MADISON - After Wisconsin's most eventful offseason in recent history, fans finally saw some real game reps from this new-look Badgers team. UW took down the MAC’s Buffalo Bulls, 38-17, on Saturday afternoon. The scoreboard may look lopsided, but there is plenty of nuance to break down after the first game from either team.
Don’t be fooled by the scoreboard — the Badgers have plenty to improve on and the Bulls played better than what was expected of them. After everything we learned today, this is what stood out to me the most.
1. The Badgers are still a rushing team
After months of waiting to see a revamped Wisconsin offense full of new quarterbacks and wide receivers, the running backs stole the show. Back-up Chez Mellusi recorded 157 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 rushing attempts.
The play of the day was Mellusi’s 89-yard touchdown run on the first play of a Badgers' drive in the third quarter. Never in his first two seasons has he played with such a high level of both patience and explosiveness. Braelon Allen had himself a day as well, rushing for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. His fourth quarter score to take a three-possession lead cemented the game for the Badgers.
The emphasis on running is what Wisconsin fans are used to seeing, but the offense still looked quite different. The formation was spread out wider, giving Mellusi and Allen space to run. Allen even got involved in the passing game with seven receptions, a game-high and nearly double his previous career-high. Jackson Acker even looked impressive in his mop-up time reps.
A passing game full of brand new parts may take time to mesh and create chemistry, but the Badgers can rely on their star running back duo in the meantime.
2. Mordecai wins quarterback duel despite mistakes
In fifth-year senior Tanner Mordecai’s first game action with the Badgers, fans likely expected the quarterback to chuck it down the field as much as possible and take advantage of the new pieces on offense. But the passing game stayed intimate. He finished 24 of 31, but for only 189 yards. It seemed as if most passing plays were designed to get the ball out quickly, usually outside the numbers.
The two primary slot receivers, Will Pauling and Skyler Bell, benefitted from Phil Longo’s quicker approach. After Allen, they tied for the team lead in targets, along with Bryson Green. The speed at which Mordecai was throwing may have led to some spastic mistakes. His first interception was off a quick pass outside the numbers. It nearly - and probably should have - resulted in a touchdown.
Mordecai's second interception came after Buffalo crowded the line of scrimmage pre-snap, resulting in the quarterback throwing too quickly over the middle and into the hands of Shaun Dolac. Maybe it came from jitters, or just a miscommunication, but Mordecai will have to play more composed against a team that will make him pay for his mistakes.
Mordecai’s problems would’ve stood out more if his opponent didn’t eventually falter. Buffalo quarterback Cole Snyder started off hot. He completed a 51-yard pass to Darrell Harding Jr. in the second quarter, followed by a touchdown to Cole Harrity. But as the game continued and Wisconsin’s lead grew, he was forced to lean on his inexperienced group of receivers rather than their more solid running back room. The offensive line couldn’t maintain, either, as he was eventually running on nearly every play.
3. The defense isn't ready, regardless of what the scoreboard says.
The final score may read that Wisconsin won by over 20 points and held Buffalo to only 17 points, but this defense is far from ready to play a competent offense.
The first mistake of the day came off Snyder’s 51-yard completion when the Wisconsin secondary didn’t know how to react to a slot fade. Then, the touchdown reception two plays later was hardly covered. Snyder almost threw another touchdown in the corner of the end zone in the second quarter, but the receiver dropped it at the last second. Their second touchdown in the fourth quarter came after a coverage mistake from Travion Blaylock.
Given the Bulls’ experienced running backs and inexperienced receivers, the Badgers had to have anticipated they would come out running. Still, there were multiple drives in the first half where Wisconsin offered little run resistance to Ron Cook and Mike Washington. Their end-of-game stats may seem unimpressive, but it’s mostly a result of the Bulls throwing just to stay in the game.
Certain Badgers are gonna need some time to ramp up as well. Kamo’i Latu made some impressive tackles, but missed so many more. Jordan Turner was kicked out of the game after a targeting call in the fourth quarter, and will miss the first half of next week against Washington State.
One undeniable positive is how the Badgers played on third down, leaving the Bulls with a measly 2-15 conversion rate. They even held up on multiple fourth down attempts from short yardage.
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