Tag: Jim Leonhard

PFF loves Badger safety Eric Burrell heading into 2020

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads into the 2020 season looking for two new defensive leaders with the departures of…

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Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads into the 2020 season looking for two new defensive leaders with the departures of Zack Baun and Chris Orr.

According to ProFootballFocus, one of those impact players will be safety Eric Burrell.

In an article posted on February 19 Anthony Treash, one of PFF’s senior college analysts, listed the top-10 players returning to the Big Ten in 2020.

At the top he listed the obvious names including Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan and Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

His No. 8 player on the list? Wisconsin safety Eric Burrell.

“Wisconsin Badgers safety Eric Burrell has played in the box, slot and at deep safety over the past couple seasons, and regardless of where he was at, he shined in coverage,” Treash wrote. “Among safeties, Burrell’s two-year PFF coverage grade is among the 10 best in the FBS — and he was one of the 20 most valuable safeties overall.”

While missed tackles are a continuing problem for the Maryland native, Treash concluded his piece by noting that “[Burrell] could very well end the 2020 season as one of the five best safeties in the country in coverage.”

These are glowing remarks for the safety who came to Madison in 2016 as a four-star prospect according to ESPN and made an immediate impact when he took over as a starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2018, recording 41 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles.

His 2019 campaign continued his rise at the position as he started 13 games and recorded 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

And, if that wasn’t enough, he recorded three of the Badgers’ top-10 defensive plays of the year including a clutch stop on a 2-point conversion to help seal a win against Iowa.

PFF isn’t the only outlet loving Burrell’s future as TheDraftNetwork lists the safety as the No. 158 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Burrell will enter 2020 as the starter at free safety across from the sure-tackling strong safety Reggie Pearson on a Badger defense set to again be one of the best in the conference and in the nation.

Projecting Wisconsin’s defensive depth chart for the 2020 season

Earlier this week I took an early look at what Wisconsin’s offense will look like come Week 1. Today we shift focus to the other side of…

Earlier this week I took an early look at what Wisconsin’s offense will look like come Week 1. Today we shift focus to the other side of the football, and predict how Jim Leonhard‘s defense will line up when the season, hopefully, gets underway in September.

2019 saw the Badger defense rank No. 6 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten in yards-per-game allowed, No. 7 in the nation and No. 2 in the conference in rush-yards-per-game, No. 13 in the nation and No. 4 in the conference in pass yards and saw the team shut out four opponents on its way to a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance.

Much of the unit’s success was due to insane senior year production from linebackers Zack Baun and Chris Orr, guys who combined for 24 sacks, 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 153 total tackles and four forced fumbles.

The two now gone to the NFL, Baun with the New Orleans Saints and Orr with the Carolina Panthers, leaves two massive holes on Leonhard’s defense with their potential replacements having big shoes to fill.

Here’s an early look at what the defensive unit will look like when football season comes around.

 

Defensive Line

Starters: Isaiahh Loudermilk (defensive end), Garrett Rand (defensive end), Keeanu Benton (defensive tackle)

Backups: Matt Henningsen, Bryson Williams, Boyd Dietzen

The line will be one of the strongest units on the Badger defense this season.

With the team only saying goodbye to backup defensive end David Pfaff after the 2019 season, Leonhard now welcomes back two seniors in Rand and Loudermilk on the edge, a true-sophomore in Benton at tackle after he showed insane potential filling in as a true-freshman and a healthy Williams to complement Benton up front.

The two names to watch along the line as the season progresses are Benton, again only a true-sophomore, and Loudermilk, the one of the group who has the best shot at earning all-conference honors.

After several years of injury-riddled defensive lines, the unit will be a deep one in 2020 and will go a long way to help Leonhard try to find the production lost in the departures of Baun and Orr.

 

Linebacker

Starters: Jack Sanborn (inside), Leo Chenal (inside), Noah Burks (outside), Izayah Green-May (outside)

Backups: Mike Maskalunas, Jaylan Franklin, Spencer Lytle, Maema Njongmeta

As documented above, the linebacker position is the only defensive unit experiencing significant turnover heading into 2020.

The bright spot, though, is coach Paul Chryst seems to need to reload the position every year as names including T.J. Watt, T.J. Edwards, Ryan Connelly, Jack Cichy and now Baun and Orr enter the NFL, and he never has trouble doing so.

This year the name that will step into the role as the leader of the position group and one of the leaders of the entire defense is the junior Sanborn, the team’s leader in tackles and interceptions in 2019 and a guy already receiving NFL-caliber reviews.

With Sanborn will be Chenal at inside linebacker, a true-sophomore who showed flashes during limited playing time in 2019, Burks, a starter as a junior last season who produced seven tackles-for-loss, 36 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception across from Baun, and Green-May, a physically-impressive junior who got injured early in the season after an impressive fall camp.

There will probably be an adjustment period as Chenal and Green-May step into starting roles but the presence of Sanborn, TheDraftNetwork’s No. 72 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft, will pay dividends for Leonhard as he works to make the transition easy and return the position to its 2019 form.

Behind the four probable starters is the senior Maskalunas, a former walk-on who has a shot to play a rotation role, and a bevy of young talent including incoming four-star recruits Nate Herbig and Kaden Johnson and three-star recruit Malik Reed.

 

Secondary

Starters: Caesar Williams (cornerback), Faion Hicks (cornerback), Eric Burrell (safety), Reggie Pearson (safety)

Backups: Rachad Wildgoose, Donte Burton, Collin Wilder, John Torchio

The secondary, like the defensive line, returns their entire unit from the 2019 campaign.

This will be the story with the 2020 Badger defense, as aside from the obvious at linebacker the unit returns nearly its entire core from 2019, a recipe that has led to success in recent years for Chryst and Leonhard.

The probable starters at cornerback are the senior Williams, a guy who showed out late in the season and was a big reason the Badgers were able to reclaim the axe against Minnesota, and Hicks, a junior with tons of college experience.

The backups behind Williams and Hicks for the deep Badger secondary are likely to be Wildgoose, another upperclassman with plenty of experience, and Burton, a sophomore who is set to take over a starting role after Williams and Hicks’ time in Madison is done.

At safety Leonhard will deploy TheDraftNetwork’s No. 158 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft in Burrell, a senior who finished 2019 with 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles and was recently named by ProFootballFocus as the No. 8 returning player in the Big Ten for the 2020 season, and Pearson, a sure-tackling junior who impressed a season ago as a true sophomore recording 60 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles.

The unit, again returning every contributor from 2019, will be one of the best in the conference as Leonhard works to return the defense to its 2019 form.

 

The experience all over the defensive unit returning to Madison, as outlined above, will be key during today’s unique time as not only is a September start to the season in question, but it is increasingly unlikely that summer camps will be able to occur in-person.

Unlike other schools in the conference who need to usher in an almost-entirely new unit on defense, Wisconsin has the experience all over the field that will make the transition from quarantine to the field a lot smoother as the plans for the upcoming season round into form.

Analyzing Chris Orr’s fit with the Carolina Panthers

Wisconsin linebacker Chris Orr was not among the four former Badgers who heard their names called during the 2020 NFL Draft last week…

Wisconsin linebacker Chris Orr was not among the four former Badgers who heard their names called during the 2020 NFL Draft last week.

It did not take long for the Texas native to find an NFL home during post-draft free agency, though, as he signed with the Carolina Panthers immediately after the draft concluded and joined his brother Zach Orr and former Badgers including Philadelphia Eagle T.J. Edwards, free agent Corey Clement and Tampa Bay Buccaneer D’Cota Dixon as a player to find their NFL start as an undrafted free agent.

The Orr signing added to the Panthers’ record-breaking draft haul, as they were the only team in NFL history to use all of their selections on the defensive side of the football.

Making the team as an undrafted free agent is normally a challenging task. But now that the Panthers completely re-vamped their defense during the draft, that task may be an even tougher one for Orr this coming fall.

Nevertheless, the former Badger will have a shot at a role in Carolina as a depth option at linebacker and special teams contributor.

As of now he is set to join a linebacker room with big names including Tahir Whitehead and Shaq Thompson that operates in a 3-4 defensive scheme under head coach Matt Rhule, the same defensive scheme used by defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard at Wisconsin.

If Edwards’ story means anything for Orr’s NFL chances, the former Badger should benefit from the familiarity coming from Wisconsin defensive scheme and the recent history of Badger linebackers in the NFL.

This history–looking at current starters in the NFL including Edwards, T.J. Watt, Joe Schobert and Ryan Connelly and backups/special teams players including Andrew Van Ginkel and Jack Cichy–should see Orr at least make the Week 1 roster despite waiting until his senior season to produce at an NFL level.

The most likely role for Orr to begin his professional career is as a situational blitz and run-defending specialist in addition to a special teams starter.

Until the former Badger is able to improve his mobility and pass-coverage skills, it isn’t likely he will find himself in a starting role, especially with Thompson and Whitehead ahead of him on the depth chart.

Regardless, Orr has a better chance than most undrafted free agents to make the Week 1 roster due to his proficiency in specialized areas of the game, and should find a role on Rhule’s team even if it is just as a blitz specialist and kickoff coverage man.

Post-draft outlook: who will fill the roles of the departed Badgers?

Though the season is still five months away, it’s never too early to look ahead to how the Badgers will line up to start the season…

Though the season is still five months away, it’s never too early to look ahead to how the Badgers will line up to start the season.

The biggest question mark year-to-year, understandably, is who will step in for the former players who either finished their four years of eligibility or declared early for the NFL Draft.

This year more than any in recent memory, it seems, coach Paul Chryst will need to replace the majority of both his offensive and defensive production from last season.

That production includes more than 2000 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 1153 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns combined between offensive stars Jonathan Taylor and Quintez Cephus in addition to 153 tackles, 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 24 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception combined between defensive stars Chris Orr and Zack Baun.

Additionally, with a less-quantifiable position group, Chryst will need to replace three starters along his offensive line including projected 4th-round pick Tyler Biadasz and NFL hopeful Jason Erdmann.

There isn’t only bad news heading into the 2020 season, though, as the team welcomes back starting quarterback Jack Coan, productive wide receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis, tight end Jake Ferguson, talented defensive linemen Keeanu Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk, a tackling machine at linebacker in Jack Sanborn and the entire secondary from 2019.

The talent is there for another successful campaign, but the team will no doubt need players to fill the roles of those gone to the NFL.

 

Running Back

Filling Taylor’s collegiate production is an impossible task. What Chryst and the Badgers can hope to do, though, is find a consistent option to complement Garrett Groshek in the backfield and continue the string of success they’ve had at the position.

The two options to fill that role are redshirt sophomore Nakia Watson and top recruit Jalen Berger.

Watson carried the ball 74 times last season for 331 yards and two touchdowns in a backup role. The Texas native was a four-star recruit coming out of high school in 2018 and has the talent to succeed if given the starting role.

The other option, Berger, will be a true freshman this fall but is ranked as the No. 12 running back recruit in the nation and has the talent to become the next great Badger in the backfield.

If Berger redshirts this season expect the backfield to be led by Watson and a classic third-down back in Groshek. If Berger does not redshirt and sees the field Day 1, as Jonathan Taylor did during his freshman year, expect Berger to start the next era of success in the Badger backfield.

 

Wide Receiver

Though Cephus decided to leave school early and enter the NFL Draft and A.J. Taylor is finished with his four years of eligibility, the Badgers still return three solid receiving threats in Pryor, Davis and Jack Dunn.

Had Aron Cruikshank not transferred to Rutgers during the offseason, Chryst would actually be set to enter 2020 with one of the most experienced receiving cores in the Big Ten.

Pryor, Davis and Dunn all returning paired with an incoming three-star recruit in Chimere Dike points towards a productive year at wide receiver for the Badgers even without the services of Cephus, A.J. Taylor and Cruikshank.

 

Offensive Line

The offensive line seems to be the position that Chryst never has trouble rejuvenating and reloading from year to year.

The Badger coach now moves forward to 2020 without 2019 starters Biadasz, Erdmann and David Moorman but does return the likes of Cole Van Lanen, Logan Bruss, Tyler Beach, Josh Seltzner, Kayden Lyles and former five-star recruit Logan Brown and welcomes in a four-star recruit in Jack Nelson.

The starting five on the line should look something like Van Lanen and Bruss at the tackle positions, Lyles and Seltzner at the guard spots and either Blake Smithback or Joe Tippmann at center, though it is unclear at the moment who will take over at center for Biadasz.

Though Logan Brown is not in line to start yet in 2020 he is somebody worth keeping an eye on as he came to Wisconsin as the second-best prospect in program history and as an surefire future first round pick.

 

Linebacker

Orr and Baun, as I outlined earlier, combined for a remarkable season in 2019.

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will now look to the junior Sanborn to take over for Orr as the leader of the defense at middle linebacker and to Noah Burks to take over Baun’s role at outside linebacker.

Both Burks and Sanborn had starting roles 2019 so there are still holes behind them in the depth chart going forward to 2020. The most likely players to fill these roles and start for Leonhard in 2020 are Leo Chenal at middle linebacker and Izayah Green-May at outside linebacker, though the outside linebacker position is still wide open as summer preparation is close to getting underway.

 

The key to success in college football is being able to develop players throughout their four years in college yet have a system in place that is able to move forward once those players graduate and fill their roles at a high level. Chryst has shown a clear ability to do this thus far during his tenure and 2020 should be no exception.

 

 

 

 

BadgersWire Q&A with Wisconsin linebacker Jack Sanborn

As we all try to make it through these trying times there is still, hopefully, a college football season on the horizon. One of the key…

As we all try to make it through these trying times there is still, hopefully, a college football season on the horizon.

For the Wisconsin Badgers, one of the key figures in that upcoming season will be junior linebacker Jack Sanborn.

Sanborn came to Wisconsin in 2018 and saw the field right away as a true freshman.

The Illinois native then took over the starting job at middle linebacker as a sophomore in 2019 with former Badgers T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly gone to the NFL.

He now enters his junior season coming off a 2019 campaign during which he produced an impressive 80 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, three interceptions including one in the Rose Bowl against Oregon, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

BadgersWire caught up with the linebacker to see how the preparation for the 2020 season is going and dive into his progression from a backup as a true freshman to now being the centerpiece of the defense.

 

BadgersWire: We know today’s situation has really affected draft prep for the guys entering the NFL, but what’s life like for you right now in terms of how you guys are getting ready for the 2020 season?

Sanborn: This is a definitely a crazy time for college sports and our country. Right now the most important thing is being safe and healthy and then making the most of your time to get better as a player.

 

BadgersWire: Looking forward, what’re your thoughts on playing 2020 potentially without fans in attendance?

JS: Playing without fans is something that has been talked about and I guess we will see where we are in terms of health of our country when the time comes. Football season is still a little while away but the most important thing is the health and safety of everyone involved and that includes the fans.

 

BadgersWire: It’s rare for a player, especially a linebacker, to see the field as a true freshman in Madison. What was it like seeing playing time right away and how has that first year experience helped you develop into the player you are today?

JS: It has helped greatly in my development since I have been on campus. The greatest teacher is experience as they say and I could not agree more. That really benefitted me but also learning from guys like T.J., Ryan, and Chris helped me develop as a player and learn so much about the game.

 

BadgersWire: Continuing off that, you started last year and helped to fill the shoes of four-year starter and current Philadelphia Eagle T.J. Edwards and current New York Giant Ryan Connelly, and looking forward to this upcoming year you’ll be doing the same with Chris Orr now graduated. What has it been like filling the shoes of such accomplished players at the position?

JS: Coming in as a freshman I knew those guys were there and I was excited to be in the same room as them. All three of those guys played in a lot of games and a lot of big games and I learned so much from all three of them early on in my career that really helped me grow as a player.

 

BadgersWire: Looking holistically, how has the Wisconsin program and coaches Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard aided you in your development and how has the program been able to sustain such an impressive track record at the linebacker position?

JS: Coach Chryst and Coach Leonhard are two of the smartest people in terms of football that I have ever been around. I have learned a lot from them and they really care about you on a personal level and are fun to be around which in a coach makes you love to play for them.

 

BadgersWire: Is there one moment/one play that sticks out to you as your favorite thus far through two years? (Rose Bowl INT, etc.)

JS: I have made so many memories here in two years so far and look forward to making many more memories with the guys in that locker room whether it’s at practice or in games. If I had to pick one moment I would say winning the axe back.

 

BadgersWire: Finally, What does it mean to you to have your younger brother [Bryan Sanborn] committed to play for the Badgers after he graduates in 2021?

JS: I’m excited that Bryan is coming to Madison. It’s a great place, a place I love and know that he is going to do great things here.

Where are they now: Andrew Van Ginkel

The newest edition of the “where are they now” series, a series of articles looking at former Badger football standouts and checking in on where they are in the NFL or elsewhere, turns focus to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. Van Ginkel came to …

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The newest edition of the “where are they now” series, a series of articles looking at former Badger football standouts and checking in on where they are in the NFL or elsewhere, turns focus to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

Van Ginkel came to Wisconsin as a four-star defensive end from Council Bluffs, Iowa after transferring from Iowa Western Community College. 

Though he was only with the program for two years, Van Ginkel was one of the most productive players on Jim Leonhard’s defense and was a big reason the 2017 Badgers came within a drive of making the College Football Playoff.

The linebacker finished his college career with 26 games played, 98 tackles, 19.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. One of those interceptions was a pick-six against Ohio State in the 2017 Big Ten Championship, a game during which he produced one of the most impressive championship performances ever for a defensive player.

Van Ginkel finished the game with three tackles, a pick-six, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. 

Were it not for his performance that day the Badgers would not have found themselves down six points with a chance to drive to win the game late in the fourth quarter.

Van Ginkel departed Madison, Wisconsin after his senior season in 2018 and was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

In his rookie season in 2019 the former Badger played in six games and recorded 15 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery.

With the Dolphins’ recent free agent spending spree the Iowa native is currently listed fourth on the depth chart at weak side linebacker and is in line to see the field mostly during special teams in 2020.

Check in tomorrow for a look at the progression of now-New York Giant linebacker Ryan Connelly.

Gang Green’s best of the 2010s: A look at the Jets’ all-decade team

The Jets Wire names the Jets 2010’s all-decade team with New York’s franchise-worst 10-year stretch ending with a 7-9 finish.

The Jets’ decade started with an AFC Championship appearance, but since then they’ve endured one of the worst stretches in franchise history.

New York has only had one season since in which it was over .500 and failed to return to the playoffs. The Jets have now gone nine consecutive seasons without a playoff berth and a record four straight losing seasons after faring 10-6 in 2015.

To finish off the decade, the Jets went 6-2 after a 1-7 finish, but they still have yet to play meaningful football beyond the first week of January. It seems Gang Green has its quarterback of the future, but does it have enough to start off the next decade with a playoff trip?

Decisions for the future are coming. For now, let’s take a look at the Jets’ 2010s all-decade team:

Offense

East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker (87) and New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) celebrate Marshall’s touchdown during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Patriots 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

QB Mark Sanchez: Sanchez was consistently average during his time in New York, but that’s enough to be the team’s best quarterback of the decade. He was the only one to lead Gang Green to the playoffs in this decade. During his time as New York’s signal-caller, Sanchez went 33-29, a much more impressive record than what Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown. The hope is that Sam Darnold will do more to earn the nod 10 years from now.

RB Chris Ivory: Acquired via trade in one of John Idzik’s first moves as New York’s general manager, Ivory had a rather productive three-year tenure in green and white. He ran for over 800 yards in all three seasons, including going over 1,000 yards in 2015.

WR Brandon Marshall: Marshall spent just two seasons with New York, but his 2015 was enough to garner a mention on this list. Marshall set the team record for catches and yards and tied Don Maynard for touchdowns. In 2015, Marshall had 109 catches for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns.

WR Eric Decker: Paired with Marshall, the Jets had one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the league. He could never establish himself as a No. 1 target, but Decker put up those numbers opposite of Marshall. In 2015, Decker had 80 receptions for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns.

WR Santonio Holmes: While Holmes’ Jets career ended on a sour note, he is still largely responsible for helping New York reach its second AFC Championship Game in as many seasons. While his statistics don’t tell the whole story because of his four-game suspension to the begin the season, Holmes was as clutch as can be when it counted.

TE Dustin Keller: One of the more productive tight ends in the history of the franchise, the Jets have been unable to replicate Keller’s success since he departed New York. He finished his six-year tenure with the Jets catching 241 passes for 2,876 yards and 17 scores.

OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson: Ferguson was a staple on the Jets offensive line. He was the glue that kept the left side together and New York never had to worry about it quarterback’s blindside when he was on the field.

OG James Carpenter: Carpenter was the best the Jets had to offer at left guard during the decade. He was a reliable fixture brought in by Idzik and started every single game for New York from 2015-17.

C Nick Mangold: An All-Pro in 2010, Mangold would appear in five of his seven Pro Bowl appearances during the 2010s. The Jets are still itching to find a competent center as his replacement.

OG Brandon Moore: Moore is more famous for Mark Sanchez running into his behind, but he is the best the Jets had at right guard from 2010 on.

RT Damien Woody: While Woody has now spent more time as an ESPN personality than with Gang Green this decade, he provided the most stability at a position that has been a thorn in the Jets’ side.

Honorable Mentions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Bilal Powell, RB Shonn Greene, WR Robby Anderson, OG Brian Winters, OT Kelvin Beachum.

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Saturday is a moment of truth for Wisconsin and Jim Leonhard

A few thoughts on Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard before Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

If this particular subplot to the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers did not exist, Jim Leonhard wouldn’t coach less vigorously. He wouldn’t care less passionately. He wouldn’t focus less intensely. Yet, the subplot exists, and it is fascinating: Two Broyles Award semifinalists will coach against each other:

The battle lines have been drawn even more sharply before Saturday’s kickoff in Minneapolis. The offensive coordinator for Minnesota and the defensive coordinator for Wisconsin are both on the Broyles Award semifinal list. The Gophers dutifully promoted the achievement of offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who has worked seamlessly with head coach P.J. Fleck to transform the Minnesota offense in a relatively short period of time:

The battle is fascinating enough on its own terms and merits. The Wisconsin defense versus the Minnesota offense is the heavyweight matchup in this game, given that Wisconsin roared to the top of the Big Ten on the strength of its defense in the first half of this season. That first half is what put Leonhard on the Broyles semifinalist list. It certainly hasn’t been the past four weeks.

Minnesota’s defense has played a part in the Gophers rising to the top tier of the Big Ten, but the offense is the main engine of Minnesota’s rise. The Gophers haven’t been winning slugfests; they have been winning with big numbers. When they contained Iowa’s offense, they still lost because their own offense had a miserable day in the red zone. Minnesota is the team which would like a 42-35 game. Wisconsin would prefer a 27-24 or 23-20 game. If that lower score is going to emerge, it is up to Leonhard to not only find the right plan for Minnesota; Leonhard needs to find a way to get this defense — especially the back seven — to defend the pass with a lot more consistency than the Badgers have shown in November.

The last truly great half of defense Wisconsin played — when adjusted for the quality of opponent — was the first half against Ohio State. Minnesota isn’t as good a team as Ohio State, but its offense certainly deserves to be taken seriously. Jim Leonhard and Kirk Ciarrocca are both Broyles semifinalists; Leonhard needs to show that his status has been fully deserved. If he shuts down Ciarrocca’s attack on Saturday, no one will question Leonhard’s Broyles credentials.

The biggest reason Wisconsin should be confident versus Minnesota

Another look at the game we’re all waiting for: the Wisconsin Badgers versus the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

There are certainly reasons for the Wisconsin Badgers to be worried about the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but what is their main reason to feel confident on Saturday? One could come up with several legitimate answers. This is not a “there’s only one right answer” kind of question. However, I do feel that one answer stands out more than others.

You will recall how poorly Wisconsin played against Illinois. That was a distracted, uneven, emotionally subdued game the week before a big clash against Ohio State. Would that loss to Illinois lead to a dispirited, disjointed Wisconsin team in Columbus? No, it did not. Wisconsin lost to a better team that day, but the Badgers’ defense played its best 25 minutes of the season at the start of that game.

Yes, Wisconsin thrashed Michigan and casually brushed aside Michigan State. The statistics looked better and the thrill of emphatic wins certainly felt better. Yet, when adjusted for the caliber of opposition, Wisconsin standing up to Ohio State’s loaded offense in the first 25 minutes of play — allowing a measly field goal to a juggernaut — strikes me as UW’s best 25 minutes of defense this season.

The key point is that UW played elite defense one week after playing subpar defense. That tells me Wisconsin can put ordinary performances in the rearview mirror; adjust; and learn from mistakes. That first half against Ohio State told me that Jim Leonhard can — and probably WILL — have his group ready to handle what P.J. Fleck has in mind for the Badgers.

Yes, without question, a big reason for Wisconsin to be confident against Minnesota is the play of the offensive line in tandem with Jonathan Taylor. That running game can win in Minneapolis. That offense can control the ball and keep the Gophers’ offense off the field. Yes, it is painfully clear that the defense’s difficult second half against Ohio State was a product of the offense not keeping the ball as much as anything else. Wisconsin is in better position to help its defense in this game against Minnesota. If you want to cite that reason as the main source of confidence for UW against the U of M, I wouldn’t really argue with that.

I would only emphasize that even if Wisconsin’s offense helps the defense in this game, there will be moments when the Badgers’ defense will have to be self-sufficient. I don’t see Wisconsin scoring every time it touches the ball. I also don’t see UW completely shutting down Minnesota, either. My more precise point is that the Badgers will need to go through a 10- or 15-minute period in this game when their offense isn’t clicking, and they need to hunker down and thwart Minnesota’s offense. No, that dynamic probably can’t be sustained for 45 minutes. No, that dynamic definitely won’t be sustained for the full 60 minutes. It CAN be sustained for 10 to 15, and even for 25… as we saw against Ohio State, before the Buckeyes finally scored a touchdown late in the first half and then gained momentum after halftime.

Wisconsin’s defense slept against Illinois and then awakened in a magnificent first-half performance against an elite offense in Columbus. That is the foremost reason for the Badgers to expect success — and conquest — against Minnesota in the game of the year for both sides.