The BadgerBlitz.com staff - Jon McNamara, John Veldhuis and Jonathan Mills - will break down Wisconsin's 2017 schedule into four quarters and make predictions for each game. Quarter 1 features Utah State, Florida Atlantic and BYU:
9/1/2017: Wisconsin vs. Utah State (7:00 PM)
Veldhuis: Wisconsin 35, Utah State 14
The Badgers start off their 2017 season on the right foot by handling the Utah State Aggies with relative ease under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium. The Aggies are still trying to recapture the magic they had under former UW coach Gary Andersen, and their second trip to Camp Randall wasn’t as close as the first one. The Aggies needed a late touchdown to come cut Wisconsin’s lead to just three scores, after quarterback Alex Hornibrook threw two touchdown passes - one to Jazz Peavy and the other to Troy Fumagalli - and the running back combo of Bradrick Shaw and Chris James combined to score three times in the first half.
Mills: Wisconsin 45, Utah State 14
The Camp Randall faithful were rewarded with an impressive display of offense and defense from the 2017 Wisconsin Badgers. Alex Hornibrook threw three touchdowns against the Aggies as he distanced himself out of former quarterback Bart Houston’s shadow. New-look defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard shrugs any early doubts away, limiting Utah State to just two scores.
McNamara: Wisconsin 38, Utah State 13
A season with sky-high expectations opens on a high note. Head coach Paul Chryst's effort to establish the run right out of the gates is rewarded by 100-plus yard performances by tailbacks Chris James and Bradrick Shaw. And as the students trickle out of Camp Randall after Jump Around, true freshman Jonathan Taylor finds the end zone in the fourth quarter for the first time as a Badger.
9/9/2017: Wisconsin vs. Florida Atlantic (11:00 AM)
Veldhuis: Wisconsin 52, FAU 17
There was a little extra buzz for this game with new FAU head coach Lane Kiffin coming to town, but in the end Kiffin’s athletic squad was too raw to keep pace with the Badgers, who wore the Owls down on the ground in the first half. Both Chris James and Bradrick Shaw rushed for 200 yards in the game, which opened up the play action game for Alex Hornibrook to connect with Quintez Cephus for a deep touchdown pass. The Badgers also saw their defense pounce on a few FAU mistakes, and added on a defensive touchdown on a pick-six by Nick Nelson.
Mills: Wisconsin 28, FAU 17
The Owls are a hardworking team under savvy head coach Lane Kiffin, but the Badgers pulled away in the second half. Chris James rushes for 100-plus yards, largely in credit to a defense that allowed 200-plus rushing yards per game in 2016. Additionally, the Owls are outmatched on defense. T.J. Edwards records eight tackles and an interception, giving assistant head coach/OC Kendal Briles a three-hour headache.
McNamara: Wisconsin 41, FAU 10
Florida Atlantic gets on the board first possession after a long touchdown pass from quarterback Jason Driskel. But Wisconsin's defense settles down after the early strike and allows just a field goal for the remainder of the contest. Offensively, quarterback Alex Hornibrook connects on passes with six different receivers and throws for over 200 yards through the air as the Badgers cruise to a comfortable victory. True freshman Jack Coan also "gets his feet wet" in the second quarter of this contest.
9/16/2017: Wisconsin at BYU (2:30 PM)
Veldhuis: Wisconsin 27 BYU 17
The Badgers survived their first major test of the season by handing BYU a double-digit loss on the road in Provo, Utah, as Alex Hornibrook led a fourth-quarter touchdown drive to give the Badgers some breathing room before time ran out in the game. Hornibrook relied heavily on tight end Troy Fumagalli on the final drive, and he finished the game with more than 100 receiving yards as BYU’s defense struggled to keep him in check. The Cougars gave the Badgers all they could muster - and the way UW responded bodes well for the rest of their regular season.
Mills: BYU 26 Wisconsin 20
Away from the friendly confines of Madison, the Badgers struggle on the road against a formidable FBS independent opponent. Junior quarterback Tanner Mangum picks apart the Badgers secondary, rushing for 35 yards and two touchdowns. Late in the third quarter, the Cougars force a Badgers fumble from sophomore receiver Quintez Cephus in the third quarter. This proves to be the silent dagger against a mostly quiet Badgers offense in Utah.
McNamara: Wisconsin 28, BYU 10
Wisconsin passes its first big test of the season with flying colors. Led by Bradrick Shaw's 150-yard and two-touchdown performance, the Badgers improve to 3-0 on the season. Alex Hornibrook settles down after a first-quarter interception to guide UW's offense to the road victory.
