This week, Wisconsin comes in town to take on our beloved Huskers on senior day. Both teams are sitting at 5-5 and are eager to get that sixth win to become bowl eligible. Wisconsin has lost their last three games and Nebraska has dropped their last four. Although the Huskers have struggled in the past against the Badgers losing the last 10 matchups, this is a great opportunity to end that cycle. Let’s look at the Badgers lineup.
Wisconsin Defense
The Wisconsin defense is a unit that is great sometimes but struggles at other times. When it comes to the run, they struggle but do a great job against past defense. On average, they only give up 164.8 yards against the pass but give up a lot more against the run. Another weakness of the Badgers’ defense is their inability to force turnovers. Currently, they only have four interceptions on the season.
Although they have their fair share of struggles, they are very talented on this side of the ball. Linebacker Christian Alliegro has had a great season. Currently, he has the most sacks for the Badgers. Week after week, he has shown how talented he is and that he can be a game wrecker. The secondary also has some elite athletes. Safety, Hunter Wohler is another player to watch out for. He leads the team in a few different categories: he has the most pass break ups with six and tackles with 63. However, it is unclear if he will play after exiting their last game in the fourth quarter. Overall, Wisconsin has a good defense but has its fair share of problems that Nebraska should take advantage of.
Wisconsin Offense
The Wisconsin offense is pretty good and can both pass and run the ball. Even though they can do both, they are more of a rush first, pass second team. They total about 363.1 yards a game. This puts them in the middle of the conference in this category. Another strength of their offense is the offensive line. They have only given up 11 sacks this year. One downfall for them has been the turnover ratio. The Badgers have lost the ball 16 times this season. Despite this statistic, they still have a lot of playmakers on the offense.
They are led by Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker. He has rushed for 773 yards and 10 total touchdowns. Walker is a workhorse and sees the ball often. He is a great player and has really made a difference for the Badgers. Quarterbacking the team is Braedyn Lock. He took over in week three after the starting quarterback tore his ACL. Lock has not had the best season totaling nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. The wide receiver unit is full of talent. One player to watch out for is Will Pauling. Right now, he has 42 receptions, which is the most on the team. He is another player that got hurt in their last game and it is unclear as to whether he’ll be playing or not. Whether he plays or not, the badgers still have a lot of weapons on offense. Overall, Wisconsin has a good offense that will challenge Nebraska’s defense.
Fundamentals For Nebraska to Win
This may be a tough game for Nebraska, but I think they will have a lot of chances to win. Wisconsin has a lot of question marks on the offensive side of the ball after firing their offensive coordinator last Sunday. This may present Nebraska with some challenges on the defensive side because they may not be sure what to expect. One thing to be sure of is that Wisconsin will try to run the ball as much as possible. The defense will need to be strong and hold up against Wisconsin’s rushing attack. They will also need to tackle well and prevent big plays in the passing game. As for the offense, they should look to get the run game going and take advantage of Wisconsin’s defense. If they can succeed in these categories, they may have a chance to win their sixth game and become bowl eligible.
Score Prediction
I honestly think this will be a close game with it coming down to the wire. Both teams are pretty evenly matched up and I could see it coming down to who has the ball last. I predict Wisconsin will win 27 to 24.
