After facing West Virginia's balanced offensive attack, the Badger defense must adapt to Akron's heavy reliance on its passing game. In the Zips' season opener against Kent State, junior quarterback Charlie Frye set school records by completing 36 passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns. In contrast, Akron managed only 40 total rushing yards. Expect Frye to spread the ball between senior receivers Matt Cherry, Miquel Irvin and Nick Sparks. Last week, the trio combined for 26 receptions, 319 yards and two touchdowns.
Wisconsin's kicking game struggled early last season, and it seems that the Badgers will again have to toil through similar troubles. Senior kicker Scott Campbell finds himself under scrutiny after missing field goals of 44 and 42 yards in the second quarter of last week's game. Campbell made a 29 yard field goal in the third quarter, but junior Mike Allen may handle placekicking duties against Akron. Watch to see whether Head Coach Barry Alvarez sticks with Campbell or gives Allen an opportunity to take the kicking job. The situation must be resolved quickly if Wisconsin intends to reclaim their place among the Big Ten elite.
Junior defensive lineman Darius Jones will serve his one game suspension Saturday for violating team regulations. Jones saw significant playing time and forced a fumble against West Virginia. Last week, the Badger defense started strong by blocking a punt on the Mountaineers' first possession. Despite the temporary loss of Jones, there should be plenty of motivation at Camp Randall this Saturday, and fans should expect similar intensity from the Badger defense.
Last week, senior quarterback Jim Sorgi reaffirmed his ability to lead the Badger offense as he completed passes to six different targets. In his first game after major knee surgery, senior receiver Lee Evans caught seven passes and exceeded even the highest expectations. Sophomore receiver Brandon Williams matched Evans with seven catches of his own. Against Akron, Sorgi will continue to pinpoint his favorite receivers. Look for sophomore receiver Jonathan Orr to emerge this week as a third threat after a silent performance against West Virginia.
Sorgi also demonstrated his resourcefulness and versatility by rushing nine times for 47 yards, but he fumbled two snaps, though the Badgers lost neither. Sorgi must better protect the football in the weeks to come.
Several Badgers were named to the preseason watch lists for prestigious awards. Sorgi is in the running for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, while senior linebackers Alex Lewis and Jeff Mack are contenders for the Dick Butkus Award. On the national scene, however, junior running back Anthony Davis has the highest profile of any player on Wisconsin's roster. He is an early contender for the Doak Walker Award and is even a dark horse in the race for the Heisman Trophy.
See if these players can continue to meet their lofty expectations against Akron, because it could be an indicator of greater things: the last time the Badgers had a serious Heisman candidate, they rode him all the way to a Rose Bowl victory.
