MADISON, Wis. - The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers will take on the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday morning at Camp Randall Stadium, and BadgerBlitz.com will be there to take in all of the action. Here are our three keys for Wisconsin to move to 2-0 on the season this weekend.
FIRST READ: DOMINATE ON THE GROUND
The Lobos won their first game of the season in blowout fashion last week, trouncing FCS Incarnate Word 62-30 last weekend. But the Lobos did surrender 244 rushing yards and allowed 7.1 yards per carry - and that's not a great sign for their defense as they prepare to take on the Badgers. Wisconsin's experienced offensive line and star running back Jonathan Taylor will have a chance to roll against New Mexico and their 3-3-5 defense, and if they can get some momentum going early it could help them create some separation before the Lobos have time to make some in-game adjustments.
SECOND READ: DON'T GIVE UP (TOO MANY) BIG PLAYS
The Lobos are going to take some shots down the field given their new offensive scheme - and I'm sure they will also want to test Wisconsin's new-look secondary. The Badgers can survive giving up a few big plays, but they can't afford for it to become a habit, especially if their offense takes a little while to get off the ground like they did last week against Western Kentucky. It will be good for Wisconsin's defense to learn to overcome some adversity in the long run, but the more the UW defense can stay out of trouble the better.
THIRD READ: GET SOME OLD FACES BACK IN THE GAME
The Badgers are supposed to get sophomore defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk and senior tight end Zander Neuville back on the field this week after they both missed all of fall camp. If the Badgers can work them in to the game to get their feet wet that would go a long way towards building their depth back up - particularly on the defensive line, where the Badgers had to use their first team almost exclusively until the game was well in hand last Friday. Loudermilk and Neuville have a chance to give the Badgers an in-season boost on both offense and defense when they get back on the field, and the sooner they can get comfortable in their roles the better for UW.
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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.
