Gameday (Rutgers) - Saturday, November 3, 2018 - The Daily Cardinal

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Wisconsin vs. Rutgers

ILLUSTRATION BY CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL PHOTO BY CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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Wisconsin vs. Rutgers

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Matchup to Watch

Without left tackle Van Lanen, Badgers O-line faces tough test against Knights

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Cole Van Lanen has been the fifth-best offensive tackle in the FBS for run blocking. His injury will shuffle UW’s offensive line, with Logan Bruss and Jon Dietzen likely to fill in.

By Cameron Lane-Flehinger SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday’s matchup will feature a direct clash between each team’s best — and deepest — position groups as Wisconsin’s highly touted offensive line faces off against Rutgers’ under the radar defensive front.

The Scarlet Knights boast a trio of effective linemen in freshman Mike Tverdov, sophomore Elorm Lumor and senior Kevin Wilkins. Tverdov and Lumor have combined for 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss from the defensive end position in 2018. Wilkins hasn’t picked up a sack, but he might present the Badger line with its biggest headache. The 304-pound senior has the size and athleticism to play at any position on the defensive front, which gives Rutgers the flexibility to be aggressive with its pass rush.

On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin will be without one of its most important offensive

linemen, as sophomore left tackle Cole Van Lanen has been ruled out with a left leg injury he sustained against Northwestern.

Van Lanen started the year splitting time with junior Jon Dietzen, but he played his way into the majority of snaps, impressing the Badger coaching staff along the way.

“He was very consistent with what he did and really made some big plays at times, knocking guys off the ball,” offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph said.

Through eight games, Van Lanen allowed a pressure once every 33 pass-blocking snaps according to PFF College, compared to one every 21 snaps for Dietzen. Dietzen — who hasn’t allowed a single sack in more than a season and a half of work at tackle and guard since the start of 2017 — can approximate Van Lanen’s contributions in the passing game and reliably keep the pocket clean for whoever starts at quarterback against the Scarlet Knights.

Van Lanen’s absence will be felt most in the running game where he’s been a big factor in a Wisconsin rushing attack that ranks fifth nationally in yardage.

The Badgers are averaging 7.1 yards per carry with four touchdowns on 59 runs to the left end in 2018; all three of those numbers are most for any rushing direction according to PFF College. That success is a big part of why Van Lanen grades out as the fifth-best tackle in the FBS against the run.

If Rudolph and head coach Paul Chryst are looking to replace Van Lanen’s contributions in the run game, they might be better off turning to redshirt freshman Logan Bruss. Bruss has mostly seen action as an oversized tight end in Wisconsin’s jumbo package, and he’s got the athleticism and explosiveness to replicate some of what Van Lanen brings.

“He’s a really good athlete, as good an athlete as we have at that position,” Rudolph said. “I think he

gets away with some things because he is athletic, and technique at times will sneak up on him.”

If Bruss’ technique proves inadequate in the game, or if Dietzen can’t generate the push needed in the run game, the Badgers have the luxury of positional flexibility of many of the offensive linemen. Dietzen has played at both guard and center, while senior Michael Deiter has played at every position on the line in his career.

“It’s huge because it offers depth where there isn’t depth,” Dietzen said. “Bruss, if he has to go out there for the first time and he’s not used to it or something, we’ve got how many other guys on the line that have done the same thing, switching to tackle.”

Wisconsin’s offensive line has one other factor going for it that could lead to a dominant performance on Saturday: familiarity. Rutgers’ defense utilizes an “odd” front where the nose tackle lines up directly

against the center with both hands on the ground and the front seven is symmetrical.

It’s the same front the Badgers use, and while some teams could be tripped up by the different matchups it requires, Wisconsin’s blockers have the advantage of going against the same look every day in practice.

“I think it gives you a lot of confidence, just because you know what to expect,” senior right tackle David Edwards said.

“The fits that you have against an odd-front team are very intricate, very different than an under front or an over front and I think that’s gonna help us this week.”

Even without Van Lanen leading in the run game, Wisconsin’s offensive line has enough talent and experience to handle just about any front seven in the country. But if Rutgers’ pass rushers can bring their best performance of the season on Saturday, they’ll potentially have a weakness to exploit.

Rutgers Outlook

Still without a conference win, Rutgers has struggled in 2018 with inconsistent defense and dismal passing game

By Peyton Kadlecek STAFF WRITER

Wisconsin (3-2 Big Ten, 5-3 overall) prepares to host Rutgers (0-5, 1-7) in an underwhelming matchup on Saturday. Rutgers, on a deep losing streak and without a single conference win, does not have much to offer in terms of competition for the Badgers.

Rutgers will be coming of a bye week before it faces Wisconsin. In their most recent game, the Scarlet Knights almost pulled off a win against Northwestern. Despite leading at halftime, Rutgers fell to

Northwestern 15-18, furthering its losing record.

A handful of Rutgers’ freshmen made some significant plays that helped keep the Scarlet Knights in the game. Freshman running back Isaih Pacheco aided the offense with a 44-yard rushing touchdown. Defensively, freshman defensive back Avery Young led the team with 10 tackles, plus seven solo tackles and two pass breakups. A couple senior linebackers, Trevor Morris and Deonte Roberts, also contributed with nine tackles each.

Much of what little strength Rutgers does possess stems from its decent running back depth and some tight end strength, but there is little else besides that.

The prominent figure in the run game is sophomore running back Raheem Blackshear who has recorded 399 rushing yards and also impacted the passing game with 27 receptions.

Though the Badgers aren’t coming off a bye week when they face Rutgers, they will be coming off a 31-17 road loss against unranked Northwestern. Wisconsin severely

underperformed especially on offense. The absence of junior quarterback Alex Hornibrook and a poor performance by Jonathan Taylor that made it seem like he was just as absent ruined Wisconsin’s day. Taylor only recorded 46 rushing yards — the first time he hasn’t rushed for over 100 yards all season — and had two costly fumbles. Sophomore quarterback Jack Coan stepped in with Hornibrook out, throwing for 156 yards and one touchdown.

Northwestern was able to capitalize off of the Badger’s

disadvantage of not having a seasoned quarterback on the field. In Saturday’s game against Rutgers, the Badgers will need to prepare Coan for another possible game if Hornibrook remains out. Taylor will also be crucial in making plays considering Wisconsin relies heavily on its running game at times. Although Rutgers does not present much of a threat to Wisconsin, it must not be overlooked especially when analyzing how Wisconsin performed last Saturday when they were again favored to win.

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Wisconsin vs. Rutgers

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Big Ten Roundup

Penn State outlasts Iowa in ranked battle, Purdue loses magic against MSU while Nebraska gets another win before OSU test

By Simon Fischer STAFF WRITER

No. 17 Penn State survives late surge from no. 18 Iowa Once regarded as a top ten team in the country earlier this season, Penn State shot themselves in the foot by blowing late leads at home against both Ohio State and Michigan State. Still ranked inside the top 20 teams coming into to week nine play, the Nittany Lions played host to No. 18 Iowa in the Big Ten’s only ranked matchup this weekend.

The first 16 minutes were an absolute disaster for PSU’s special teams unit.

Penn State went three-andout on their opening drive and were set up to punt. Punter Blake Gilligan fumbled the snap, and couldn’t get the punt off before Iowa defenders swarmed the backfield. The ball was blocked through the back of the endzone

by Iowa’ Dominique Dafney, resulting in a safety and an early 2-0 Iowa lead.

About a quarter later, with Iowa leading by a very normal score of 12-7, Penn State lined up to punt deep in their own

territory again. This time, however, the ball was never punted. Instead, PSU long snapper Kyle Vasey launched the ball 40 yards through the back of the endzone for Iowa’s second safety of the first half.

Yikes.

Penn State controlled the tempo in the second half, forcing five consecutive Iowa punts and putting 10 third-quarter points up on the board. Leading 30-24 with just over three minutes to play, the Nittany Lions intercepted quarterback Nate Stanley’s pass in the endzone to preserve the lead and send Penn State to their third conference win of 2018.

Both Stanley and Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley struggled in the rainy conditions Saturday afternoon at State College; they combined to complete just 29 of 74 attempts for less than 400 yards and three interceptions.

Penn State will head to the Big House this Saturday to face the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines in a crucial game that will be important for deciding the Big Ten East Division winner.

Purdue’s magic runs out in loss at Michigan State Purdue’s 49-20 drubbing of No. 2 Ohio State was shocking, exciting, and just plain awesome for most Big Ten fans. The Boilermakers piled up 539 yards of offense in the win, breaking out four touchdowns longer than 40 yards in the fourth quarter to pull away from the undefeated Buckeyes.

Purdue brought none of that offensive electricity into East Lansing in week nine. Head coach Jeff Brohm completely abandoned the run game early in the first half Saturday, as running back D.J. Knox was limited to just 51 yards on seven carries.

Trailing 16-6 early in the third quarter, Brohm put the game in the hands of quarterback David Blough, who proved ineffective against the Michigan State defense.

Blough threw two second-half interceptions and was 29-for-49 in the air for just 277 yards.

Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi hit Jalen Nailor for a long 48-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to put the Spartans ahead for good to make it a 23-13 win.

The loss marks a huge missed opportunity for Purdue (4-4, 3-2 Big Ten) to gain ground in the Big Ten west, with both Wisconsin and Iowa losing. Now sitting 1.5 games behind Northwestern — and without the tiebreak advantage over the Wildcats — it’s hard to envision a path to the conference championship game for the Boilermakers this winter.

The Gophers comically blew a 31-9 fourth quarter lead, allowing 22 points in 12 minutes to the Indiana offense. But the Hoosiers couldn’t complete the comeback, as Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan completed a 67-yard touchdown heave with 1:34 left in regulation to send the Gophers to victory.

Best of the Rest Nebraska (2-6, 2-3 Big Ten) kept the good vibes rolling with their second straight win, a 45-9 rolling of FCS school Bethune-Cookman. I guess head coach Scott Frost will take any positives he can get this fall, and his team showed that their still substantially more talented than a lot of schools around the country.

Next up for the Cornhuskers, a trip to Columbus to face No. 8 Ohio State. An upset win over the Big Ten’s best team could turn the tables on a disappointing first season for Frost.

Minnesota (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) hung on by a thread for their first conference win of 2018, beating Indiana (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) 38-31 in a battle of the bads Friday night.

The hunt for the Title game While there’ still a long way to go in the season, the path to the Big Ten title is getting a little clearer.

In the East division, Michigan is undefeated in conference and at the top of the standings.

Right behind them is their hated rival Ohio State, setting up a huge matchup in the last game of the season that could decide who gets to go to the Big Ten Championship game.

Out West, Northwestern has shocked most fans by beating Wisconsin 31-17 and now are in control of their destiny. The Wildcats would have to lose two conference games for the race to come alive again, but it also means Wisconsin and Iowa have to win out if that happens.

Player to Watch

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

True freshman Bryson Williams will step in at nose tackle after Olive Sagapolu picked up an injury last weekend.

Bryson Williams to fill gaps on D-Line

By Daniel Hamerschlag STAFF WRITER

After yet another ugly loss to Big Ten West rival Northwestern, it is officially time to wipe away any dreams of making it to the College Football Playoff.

The Badgers have already lost two more games than they did a year ago. Two factors that have contributed to UW’s demise consist of an inconsistent offense and a plethora of injuries.

The injury bug hit yet again as two defensive linemen Olive Sagapolu (arm) and Isaiahh Loudermilk (leg), are out for this weekend’s matchup with Rutgers. With these players

slated to miss the contest, a window of opportunity opened up for true freshman defensive tackle Bryson Williams.

The youngster will be making his first ever college football start on Saturday, joining a starting defense that hasn’t lived up to UW’s lofty expectations.

While Rutgers have been abysmal this season, the matchup cannot be taken for granted. Both Rutgers’ and Wisconsin’s most recent games have been against Northwestern. Rutgers’ starting running back Isaih Pacheco averaged 6.9 yards per carry against the Wildcats while Wisconsin’s star tailback Jonathan Taylor only managed 4.2 yards per attempt. With

Pacheco heating up, Williams must come into this matchup prepared to clog up the middle and slow the speedster down.

Williams is a big fella, weighing in at 302 pounds. Back in March, Williams uploaded a video on Twitter of him doing three 550pound squat reps, while a large crowd of Wisconsin players danced around him and cheered him on. Williams was showing off his strength and athleticism.

The question is, will he be ready to carry the weight of leading the defensive line against Rutgers?

If Williams can bring that same energy as back in March, he’ll be one to watch in his first career start.

Associated Press Top 25 1. Alabama (60) 1,500 2. Clemson 1,433 3. Notre Dame 1,374 4. LSU 1,317 5. Michigan 1,240 6. Georgia 1,202 7. Oklahoma 1,132 8. Ohio State 1,022 9. UCF 1,014 10. Washington State 938 11. Kentucky 905 12. West Virginia 891 13. Florida 734 14. Penn State 733 15. Texas 719 16. Utah 593 17. Houston 261 18. Utah State 340 19. Iowa 323 20. Fresno State 261 21. Mississippi State 204 22. Syracuse 192 23. Virginia 175 24. Boston College 169 25. Texas A&M 132

USA Today Coaches Poll 1. Alabama (62) 1,598 2. Clemson (2) 1,537 3. Notre Dame 1,458 4. LSU 1,403 5. Michigan 1,295 5. Georgia 1,295 7. Oklahoma 1,190 8. Ohio State 1,096 9. UCF 1,082 10. West Virginia 992 11. Washington State 962 12. Kentucky 932 13. Penn State 791 14. Florida 743 15. Texas 721 16. Utah 620 17. Houston 380 18. Iowa 356 19. Washington 285 20. Utah State 281 21. Mississippi State 226 22. Virginia 207 23. Fresno State 191 24. Syracuse 183 25. Boston College 171

The Daily Cardinal 4 • Wisconsin vs. Rutgers

3 Keys to the Game

Week Nine Gallery

Just Don’t Pass

Rush the Passer

Rutgers’ passing attack is bad. Historically bad. Worst passer rating of any team to throw at least 100 passes in the last 10 years bad.

No coach wants to have a one-dimensional offense, but a one-dimensional offense is better than what happens when quarterback Artur Sitkowski puts the ball in the air. The freshman signal caller has thrown 15 interceptions to just three touchdowns in his eight starts, and he’s averaging a turgid 1.76 yards per attempt on the road in 2018.

Sitkowski’s turnover-prone ways have sunk the Scarlet Knights right off the bat in multiple games this year, and he’s thrown as many touchdown passes to opposing defenses as to his own receivers.

Running the ball will at least not cost Rutgers’ defense a chance to put up a fight, and its three-headed rushing attack could have some success against a Wisconsin defense that uncharacteristically ranks outside the top 100 in yards per carry allowed. It’s not a great option for the Scarlet Knights, but it’s not the worst one either.

1 Stack the Box Wisconsin’s locker room has done a good job of keeping a positive attitude even as postseason goals have slipped away, and Saturday’s matchup is an opportunity to raise the spirits of the team and the fanbase after a disappointing loss to Northwestern.

Wisconsin’s passing game in particular hasn’t lived up to pre-season expectations, and if the Badgers are up big in the second half, it could be a good opportunity to set up whichever quarterback starts with some opportunities to make big plays and gain back some much-needed mojo.

Defensively, this weekend presents Wisconsin’s best opportunity to hold an opponent to single digit points, and a performance like that could be especially important for the younger members of the secondary who have been thrust into big roles while the team has struggled.

2 Let Them Make Mistakes Wisconsin’s known as a program that doesn’t beat itself, designed around fundamentallysound defenses and methodical rushing attacks. This Badgers team is a little different, with inconsistent quarterback play and an inexperienced defense that has allowed several big plays in recent weeks.

Rutgers doesn’t have much of a chance to win if Wisconsin brings its A-game, as the Badgers simply have more talent.

If the Scarlet Knights are going to have any chance of pulling the upset, they’ll need Wisconsin to make several mistakes on both the offensive and defensive end. And if that happens, they’ll need to make sure they’re there to take advantage — recovering fumbles, catching interceptable passes and getting big plays on blown coverages or missed tackles will be crucial.

By Bremen Keasey THE DAILY CARDINAL

Editor’s note: College football is nothing without its fans, and its fans are nothing without their passion.

In an attempt to capture that unique intensity and overreactability, we’ve asked sports editor and The South enthusiast Bremen Keasey to give us a weekly breakdown of college football happenings around the country like only a true fan could.

If there’s one position where Rutgers might be better than Wisconsin, it’s on the defensive line, and especially at defensive end. The Scarlet Knights are lead by sophomore Elorm Lumor and freshman Mike Tverdov, who have combined for 6.5 sacks in 2018. The duo could exploit whatever combination of linemen Wisconsin plays at left tackle in the absence of starter Cole Van Lanen.

Van Lanen has been Wisconsin’s best offensive lineman since taking over the starting left tackle spot according to Pro Football Focus, allowing a pressure just once every 33 snaps in pass protection, compared to one ever 21 snaps from presumptive starter Jon Dietzen.

Given that junior quarterback Alex Hornibrook has a long and documented history of struggling when facing pressure, and sophomore Jack Coan would be making just his second start, the Scarlet Knights should do their best to bring pressure and attempt to force some mistakes from whichever signal caller Wisconsin starts on Saturday.

Mike Gundy is ready to fight Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy is a character, to say the least. This is the man who gave the iconic “I’m a Man! I’m 40” rant and has a mullet nicknamed the “Arkansas Waterfall” (Fun fact: the reason he started growing it out to embarrass his kid).

His Cowboys struggled a bit early on in the season and had two straight losses to Kansas State and Iowa State heading into their game against the No. 6 Texas Longhorns, but Gundy didn’t care.

The ‘Pokes won 38-35 in a wild game typical of the Big 12, where defense seems optional at times.

They were up 31-14 at halftime and were cruising thanks to a huge performance from wide receiver Tylan Wallace, who had 222 receiving yards and two highlight-reel touchdowns.

After his team and quarterback Taylor Cornelius were criticized by fans earlier in the week, Gundy showed trust in his quarterback by going for it on fourth and one twice, and Cornelius paid back his coach’s confidence by throwing dimes for touchdowns each play.

Gundy fought back at the critics of Cornelius postgame — said “I don’t give a rat’s ass about Twitter,” and then made a farting noise — but the real fight was with Texas head coach Tom Herman late in the game.

During a kneel-down play to end the game, Texas linebacker Breckyn Hager got a little too aggressive and got himself tangled up excessively with one of the blockers. This led to a lot of hollering by both players and a bit of shoving. That’s when Gundy rushed onto the field to get in the official’s face, eventually provoking an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from Herman.

In the end, Gundy and the Cowboys won the battle on the field and the hollering matches, as Gundy gave the crowd the “Are you not entertained?” salute.

Gundy stayed ready, and threw a wrench in the Big 12 standings with his win over the Longhorns.

3 Confidence Boost

2 Don’t Overthink It Wisconsin ranks sixth in the country in yards per carry.

Rutgers ranks 120th in the country in yards per carry allowed.

A lot of attention has been paid to Wisconsin’s play-calling in recent weeks, with fans and media members critiquing Wisconsin’s predictability on early downs. While the offense should certainly diversify, that can wait a week.

Whether it’s Coan making his second career start or Hornibrook coming off a concussion, the Badgers passing attack is unlikely to function crisply and cleanly off the bat. Instead of throwing early and running to hold the lead, Wisconsin should trust that sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor and its dominant ground game can put the game out of reach.

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Gundy’s ready to go at it, Iowa won’t score touchdowns and “Mo Bamba” is the new guaranteed key to victory

By Cameron Lane-Flehinger

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Overreactability

With two turnover-prone passers, ground game to be key for both teams 1

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Wisconsin’s secondary has been, understandably, the focus of attention on Wisconsin’s defense in 2018, with inexperience and injury combining to create a major question mark at the back end of the defense.

The 407 passing yards allowed against Nebraska — the most by a Badger defense in more than a decade — got plenty of headlines, but the rushing defense has been quietly even more of an issue in 2018. Wisconsin is allowing 4.87 yards per carry this season, 102nd in the FBS, and ranks 120th in rushing defense according to Pro Football Focus.

Without the personnel to control the run game straight up, Wisconsin should break from tradition and show the Scarlet Knights plenty of eightman boxes. Daring Sitkowski to throw the ball is likely to end well for Wisconsin, and keeps Rutgers away from the offensive area where it is (relatively) the strongest.

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Iowa gets 14 the hard way The Iowa Hawkeyes are one of the most interesting teams in the country in their own way.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz has long been known as one of the most conservative playcallers in the nation, and their team probably plays the most stereotypical “Big Ten” football out there. Their football is often ugly and involves more than its

fair share of punts.

Even when they put up a normal score, they manage to do it in a weird way.

At one point Iowa was up 14-7 over Penn State this Saturday.

For any other team that would be run-of-the-mill: two touchdowns and two extra points.

The Hawkeyes elected to get those points the hard way: two safeties, a field goal and a touchdown pass from the punter to a defensive lineman.

Everything about this sequence was perfect. The two safeties on punts, one from a blocked punt, the other a snap that flew over the punters head that wound up going out the back of the end zone. At one point, Iowa was up 5-0. That’s a baseball score!

Kirk Ferentz is an evil genius, and I admire his work.

The power of “Mo Bamba” While Iowa got close to perfection for a moment, they still ended up losing to Penn State.

That’s mostly because their offense was flailing in miserable, rainy conditions. Nate Stanley was a terrible 18-for-49 with two interceptions. In fact, Iowa’s offense didn’t score any points; their other touchdown was a pick-six by safety and All-Name honoree Geno Stone.

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley also struggled and was out of the game for a few drives with a knee injury, but he looked healthy enough to get a 51-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put Penn State up 24-17.

Two more field goals by Nittany Lions kicker Jake Pinegar gave PSU a cushion after the interception return by Geno Stone, and Iowa had two chances to win the game. Their first was ended with a goal-line interception by Nick Scott. Their second drive ran out of time before they could get in the end zone.

But one thing linked both those chances: the Beaver Stadium sound guys were playing Sheck Wes’s “Mo Bamba” right before some of the key plays on the drive.

If you have never heard Mo Bamba, first of all, are you living under a rock? Second, it’s lifechanging. It’s moving and aggressive in a way that is hard to describe.

You know in movies how there are “sleeper agents” that suddenly become deadly assassins once a certain activation word is said?

Mo Bamba is a little like that, except instead of becoming a deadly assassin, you become really turnt.

Penn State’s players and students seemed to really feel that energy. Players were dancing on the sideline and getting rowdy.

It was cool to see. After the game, they also played it in celebration.

Meanwhile in Columbia, Missouri, Kentucky stole a win away from the Missouri Tigers on the literal last play of the game. With the Wildcats down 14-9, Missouri was flagged for a dubious pass interference penalty

as time expired. Kentucky had one untimed down and Terry Wilson found tight end CJ Conrad in the endzone The Wildcats got out of there quick, knowing they had stolen a win.

In the locker room, the celebratory scenes were tremendous, with head coach Mark Stoops crowd surfing. In his fist-pumping excitement, Stoops actually put a hole in one of the ceiling tiles.

What song was being played in the locker room, you may ask?

Mo Bamba.

Apparently, the key to winning college football games is just listening to Sheck Wes. Can anyone stop Tua? No one wants ‘Bama.

That, my friends, should be the first thing we remember before looking at next week’s big showdown between the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 4 LSU Tigers.

In recent times, LSU has been the only team capable of really testing Alabama and trying to strike them down with a loss. Sure, Auburn has its moments, but there’s no way that Auburn could really challenge ‘Bama this year with the way their season has gone.

Instead, the college football world turns its eyes to Tiger Stadium in primetime in hopes that maybe someone will be able to challenge the Tide.

The issue here is that in the past, Bama’s quarterback play has been inconsequential to the team. Head coach Nick Saban’s past teams had a defense loaded with NFL-level talent, running backs that seem to be built from a lab with the chief mission to wreck stuff up, and a quarterback who looked nice and handsome in his uniform like AJ McCarron, Blake Sims and Greg McElroy.

Now Alabama has a war machine under center.

Sophomore qu a r t e rb ack Tua Tagovailoa is basically guaranteed to win the Heisman at this point, and it seems nearly impossible to stop him.

Lots of college football writers compare’ Bama to the Death Star.

If that’s the case, then getting Tua on that team is basically covering the exhaust port.

LSU is obviously going to try their hardest to beat Alabama and it’s meaningful that the game is at Tiger Stadium at night. There’s a good history for LSU in primetime and their fans will certainly be ready to try and unleash hell on Tua and the rest of the Tide.

But I think at this point, beating Bama here won’t even matter.

They are clearly the best team in the SEC and will likely make the playoff even if they lose to LSU and don’t get in the SEC championship game. It would be just like last year where they lost to Auburn, and you know what they did last year?

They won the title.

Good luck LSU. I’ll be rooting for y’all even though I realize that the effort is futile.

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MVP vs. Northwestern

In disappointing loss at Northwestern, Coan’s solid performance gives hope

By Jerry Barnett STAFF WRITER

There was an MVP to that game?

Yes, despite the heartbreaking 31-17 loss to Northwestern Wildcats that dropped the Wisconsin Badgers to a 5-3 record and out of the AP Poll, there was a silver lining to this dark and abysmal game. In other words, it could have been a whole lot worse.

The redshirt freshman backup quarterback Jack Coan provided the main glimmer of hope in the week nine loss. Although he finished with less than 200 yards of passing and coughed up a costly fumble at the goalline, the young gun mostly held his own against a tough Northwestern team. He didn’t throw any interceptions, unlike the Wildcats’ senior slinger Clayton Thorson who threw three ugly picks in his sloppy performance.

Considering how this was Coan’s first start ever at the collegiate level, that’s fairly impressive.

The guy was in high school last year, and now he’s starting for a Division One school with about two days of preparation. And with the normally strong running game not on its normal level, it’s not hard to cut the young gun some slack.

Anyway, often times you’ll see backup try to play hero and force passes that end up going the other way, but not Coan. No, his patience will bode well if he is forced to start next week against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Sophomore quarterback Jack Coan kept steady in his first ever start for the Badgers, throwing no picks and one touchdown in the losing effort. whose cold streak of seven straight losses will provide the backup a manageable challenge should starting quarterback

Alex Hornibrook not recover from his concussion. Also, Jack Coan’s pinpoint thread to sophomore Kendric Pryor near

the end of the game shows his ability to lead the team down the field when necessary.

Hope is not altogether lost

for the Badgers who are used to either crushing non-conference opponents and sneaking past those in the Big Ten.

Heisman Watch

Despite surprise candiates like WSU quarterback Gardner Minshew, Bama’s Tagovailoa still dominating Heisman talk

By Nick Baumann STAFF WRITER

Despite the fact that many of the teams of many Heisman candiates had BYE weeks, the board has a bit of moving and shaking. Still, one name reigns supreme.

1.

Tua Tagovailoa (Sophomore QB, Alabama) This week: BYE Season Stats: 2,066 yards (70.4 percent completion), 25 TDs, 0 INTs It’s almost November, and firstyear starter, Tua Tagovailoa, has yet to do two things: throw an interception or play in the fourth quarter. Thanks to his play and the Crimson Tide’s complete domination of their opponents thus far, Tagovailoa has been afforded plenty of rest as Alabama has cruised through the front half of its schedule.

That streak of not playing in the fourht quarter could come to an end Saturday night, as the Tide gets their first test of the season going into Tiger Stadium to play the No. 4 LSU Tigers in primetime. With ESPN’s College Gameday in Baton Rouge for what could be the game of the year, it could be Tua’s time to make his

“Hesiman moment.”

Trending: NEUTRAL Next: @ No. 4 LSU 2. Kyler Murray (Junior QB, Oklahoma) This week: 19/24 352 yards, 3TD, 0 INTs (Kansas State) Season Stats: 2,329 yards (73.2 percent completion), 28 TDs, 3 INTs Kyler Murray continues turning heads with his play-making abilities, proving he may be the best dual-threat quarterback in college football. Against Kansas State, he rushed for his thirdlowest total on the season with 46 yards bringing his season total to 474. An extremely capable passer, Murray looks to carry the No. 7 Sooners (4-1 Big 12, 7-1 overall) to a Big 12 Championship and a shot at a College Football Playoffs.

With his succesful baseball career too — Murray was drafted in the first round by the Oakland A’s after starring for the Sooners’ baseball team — it will be interesting to see if he can take home the trophy before he likely heads to the ranks of the Major League.

Trending: UP Next: @ Texas Tech

3.

Dwayne Haskins (Sophomore QB, Ohio State) This week: BYE Season Stats: 2,801 yards (71.1 percent completion), 30 TDs, 5 INTs As Nebraska travels to Columbus, Ohio State and star quarterback Dwayne Haskins has revenge on their minds, and they’re probably hoping to put a beatdown on the Huskers.

After having a BYE week to process the stupefying 49-20 blowout loss to the plucky Purdue Boilermakers, Haskins is looking to rebound and lead his team in a cathartic beatdown of a weaker Nebraska team.

Haskins had his least impressive game of the season as the whole of the Ohio State Buckeyes struggled, yet his only glaring mistake came well after the game was decided when he was intercepted by Markus Bailey for a pick six.

Even then, Haskins finished the game with a monstrous 470 yards on 49 of 73 passing and two scores. He’ll still be looking to get Ohio State back on track, and another gaudy performance against Nebraska could get him

closer to being invited to New York City at the end of the year.

Trending: DOWN Next: Nebraska 4.

Gardner Minshew (Senior QB, Washington State) This week: 40/50 438 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs (@ Stanford) Season Stats: 3,183 yards (71 percent completion), 26 TDs, 6 INTs Gardner Minshew and Washington State continue to be one of college football’s biggest surprises thus far. The gradaute transfer from East Carolina who rocks an Uncle Rico-esque mustache nearly transferred to Alabama this offseason. Happily for both him and Wazzu fans, he’s instead found a home on the Palouse and in head coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense.

Leading the country in passing yards, Minshew had his best game of the season as he led the Cougars on a fourth quarter comeback over Stanford in a 41-38 victory.

Washington State has zero ranked teams left on its schedule and is likely the Pac-12’s last playoff hope.

Trending: UP Next: California

5. Will Grier (Senior QB, West Virginia) This week: 17/27 353 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs (Baylor) Season Stats: 2272 yards (70.3 percent completion), 25 TDs, 7 INTs Will Grier came into this week in a slump of sorts, having thrown three interceptions in a 38-22 win over Kansas and only one touchdown in an ugly 30-14 loss to Iowa State.

The Mountaineers’ gunslinger wanted to get back on track, and did so in a big way against the hapless Baylor Bears’ defense.

Righting the ship, he returned to Morgantown against Baylor with one of his most efficient games of the season.

Grier will have to continue that improvement Saturday when the Mountaineers take on No. 15 Texas in Austin in a do or die for both teams’ playoff hopes.

Trending: NEUTRAL Next: @ No. 15 Texas Honorable mentions: D’Eriq King (QB, Houston), Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson) , Cole McDonald (QB, Hawai’i)

Wisconsin vs. Rutgers

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Wisconsin Badgers 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 25 25 26 27 27 28 28 30 30 31 32 32 34 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 41 41 42

Cruickshank, Aron Johnson, Patrick Wolf, Chase Pryor, Kendric Burton, Donte Taylor, A.J. Wildgoose, Rachad James, Chris Davis III, Danny Pearson, Reggie Shaw, Bradrick Harrell, Deron Nelson, Scott Guerendo, Isaac Currens, Seth Smith, Alexander Hornibrook, Alex Bondoc, Evan Dixon, D’Cota Lotti, Anthony Vanden Boom, Danny Dunn, Jack Coan, Jack Van Ginkel, Andrew Farrar, Arrington Wilder, Collin Carter, Nate Torchio, John Hicks, Faion Saari, Mark Williams, Caesar Green, Cade Heyroth, Jacob Stokke, Mason Taylor, Jonathan Krumholz, Adam Burrell, Eric Watson, Nakia Blaylock, Travian Gaglianone, Rafael Volpentesta, Cristian Deal, Taiwan Schipper, Brady Mais, Tyler Wanner, Cory Cone, Madison Collinsworth, Jake Strey, Marty Goetz, C.J. Knaak, Kobe Johnson, Hunter Cesarz, Ethan Groshek, Garrett Jackson, Paul Rosowski, P.J. Hintze, Zach Burks, Noah Eschenbach, Jake Franklin, Jaylan

WR S QB WR CB WR CB RB WR S RB CB S WR S CB QB S S P QB WR QB OLB ILB S QB S CB RB CB WR ILB ILB RB WR S RB CB K CB RB WR S FB CB FB OLB DE CB RB ILB RB OLB P K OLB TE OLB

5-9 5-11 6-1 5-11 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-4 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-5 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-2 5-10 6-5 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-9 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-3 5-9 6-1 6-2 6-3 5-9 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-4

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FR SO FR SO FR JR FR SR SO FR JR FR FR FR SO FR SO SR SR SO FR SO SO SR SR JR FR FR FR SR SO FR FR SO SO SO SO FR FR SR SO SR FR FR FR SO FR FR FR SO FR FR SO JR SR JR SO FR FR

43 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 52 53 54 55 56 57 57 58 59 59 60 61 63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82 84 85 86 87 89 90 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 96 97 98 98 99

Connelly, Ryan Chenal, John Ingold, Alec Tiedt, Hegeman Lloyd, Gabe Grady, Griffin Platter, Mason Penniston, Kyle Green-May, Izayah Bay, Adam Bernhagen, Josh Pfaff, David Edwards, T.J. Orr, Chris Bell, Christian Baun, Zach Balistreri, Michael Sanborn, Jack Maskalunas, Mike Johnson. Tyler Lyons, Andrew Bruss, Logan Biadasz, Tyler Deiter, Michael Beach, Tyler Benzschawel. Beau Dietzen, Jon Moorman, David Vopal, Aaron Seitzner, Josh Van Lanen, Cole Fenton, Alex Roberg, Gunnar Kapoi, Micah Lyler, Kayden Smithback, Blake Erdmann, Jason Edwards, David Mustapha, Taj Perry, Emmet Ferguson, Jake Neuvile, Zander Benzschawel, Luke Cephus, Quintez Abbot, A.J. Allen, Connor Mullens. Isaiah Williams, Bryson Henninsen, Matt Rand, Garrett Dietzen, Boyd Preston, Keldric Sampson, Cormac Schlichting, Conor Loudermilk, Isaiahh Howe, Kraig Larsh, Collin Sagapolu, Olive

ILB FB FB OLB TE ILB OLB TE OLB LS LS DE ILB ILB OLB OLB DE ILB ILB OLB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DE OL OL OL NT OL NT OL OL OL TE WR TE TE TE WR WR P DE NT DE DE DE DE TE P DE DE K NT

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-7 6-0 6-2 6-5 6-5 6-6 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-3 5-10 6-2

228 235 242 235 231 214 222 243 223 217 229 284 242 232 247 230 294 228 229 240 289 303 319 328 290 315 323 306 300 333 311 313 300 308 323 301 325 315 192 182 239 252 247 207 179 172 283 277 277 278 252 250 255 218 300 278 182 346

JR FR SR SO SO SO FR SR FR SO SO JR SR JR SO JR FR FR SO JR FR FR SO SR FR SR JR JR FR FR SO FR JR SR FR FR JR JR FR FR FR SR SO JR FR JR FR FR FR JR FR SO FR FR SO SO FR JR

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Austin, Blessaun DB Blackshear, Raheem RB Chatman, Jalen QB Fatukasi, Olakunle LB Avery, Tre DB Sneed, Trey RB Morris, Trevor LB Woods, Paul WR Jabbie, Mohamed WR Roberts, Deonte LB Hayek, Hunter WR Lumor, Elorm DL Fogg, Tyshon LB Sitkowski, Artur QB Hampton, Saquan DB Pacheco, Isaih RB Lewis, Johnathan QB Wharton, Isaiah DB Izien, Christian DB Jordan, Jalen WR Jennings, Deion LB Taylor, Prince WR Nittolo, Rob QB Wormley, Everett WR Jones, Shameen WR Ray Garvin, Jelani DB Mickens, Zamir DB Rescigno, Giovanni QB Melton, Bo WR Albericci, Austin QB Barnwell, Elijah LB Young, Avery DB Barrow, Tim DB Lewis, Eddie WR Hayes, Damon DB Hester, Kiy DB Hillman, Jonathan RB Snorweah, Charles RB Paul, Jarrett DB Pugh, Aslan RB Stevens, Lawrence DB Abraham,Kessawn DB Yorey, Johnny LB Adulaziz, Rani DB Day, Parker DB Hanks, Javis WR Marshall, Anthony DB Downer, Ryan WR Myers, Brandon FB Bullock, Izaia LB Nwankwo, Chike LB Anthony, Max RB Maddox-Williams LB Wainwright, Muhammad DL

6-1 5-9 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-1 5-9 6-3 6-1 6-5 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-1 5-10 6-5 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-8 5-11 6-3 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-8 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-8 5-9 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-4

195 192 180 228 181 214 228 170 197 235 180 246 240 224 209 210 237 203 193 220 208 191 210 198 185 175 175 229 192 175 200 193 188 182 202 208 225 180 206 218 183 183 215 185 188 165 195 180 221 213 225 240 220 245

SR SO FR SO R-SO R-SO SR FR R-SO SR SO R-SO SO FR R-SR FR SO R-SR FR FR FR R-SO R-SR SO R-FR JR FR R-SR SO FR R-FR FR R-FR FR JR R-SR GR R-JR FR R-SO R-SO FR FR R-FR R-FR FR FR R-FR FR R-JR FR R-JR R-SO GR

46 47 48 49 50 50 51 54 55 55 56 56 57 57 58 61 62 63 65 66 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82 84 85 85 86 87 88 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 94 95 95 96 96 97 98 99 99

Shank, Brendan Taylor, Billy Cassidy, Ryan Anderson, Nihym Bowles, Owen Turner, Julius Beaty, Jamaal Seymour, Kamaal Maietti, Michael Rosa, Austin Battle, Rashawn Clark, Micah Duggan, Jaohne Miseo, Zach Zarzecki,Charles Lonsdorf, Mike Sportelli, Matthew Onulak, Jim Cole, Tariq Krimin, Nick Sutton, Reggie O’Neal, Raiqwon Taylor, Manny Jackson, Jonah Howson, Sam Venesky, Zach Rosso, Matt Vretman, Sam Flite, Liam Heeman, Zack Hayek, Tyler Lacewell, Zihir Mruphy, Cole Robinson, Daevon Thomas, Matt Griffin-Stewart Nakia Pimentel, Jonathan Border, Brendan Washington, Jerome Vokolek, Travis Recio, Freddie Mason, Tijuan Johnston, Nick Griggs, Jason Korsak, Adam Kromah, Jamree Bateky, Jon Davidovicz, Justin Previlon, Willington Sterr, Zach Tverdov, Mike Jutwreten, Robin Haggerty, Gavin Wilkins, Kevin

LS LS LS LB OL DL OL OL OL LB LB OL DL OL OL OL LS OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR TE DL TE TE DL TE TE DL DL P DL P DL DL PK DL P DL DL PK DL

6-0 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-3 6-7 6-6 6-1 6-2 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-7 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-5 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-3 5-9 6-5 6-2 6-4 6-5 5-8 6-2

210 230 224 239 298 282 295 309 292 223 232 300 292 295 300 302 262 281 317 308 270 300 310 305 292 301 276 305 280 310 197 213 198 220 273 255 220 285 256 250 275 230 189 273 193 260 298 180 295 230 255 250 170 304

FR SO R-FR FR R-FR R-SP R-FR R-JR R-SO R-JR R-SO SO R-FR R-FR R-FR R-SO R-SO R-SO R-SR R-SO FR FR R-JR R-JR R-SO R-JR FR SO FR R-SR R-FR FR R-JR FR FR R-JR FR R-FR SR SO SO R-FR SR R-SO SO FR SR SO R-JR FR R-FR FR R-JR R-SR

Game Information Kickoff: 11 a.m.

Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI TV: BTN Radio: Badger Sports Network CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin hopes to bounce back from a crushing loss at Northwestern against one-win Rutgers.

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Wisconsin vs. Rutgers

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X’s and O’s

Despite good defensive play, mistakes and the inability to convert opportunities doom UW

By Sam Shiffman STAFF WRITER

7 points. Northwestern only scored seven points that weren’t the direct result of a turnover or drive-extending penalty in their 31-17 win over Wisconsin.

Wisconsin on the other hand had only three points not off turnovers that set them up deep in Northwestern territory. Their longest drive of the entire game was only 50 yards. They did however, gift Northwestern the ball inside their 15-yard line twice, leading to two touchdowns for the Wildcats.

For the third time this season, the Wisconsin offense’s turnovers and inability to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes led to another loss.

The Badger defense did not play a bad game despite allowing more than 30 points. In fact, similar to the Michigan game, they kept Wisconsin in the game and gave the offense chances to win the game.

From the Badgers’ first possession, Northwestern made it clear they wouldn’t allow Wisconsin to run the ball down their throat. The Wildcats also essentially played a five-front anytime Wisconsin tried to use under-center or single back packages. This, combined with slant-

CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDUNAL

Northwestern took advantage of Wisconsin’s mistakes, scoring 17 points off turnovers in their 31-17 win. ing their defensive line, made it was extremely difficult for the Badger’s offensive line to get to the linebackers.

With ample time and space to read Wisconsin’s pull-heavy rushing attack, Northwestern linebacker Blake Gallagher reacted quickly and contained Jonathan Taylor.

Whenever Wisconsin went undercenter, Northwestern’s defense correctly gambled that the Badgers wouldn’t trust Jack Coan to throw the ball downfield in his first career start. UW again was unwilling to throw the ball early to spread out

Northwestern’s defense, relying almost exclusively on inside runs.

What makes this more infuriating for Badger fans is that Coan was accurate and efficient when given the opportunity to throw. He hit his receivers right out of their breaks on most of his passing attempts and looked confident in the pocket. While he struggled on deeper throws and made some bad decisions, Coan did look like a legitimate threat at quarterback for the Badgers.

Coan’s biggest issue was his inability to handle the ball and have clean exchanges with Taylor. On multiple

plays, Coan and Taylor had awkward hand-offs making it harder for Taylor to be as effective of a runner and led to a game-sealing turnover.

On Taylor’s first fumble, the initial exchange between Coan and Taylor was awkward and led to a fumble in their own territory, where the Wildcats scored on their next drive. On Coan’s late fumble, the ball slipped out of his hands twice while trying to fake the ball to Taylor and Northwestern again recovered deep in Wisconsin territory, leading to another score.

That’s 14 points the Wildcats got because of bad exchanges.

But this game was far from Coan or Taylor’s fault. Despite being without many of their starters, Wisconsin’s defense presented the offense with numerous chances to take a lead after giving up a 75-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7 in the second quarter.

Whenever the UW defense seemed to give the offense a chance — whether through a goal line stand or a fourth down stop — the offense never took advantage.

Then, after stopping the Wildcats again on third down, freshman linebacker Jack Sanborn fell into the Northwestern punter, gifting the Wildcats a first down on a roughing the punter penalty. Northwestern, unlike the Badgers, took full advantage of the mistake, scoring a touchdown a few plays later.

This loss was eerily similar to the Michigan game: a depleted defense playing a solid game and giving the offense opportunities to take a lead, but the offense failing to respond. If the Badgers don’t change their offensive approach and limit turnovers, this will be a recurring theme.

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