As the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers take in their second open weekend of the 2019 season, two members of the BadgerBlitz.com staff -- editor/recruiting analyst Jon McNamara and senior writer Jake Kocorowski -- look at the team on both sides of the ball.
On Saturday, we broke down our thoughts on Wisconsin's offense. Now, let's chat about the defense.
2019 team stats through eight games
*Scoring defense: 11.4 (tied for sixth in the FBS)
*Total defense: 223.5 (first in FBS)
*Rushing defense: 84.1 (fourth in FBS)
*Passing yards allowed: 139.4 (third in FBS)
*Sacks: 32 (4.00 per game, tied for fourth in the FBS)
*Third down conversions: 22.4% (first in FBS)
Stats updated as of Nov. 2
Who or what in your opinion has been the biggest positive seen out of the defense?
McNamara: Despite coming off two straight losses, there’s a lot to like about Jim Leonhard’s unit, which currently ranks No. 1 in the country in total defense. Wisconsin is giving up just 223.5 yards per game - a big piece to that being the four sacks (No. 4 in the nation) the Badgers are averaging through eight games. With that, I think outside linebacker Zack Baun has been the biggest positive so far on this side of the ball. The redshirt senior has 40 total tackles - including 7.5 sacks - eight quarterback hurries, one interception and two forced fumbles. Baun, who is having an All-Big Ten caliber season, currently grades out as UW’s top defensive player, according to Pro Football Focus, with an overall grade of 90.5.
Kocorowski: I’ll hone in on the front seven for this unit. With a deeper defensive line for the most part this season -- outside of Bryson Williams’ left knee injury that caused him to miss some time and Garrett Rand’s head injury for Ohio State week -- the linebackers both inside and on the edge have played phenomenally. Chris Orr has nine sacks through eight games, and Jon already mentioned Baun’s explosive ability to get to the passer as well. For that matter, the starting linebackers in the two-deep -- Orr, Baun, Jack Sanborn and Noah Burks -- have combined for 33 of the team’s 58 tackles for loss.
What has been the biggest surprise out of the unit through eight games (either good or bad)?
McNamara: Redshirt junior safety Eric Burrell has been a nice surprise this season, though I thought he ended 2018 on a high note and had a lot of momentum heading into the off-season. The Badgers haven’t missed a beat after Scott Nelson’s Week 1 injury against South Florida ended his 2019 campaign. Burrell is fourth on the team in total tackles and leads UW’s defense with two interceptions.
Kocorowski: Back with that front seven, the defensive line has been able to work through the injuries with the help of true freshman Keeanu Benton. In seven games played, he has three tackles for loss and a sack. For a player who did enroll early for spring practices like Williams a season prior, the Janesville Craig product has stepped up in a significant matter and has made starts, especially when the former went down with injury.
A little different from the second question, but what appears to be the biggest area of improvement needed?
McNamara: Though the unit has played very well as a whole, I still think there are some issues at cornerback. In losses to Illinois and Ohio State, both teams were able to hit on chunk plays through the air. Caesar Williams (PFF grade of 74.5) has quietly had a very good season so far, with Rachad Wildgoose (68.3), Deron Harrell (63.6) and Faion Hicks (62.6) also playing key roles so far this season. Again, we’re talking about about the No. 1 defense in the country, but there are still some things to clean up at corner as the Badgers aim for a Big Ten West title.
Kocorowski: Jon discussed the secondary, so I will hone in on the run defense in general the past two weeks. The tackling has not been great, especially against Illinois where at least a couple players talked about that particular issue. To have a chance in these final four games, Wisconsin has to lock down in this area of the game -- especially against a Minnesota offense that is averaging 204.5 yards per game through eight undefeated contests.
Through eight games, who gets your MVP vote?
McNamara: It has to be Baun from my answer above. But Orr has also played extremely well. He’s been a steady presence through eight contests and the vocal leader for the defense.
Kocorowski: I’m going with Orr -- 44 tackles, nine sacks -- though Baun and sophomore Jack Sanborn (team-leading 46 stops, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks for the former) have significant cases as well. Orr is not just a defensive leader but one for the team, and he is a huge reason why production at that position group has not dropped off even with two NFL-bound ‘backers in Ryan Connelly and T.J. Edwards departing after last season.
Who is the player to watch in your eyes for the final four games of the season?
McNamara: As I talked about above, Caesar Williams has been playing very well over the last four or five games. Wildgoose has taken the most snaps (326) so far at corner, but I’m curious to see if Williams’ role increases after his first start this season against Ohio State.
Kocorowski: I’ll stay with the linebackers and say Burks. He led the team in sacks against Ohio State, and though I essentially labeled him as “Mr. Consistent” in an article a couple weeks ago, he is finding the backfield more the past two weeks with 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. Can he become more of a complement to Baun on the outside?
