Michigan Wolverines Football: Wisconsin Preview
Wisconsin is coming to Ann Arbor 4-1 and the Big Ten East division favorite.
The Badgers are led this season by their offense which is ranked as the eighth best offense in the country, pet S&P+.
After a historic freshman campaign, sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor has backed it up with another great start to the season. Taylor is averaging 6.7 yards per carry, eight touchdowns and is already approaching 1,000 yards.
Taylor leads a running game that is averaging 287 yards per game, which is fourth in the nation, trailing only triple option teams. This isn’t just Wisconsin running the ball in large numbers; the Badgers are also efficient running the ball for 6.16 yards per carry, which is good for seventh in the country.
“Just the way they play – they go with what works,” junior defensive back Josh Metellus said. “They get a lot of inside routes. It’s just stuff like running the ball – they keep pounding the ball, pounding the ball, trying to wear teams out, so that way they’ve got their big backs – the O-line opens up the holes and the big backs just run through.”
Stopping Taylor will be the key for the Wolverines to earn a victory that could help Michigan in the Big Ten.
“This is the part of the season where it defines your whole season and what your team wants to do,” junior linebacker Devin Bush said. “This is one of those games you see on the schedule, you got to get those first six games out of the way, but you know this game is eventually coming and now that it’s here it’s all you’ve been waiting for.”
Wisconsin’s offense isn’t just Taylor. Junior quarterback Alex Hornibrook has been efficient so far this season, with a touchdown to interception ratio of seven to two and a completion percentage of 64%. He isn’t just a game manager as he is averaging 13.2 yards per completion.
His two favorite targets are junior wide receiver A.J. Taylor and freshman tight end Jake Ferguson. A.J. Taylor is an explosive wideout, averaging a team-high 19.7 yards per catch. Alongside Ferguson, the duo has combined for four touchdowns and 567 yards.
The Badgers defense is the weak link with this Wisconsin team. Wisconsin doesn’t have as good of a defense as it has been in recent years. Per S&P+, Wisconsin only has the 55th ranked defense in the nation.
Where Wisconsin’s defense is susceptible is through the air. With the Badgers experiencing a rash of injuries in the secondary, Wisconsin has given up 49 passes of ten yards or more so far this season, which is 71st in the nation.
Where Wisconsin is stout is in the red zone. The Badgers are tied for 26th in the nation in opponent scoring percentage in the red zone.
Wisconsin’s defense is led by two of the best inside linebackers in the Big Ten. Senior linebackers Ryan Connelly and T.J. Edwards are the key to Wisconsin’s strong rush defense. Connelly has 4.5 tackles for loss and Edwards has 5.5 tackles for loss.
However, U-M’s improved offensive line will likely have success against Wisconsin’s pass rush. Wisconsin’s defense is only averaging one sack per game.
Wisconsin is one of the best teams in the Big Ten, but they have major weaknesses. The Badgers will have to come into the Big House and win.
“First of all, it’s our house – it’s not, ‘Alright we’re going out there and we have to make sure we beat Wisconsin,’” Metellus said. “We’re focused on ourselves first. We’re focused on Michigan first. We do what we have to do, everybody does their job, now they’ve got to be our job.”
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