Published Dec 30, 2017
Pre-Snap Read: Can the Badgers cap off the season with an Orange Bowl win?
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John Veldhuis  •  BadgerBlitz
Senior Writer
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@JohnVeldhuis

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers will look to cap off their 2017 season with their first-ever 13-win season in program history when they take on the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

BadgerBlitz.com will be there to take in all of the action, and our three keys to the game for the Badgers are included below in our Pre-Snap Read.

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FIRST READ: DON’T LET MIAMI’S DEFENSE BREAK OUT THE TURNOVER CHAIN (TOO OFTEN)

Look, the Badgers have been a turnover-prone team this year. That probably means that the Hurricanes’ defense will be licking their chops at kickoff, looking to break out that famous 10-karat Turnover Chain. The Hurricanes have done a great job of feeding off of those big plays, so it will be up to the Badgers to make sure they limit their turnovers as much as possible. That means that quarterback Alex Hornibrook will have to make smart decisions with the football, and freshman running back Jonathan Taylor will need to show he’s improved his ball security during the month or so since the Badgers finished their regular season. The Badgers have gone without a turnover just XX times this season, and this would be the perfect game to put up another ‘zero’ in that category. But that might be optimistic to the point of foolishness to hope for, so Badgers fans should settle for turning the ball over just once if possible. If they can do that it will keep Miami’s explosive but inefficient offense from getting extra cracks at Wisconsin’s defense.

SECOND READ: PROTECT ALEX HORNIBROOK

This one goes hand-in-hand with what we already discussed. Wisconsin needs to avoid turning the ball over, and to do that they’re going to make sure Alex Hornibrook has a clean pocket to work in and time to go through his reads and make the right decision on where to go with the ball. Miami’s defense has their share of weaknesses, but getting pressure on the quarterback and making plays behind the line of scrimmage has been a strength for this group. Wisconsin’s offensive line will need to handle the Miami pass rush, or else it could be a long day for Hornibrook and the UW offense in general.

THIRD READ: WIN ON THIRD DOWN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL

When looking at both teams in the run-up to this game, I was surprised by how different the Badgers and Hurricanes looked on offense when they ended up in third down. The Badgers have been one of the best teams in the country at converting on third down, moving the chains 48.8 percent of the time - putting them behind only Army and Colorado State. On the flip side, Miami has been one of the worst teams in the country at moving the chains this year. The Hurricanes have converted on just 29.4 percent of their third down tries this year, ahead of just five teams in the FBS this year. The key for UW will be getting them there - the Hurricanes have done a good job of avoiding third down altogether this year. But if the Badgers can get the Hurricanes in to third and medium or third and long they can let their defense go to work. And if Wisconsin’s offense can move the chains consistently in this game as well they should be able to put some points on the board.

BADGERBLITZ.COM STAFF PREDICTIONS

WISCONSIN 28 MIAMI 21

The Hurricanes are definitely going to pose an interesting challenge for the Badgers, who will be looking to cap off their season with a signature win after their loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. If the Badgers can avoid making too many big mistakes I think their defense will handle Miami’s offense - especially since they will be without two of their best pass-catching options in this game, and they seemed to run in to a wall over their last few games.

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.