Badgers battle Wolverines in Big Ten brawl
Fresh off an open date, the ninth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers are set to kick off the Big Ten portion of their schedule against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
Wisconsin was last in action on September 13th when it recorded a thrilling 13-10 victory over a strong Fresno State team on the road. That win enabled the Badgers to improve to 3-0, as they crushed two weaker non-conference foes to open the campaign. With clashes against Ohio State and Penn State on the horizon, it is important that Wisconsin stay focused on this week's clash with the Wolverines.
Speaking of Michigan, it has lost two of three games to start the season, causing many fans and analysts to wonder if the hiring of Rich Rodriguez as head coach was smart. Like the Badgers, the Wolverines have been idle since September 13th when they were completely outplayed by Notre Dame in a 35-17 defeat. Saturday's clash marks the first of what will be three straight home games for the Wolverines.
Michigan holds a commanding 48-12-1 series lead over Wisconsin, which includes a 26-6 mark in Ann Arbor.
Yards were not easy to come by for Wisconsin against Fresno State, which played with a great deal of intensity on defense. However, to the credit of the Badgers, they stuck to their game plan and continuously pounded tailback P.J. Hill at the defensive front of the Bulldogs. Hill finished with 112 yards on 26 carries. As for quarterback Allan Evridge, he completed 12-of-24 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. Garrett Graham led the receivers with five catches for 58 yards and a score, and while it is hard to say that the offense played well considering the 13-point output, there was certainly no lack of effort. "We knew going into this game it was going to be a hard-fought, four-quarter game,"
said Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema.
Thanks to big offensive performances in the first two outings of the season, the Badgers are averaging 34.0 ppg and 423.3 total ypg. The ground attack accounts for 238.7 ypg and 10 of the club's 13 offensive touchdowns. Hill has rushed for 379 yards and four scores while racking up 5.4 ypc. As for Evridge, he has completed 60 percent of his passes for 526 yards and three scores against only one interception. Graham has three touchdown receptions.
"I can't say enough about our defense,"
said coach Bielema after the Fresno State win. The praise was certainly warranted, as the Badgers managed to limit the Bulldogs to 10 points on their home field. The Bulldogs only gained 118 rushing yards on 33 attempts, an average of 3.6 ypc. They made a few big plays through the air, which Bielema pointed out in his post game press conference, but overall the defense forced a pair of turnovers and stiffened when Fresno State threatened to score.
Opponents are scoring a mere 13.7 ppg against Wisconsin, which is yielding 87.7 rushing ypg. The Badgers have surrendered three touchdowns to opposing offenses, including just two on the ground. Jaeve McFadden leads the club with 27 total tackles, and DeAndre Levy is second with 18 stops, including four TFLs. As for Niles Brinkley, he has already logged two interceptions.
Considering that Michigan is only averaging 18.7 ppg and 290.7 total ypg, it is fair to say that the offense has struggled. The running game is generating less than four yards per carry, and the passing attack has managed few big plays. One of the lone bright spots for the offense has been the play of Sam McGuffie, the team's tailback. A tough and versatile performer, McGuffie has run for 213 yards and one touchdown while also hauling in nine receptions for 101 yards and a score. Both Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan have seen time under center, and neither of the two have been overly impressive. Threet has thrown for more yards and touchdowns, but Sheridan has been more accurate.
Michigan was able to move the ball fairly well against Notre Dame, racking up 388 yards, but six turnovers killed many drives and set the Irish offense up with some short fields. Similar mistakes this weekend will likely lead to defeat.
Michigan is yielding 22.0 ppg despite allowing a mere 284.3 total ypg. The team has been tremendous against the run, holding foes to 65.3 ypg on an average of 1.8 ypc. Unfortunately, opponents are averaging 12.2 yards per pass completion, suggesting that big plays have been made through the air. The Wolverines have registered nine sacks and forced six turnovers to date. Obi Ezeh has a team-high 26 tackles to his credit, and he has registered an interception. Morgan Trent has two picks, and Brandon Graham has posted 6.5 TFLs, including a pair of sacks.
The Michigan defense only permitted 260 total yards to Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish took advantage of several Michigan turnovers. Clearly, the Wolverine defense didn't play nearly as bad as the final score suggested.
