Nebraska travels to Madison to take on Wisconsin Saturday night in a match up of top ten teams. The game is set to kickoff at 7:12 p.m. and will be televised nationally by ABC. Both teams are 4-0 in a game that introduces the Huskers to Big 10 Conference play.
The Badgers are coached by Bret Bielema, who is 53-16 in his sixth season as coach of Wisconsin. Nebraska leads the all-time series 3-2, with Nebraska winning 20-16 in 1973 and dropping a 21-20 contest in 1974. This will be a game that has all the buzz from around the country with national television coverage and ESPN hosting College Gameday Saturday from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
Wisconsin simply has a great offense. The catalyst is quarterback Russell Wilson (5-foot-11, 210 pounds, Senior). Wilson absolutely has no flaws to his game. He is a transfer from North Carolina State that has years of experience as an offensive leader. Wilson averages 27 yards a game rushing and can definitely hurt the Blackshirts with his running ability. As a former minor league baseball player he has tremendous athleticism. So far is 2011, Wilson averages 284 yards passing per game with 11 touchdowns and only one interception. He completes 75.8 percent of his passes (69 of 91). If Wilson plays well, Nebraska is in trouble.
The Badgers also run the ball extremely well. As a team the Badgers average 245.5 yards per game rushing. Two backs star for Wisconsin. Montee Ball (5-11, 210, Jr.) has nine touchdowns this season and averages 90 yards rushing per game. Sophomore James White (5-10, 195) adds 75 yards per game with three scores. Wisconsin will really attempt to run the ball to set up their passing game.
Wisconsin can also hurt the Huskers through the air. Receiver Nick Toon (6-3, 220, Sr.) has the physical tools to be a star. He has 21 catches this season for 88.2 yards per game and five scores on the year. Tight end Jacob Pedersen (6-4, 240, So.) has four touchdown catches as a favorite target for Wilson. Sophomore Jacob Abbrederis (6-2, 180) is also a solid complementary receiver for the Badgers. The receivers give Wisconsin a better balanced offense than the Badgers have had in many years.
The offensive line is a traditional strength for Wisconsin. From tackle to tackle, the Badgers average over 6-5 and 322 pounds. That is unbelievable size, yet they may be slow against a Nebraska defensive line with speed and depth.The offensive line is led by center Peter Konz, (6-5, 315, Jr.). Konz is a player that pro scouts are looking at for the future. Right tackle Josh Oglesby (6-7, 330, Sr.) may be big enough to block out the sun. If the line wins the battle at the point of attack it will be along night for the Big Red.
Wisconsin's defense has been less than impressive against lackluster opponents. The overall statistics are good with only 246.5 yards of total offense and 8.5 points given up per game, but UNLV, Oregon State, Northern Illinois and South Dakota will not put fear into any major college football team. The Badgers are led by linebacker Chris Borland (5-11, 245, So.). Borland paces the team with 35 total tackles. Mike Taylor (6-2, 230, Jr.) is another linebacker with 30 tackles this season. The defense truly has not been tested by the soft schedule.
Special teams have been average for Wisconsin. Abbrederis and White are good return men, but kicking has only been passable. Freshman Kyle French (6-1, 190) is only 2 of 4 on field goals with a long kick of 29 yards. Punter Brad Nortman (6-3, 210, Sr.) averages over 43 yards per punt. Nebraska does appear to be more consistent on special teams than the Badgers in 2011.
Nebraska will be pushed to the limit by Wisconsin. A solid offense with few weaknesses will make it tough for the Huskers to win away from home. By far, this is the best team Nebraska will see in the regular season. For the Big Red to win, they need to play an error-free game. That is a difficult task at the madhouse that is Camp Randall Stadium. As much as I would love to pick a Husker victory, I think the Badgers will win at home. Look for Wisconsin to defeat Nebraska 38-24. Thanks for reading Going Deep With Doze and check my post-game analysis in my next post.
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