The hype train is full steam ahead for the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers after a three-touchdown victory over the Michigan Wolverines this past weekend.
Now, head coach Paul Chryst and his program look ahead to the Northwestern Wildcats, who have struggled out of the gate with a 1-2 record with losses to Stanford and No. 25 Michigan State.
BadgerBlitz.com brings back our "Five Burning Questions" series when beginning to break down the key Big Ten West divisional showdown.
1. How will the targeting calls and subsequent missing of the first half by Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson affect the Wisconsin defense?
Because of the third quarter targeting calls against the two Badgers' starting safeties in the win against Michigan, they will sit the first two quarters against Northwestern. Houston transfer and former walk-on Collin Wilder -- who already has one interception, five tackles and three pass breakups in mostly reserve play this season -- will be called upon to start at the very least.
When asked about walk-ons Tyler Mais and John Torchio -- who, according to PFF, graded out as a 64.4 (on 16 snaps) and a 58.5 (on 14 snaps), respectively -- defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard complimented the two for stepping in.
"I think you have to give those guys a lot of credit for preparing the way they did last week and jumping in," Leonhard said. "We didn't miss a beat. We didn't change the game plan. Those guys came in, in some tough situations and really responded. Liked what they did, and obviously 'Torch' gets an interception at the end of the game to seal it off."
Converted cornerback Madison Cone is questionable for Saturday's game against the Wildcats with a left leg injury. Wisconsin will not face an Ohio State-like offense this week in what Northwestern will throw at it, but the unit will still want to continue its dominant start to 2019 in a key Big Ten West division showdown. To do so, the safety position needs to play well regardless of who's in during the first two quarters.
2. Will Northwestern "be Northwestern" and play feisty against Wisconsin?
Yes, this game is not at Ryan Field, which could be renamed "The Abyss for Wisconsin Football Success." However, the Wildcats have given the Badgers trouble inside Camp Randall Stadium in recent memory.
In 2015 during Chryst's first year with the program, NU held on for a 13-7 win in the game where officials ruled Jazz Peavy did not catch what would have been a touchdown pass from Joel Stave. In 2017, UW built a significant lead before Northwestern charged back late. D'Cota Dixon's safety late in the fourth quarter sealed a 33-24 victory.
The Badgers will look to erase a dismal performance seen at Ryan Field last year in the 31-17 loss that marked Jack Coan's first career start.
Despite Northwestern's offense struggling (more on that in just a bit), this matchup always seems to be closer than it should be based on precedent. In this bounce back, statement season for Wisconsin, can the team put away Pat Fitzgerald's squad in decisive fashion?
3. Will the Wildcats' offense find more footing inside Camp Randall Stadium?
From the outside looking in, the unit has struggled significantly. The offense has averaged just over 305 yards per game and scored a mere five touchdowns through three games. The average yards per play? 4.2 per snap.
The passing game has only mustered 136 per contest with one total touchdown pass. Former five-star signal caller Hunter Johnson has completed just 48.5 percent of his passes and has thrown four interceptions. Senior wide receiver Bennett Skowronek leads the team in receptions (12) and receiving yards (141) but has yet to catch a touchdown, but redshirt freshman running back Blake Anderson leads the team in rushing yards (253) on 5.3 yards per carry with two scores on the ground.
With Wisconsin's defensive backfield hampered for at least the first half due to the aforementioned targeting ejections of Burrell and Pearson, could that help Northwestern get back on track in any sense?
Leonhard's unit leads the nation in scoring defense (4.7 points per game), total defense (171.3 yards per game), rushing defense (27 yards per game) and passing efficiency defense (75.7). This team seems far too motivated and focused on its weekly opponent to have a setback.
4. Is Wisconsin's placekicking a concern?
Perhaps the one question on this team that has not been answered through three games this season is the field goal kicking. Give credit where credit is due on extra points for redshirt sophomore walk-on Collin Larsh, who has made all 20 attempts so far.
However, he has made just one of four attempts -- including missing a 48-yard field goal against Michigan that "doinked" off the right upright of the south end zone this past weekend. Monday, Chryst mentioned two of those three misses have come from longer lengths.
“We’ve put him into situations that I think the last one was a 49 [-yard field goal]," Chryst said. "We took the sack on that one. It’s longer, hits the upright. The other one, end of the half versus Central Michigan. That one was I think, a 50, or a deep one, and didn’t get them. But I like the way that he’s been working at it, and I do have a lot of confidence in him.”
5. Will we see more pressure from other outside linebackers not named Zack Baun?
The in-state redshirt senior from Brown Deer has emerged as the pass rusher for Wisconsin's defense, leading the team in sacks (three) and tackles for loss (five) while being tied for the team lead in tackles with sophomore Jack Sanborn (13) and forced fumbles (two, with Pearson).
Izayah Green-May and Jaylan Franklin both recorded one sack each against South Florida, but no one else has recorded one in the outside linebackers room since the season-opening win.
Despite not having a sack, Burks should be given credit for his 1.5 tackles for loss and stepping up in Green-May's absence .
“I think that Izayah [Green-May] was giving us some things," Chryst said when asked about the production of the other outside linebackers on Monday. "Izayah’s, it was his first meaningful snaps, and I think Noah’s done a really good job. Noah’s been really consistent, and yet they’re at a different point right now. You can trust them, and Tyler Johnson, we know what we’re going to get out of him, and it’s good. You appreciate that.
"I think as I go through it, that that answers it. You’re going to need more than two, and yet, I like what each one can bring, and they’ve got to keep growing. Zack does, everyone on this team has to keep improving, and boy there’s a lot of room for growth, and we got to make sure that we’re doing that.”
