Notes: Wisconsin's Defense Thrives On Added Pressure

MADISON, Wis. – Whether it be on the ground or through the air, the University of Wisconsin has delivered a message to opposing offenses: not on our watch.

Expected to be a stalwart unit entering 2020, the Badgers defenders have delivered on those expectations despite injuries and opt outs. Through four games, UW has allowed just 42 points (four touchdowns, two field goals). They’ve allowed only three touchdown drives over 55 yards and only 28 points on drives that didn’t start via a turnover.

“We want that pressure on us," safety Scott Nelson said. "We want to be able to be the defense that everybody points to and says they are playing well. It comes with the scheme Coach Leonhard gives us and the rest of the coaching staff and the assignments and just executing. We’ve played well the last couple weeks."

The sample size is small with three games getting canceled due to COVID, but the statistics speak volumes for No.25 Wisconsin (2-2) heading into its regular-season finale at No.19 Iowa (5-2) Saturday (2:30 p.m./TBD).

Among the 127 FBS teams that have played at least one game this season, Wisconsin is the only one to not allow a rushing touchdown. The Badgers own the nation’s top rushing defense, allowing just 72.3 yards per game, and are tops in the country in total defense, giving up just 229.3 yards per game.

If that latter number holds, it would be the best yards-allowed average by a UW defense since the famed “Hard Rocks” unit surrendered a school-record 154.8 yards per game during its nine-game 1951 season.

The stats will be tested against the Hawkeyes, which have won five straight by displaying a good mixture of run and pass. Quarterback Spencer Petras is averaging 175.4 yards over that stretch but has six touchdowns to only two interceptions. The Hawkeyes also have a potent duo at running back in Mekhi Sargent (fifth in the Big Ten at 6.1 ypc, third with seven rush TDs) and Tyler Goodson (third in B1G with 656 rush yards).

“They are not so predictable far as run or pass,” safety Eric Burrell said. “I think we just have to dial into the scheme, play with our technique and play with our assignments we need to do … They definitely have some things in there that might be a little difficult, but I think we see it overall throughout the week with our offense. We just need to stick together.”

Nearly two months after foot surgery, senior quarterback Jack Coan was available to play last weekend but not used during Wisconsin’s 14-6 loss to Indiana. Leading the Badgers to 10 wins and the Rose Bowl last season, Coan threw for over 2,700 yards, ranked seventh in the country with a 69.6 completion percentage, 18 touchdowns, five interceptions and rushed for four more scores.

Asked this week if Coan is closer to playing in a game in some capacity this season, head coach Paul Chryst praised Coan’s progression.

“I thought last week we made some strides with it,” Chryst said. “As we go through this week and see where he’s at, the thing I appreciate with Jack and all the quarterbacks in that room, we can have honest conversations. We have to see how this week goes for Jack first and foremost. Regardless of what’s happening, that’s one huge part of it. You make decisions following that, but that’s first and foremost. Is he ready to play and confident to where he can trust and go out and play? You do not want somebody coming off injury thinking at all about their injury.”

Since the day following his non-contact injury in fall camp, Coan has been present at practices and games to provide encouragement and insight to the offense. He has saved some of his biggest pointers for redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz, who has experienced highs and lows in starting the first four games of the season.

“Really just having that extra person to bounce ideas off of and, like, what are you seeing, just getting that communication going,” Mertz said of having Coan around. “For us, I think that’s one area of us quarterbacks and our quarterback group, we do a great job on the sideline of communicating what we’re seeing. Like last week, all the looks we thought we were getting, we were getting. So, communication wise, it was on. The biggest thing is in game, our communication is great.”

In a perfect world, the Badgers would be playing this weekend to stay a perfect 3-0 in trophy games and advance with momentum to the Big Ten championship. Unlike last season when UW had a regular-season title on the line, the Badgers are competing to move back over .500.

The Freedom Trophy (Nebraska) and Paul Bunyan’s Axe (Minnesota) remain in Wisconsin’s possession, but those sit comfortably in UW’s locker room because of COVID cancelations and not victories on the field. UW has

“I can’t stress how important it is, all of us were pretty upset we lost these last two rivalry games, but just to be able to play this one, it’s just a really big deal,” linebacker Leo Chenal said. “We’re preparing like any other week. We’re working hard every week, but it adds a little something to it. All of us are really pumped.”

Wisconsin has won the last four meetings, seven of the last 10 and the last five games played at Kinnick Stadium.

Extra Points: Chryst did not have a health update on backup center Cormac Sampson, other than saying he was progressing and that it was too early to tell on his status for Saturday. Chryst said a few shotgun snaps were off from Tanor Bortolini but thought the freshman played well and that the line was on the same page … Freshman Jalen Berger has carried the ball exactly 15 times in the last three games but Chryst said it was pure coincidence. “Pitch counts are for baseball,” he said … Dec. 12 will mark the latest date on which Wisconsin has played a non-bowl game since it closed the 1896 campaign (when the Badgers claimed the inaugural Western Conference title) with an indoor game against the Carlisle Indian School at Chicago Coliseum on Dec. 19, 1896.