Before the Michigan football team takes on the Wisconsin Badgers Saturday night, what are the Badgers saying about the Wolverines?
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With its season already in a big dumpster fire after losing to Indiana last week 38-21, the Michigan football team has nothing to lose as they try and pull the upset card against the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers this week. Michigan comes in 1-2 and now must try and get out of the hole they have dug themselves in. On the other hand, Wisconsin is undefeated, but not quite the undefeated you’d think as they are just 1-0 on the season.
Wisconsin hasn’t played its last two games due to the amount of COVID-19 cases they have had, going up to 27 at one point. Currently, the cases sit at five, and if things can stay controllable, we will have a game on Saturday. Wisconsin football head coach Paul Chryst did say on BTN that he would have players in the “double digits” not playing this week so that Wisconsin could be coming in with backups and third-stringers starting, especially at the quarterback position as both the teams starter and backup tested positive for COVID almost three weeks ago.
While COVID and how the team has been reacting and working through it is the talking point for Wisconsin, when it comes to Michigan, the Badgers’ biggest focus seems to be on the Wolverines starting quarterback Joe Milton.
“You talk about his arm strength, it jumps out at you,” Chryst said. “Quick release, he can throw a lot of different types of balls, and he’s got good receivers to go get it. Obviously athletic, and combine that with the size he has, obviously he’s a challenge. In my opinion, he’s a really good football player, and yet what I think what makes him dangerous is that there’s a lot of guys around him, and I think there’s enough things that they do well that it’s a challenging week for our defense.”
Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard joined his superior in Chryst and continued to give Milton credit and detailed how he can be a dangerous threat to the Badgers defense on Saturday.
“He’s a big, strong athlete who is mobile and can extend plays,” Leonhard said. “He’s got as strong of an arm as we’ll play all season. His best plays scare the hell out of you. He’s one of those guys that you turn on (the film); his best plays scare the hell out of you because of what he can do.”
“With his feet, he can change numbers in the run game, and throwing the ball when he’s on, every game he’s made a throw where you’re like, ‘Wow, you just don’t see that every week,'” Leonhard said. “He’s also had his struggles, right? I know they’re frustrated with a little of the inconsistency, but we can’t count on that. He’s a young guy that every game is going to continue to improve and learn. We’re preparing to play the one that’s hot. We hope he doesn’t show up to that guy.”
It wasn’t just the coaching staff praising Milton as one player took note of what Milton can do with the football.
“He’s got a big arm, a strong arm,” linebacker Jack Sanborn said. “You see him and he can make any throw on the field. There are some throws in the Indiana game, like that post that he threw in the end zone, that you don’t see a lot of guys in college football that are able to make that throw. And he can run, too, so that’s something that we’ve always got to be aware of. I think it’s going to be exciting to play against him.”
Milton wasn’t the only thing for Michigan getting discussed as Leonhard spoke on the toughness and physicality of how the Wolverines will be this Saturday.
“I know (Michigan wants) to be physical, and they want to run the football and play-action off of that,” Leonhard said. “They’re very similar to us in that fashion. And they’ve had to kind of get out of their system.”
“Hopefully offensively and defensively we can start out hot, put pressure on this team and make them question some things,” Leonhard said. “But you’ve got to understand what team you’re trying to play. They want to be physical and they’re going to come in here with a chip on their shoulder. They’re not happy right now and they know they’re a better football team than what they’ve put on tape and I feel that. I see that”
Finally, the Michigan running backs got some love, as well, as Sanborn went in about the depth they have at the position and how they can attack you in various ways.
“They’ve got a really solid group,” Sanborn said. “They’ve had four guys that have played a decent amount and all four guys can really run the ball. So it’s going to be a challenge on us but we’re ready for it.”
Michigan takes on No. 13 Wisconsin, in the Big House in Ann Arbor this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST on ABC.
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