Tag: wisconsin badgers football

What are the Five Keys to a Wisconsin Victory over Nebraska?

What are the five keys to a Wisconsin victory when the Badgers travel to play Nebraska.

Entering the season, Nebraska was the favorite to represent the west division in the Big Ten championship game. The season for the Cornhuskers hasn’t gone as planned, as they are currently on a three game losing streak and have lost four of the past five games. Nebraska will look to get back on track against Wisconsin following their bye week.

Here are the five keys for a Wisconsin victory over the Cornhuskers:

1) Keeping containment of Adrian Martinez 

Martinez has been able to hurt teams multiple ways, whether that’s through the air or with his legs as he’s averaging 270.1 yards of total offense. In particular, Wisconsin can’t allow for Martinez to get out of the pocket and be able to extend plays, making it important that the combination of Zack Baun and Noah Burks are able to play well in space to avoid allowing Martinez to break a tackle. Wisconsin’s ability to slow Martinez down by either sacking him or keeping him contained will help Wisconsin’s defense control the game.

2) Jonathan Taylor’s success on the ground

Nebraska’s rush defense has struggled over conference play, as they’re allowing teams to rush for an average of 219.5 yards per game. In two career games against Nebraska, Taylor has rushed for over 200 yards both times and has registered five combined touchdowns. Taylor should consistently pick up positive yards against Nebraska’s defense considering the Cornhuskers are allowing 5.3 yards per carry, which will allow for Wisconsin to be able to effectively move the football down the field.

3) Limiting JD Spielman

Wan’Dale Robinson is questionable heading into the game against Wisconsin. If Robinson can’t go, it will make Spielman an even bigger target for Martinez. Specifically, Spielman has been able to make big plays in the passing game, averaging 19.6 yards per reception and in six different games he has caught at least one pass of 40 yards or more. In order for Wisconsin’s defense to succeed, they can’t allow for Spielman and Martinez to create chunk plays through the air.

4) The play of Wisconsin’s fourth down defense 

Nebraska’s field goal kicking has been shaky this year, as the Cornhuskers have used four different kickers this year as they’ve gone a combined 7-for-14. Meaning if Nebraska is facing a fourth and manageable in Wisconsin territory, they’re likely going to go for it. Wisconsin’s defense on fourth down is allowing their opponents to convert on 70 percent (7-for-10) of their fourth down tries.

5) Winning field position

Anthony Lotti has been up and down this year and in order to limit Nebraska’s offense, it will be important for him to consistently get good punts off. Lotti has attempted 35 punts this season with 14 of them landing inside the 20-yard line. Lotti’s ability to pin punts inside the 20 and make Nebraska have to work with a long field will assist Wisconsin’s defense in hopes that it will lead to a short defensive drive for the Badgers on that side of the field.

Wisconsin should revel in Nebraska’s failures

An explanation of why Nebraska’s failures are meaningful to the Wisconsin Badgers, and should give UW fans a measure of satisfaction.

Let’s be clear at the outset of this piece: When I say that the Wisconsin Badgers should revel in the failures of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, I don’t mean to imply or suggest that Wisconsin fans should laugh at Nebraska. No. This is not about spitting at or looking down on an opponent. I wish to convey the point that Nebraska’s inability to rise to the top tier of the Big Ten should make Wisconsin fans happy. This is an important reality to grasp on the eve of the latest football reunion between the two schools on Saturday.

Wisconsin fans, everyone else in the Big Ten, and all other college football fans in the United States know that Nebraska is immersed in an identity crisis. The Huskers were solid under Bo Pelini, often winning nine games in a season and coming close to winning a conference championship on a few occasions, but they have never regained the top-tier status they had under Frank Solich in 2001. Nebraska has played in a handful of huge games this century, but the Huskers have clearly lost their status as a program which is annually relevant in college football.

This is not funny. This is not worth laughing at. It is a reality Wisconsin fans should cherish because of what the Badgers have been able to achieve… and how they have achieved it.

What was the foundation of Nebraska’s elite status in college football, in the Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne years? Big offensive linemen knocking the snot out of the opposition. What is and has been Wisconsin’s calling card since Barry Alvarez remade and transformed the program in the early 1990s? Big offensive linemen knocking the snot out of the opposition (much as the Badgers did against Iowa this past Saturday).

The thing which made Nebraska great is the thing which made Wisconsin great… and Wisconsin is continuously winning with this identity firmly intact. Nebraska can’t get those farm-grown linemen. Nebraska can’t develop elite offensive line play. Nebraska can’t regain sledgehammer force in the trenches. That is WISCONSIN’S brand. That is WISCONSIN’S identity.

Here is something for Wisconsin fans to briefly contemplate: Yes, Minnesota might win the Big Ten West this year (though hopefully, Iowa will rise up and enable the Badgers to win the division on Nov. 30 in Minneapolis), but even if the Gophers do win the division, Wisconsin could go 10-2 in this 2019 regular season. Do you want to know how many 10-win regular seasons Nebraska has had since 2001, when it played Miami for the national title? Two.

Want to know how many 10-win (or more) regular seasons Wisconsin has had since 2014? Three. Want to know how many 10-win regular seasons Wisconsin has had this decade? Five. It will be six if the Badgers can beat Nebraska, Purdue, and Minnesota to round out their 12-game slate in 2019.

Nebraska fans would kill for Wisconsin’s level of success. Think about that. Nebraska was playing for national championships 25 years ago, when Barry Alvarez got the Badgers off the ground and roaring. The 1995 Nebraska team is the greatest team I have personally witnessed in my years following college football. Who would have possibly imagined 20 years ago that in 2019, Wisconsin — and not Nebraska — would be nationally relevant?

Nebraska’s failures magnify Wisconsin’s successes. Wisconsin’s successes make it all the more striking that the Huskers haven’t been able to replicate their own formula, the formula Barry Alvarez used and passed along to both Bret Bielema and now Paul Chryst.

No one needs to laugh at Nebraska’s misfortune. Simply know that each year Nebraska fails to recover or revive itself, is a year in which Wisconsin retains the identity of being the foremost program with a commitment to muscular and punishing line play. What Nebraska used to be is what Wisconsin now is — maybe not to the extent that the Badgers are playing for national titles, but certainly when viewed through the prism of being nationally relevant and a good bet to win 10 games a year.

Wisconsin fans don’t have to be happy due to Nebraska’s struggles. They should be happy, however, that Nebraska’s failures make it easier to marvel at and appreciate the Badgers’ successes over an extended period of time.

Semar Melvin out for the Game Against Nebraska

Semar Melvin and Bryson Williams set to miss game against Nebraska.

When Wisconsin released its preliminary injury report on Monday freshman cornerback Semar Melvin was listed as questionable with a head injury. On Thursday when Wisconsin released its injury report heading into their game against Nebraska, Melvin was listed as out.

This will mark the second straight game Melvin has missed as he and nose tackle Bryson Williams will also miss the game with a left leg injury.

Williams a native of Lincoln left the game early with a leg injury against Iowa as he will be replaced by freshman Keenau Benton. Williams has struggled to stay healthy at times this year as this will mark the fourth game he will miss this year.

The Badgers and Cornhuskers will play for the Freedom Trophy as the game can be seen on the Big Ten Network at 11 a.m.

Wisconsin, not Ohio State, is Nebraska’s main Big Ten roadblock

A reminder about the brief period of Big Ten history connecting the Wisconsin Badgers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers

It is not breaking news to note that the Wisconsin Badgers, not the Ohio State Buckeyes (or Penn State Nittany Lions, or Michigan Wolverines), represent the foremost roadblock to progress for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. As the latest Wisconsin-Nebraska game approaches this Saturday, it is worth offering a reminder that the Badgers are more responsible for holding back the Huskers than anyone else in the Big Ten Conference.

Wisconsin holds the distinction of being the only team to play — and beat — Nebraska in a Big Ten Championship Game. Before the divisions were realigned, the Badgers and Huskers played in the 2012 game. A Wisconsin blowout not only prevented Bo Pelini from giving Nebraska its first (only) conference championship of the 21st century; it humiliated Pelini and left a lasting mark which, in the course of time, helped usher him out of Lincoln.

Yes, Pelini’s lack of people skills — an abrasive manner which rubbed people the wrong way — led to his exit from Nebraska, but if he had been winning conference titles, Pelini’s lack of tact and decorum probably would have been tolerated to a much bigger degree. When Nebraska and Wisconsin moved into the same division, the Big Ten West, Wisconsin hounded Nebraska and remained the foremost obstacle for the Huskers on their path to Big Ten glory.

Nebraska has beaten Wisconsin only once since the Huskers joined the Big Ten at the start of this decade. Nebraska has never beaten the Badgers since the formation of the current Big Ten West. We can point out that if Nebraska ever does win the Big Ten West, Ohio State will probably be looming in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis. Yet, it seems rather silly to center Ohio State in this discussion when Wisconsin has been extremely effective in barring Nebraska from Indianapolis. The Badgers haven’t needed Ohio State’s help, thank you very much. UW has made sure that Nebraska has remained without a conference title this century.

If Scott Frost wants to improve his program, he has to beat the team which will stare down his Cornhuskers on Saturday. The latest Wisconsin-Nebraska game is a time to remind ourselves which school stands squarely in Nebraska’s path on the road to revival.

Who are Three Defensive Players to Watch when Wisconsin Travels to Nebraska?

Badgers who could play an important role in Wisconsin’s success against Nebraska. Zack Baun OLB, Keeanu Benton NT, Caesar Williams CB

Here are three defensive players for the Badgers who could play an important role in Wisconsin’s success against Nebraska:

1) Zack Baun, OLB

In the win over Iowa, Baun finished the game with six tackles but for the first time this year, he failed to make either a tackle for loss or register a sack. In order for Wisconsin’s defense to have success in defending Adrian Martinez and Nebraska’s offense, he can’t afford to have another game where he doesn’t make a play in the backfield. Nebraska is allowing 2.2 sacks over conference play, and Baun will have a chance of being able to make a play in the backfield if he can keep containment of Martinez. That’s easier said than done, considering Martinez’s 399 rushing yards leads the team. Even if Baun can’t register a sack, he still has the ability to speed up Martinez’s decision making or force him to throw the football away. Martinez has shown he’s a threat with his legs, but he also has two capable playmakers in wide receivers JD Spielman and Wan’Dale Robinson, who can beat Wisconsin’s secondary for a big play.

2) Keeanu Benton, NT

Wisconsin will have a chance of limiting Martinez if they are capable of creating rushing lanes for Wisconsin’s linebackers to create pressure in the backfield. That will begin with Benton and him getting the better push. Despite being a true freshman, Benton has been able to hold his own throughout the season. Thanks to his wrestling background and him being a standout wrestler for Janesville Craig High School, he understands leverage as it has also allowed him to shed his blocker and register three tackles for loss and one sack on the season thus far.

3) Caesar Williams, CB

Outside of limiting the success Martinez has on offense, the Badgers defense will need to be ready to defend wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson if he’s available to play. Robinson left the Purdue game two weeks ago with an injury and he might not play the Cornhuskers on Saturday. If Robinson can go, he has shown to be a threat in not only catching the football, but also rushing it too. Robinson has 453 receiving yards on 40 receptions, which leads the team. He also has rushed for 326 yards on 85 carries. If Robinson can’t go, it will take away one of Nebraska’s most consistent playmakers on offense. The Cornhuskers do have JD Spielman who they can rely on in the passing game, as he has caught 35 passes for 689 yards. Williams’ ability to make plays on the football as he has four pass breakups on the year will go a long way in helping slow down Nebraska’s passing attack that’s averaging 208.3 yards over Big Ten play.

Who are Three Offensive Players to Watch when Wisconsin Travels to Nebraska?

Badgers who could play an important role in Wisconsin’s success against Nebraska. Quintez Cephus WR, Cole Van Lanen LT, Jack Coan QB

Here are three offensive players for the Badgers who could play an important role in Wisconsin’s success against Nebraska.

1) Quintez Cephus WR

Cephus had a productive game for Wisconsin against Iowa as he caught five passes for the second time over the last three games. On the year Cephus has caught 32 passes for 504 yards both career highs. Cephus will look to continue to add to those numbers when Wisconsin plays Nebraska as the Cornhuskers are allowing an average of 201.5 passing yards per game. Cephus will have his opportunities to have success against the Cornhuskers secondary as it will be up to him creating that separation and possibly helping stretch the field too.

2) Cole Van Lanen LT

Wisconsin will rely on the running game to help control the time of possession but that won’t happen if Wisconsin doesn’t have success along the line of scrimmage. Wisconsin’s offensive line will have a chance of accomplishing that due to the Cornhuskers allowing 219.5 rushing yards over conference play, which ranks 13th. The Badgers will run toward Van Lanen’s side at times making it important that Van Lanen consistently gets the better leverage and creating rushing lanes to allow for Jonathan Taylor to have success.

3) Jack Coan QB

Coan was up and down against Iowa and in order for the Badgers to stop their two game road losing streak, Coan will need to deliver a more consistent performance. Coan had two turnovers in Wisconsin’s win over Iowa extending his streak of at least one turnover in three straight games. Nebraska has registered five interceptions over conference play. Coan can’t kill offensive drives by turning the football over and allow Adrian Martinez a chance of creating something for the Cornhuskers offense that’s averaging 402 yards of total offense over Big Ten play.

College Football Playoff Rankings: Notre Dame, And the Three Other 7-2 Teams

No. 16 Notre Dame and three other college football teams in the College Football Playoff top-25 have seven wins and two losses.

With losses to Georgia and Michigan, the Notre Dame college football team is looking down the barrel in this year’s College Football Playoff.

Considering the circumstances that surrounded the countless departures on defense and then the injuries leading up to Week 1 of the 2019 season, sitting at No. 16 doesn’t happen often for Brian Kelly. The first time the Fighting Irish have occupied such real estate was back in 1952. Since then, only eleven times (excluding preseason polls) has the program experienced a college football’s poll bottom percentile. Because of this, Notre Dame is expected to play in the Camping World Bowl against a conference who has had twists and turns almost all season long, the Big 12.

The two losses may have hurt Notre Dame’s chances of being on the inside-looking-out, but it’s not the only 7-2 team in the College Football Playoff Top 25.

No. 15 Wisconsin

Running back Jonathan Taylor and kicker Collin Larsh both have been the backbone of Wisconsin’s offense. The Badgers two losses come at the expense of Illinois and Ohio State – the latter’s defense who kept Taylor to only 52 yards rushing and forced Wisconsin’s pass game with Jack Coan. For the most part, its defense itself has remained in tact, blanking four opponents. Over the past three games specifically, it has given up over 21 points per contest. Remaining on Paul Chryst’s schedule is Nebraska, Mizzou and the eighth-ranked, row-the-boat-coach Fleck Minnesota Gophers.

No. 14 Michigan

Prior to playing Notre Dame, Michigan didn’t have the same swag against Wisconsin and Penn State. Both away games, Michigan coughed up the ball four times against the Badgers and were held scoreless for almost two full quarters against the Nittany Lions. At this point, it’s really Ohio State’s conference, but Michigan has somewhat regained its footing and lies only a couple of spots ahead of Notre Dame. The Wolverines haven’t played a game since Nov. 2 and that couldn’t come a moment too soon. Going forward, there lies a surprisingly trippy home stretch ahead with Michigan State, Indiana and The Game to round off the season.

No. 12 Auburn

Of the three teams on this list, Auburn has the toughest end-of-season schedule against No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Alabama, who recently forfeited its No. 1 spot to LSU. Most significantly to Gus Malzahn’s team this year was a season opener win against then-No. 11 Oregon, followed by an eight point win against Texas A&M. Losses to Florida and LSU within three weeks of each other was likely the red flag for the committee, though no one hardly ever understands their deliberations and final decisions. On Nov. 23, there is a rehearsal game for Auburn before the Iron Bowl. Quarterback Bo Nix has been up and down with incompletions and a lack of targets. It’s a team that’s much like the SEC version of Wisconsin – depend on the run and a defense that’s just as effective against the run as well.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Wisconsin Drops a Spot in College Football Playoff Rankings

Wisconsin dropped a spot to No. 14 in latest college football playoff rankings.

After coming in at No. 13 in the initial college football playoff rankings last week Wisconsin dropped to No. 14 in this week’s ranking despite the Badgers beating Iowa 24-22 this past Saturday.

Wisconsin is currently 7-2 as the Badgers came in ahead of Michigan, which is ranked No. 15. Despite the loss to Wisconsin this past weekend Iowa remained in the top 25 as they fell from No. 18 to No. 20.

Overall there were six teams from the Big Ten to be ranked in the college football playoff rankings. Ohio State is still the highest rated team from the Big Ten but they fell a spot from No. 1 to No. 2 as LSU is now ranked No. 1 following the Tigers road victory over Alabama.

Minnesota made the biggest jump in the college football playoff rankings jumping nine spots to No. 8. The Gophers are the second highest ranked team in the Big Ten following their home win over then No. 4 Penn State as the Nittany Lions dropped to No. 9.

With LSU being ranked No. 1 and Ohio State being No. 2, Clemson and Georgia came in No. 3 and No. 4 respectively to round out the rankings. Alabama was ranked fifth while Oregon was sixth in the rankings.

 

 

Five Nebraska players who Badger fans need to know

Here are five Cornhuskers who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout Saturday’s matchup between Wisconsin and Nebraska.

Fresh off of a crucial victory over Iowa last weekend to maintain possession of the Heartland Trophy, No. 13 Wisconsin hits the road to Lincoln to face a stumbling Nebraska squad on Saturday.

Head coach Scott Frost’s program has been one of the great disappointments in all of college football this season after opening as the No. 24 team in the land. While the Badgers were able to snap their two-game losing streak and stay alive in the Big Ten West race by taking care of business against the Hawkeyes, the 4-5 Cornhuskers are reeling after suffering three straight losses and mustering just one victory in their last five contests.

Wisconsin has won six in a row against Nebraska and is a 14.5-point favorite as of Tuesday, but Memorial Stadium can often be a difficult environment for visiting teams, especially for a rivalry game such as this. However, if an upset is in the cards, the Cornhuskers will need their stars at their best.

Here are five players on the opposing sideline who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout the game.

1. Adrian Martinez – Quarterback

2019 stats: 59.5% passing, 1,491 yds, 7 TD, 6 INT/4.1 YPC, 399 yds, 5 TD

Nebraska’s upset hopes will ride squarely on the shoulders of its sophomore signal-caller.

A dark horse Heisman candidate in the eyes of many college football pundits leading into the season after a huge year in 2018 as a true freshman, Martinez hasn’t come remotely close to living up to that hype through the Cornhuskers’ first nine games. His accuracy has regressed and he’s already tossed six interceptions so far this season, which is the fourth most in the Big Ten. He’s only No. 9 in the conference in passing efficiency rating as well.

Nonetheless, as Martinez goes, so too does the Nebraska offense, which is often the case with quarterbacks but especially true here given that he is the team’s second-leading rusher as well as its top passer.

The Cornhuskers will likely need Martinez to have his best outing of the season against the Badgers if a victory is on the table. If he can replicate his state line from last season’s 41-24 loss at Camp Randall (24-42, 384 yds, 2 TD to go along with 13 carries for 57 yards), they’ll have a shot.

2. JD Spielman – Wide Receiver

2019 stats: 35 rec, 688 yds (19.7 avg), 2 TD

Nov 2, 2019; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Boilermakers safety Cory Trice (23) runs Nebraska Cornhuskers receiver JD Spielman (10) out of bounds in the first half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

A Third-Team All-Big Ten selection a season ago, Spielman has followed up his outstanding play in 2018 by serving as Nebraska’s most dangerous weapon on offense this year, though there’s a case to be made for the next player on this list as well.

As he has been throughout his entire career in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers’ leading receiver has been a big play waiting to happen whenever he touches the ball, ranking No. 5 in the conference in average yards per catch. The Badgers are all too familiar with Spielman’s playmaking ability after he torched them for a school-record 209 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions in last year’s meeting in Madison.

Wisconsin could have its hands full with Spielman again this weekend, as the junior wideout is red-hot coming off of back to back dominant showings; he had 6 receptions for 123 yards in the Nov. 2 loss to Purdue and racked up 5 catches for 95 yards the week before in the loss to Indiana.

NEXT: Wan’Dale Robinson/Mohamed Barry/Lamar Jackson

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Wisconsin fixed problems against Iowa, but will that beat Minnesota?

Considering the Wisconsin Badgers’ situation relative to the Minnesota Golden Gophers after UW’s win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Had the Minnesota Golden Gophers not beaten Penn State and made themselves an even bigger target for the Wisconsin Badgers, we wouldn’t be devoting quite as much time or energy to the task of beating the Gophers on Nov. 30. Yet, one can’t work with events as one wishes they would be. One must deal with events as they actually are. It’s called living in the real world.

Minnesota has made itself more of a problem for Wisconsin. It’s not what UW fans wanted, but it is the reality the Badgers must confront. That will be a very hard game to win. Therefore, it is worth spending some of these November days focusing not just on Nebraska and then Purdue, but on P.J. Fleck and his folks. How will the Badgers go into Minneapolis and come away with Paul Bunyan’s Axe?

Based on Wisconsin’s win over the Iowa Hawkeyes this past Saturday, a number of interesting questions and attached tension points have emerged. The question I will explore in this particular piece is as follows: Can Wisconsin win this game simply by eradicating mistakes, or will the Badgers need to push themselves far beyond their limits?

Yes, the best answer is “both,” but let’s be clear before we continue with this brief piece: Against Ohio State (or, to use a non-Big Ten example, LSU or Clemson), it is obvious that Wisconsin and other second-tier teams in the United States have to play way over their heads and make “value-added” plays to have a real chance to win. Is Minnesota that kind of opponent? I am inclined to say “no,” but my opinion doesn’t matter that much. A reasonable middle ground on this question is that while Minnesota certainly isn’t in Ohio State’s league, the Gophers made Penn State look bad for much of this past Saturday’s game and — had they not fumbled when leading by two scores in the third quarter — could have blown the doors off the Nittany Lions.

Minnesota went from being “a team which beats up on the bottom of the Big Ten” to “a team that is for real” against Penn State. Do we know yet if the Gophers are not merely “for real” and “a team to be taken seriously,” but genuinely ELITE? I don’t think so.

The tricky part for Wisconsin: The Badgers can’t use that lack of knowledge to assume they can win merely by avoiding mistakes against the Gophers. This leads us into the heart of this piece, and one of the most fascinating tension points of the game on Nov. 30 in TCF Bank Stadium:

The Badgers’ offense improved when the dumb penalties ceased. Wisconsin’s offense got out of its own way. Its running game flourished when the Badgers weren’t behind schedule. Two plus two equals four.

However, after the offense got out of its own way, the defense allowed a 75-yard touchdown and endured another one of its fourth-quarter swoons, the previous one being against Illinois. We wrote about the problems in the secondary which have allowed that alarming detail to remain part of this team’s identity in the second half of the season.

Imagine, then, if both the offense and the defense spend a full game not making huge mistakes, with the level of performance we saw from Jack Coan (tolerable, but not spectacular). Is that going to be enough against the Gophers? It’s an interesting query. One could go back and forth on that topic.

The strength of the argument rests with the offensive line. If there aren’t any false-start penalties and Jonathan Taylor gets four or more yards per carry, the Badgers could pound Minnesota’s defensive front and turn this game into the trench warfare battle they want. A game based on the elimination of mistakes could be all Wisconsin needs.

The weakness of this argument is based on the awareness of how much speed Minnesota has, not only in relationship to Iowa but to a Wisconsin team which was outflanked at times by Illinois. Keep in mind that if Jack Coan throws the ball against Minnesota the way he did against Iowa, the Gophers’ closing speed in the secondary might turn Wisconsin catches into incompletions on successful pass breakups. Eliminating bad mistakes from the ledger sheet will put Wisconsin in position to win, but that might not be enough to put UW over the top.

Yes, Wisconsin’s offense fixed its problems versus Iowa, and the team in general took a clear step forward from the previous two games. Yet, will that be enough to beat Minnesota? You don’t have to answer that question right away… and that’s part of the point. Wisconsin will have to wrestle with that question over the next few weeks. This is the reality facing the Badgers, now that the Gophers have made themselves such an obstacle, at least in 2019.