On Saturday afternoon, the temperature hovered near 70 degrees at Camp Randall. Mills’ Hot 11, though, is blistering hot this week. The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls, 31-14, in an early-morning Week 2 contest. This week’s Hot 11 is far from perfect, thus BadgerBlitz.com encourages everyone to offer their own opinions in the Badger’s Den. Get your sunscreen ready because here we go:

Player #1 Temperature Meter: 500˚F

- Jonathan Taylor (223 yards, 3 TD’s, 8.6 yards/carry)

For a freshman playing his second college football game, Jonathan Taylor looked mature beyond his years. The 5-11, 214-pound running back was the driving force of the Wisconsin offense. He broke tackles, evaded defenders and forced multiple defenders to unite to bring him down. Without Taylor, I am positive the result of Saturday’s game is very different. Taylor was the spark the Badgers offense needed and he delivered.

Player #2 Temperature Meter: 450 ˚F

- Chris James (101 rushing yards, 6.3 yards/carry)

James slots into second place this week because of his offensive rebound after a forgettable Week 1 showing. Against Utah State, James accumulated just 15 yards on five carries. Plus, his longest rush during UW’s first game was seven yards. The Pittsburgh transfer teamed up with fellow rusher Taylor to breathe life in Wisconsin’s offense.

Player #3 Temperature Meter: 400 ˚F

- Leon Jacobs (6 Total Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 Tackles for Loss)

Senior linebacker Leon Jacobs described the team’s defensive performance as “B-minus” after their 31-14 victory. There was plenty of good to take away from Wisconsin’s defensive showing as well as some bad early on. His sack and two tackles for loss as well as a pass break up, setting an example for his teammates.

Player #4 Temperature Meter: 350 ˚F

- Troy Fumagalli (92 yards, 8 Receptions, 1 TD)

The senior tight end capped off his Saturday afternoon with team highs in catches and receiving yards. Despite some miscommunication between Fumagalli and Hornibrook, he described the performance as a learning experience.

“It’s still early. We’re learning,” he said. “That’s the good part.”

On the season, he matched his TD total from 2016, a positive sign for a Badgers' offense heading into the bulk of the season.

Player #5 Temperature Meter: 300 ˚F

- Chris Orr (6 Solo Tackles, 2 Assisted Tackles, 1 Sack)

Once again, inside linebacker Chris Orr continues to fill in-game stat lines. After the first half, the Wisconsin defense allowed only two total first downs and 50 FAU offensive yards. Orr led the team with eight tackles and recorded a sack against quarterback Daniel Parr.

Player #6 Temperature Meter: 250 ˚F

- Alex Hornibrook (16-28, 201 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT)

The sophomore quarterback wasn’t on his “A” game, but Hornibrook doesn’t need to be perfect to win. Despite some errant throws and his lone interception, Hornibrook was a steady presence in the pocket. One area of improvement from Week 1 was his patience out of the pocket.

Player #7 Temperature Meter: 200 ˚F

- Quintez Cephus (2 Catches, 47 Receiving yards)

Despite his original intentions to play basketball, wide receiver Quintez Cephus consistently showcases his football talents with basketball skill. When the Owls tried to tackle him, Cephus’s size and strength overpowered the Owls, resulting in additional yardage after his catches.

Player #8 Temperature Meter: 170 ˚F

- Danny Davis (1 Catch, 35 yards receiving)

My congratulations are extended to Davis, who recorded his first career reception against FAU. His 35-yard catch set up the eventual touchdown for running back Jonathan Taylor as well. Thus far, Davis is outperforming fellow wide receiver Jazz Peavy, who has just 33 receiving yards. As a young player, it is promising to see Davis’s development in 2017.

Player #9 Temperature Meter: 150 ˚F

- Garret Dooley (3 Solo Tackles, 1 Assisted tackle, 1 Sack)

Senior leader Garret Dooley is a critical part of the Badger linebacker depth chart at the linebacker position. His production against FAU was critical because UW has struggled out of the gate with plenty of communication issues on defense. FAU gunslinger Daniel Parr never looked truly comfortable on Saturday and Dooley was a big reason why.

Player #10 Temperature Meter: 125˚F

- Andrew Van Ginkel (3 Solo Tackles, 1 Assisted tackle, 1 Sack)

The 6-4, 234-pound defensive senior was one of the many Badgers that recorded a sack against the Owls. In Week 2, Van Ginkel matched his career high with four tackles. If more Badgers fall to injury, expect the senior offensive linebacker to assume a larger role in Chryst’s playbook.

Player #11 Temperature Meter: 100˚F

- Zach Hintze (6 Kickoffs, 63.7 yards/kick, 4 Touchbacks)

The special teams were without starting kicker P.J. Rosowski on kickoffs, yet freshman Zach Hintze fits in nicely. Hintze kicked off six times, totaling 382 yards with an average long ball of 63.7 yards. Additionally, four of these we touchbacks. It seems UW has depth in every position and will be critical once the tough stretch of the season begins. Consequently, the FAU offense could not obtain comfortable field positioning on kickoffs.

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Jonathan Mills is a staff writer and covers Wisconsin football/basketball for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @realJ_Mills