The 3Cs: Wisconsin vs. Georgia Southern

BadgerBlitz.com's weekly feature, "The 3 Cs," returns for the 2023 season. The staff takes a look at one thing we're curious, confident and concerned about heading into Wisconsin's non-conference contest against Georgia Southern.

Staff writers Seamus Rohrer and Donnie Slusher each give their thoughts on the aforementioned topics for this week's contest.

Rohrer: Once again, I'm curious as to how Wisconsin deploys its defense. The Badgers are coming off a performance that won't cut it, and they have some personnel issues to work out.

Kamo'i Latu has had a rough two weeks, as he missed five tackles in the opener and only played 18 snaps last week before he was pulled. Still, he's Wisconsin's Plan-A free safety. Luke Fickell has said openly that they need him. Preston Zachman played 51 snaps last week; will he continue to see plenty of playing time? How short is Latu's leash after two subpar performances? Will we see Austin Brown, who didn't play against the Cougars?

Then there's the question of outside linebacker, which currently appears to be a three-man rotation between CJ Goetz, Darryl Peterson and Jeff Pietrowski. In Week 1, we saw Kaden Johnson get involved, but it was just those three in Pullman. Where does he fit into the rotation? Does TJ Bollers finally make his 2023 debut?

Slusher: I’m most curious to see how Phil Longo will handle the run/pass balance.

Last week, I was most curious at how Tanner Mordecai would perform after his mistake-filled debut. His stats weren’t phenomenal, but he gave the offense life after they fell down 24-6, and was the only reason they even came close to making a comeback. Mordecai impressed me. However, part of the reason they needed him to step up was because of the sudden disappearance of the run game, just a week after the Badgers rushed for over 300 yards against Buffalo.

Georgia Southern is coming off of a game against UAB where the Eagles gave up just 92 rushing yards on 29 carries. It should be much harder to defend Wisconsin’s running backs, but I was also confident after Washington State surrendered only 37 rushing yards to Colorado State, then they held the Badgers to just 90. Meanwhile, Georgia Southern let UAB quarterback Jacob Zeno throw for 385 yards and two touchdowns on a 76.7% completion percentage. This may indicate a similar game plan to the Washington State game, but Wisconsin's running back duo is still among the best in the country and must be prioritized.

They’ve played with a completely different offensive identity in each of their first two games. I truly have no idea what to expect this Saturday.

Rohrer: This isn't the most creative prediction, but I'm firmly confident the over, currently set at 64.5, will hit come Saturday.

Wisconsin is due for their best offensive showing yet against what's likely the worst defense they'll face all season. Last week, Georgia Southern allowed 35 points to a UAB offense that returned just three starters and is generally seen as an offense primed for regression. If the Badgers play clean, they should have no problem moving the ball either by air or by ground.

This prediction goes both ways — the Eagles should score some points, too. Wisconsin's defense has been less-than-inspiring this season, and while I do think they improve from last week, It's not out of the question for Georgia Southern to hit the 20-point mark. Should that happen, and should the Badgers' offense perform like they're expected to perform against a low-tier Sun Belt defense, 64.5 won't be a problem.

Slusher: I’m confident that this defense will finally play well.

It probably sounds crazy to express confidence in a unit that just got semi-embarrassed on national television, but they will improve, and I think it begins this week.

I can’t remember the last time Wisconsin played a quarterback that was as difficult to defend as Cameron Ward. He threw for only 212 yards and two touchdowns but completed passes to 10 different receivers and could extend any play he wanted to, keeping Wisconsin on its toes for four straight quarters.

Georgia Southern runs an offense with some similarities to Washington State. It’ll be more spread out and pass-centric than what Wisconsin is usually used to in the Big Ten. The big difference between this week and last will be the man under center. I can’t succinctly express how much of a shift it’ll be for the Badgers to defend Georgia Southern quarterback Davis Brin just after playing Ward. Brin is in his fifth college season, but he’s only ever started one full season, where he threw 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and completed 59.6% of his passes as Tulsa’s starter in 2021.

In all fairness to Brin, he has looked better this season. He’s thrown a whopping 83 passes in his first two games, but is completing 78.3% of them and has four passing touchdowns. He’s a solid quarterback, but if he poses any sort of threat to this Badgers defense, then it might be time to worry.

Rohrer: I'm moderately concerned about Wisconsin's inability to create big plays on defense.

They put a couple of sacks on the board after failing to take down the quarterback in the opener, but they still didn't generate a whole lot of pressure. On James Thompson's first sack, Cameron Ward practically scrambled himself into his arms as the play broke down. Especially early on, Ward had way too much time to sit comfortably in the pocket and find an open receiver. Big plays tend to start with defensive pressure, and Wisconsin has been lacking in that department.

The turnovers are a different story. It's true they're slightly more random, but Fickell was adamant on Monday when he told reporters that turnovers don't just happen, defenses make them happen. So far, the Badgers haven't made it happen.

Slusher: I’m most concerned about Wisconsin's seeming inability to play a complete game.

Against Buffalo, they came out and let the score stay close for the entire first half. The defense got pushed around at times, and even gave up multiple big plays. They didn’t feel any comfort until the running backs rushed for 150 yards in the third quarter and secured a solid lead.

This past weekend, they allowed the Cougars to score on back-to-back drives, building a 14-3 lead in just over a quarter. Shortly after, Mordecai fumbled on back-to-back possessions, leaving Wisconsin in a 24-6 hole. It wasn’t until Mordecai put the team on his back in the third quarter that the offense woke up. I’m willing to give them some benefit of the doubt based on the irregular travel conditions.

It should be easier to start strong on offense this week, given that this Georgia Southern defense is likely the least-talented group they’ll play this season. But if the Badgers come out looking sluggish again, especially against Georgia Southern, I would start to seriously question this coaching staff.

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