Wisconsin is fourth in the Big Ten in total offense (413.5 ypg), fourth in scoring offense (31.8 ppg), but just ninth in passing offense (195.0 ypg).
In 2007, the Badgers were fifth in the Big Ten in total offense (408.8 ypg) and sixth in scoring offense (29.5 ppg).
On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin is fourth in total defense (305.5 ypg), and sixth on scoring defense (17.0 ppg).
Seems like more of the same from a team that went 9-4 last season.
