Published Nov 16, 2017
Michigan Football: Wisconsin Players To Watch
Andrew Vailliencourt  •  Maize&BlueReview
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Offensive Players to Watch

Freshman running back Jonathan Taylor: The electric freshman has taken the country by storm. He is third in the nation in rushing yards, with 1,525, and has scored 12 touchdowns while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He is Wisconsin’s home run threat and has the ability to break a big run at any time, from anywhere on the field. Michigan will need to have a strong game tackling so he doesn’t break free.

Fifth-year senior tight end Troy Fumagalli: At 6-foot-6, Fumagalli is Wisconsin’s best red zone and third down target. BadgerBlitz.com’s John Velduis called him an eraser for his ability to convert on long third downs. This season, he’s caught 33 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns. He will be a matchup problem for whichever linebacker or safety ends up on him.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook: With Taylor in the backfield, Hornibrook’s job has gotten easier throughout the year. However, Wisconsin has still thrown the ball around plenty. He has completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,863 yards, 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions — three of which came last week against Iowa. Wisconsin is tied for throwing the seventh most picks this season in the country. If Michigan’s defense can create pressure, there’s a good chance a mistake will happen — Hornibrook has thrown an interception in seven straight games.

Defensive Players to Watch:

Redshirt junior inside linebacker T.J. Edwards: Edwards is second on the team in tackles (49), is tied for the team lead in interceptions (four), has six tackles for loss, five pass breakups and a sack.

“He’s athletic enough to be a good run defender in that he can close in and fill up those rushing lanes that come open,” Veldhuis said. “He’s also a talented player in pass defense. He had an acrobatic interception against Iowa last week where he hawked the ball out in the middle of the field and came down with it. He’s capable of taking away some of those passing lanes.”

Senior outside linebacker Leon Jacobs: One of Wisconsin’s two dynamic outside linebackers in its 3-4 system, Jacobs does a little bit of everything. He has 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and an interception. The Badgers run their defense to essentially free up their two outside backers, and Jacobs is capable of stopping the run — in addition to pass rushing.

Fifth-year senior outside linebacker Garret Dooley: Dooley is second in the Big Ten in sacks (6.5), behind Michigan redshirt junior defense end Chase Winovich. He is the better pass rusher of the two outside linebackers and is a difficult matchup for offensive tackles and tight ends to block. He has 33 tackles, a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble this season. He and Jacobs have replaced T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel, who are both now in the NFL.

Special Teams Player to Watch:

Redshirt junior kicker Rafael Gaglianone: The Brazil native is 10-of-12 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 52 yards. He’s also made all 47 of his extra points. In his career, he is 54-of-69 on field goals. He suffered a back injury and played in only the first three games last season.

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