After sitting out the beginning of the season due to a knee injury sustained last spring, senior wide receiver Lee Evans has been hoping to return to the field in time to open the Big Ten season. Head Coach Barry Alvarez said that he was leaving it up to the doctors to decide whether Evans would be physically able to start. If Evans does return, Saturday's game would be a great opportunity, providing a boost for the offensive line and a chance for the team to figure out any kinks.
Remaining quiet about Evans' return keeps Penn State in the dark in regards to scouting, but it would be difficult to believe that Evans' return isn't among the top concerns of the Nittany Lions.
Despite being 5-0, the Badgers are still looking for respect and beating the No. 20 Nittany Lions would be a great way to silence naysayers doubting the team's success. The Badgers have had a week off to regroup for the long eight-game stretch in front of them with some tough teams. A win against Penn State would be an obvious morale booster for UW, not only in terms of the poll results, but also providing better feel of where Wisconsin stands in the Big Ten.
Penn State is coming off a tough overtime loss against Iowa. Despite the loss, they were able to come back from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter. There is little doubt in the talent of PSU, as evidenced by their nail-biting comeback, but a loss to Wisconsin would do a lot of damage if the Nittany Lions were to go 0-2 in the Big Ten.
Penn State's trio of Johnsons, tailback Larry and receivers Bryant and Tony are a triple threat on the PSU offense. Senior Larry Johnson rushed for 70 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown and caught six balls for 93 yards and another score. Senior receiver Bryant Johnson brought in seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Tony Johnson had four receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown.
Wisconsin's own duo of Johnsons, senior tackles Al and Ben, who have aided in the rapidly improving coverage, allow senior quarterback Brooks Bollinger more time to find a receiver.
The Badgers scored 24 points in the second quarter against Arizona. Overall, almost 70 percent of UW's offense is coming during that quarter. Look for little to change against Penn State. The Badgers come from a week off with a few nagging injuries which may indicate a slow start in the first quarter. However, home field advantage with a late start should provide for a pumped up crowd to get the Badgers moving.
With seven minutes left in regulation, PSU scored four touchdowns against Iowa, shocking the home crowd who must have thought the game was over by then. The Badgers themselves have been known to rally late in the game and the matchup against Northern Illinois is a prime example of that.
Mum's the word when it comes to Evans' return and probably will be until the last minute.
And of course there's the always unpredictable Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno, who grabbed an official after last week's game.
Needless to say, it should be an interesting matchup. With expectations and tensions building as the Big Ten season gets underway, look for Saturday's game to be a good one, but certainly not a predictable one.
