BadgerBlitz.com brings back its All-Out Blitz weekly series, where you can find everything you need to know about Wisconsin's next opponent. We look at UW's first non-conference foe in Buffalo, which comes to Camp Randall Stadium for a Saturday afternoon showdown (2:30 p.m. CT, FS1).

QUICK PROGRAM FACTS

Head Coach: Marquise Linguist (11-14 at Buffalo)

Buffalo All Time Record: 395-536-28

2022 Record: 0-0

Rankings: N/A

Series vs. Wisconsin: 0-1

In Madison: 0-1

No single Buffalo player on offense truly stands out, but Wisconsin should be most wary of their deep and experienced running back room. Ron Cook, who is coming off a 600-yard, four-touchdown season, will start on Saturday. Behind him is Mike Washington, who was Buffalo’s most productive running back in 2022. He rushed for 625 yards and eight touchdowns. Sophomore Al-Jay Henderson appeared in 10 games and finished with a team-best 5.1 yards per carry.

The defensive front will have to overcome injuries for players who both are and aren’t on the field. Defensive end Isaiah Mullens tore his meniscus last November and still has no clear timetable for a return. Inside linebacker Maema Njongmeta became one of the most reliable defensive players on the Badgers last season, leading the team in both solo and total tackles. He’ll start Saturday but is expected to have a club on his right hand to protect a broken thumb. Rodas Johnson, James Thompson and Gio Paez should do a serviceable job against Buffalo’s running backs. There aren’t too many capable backups, but depth shouldn’t be a major concern this early in the season.

Buffalo will hope that its diverse run game can take some pressure off quarterback Cole Snyder, a fifth-year senior beginning his second year as the Bulls’ starter. After spending three years on the bench at Rutgers, he transferred to Buffalo prior to last season and instantly won the starting job. Snyder threw for 3,030 yards and 18 touchdowns, becoming only the third quarterback in program history to pass for 3,000 yards.

Snyder will throw against a Badgers' secondary led by junior safety Hunter Wohler, who suffered an injury in the first week of last season but is now primed to be one of Wisconsin’s most impactful players. He’ll be surrounded by other veterans in Travion Blaylock and Kamo’i Latu. The position plays an integral role in defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s system, and it may be Wisconsin’s deepest defensive unit.

Wisconsin’s cornerback room is led by three capable starters followed by an unremarkable bench, but that issue likely won’t reveal itself against Buffalo’s inexperienced receiver room. The Bulls’ three starting receivers combined for a measly 36 receptions and 376 yards in 2022.

Like Snyder, Badgers quarterback Tanner Mordecai is a fifth-year senior who took advantage of the transfer portal. He’ll be throwing to a group of both new and familiar Badger receivers. Starting wide out Bryson Green, who transferred from Oklahoma State this past offseason, stands at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and offers a mix of athleticism and physicality not often seen in Madison. Will Pauling came from Cincinnati along with Luke Fickell and will lead a group of slot receivers who should play a key role in Phil Longo’s offense. There are also some longtime Badgers rounding out the receiver room, like Chimere Dike, who’s coming off of a breakout 689 yard, six-touchdown season. Skyler Bell played the slot for Wisconsin last year and will now back up Pauling.

Mordecai and the offense have likely been game planning for one specific player in the Buffalo secondary — safety Marcus Fuqua. He’s coming off of a season where he co-led the nation in interceptions with seven. He also became just the third Buffalo player ever named to an AP All-American team.

After Fuqua, the secondary gets dicey. They’ll roll out three new starters, including cornerback Clevester Hines III, who began his career as a receiver before making an emergency switch for last year’s bowl game. The Buffalo defense may also have an issue dealing with the size and physicality of Green, as the average weight of the starting secondary is only 192.2 pounds.

Regardless of how Fuqua and the Bulls defense defend the passing game, Wisconsin can also rely on one of the nation’s best running backs in Braelon Allen. He’s become a near afterthought since the arrival of the shiny new pieces in the Badger offense, but Allen has been the core of the offense for the past two years and is likely still the team’s best player. He’ll once again run alongside Chez Mellusi, a capable backup who’s struggled with injuries the past two seasons.

The player to watch on Buffalo’s defensive front will be linebacker Shaun Dolac, who led the nation in solo tackles in 2022 (97). Allen vs. Dolac could very well be the matchup of the day. Defensive tackle Daymond Williams has started for the Bulls the past two years and recorded 79 total tackles and 21 tackles for loss. He’ll provide additional run resistance alongside Dolac. However, given Wisconsin’s familiarity with their running back room and the plethora of new faces elsewhere on offense, it’s likely that the coaching staff will emphasize the passing game to open the season.

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