Wisconsin recorded its second straight blowout win against Rutgers in New Jersey, and now looks to win its third straight this weekend against Northwestern.

As the Badgers get ready to travel to Evanston, what questions surround the program as it looks to stack conference victories?

Northwestern went with Mississippi State transfer Mike Wright at signal caller for the first two games of the season, and that ended poorly: he tossed for 334 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while completing 56.9 percent of his passes. Since the transition to Jack Lausch things have been smoother overall, but the Wildcats' quarterback play is still far from consistent.

Lausch has had very solid games, like when he threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns while completing 64.5 percent of his passes against FCS Eastern Illinois. He's also struggled mightily, like against Washington when he threw for just 53 yards and two interceptions while completing 29.6 percent of his passes.

Last week against Maryland, Lausch hit on a couple of big throws downfield, connecting with AJ Henning on a 55-yarder and Bryce Kirtz on a 40-yarder. Those big plays certainly helped spark the Wildcats' offense, but those two passes also accounted for nearly half of Lausch's 203 yards through the air.

The numbers don't lie: Lausch has been inconsistent as a passer, and his best game came against an FCS opponent. He hasn't proven he can lead his team to victory in a tight contest. The quarterback has some mobility, but has only rushed for 141 yards through four games; he hasn't torn anyone up on the ground just yet. Keeping him in the pocket and forcing him to go through his progressions will be key for the Badgers this week as they try to rattle the erratic gunslinger.

Wisconsin's domination of Rutgers had a lot to do with its domination in the trenches. The offensive line in particular was excellent. They flew off the ball and pushed the Scarlet Knights around all afternoon. That gave quarterback Braedyn Locke plenty of time to drop back and pass, and gave the Badgers' tailbacks swaths of running room to work with.

“I think that balance is what we envision, but it doesn't happen unless you can not just control and run the football, but that you can protect as well and give [Locke] the pockets that we need to give him. So yes, there's a lot of positives from the guys up front that they're doing a good job, but it's going to continue to grow," head coach Luke Fickell said of the offensive line. "Their ability to adjust and adapt, I think, is where maybe we didn't do as good a job of last year.”

This unit will continue to be tested, as Northwestern ranks 9th nationally in rush yards allowed per-game. The Wildcats are coming off a suffocating performance vs. Maryland, limiting the Terrapins to 59 yards on 33 carries (1.8 yards-per-carry). Northwestern has allowed more yards to some of the better teams it's faced, such as Washington (144) and Indiana (149). Nonetheless, the trenches will once again be the epicenter of this clash between the Badgers and Wildcats.

On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin faces a less daunting rushing attack this week. Cam Porter is Northwestern's lead back, but he's been part of a committee backfield ever since a lower body injury forced him to miss the Washington game. He'll split carries with Joseph Himon II, and redshirt freshman Caleb Komolafe will take some reps as well. That's translated to just the 104th-best rushing offense in the country.

As pass-protectors, however, the Wildcats' offensive linemen have been very solid. They've allowed seven sacks through six games, tied for 9th nationally in terms of sacks allowed per-game. Much of that can be attributed to the mobility of Wright and Lausch; contain and setting the edge will once again be crucial this week for Wisconsin.

Will Pauling's status is in question for Saturday in Evanston after he was knocked out of the game in the closing minutes of the first half against Rutgers. He took a hit to the head on a play where he fumbled, and wasn't able to return to the game. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest, but the news Fickell provided on Monday was positive.

“I mean, he'll obviously be a little bit questionable from the start of the week, but I think that there was some good news, that there wasn't a concussion," he said. “So we just have to see where he is and how he feels. And like I said, it's early on right now, but with a lot of guys like Will, we do need to continue to be smart during the week. There's a balance to what you're doing, but you are starting to get to that second half of the season."

That sounds like Pauling is firmly questionable for Saturday. At this point, it appears it could go either way. If Pauling is out, expect redshirt freshman Trech Kekahuna to log the most snaps he has all season. The Badgers' slot receiver position has been held down almost exclusively by those two. According to Pro Football Focus, Pauling has played 123 snaps in the slot, Kekahuna has played 97, and the next closest is Vinny Anthony with 10.

It'll be interesting to see how the Badgers play this situation. If Pauling's availability could go either way, is there a chance Wisconsin holds him out to save him for an intense stretch run with Penn State, Iowa and Oregon on tap next? Not that Wisconsin would overlook Northwestern, who just beat Maryland by 27 points. But how much of a factor is Pauling's long-term availability in this decision?

It's also worth noting that last week, the Badgers made an effort to get Kekahuna involved even before Pauling's injury. He finished the game with five targets, and now has 18 over the past three games as opposed to just five through the first three. Even if Pauling plays, I'd expect the youngster to remain a sizable factor in this offense.

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