Nebraska Football: Wisconsin preview with Badger of Honor
Nebraska football is not in a great place at the moment. With three heart wrenching losses already, there hasn’t been much to smile about in the first five weeks. Their Big Ten ranking is falling, but the Husker fans still Tailgate with the best of them. A win over the Badgers will cure a lot of ills plaguing the Huskers in 2015.
With that said, the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ conference season is on the line this Saturday. The Huskers (2-3,0-1) face the Wisconsin Badgers in a huge contest for both teams. Even though college football is only in the second weekend of October, the Huskers can be unofficially eliminated from Big Ten West contention with a loss to the Badgers. See why the Huskers win during our interview with Badger of Honor.
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We are here for the second Q&A installment with Badger of Honor editor Jim Oxley. Earlier in the week, we caught up with Oxley to get the scoop on Wisconsin’s season to date. So far, the Badgers have a (3-2, 0-1) record in the Big Ten.
After suffering through a four turnover game, the Badgers lost their Big Ten opener to Iowa 10-6. Despite the anemic offensive performance, Wisconsin won’t be a rattled bunch entering their first road game at Nebraska. In addition, the Badgers won’t have to face Freedom Akinmoladun in this Freedom Trophy preview.
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Husker Corner: Where is Wisconsin’s confidence level after giving away a home game in the Big Ten opener?
BOH: One of the first things Joe Schobert, one of the leaders on this team, said in the locker room after the loss to Iowa was “… last year’s Big Ten opener didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but last year we had the chance if we just grind out the rest of the season and win out our games.” The Badgers did that, and made it to the Big Ten championship. They have been here before, and know how to right the ship. All that’s left is to actually do it.
Husker Corner: Wisconsin is playing their first official road game of the season. What are the expectations for Joel Stave’s performance? If he struggles, do you foresee a change at quarterback on Saturday?
Joel Stave
BOH: Stave certainly took a step back against Iowa after a pretty nice start to the season. His bad decisions were obvious, and Wisconsin struggled because of it. Still, the options behind him aren’t exactly enticing. Behind Stave on the depth chart is Bart Houston, who though experienced in the system as a junior, has really only played in garbage time. The more likely option if Stave struggles is to mix things up with Tanner McEvoy taking some direct snaps in a wildcat formation to try to get some momentum going. On multiple occasions last year McEvoy came in and made big plays with his feet and helped the Badgers out of holes.
Husker Corner: What is Wisconsin’s biggest concern about Nebraska’s offense?
BOH: The Badgers are definitely more worried about the pass than the rush. Outside of Derrick Henry’s downhill attack against Alabama, the Badgers have been extremely tough against the run. They have, however, given up some big pass plays, and have struggled at times in some of the zone schemes with leaving big holes in the field. The Badgers will likely try to do what they did last week — put pressure on the quarterback. Tommy Armstrong is more mobile than CJ Beathard, so the Badgers will need to stay in their lanes to avoid giving up easy first downs on the scramble.
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Husker Corner: If Nebraska’s offense happens to be successful, do you think Wisconsin will be able to score enough points on Saturday? And who will be their most important offensive weapon?
BOH: The Badgers certainly have the potential to score points, but could be without two important weapons on offense. Tight end Austin Traylor won’t likely suit up after undergoing an arm procedure, and No. 1 wideout Alex Erickson is still undergoing concussion protocol as of Thursday morning. With those two out, Robert Wheelwright becomes the go-to wide receiver, and Troy Fumagalli needs to step up at tight end. Head coach Paul Chryst will absolutely try to pound the ground game, so Taiwan Deal and Dare Ogunbowale will need to be on their game. I’ll still say the most important player on offense Saturday will be Joel Stave. If he can manage the game, the Badgers should be fine. If he’s forced into turnovers, the offense will struggle.
Husker Corner: How do you see Saturday’s game playing out? Care to offer a game prediction?
BOH: I think the Badgers will see a big game this weekend out of two-way player Tanner McEvoy. He’s going to be heavily involved on defense, and considering the injuries on offense, will need to step up on that side of the ball as well. Wisconsin will struggle to move the ball at times, but the defense will give them enough opportunities to cash in. I’ll take the Badgers in a close game to win in Lincoln for the first time in school history.
Wisconsin 20, Nebraska 13.