Following a dominant performance against Illinois State to open the season, Wisconsin continues its non-conference slate with Washington State next on the schedule.

BadgerBlitz.com brings back our 3-2-1 feature to look back at three takeaways from the past week, two questions heading into the next game and one bold prediction for the Week 2 contest against the Cougars.

Jim Leonhard’s unit was working to replace eight starters and that showed to start the season. After the game, leader Nick Herbig mentioned that the group was working through some early jitters.

“Just have to settle down, we’re a young defense,” Herbig said. “We don’t have a (Jack) Sanborn, Scotty (Nelson), Collin (Wilder), we don’t have any of those older guys anymore. So I think everybody just settling in and 'OK, this is it we got to lock in,' and I think we did a great job of that.”

Wisconsin held onto the shutout but it didn’t come without its share of hiccups. Throughout the first half, Illinois State consistently sustained drives. Of the Redbirds' five drives in the first half, the defense surrendered first plays of 8, 14, 35 and 26 yards. Wisconsin’s defense didn’t force a single three and out in the opening half. Redshirt freshman Ricardo Hallman, who stepped into a starting role Week 1, admitted to some nerves to start the game.

“We can be so much better,” senior safety John Torchio said. “Just missed tackles, communication, small stuff like that. As the game got on, we did but early on tackling was a big thing. We just have to build trust. Fall camp is a little different than a game. I’m used to having a full season with Leo (Chenal) and Sanborn. We had the trust, we have that connection out there. Now you just have to build that with the new guys. We’ll get there, 100 percent and we did get there during the game. There’s a little feeling out period, but I think we settled down nicely.

"It’s kind of exciting. Zero points and there’s a bunch of stuff we can get better at. That’s a good sign.”