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** 2017 Opponent Previews: Wisconsin (Game 6) **


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Dienhart: 5 things I learned at Wisconsin fall practice

1. The offensive line is in vintage Wisconsin form. 

2. This may be the top secondary in the Big Ten–and maybe the nation.

3. The running back position is loaded with talent.

4. The pass-catchers looks good.

5. This is a nice collection of linebackers, even after Jack Cichy’s season-ending injury.

 

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This was one of the best-looking squads I have seen on the tour.

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, BlitzFirst said:

 

 

Going full speed in a scrimmage is always going to look better than standard practice.

 

No mention of QB Alex Hornibrook? Their run game should be good this year, but not so sure about their passing game. I think Wisconsin's QB play might be their Achilles heel this year. 

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Badger fan here, just thought I would add a little context from a UW POV.

 

The general feeling in Madison is that this is the best squad that we have had in years. There are several reasons for this but the overarching theme is that stability has finally returned to the program.  The last few years haven't been bad but it required some duct tape to get us through them.  This year we are finally playing with a fully functioning program again.

 

-First and foremost at UW will always be the lines.  The D line has managed to come through the turnover without much drop off and every one is back from last year.  We are now in year four of running the 3-4 D and the roster is fully adapted now. The D-line doesn't get a ton of pub but they keep the traffic off our LBs and allow them to flow to the play.  The 3 starters have all started for 2/3 years on top 5 defenses.  There is good, experienced depth behind them as well.  This is the strength of a loaded D.

 

-Despite the cliched talking points, the O line has not been up to UW standards the last 2-3 years.  We have won a lot of games despite them, not because of them, since Bret left.  A combination of career ending injuries, recruiting misses and a misguided change to our S&C program meant UW was working with a patch work, undersized and weak line.  Last season we started 7 different offensive line combos and won 11 games.  The key this year is not only the returning starters, it is the fact that they have all been through a real Wisconsin S&C program now.  As Nebraska fans know better than most, it takes time to build up the quality and culture of an offensive line group and Chryst has been here for 3 summers now.  We expect a huge jump in the quality of the O line this season.

 

-The skill guys are actually skilled.  UW has been trudging along with a bunch of walk ons ever since Nick Toon left.  Abby, Erickson and Fumagalli were all one man shows in the passing game.  This year we expect to have multiple weapons.  Fumagalli is obviously back, as is an improved Jazz Peavy, but the young skill guys have everyone really excited.  All the reports so far are that the WRs have been making plays all camp.  And not just the top guy, there are 5 first or second year players that look like they can contribute this season. That is the key to Paul Chryst's offense, balance, and he has been playing with one hand tied behind his back since his return.  In his 6 seasons as Offensive Coordinator before he left his offenses put up 5 of the top 10 passing seasons in Badger history and 4 of the top 10 offenses overall, including his last two which put up over 40 points per game.  He loves to use multiple personnel in a wide range of shifting formations.  Obviously that isn't nearly as effective if the D only needs to worry about one WR or TE on the whole team.  Combined with the expected improvement on the O line, the offense looks like it can finally be counted on to pull its weight.

 

-The D has been in the top 10 for four years now.  I expect that to go to five for five after this season.  The loss of Watt, Beigel and Cichy hurt but there are still a ton of playmakers on this squad.  Chris Orr started ahead of Cichy but he was hurt on literally the first snap of the season and everyone forgot about him.  The OLBs are both seniors with a lot of quality experience even if they haven't been starters.  Leon Jacobs is one to keep an eye on as he is the best athlete on the team and has been flashing in camp.  The secondary loses two starters but everyone seems to think they will be improved.  Nick Nelson is a transfer who the players have been raving about for a year now.  He is being talked about like he is only going to be here for one year before the NFL calls.  Overall the talent level on this D is ahead of where it was last year, which is a scary thought considering how good that group was.  Remember Watt was only known for his brothers at this point last year as everyone was wondering if he could fill Joe the Show's shoes.  This D is bigger than any one player and has been able to overcome much bigger losses than they face this year without a drop off.

 

-Jim Leonhard is the X factor.  I suppose most Nebraska fans have little idea who he is since he played before the merger but he is a Wisconsin legend.  Like one of the top 10 players to ever come through our program legend.  He walked on from a town of 115 people in the Northwoods ('Tiny Tony Wisconsin' as every announcer said) and looks a little too small to play sophomore ball.  He left Wisconsin as the NCAA record holder with 10 INTs in a season and the B1G career punt return leader, before playing 10 years in the NFL as a 5'8 175 lb safety.  He pretty much followed Rex Ryan around, who runs a very similar 3-4 D to UW, and was known around the league as a coach on the field.  There will be some kinks to work out but he is going to be a very, very good coach.  If he isn't in the NFL in 5 years it is only because he is as Wisconsin as one could possibly be.  I think most Badger fans fully expect him to take over for Chryst in a decade or so if he isn't in the NFL.  I know it is ridiculous after one year of coaching at any level, but Leonhard has proven time and again that to underestimate him is even more ridiculous.

 

Leonhard Mic'd Up

 

I could go on (IS IT GAMETIME YET!!!) but I think you get the point.  Even if it didn't really show in the records the team took a hit from the coaching turnover, but Chryst has had time to right the ship and return us to the Wisconsin Way (or Nebraska Way if we want to be honest).  There is depth and skill on this squad the likes of which we haven't seen since 2011.  Basically we expect the D to hold serve and be one of the top units in CFB while the O should take a huge leap forward and get back to Chryst's standards (meaning a balanced pass/run ratio around 200/200 yards and 35-40 points a week).  

 

That is why we are so excited in Madison and the CFB media is catching on.  It would be one thing if the only buzz was from one scrimmage under the lights on BTN but the buzz has been consistent throughout camp.  Every national writer that has come through, as well as the local guys, have been shocked at the talent level and said look out for UW as a CFP contender.  Obviously it could all go sideways and we look stupid for our optimism but right now anything less than 11-1 would be a massive disappointment.

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3 hours ago, saunders45 said:

Thanks for stopping by @Bigdsrip. I agree with what you said that Leonhard being the X factor. I think he is the key to UW being an 11 or so win team, or an 8 win team. Losing 2 top notch DC's two years in a row could take it's toll.

 

Dave Aranda is top-notch, but I wonder if we can really tag Justin Wilcox as such.

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On 7/13/2017 at 6:20 PM, Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:

 

 

 

This is what so many of us and other B1G fans have been saying since 2009 or so. Tons of coaching turnover, plenty of lost all-american runningbacks or linemen or defensive studs, awful quarterbacks, etc., but they keep plugging away having really good to great seasons all the time.

 

 

 

The biggest source of optimism for me is that Riley has been a sliver away from winning in both games he's coached against them.

Yea that's very true, I pretty much thought the same for the last several years and now I stopped underestimating them, they just keep steady somehow. Maybe this is the year they flop, but wouldn't bet on it. Having said this, Huskers do have a good shot this year at home, feeling pretty positive on a close win there.

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