Nebraska will play Wisconsin for the first time since the 2019 season on Saturday.
To get some more perspective on Saturday’s game, HuskerOnline caught up with BadgerBlitz.com’s Jake Kocorowski to get his take and prediction on Saturday’s game in Madison.
There was a point this season where Wisconsin looked like they had no chance to win the West. What was the turning point?
“It was really after the Michigan loss where things started to piece together, so let’s pin that beginning with the shutout win at Illinois. The defense held up against the run and created pressure throughout the season, but the offense sputtered with inconsistency. The ground game came alive and has averaged 284 yards in its last five Big Ten contests (it also played Army during its six-game winning streak and gained 198 in that close victory).
“Then the passing attack, showing glimpses of its potential briefly during the first eight outings, emerged in big ways during the last two Ws in averaging over 250 yards per contest.
“Back to the defense, it also has limited big plays through the air during its six-game winning streak. The biggest change, however, has been the creation of turnovers. UW has generated 16 takeaways over the last four contests (including those on special teams). That has led to the big wins against Purdue, Iowa, Rutgers and Northwestern.”
You’ve seen a lot of good Badger running backs, what do you like about Braelon Allen? How bright is his future?
“You can now add “Braelon Allen is only 17 years old!” to the Wisconsin telecast bingo card, right next to “Jake Ferguson, who is the grandson of Barry Alvarez” and “Did you know Badgers men’s basketball guards Brad Davison and Jonathan Davis were high school quarterbacks?”
“Kidding aside, Allen’s future is bright. I knew he’d be physically ready to compete this season due to his otherworldly weight room numbers in the past year and this summer. It was just whether he’d be able to adapt to the nuances and speed of the college game, and if he could bump up in the depth chart at tailback. He’s done that, and then some — especially with attrition and injuries at the tailback spot.
“What’s stood out, besides his physicality and his 6-foot-2, 238-pound frame, is his maturity, early patience and vision. He waits for holes to develop and that extra half-second or so to. find an opening. He does have some speed on him, though not at the level of one Jonathan Taylor yet, per se. However, he’s excelling at such an early age — he should be a high school senior, remember. As seen with his 33-yard touchdown run against Northwestern last week, defenders just can’t attempt to arm tackle him, or else they become human pinball bumpers with the back bouncing off of them.”
Is quarterback Graham Mertz the answer long-term? How have they been able to settle him down this season?
“I think he is. It’s been a roller coaster in terms of results since he became Wisconsin’s QB1 to start the 2020 season, but he’s put together two performances that showed what many thought he could be as a standout, Power Five quarterback.
“Earlier this year, I felt like it was a “chicken or the egg” situation in terms of what was to blame. Was it the offensive line, or Mertz himself in not making key throws (or heck, maybe something else?) that was causing the woes? Of course, the answer’s likely somewhere in the middle of it all.
“However, the line’s pass protection has improved dramatically in the last six games — giving up only four sacks. That has allowed Mertz to be more comfortable in the pocket. Especially in the last two wins, and you can go back to the Iowa victory as well with his 9-for-10 start against the Hawkeyes, you see him making those consistent progressions and reads and delivering the ball on time with desirable results. He can make every throw you want in this offense and then some. Now it’s starting to come to fruition.”
Wisconsin has yet to face a dual-threat quarterback like Adrian Martinez this season. What concerns you about this match-up?
“First and foremost, the fact that the Badgers have had trouble defending him in two previous seasons. He threw for over 200 yards while nearly hitting 100 rushing in Lincoln during the 2019 season. Then as a true freshman a year prior, he got very close to 400 yards through the air.
“You hit it on the head that Wisconsin’s defense has not seen the caliber of dual-threat quarterback Martinez is yet in 2021. UW will need to pressure him into making bad throws and mistakes. The Badgers average three sacks per game, but they will also need to contain him in not getting loose on scrambles. That, and the defensive backs will need to keep with their assignments and not let their eye discipline falter if a play breaks down.”
Where do you see the Badgers having the biggest area of strength in this game? Besides the Martinez match-up, what else could be looked at as an area of concern?
“I think Wisconsin will have an advantage upfront. I feel Nebraska’s defense has improved greatly, as seen in the tight contests against ranked opponents this year. That being said, I do feel the Badgers’ line has gelled nicely and has asserted itself in the past half-dozen contests. I also feel the complementary and balanced look this offense has achieved the past two weeks could keep the Huskers guessing more. Defensively, it will be interesting to watch just how defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will devise schemes to constrict Martinez’s effectiveness, but the front seven has gotten it done with leading the nation in rush defense, total defense and third-down conversion defense through 10 games.
“On the flip side besides Martinez’s abilities, I’d look at Wisconsin’s defensive backs against Samori Toure and other Nebraska receiving threats. Early in the season, UW gave up some plays through the air to Penn State’s Jahan Dotson, Notre Dame’s talented wideouts and Michigan. It shut down Purdue’s David Bell to six receptions for 33 yards a few weeks back, however. This is a good secondary, so this will be another test for the Badgers — who ranks second in the FBS in passing yards allowed and team passing efficiency defense.”
Finally, what is your score prediction and breakdown for Saturday’s game in Madison?
“With it being senior day here in Madison and the game being played in Camp Randall Stadium, I think Wisconsin pulls off the win to continue its path to Indianapolis (so long as penalties and turnovers do not swing the pendulum to Nebraska’s side).
“Martinez and the passing attack will likely make a couple of plays, and the quarterback’s mobility will be something to watch. We have seen the defense adapt well to the various schemes it has faced. I think it will bend but not break while creating a couple of takeaways in the process.
“Offensively, I do feel the Badgers will be able to run the ball, though it may not reach its seasonal average (222.6). The key here is the emerging passing attack and what Mertz and Co. have done through the air the past two weeks. The newly-found complementary nature of the offense will pay dividends.
“I’ll say Wisconsin 30, Nebraska 20 for now.”
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