All-Out Blitz: No.10 Wisconsin at No.19 Northwestern

BadgerBlitz.com''s All-Out Blitz weekly series is where you can find everything you need to know about Wisconsin's next opponent. This week we get you ready for the Badgers playing at No.19 Northwestern.

No.10 Wisconsin (2-0) vs No.19 Northwestern (4-0)

Date/Time – Saturday, November 21, 2:30 p.m. CT

Venue – Fyan Field (Grass)

Television – ABC (Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Todd McShay, Molly McGrath)

Radio - Wisconsin Radio Network (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas, Mark Tauscher), Sirius 83, XM 83.

Point Spread – Wisconsin by 7.5

Wisconsin Head Coach: Paul Chryst (9th year, 6th at Wisconsin) 54-16 record as Wisconsin's coach

Northwestern Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (15th year, same at NU) 103-79 record as Northwestern's coach

Series History: Wisconsin leads 60-36-5 (29-19-1 in Evanston)

Since Northwestern snapped the Badgers’ 13-game win streak in the series with a 17-14 triumph in 1985, the rivalry has been largely even. Over the teams’ last 30 meetings, Wisconsin holds a slight 16-14 edge.

The Badgers have claimed five of the last eight meetings with the Wildcats, dating to 2010, with UW owning a 1-2 record at Ryan Field during that stretch.

Wisconsin has won five straight meetings with Northwestern when ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25.

Saturday’s game marks the first top-20 matchup in the series since No. 8 Wisconsin scored a 37-6 win over No. 1 Northwestern on Nov. 10, 1962. The Badgers went on to claim the Big Ten championship, rise to No. 2 in the rankings and battle top-ranked USC in the thrilling 1963 Rose Bowl Game.

Northwestern has won the last two meetings with both teams ranked in the AP poll (2015 and 1995). The teams haven’t met as ranked opponents in Evanston since 1995, when the Pat Fitzgerald-led Wildcats scored a 35-0 win en route to claiming the Big Ten title.

Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz was DC at Wisconsin from 2006-07, helping the Badgers finish No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (12.1 ppg) and No. 5 in total defense (253.1 ypg) in 2006. Chryst was the offensive coordinator of those Badgers teams.

Northwestern special teams coach Jeff Genyk held the same role at Wisconsin from 2013-14 while also overseeing the Badgers’ tight ends.

Genyk’s son, Jake Genyk (Middleton), is the lone Wisconsin native on Northwestern’s roster.

OL Dylan Barrett (St. Charles), TE Jake Eschenbach (Downers Grove), OLB Izayah Green-May (Bolingbrook), ILB Mike Maskalunas (Long Grove), ILB Maema Njongmeta (Buffalo Grove), WR Kendric Pryor (Hazel Crest) and ILB Jack Sanborn (Deer Park) are the Illinois natives on Wisconsin’s roster.

Under Chryst, Wisconsin is 17-3 (.850) in games played in the month of November and a 20-6 (.769) record in road games.

Since 2016, Wisconsin has won 30 Big Ten games. Half of those victories (15) have come by 21 or more points, including each the last four. A total of 22 of those wins have come by margins of at least 14 points, including each of the last five

The Badgers are 12-for-12 in the red zone over their first two games, cashing in on 100 percent of their trips inside the 20 — including 11 touchdowns (5 rushing and 6 passing). UW’s opponents have combined for a single red-zone trip that resulted in no points scored.

Fullbacks account for four of the Badgers’ 13 touchdowns scored, with senior Mason Stokke scoring 3 times (2 receptions, 1 run) and junior John Chenal finding the end zone once on the ground. The pair entered the season with a combined 3 TDs in their careers.

Wisconsin led the country in opponents’ 3rd down percentage last season at 27.3 percent. The Badgers are off to an even better start in 2020, allowing conversions on just 5 of 21 attempts so far (23.8%). Illinois converted just 2 of 10 (20%) third downs in the opener. In addition, the Illini were 0-for-3 on fourth down. Michigan went 3-for-11 (27.3%) on third down vs. the Badgers and was 0-for-1 on fourth down.

Northwestern has won three-straight games by one score. Dating back to the beginning of the Pat Fitzgerald era in 2006, the Wildcats have 48 one-possession game wins, tied with Navy for the most in the FBS during that span.

Northwestern has allowed 14.0 points per game this season, the least they have allowed through the first four games of Big Ten play since 1995, and first four games of the season since 2015. The defense has allowed 190 yards of touchdown drives (5 total TDs) this season, avg. length of drives: 38 yards.

Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten in red zone offense, scoring 87.5 percent of the time.

Linebackers Blake Gallagher (9th), Paddy Fisher (11th) and Chris Bergin (7th) each rank in the Top-15 among Big Ten players for total tackles this season. The trio each recorded at least 10 tackles in both the Iowa and Nebraska wins.

The Wildcats have tallied 191 rushing attempts compared to 111 passing attempts. The Wildcats have compiled 11 plays from scrimmage that have gone for 20-plus yards with seven of those coming on the ground. Northwestern has scored eight of its 14 touchdowns on the ground.