Wisconsin's 2018 season is still a few months away, but it's never too early to get the inside scoop on the teams the Badgers will square off against this fall.
The Badgers will open their regular season against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31, so we asked Shane Bearden of Inside Hilltopper Sports a few questions about what the Badgers should expect to see when the Hilltoppers come to town.
Our questions and Shane's answers are included below.
The Hilltoppers are about to enter year two under head coach Mike Sanford - how did his first season compare to the pre-season expectations? Did he and his staff make any major changes to the program after taking over for Jeff Brohm? Or was his focus more about building upon what was already there?
Shane Bearden: I think everyone from the fans to the coaches themselves would overwhelmingly admit to falling short of expectations in 2017. Sanford inherited a team that had won two straight conference championships in addition to 6 straight seasons with 7 or more wins and 3 straight bowl wins. With Mike White (recently drafted by Dallas Cowboys) returning at QB along with numerous other talented play makers, most people expected the Tops to once again vie for a conference title. However, after graduating 3 all-conference performers along the offensive line including 2nd round pick Forrest Lamp the WKU offensive line struggled to contain pass rushers and create enough holes in the run game. Brohm ran a very high octane offense as I am sure Badger fans will become accustomed to once he gets more settled in at Purdue. Sanford's style is more in the realm of Boise State where Sanford played as a quarterback in his collegiate career. There were major changes made across the board to both the offense and defense. Play calling and verbiage changed completely from the previous staff. New defensive coordinator Clayton White came over from NC State and implemented a new 4-2-5 defensive scheme, which went away from the 4-3 that the Hilltoppers were used to running.
What kind of offense should the Badgers expect to see when the Hilltoppers come to town? With just four of last year’s starters projected to return are you expecting to see a new-look unit?
Shane Bearden: Badger fans should expect a Boise State-style offense. Meaning they will see a healthy mix of run and pass plays with some QB options sprinkled in. Basing this solely on last season, it seems Sanford prefers to use the run to establish the passing game. Though WKU did not meet that preference with great success last season due to some issues along the offensive line and injuries at multiple positions. I do expect the run game and the offensive line to be much improved this season based upon what I saw in the spring game. The wide receiver and running back corps appear to be deeper than last season barring injuries. However, replacing an NFL quarterback (Mike White, Cowboys) and NFL tight end (Deon Yelder, Saints) is not an easy task for most teams to overcome.
The Hilltoppers seem to have quite a few experienced defensive players coming back for 2018 - can they take any steps forward from last year? What were their strengths and weaknesses?
Shane Bearden: The defense will undoubtedly be the strength of this team. They were much better than the numbers last year indicate due in part to injuries and to lack of offensive production. There were several positions along the defense last season that were down to the 3rd and 4th string players because of injuries to starters. Obviously no one wants to see injuries, but it gives the added benefit that a ton of the younger guys got some meaningful minutes last season and should allow them to take even bigger steps forward in 2018. The secondary looks to be the biggest strength of the defense this season. There are some big time play makers in the back looking to make their mark. In 2017 they struggled to force a lot of turnovers from opposing teams. They came out of spring practice with the goal of being in the top 5 in turnovers forced this season. If there is a chink in the defensive armor it may be at linebacker. All-conference ILB Joel Iyiegbuniwe declared early for the NFL draft and was selected in the 4th round by the Chicago Bears. Replacing 117 tackles and 11.5 tackles for a loss is major challenge.
What is the biggest question mark about this team that the Hilltoppers still have to answer after their spring camp?
Shane Bearden: Probably the biggest question mark left to answer is who will be the starting quarterback. Senior Drew Eckels has waited his turn behind Brandon Doughty and Mike White the last few years and looks to be the #1 option at the moment. Sophomore Steven Duncan was arrested on a DUI the night after the Spring Game. He will be suspended for the season opener. So even if he did win the starting job he would not be available to play against the Badgers. Redshirt freshman Davis Shanley has some big time wheels for a QB, but I don't think he is ready to take over the reigns just yet. 3-star QB Kavaris Thomas is a true dual threat QB with a cannon arm. It will be interesting to see if he can come in during fall camp to challenge Eckels and Duncan for the starting spot.
Finally, what kind of goals do the Hilltoppers have for their 2018 season? Is this program going to head back to another bowl game?
Shane Bearden: The goal for WKU stays the same every season. I don't think that changes this year. During Sanford's introductory press conference he talked about his goals for every season: graduate every player, serve the community relentlessly, win the CUSA Championship Game, defeat a Power 5 conference team every year, and win a New Year's Six Bowl game. Obviously that last item would most likely require an undefeated season to accomplish, but nonetheless is a continued goal for the team and coaching staff. The success of this season will depend largely on the offense taking a step forward from last year. I think the defense will be fine, but they can't stay on the field for a long duration and be successful. The offense needs to take some pressure off of them by having more sustained drives and putting more points up on the board. I see no reason to think this team will not be headed back to a winning season and a bowl game this season.
___________________________________________________
John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.
