Big Ten play is under way for the Badgers and after two weeks UW will already be done with the neighbors to the south in FIBlandia. At least this time the game is in the friendly confines of Camp Randall, where Wisconsin has won 10 of its last 11 Big Ten openers and haven’t lost to an unranked opponent for a Big Ten opener since 2001.
Illinois comes in reeling from an embarrassing home loss to Purdue last week, and it has the defense to blame for it as well. That should be music to the ears of a Wisconsin offense that didn’t have issues eating up chunks of yards against Northwestern — it just couldn’t put points on the board for a variety of reasons.
So, will the Illini defense cure what ails the Badgers? Let’s take a look at the numbers and what they all mean for Wisconsin’s chances on Saturday at 11am CT in Camp Randall Stadium.
Starters (2014 season stats/honors):
DE: Jihad Ward – Jr. (6-6, 290) – 29 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 QBH, 1 forced fumble
NT: Austin Teitsma – Sr. (6-2, 290) – 28 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 QBH
DT: Rob Bain – So. (6-3, 300) – 15 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
– OR – Jarrod Clements – So. (6-3, 290) – 14 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 2 brups, 1 QBH
LEO: DeJazz Woods – Sr. (6-3, 255) – 15 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 QBH
WLB: Mason Monheim – Jr. (6-1, 235) – 62 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 brup
MLB: T.J. Neal Jr. – So. (6-1, 235) – 49 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 INT, 3 brups, 2 QBHs
STAR: Earnest Thomas III – Sr.(6-2, 210) – 27 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 QBH
CB: V’Angelo Bentley – Jr. (5-10, 190) – 25 tackles, 1 interception, 1 brup, 1 fumble recovery
SS: Zane Petty – Sr. (6-1, 205) – 59 tackles, 3brups
FS: Taylor Barton – So. (6-1, 215) – 58 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 1 INT, 1 brup
CB: Eaton Spence – Jr. (6-0, 185) – 27 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 brup
Team Rankings: (Stat/B1G/National) *All stats courtesy CFBstats.com
Total Defense: 482.3ypg/14th/115th
Scoring Defense: 35.5ppg/14th/105th
Rushing Defense: 249.5ypg/14th/122nd
Passing Defense: 232.8ypg/10th/62nd
– The numbers say one thing about this Illini defense, and that is it isn’t any good. Sure the passing defense numbers aren’t horrible, but that’s likely a byproduct of most teams being able to run at will on the Illini. If Beckman is to keep his job in Champaign something is going to have to change on the defensive side of the ball — and quickly.
Sadly, the individual numbers say this is one of the Big Ten’s best tackling teams, with three Illini ranking as the top three tacklers in the league (Monheim, Petty and Barton). Problem is, two of those three are in the secondary, and that usual indicates a team with some major issues all the way around. I checked, and yep…that is the Illini defense — full of problems and not getting much better.
3 Keys to Badgers Success:
1. Use the Jet Sweep as More than a Decoy: Last week there was one play that bothered me more than anything, and it was the faked jet sweep to Gordon in the first quarter. Every time the Badgers ran it the Wildcats were charging down the line of scrimmage towards the middle, knowing the sweep wasn’t actually coming.
Had they handed the ball off on the jet sweep Gordon might still be running to this day, because the end, cornerback and safety all were sucked inside immediately. Defensive coaches are catching on to UW not running the actual jet sweep on 99 percent of its attempts, but next time the defensive end crashes to the middle of the field…HAND THE BALL ON THE SWEEP OPTION.
2. Let McEvoy Run: How exactly is Tanner McEvoy supposed to be a success if he is a glorified dropback passer? Last week McEvoy ran the ball one time before he was yanked for Stave. Given the crappy run defense that the Illini have, I’ve got one piece of advice for Andy Ludwig this week – FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET McEVOY RUN THE FOOTBALL.
3. More Troy Fumagalli Please: The redshirt freshman tight end has been an increasing part of the Badgers offense over the last few weeks, and the more I watch of him the more impressed I get. He’s a great blocking option in the run game, but I also see him getting going a bit in the pass game. If Wisconsin wants to use play-action successfully in this game, looking Fumagalli’s way would be a smart decision.
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