Well, here we are again. Two days out from a game against an overmatched opponent. I apologize if these aren’t anything too earth shattering, but honestly, there is only so much to watch for in a game that should be a blowout.
With that said, here we go!
1) How will Stave look early?
What Stave will we get to start the game on Saturday? Will we get the Stave that seemed a step off in the first half or the quarterback that looked calm and collected in the second half? This is another team where a slow-start, or honestly, even a bad game by the quarterback shouldn’t be a deal breaker. It’s important to see how he looks early though, as the real tests start next week, and getting down early in Tempe could spell trouble.
2) How will Curt Phillips look?
This is something I definitely hope we get to watch. With Phillips honorably letting Bart Houston get some snaps last week, we need to see how Curt Phillips looks behind center this week. The quarterback battle was close all camp and if anything were to happen to Stave, Phillips needs to be able to step in and keep the team under control. He also shows a different look to the defense that is a nice change of pace to be able to go to during the season. If he looks comfortable, it opens up the offense that much for Andersen.
3) Will the defense stop the spread offense?
Yes, Tennessee Tech runs a spread offense, but no, it’s not elite. Consider this somewhat of a practice for upcoming games against similar offenses. The main thing to watch here is how the Badgers look to counter and stop the Golden Eagles. This should be a good game to try different packages and use different personnel to see what works the best. Like we talked about last week, if Tennessee Tech is able to expose anything on the Badgers, it could mean trouble for the future.
4) Will the Badgers carry momentum into next week’s game?
I know regardless of how Wisconsin plays on Saturday, they’ll be ready for Arizona State, but both starting and finishing strong will do a lot for its confidence. If the Badgers finish the game flat and give up a couple scores…that will be the story all week, regardless of the final score. Ideally they finish strong like last week so all the talk will be on how Wisconsin is strong and will finally be playing someone its talent level.
5) How about those red helmets? How will they look on the field?
Is this stretching a little? Yeah, I’d say so, but there shouldn’t be much to watch for this game. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy that it’s football season. There will be some fun, stressful and probably even frustrating games upcoming, so just have some fun with this one. And don’t miss those red helmets! You may not get another chance.
Are there things you'll be watching for that we haven't listed? Tell us your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
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