1. Depth perception
In last Saturday's victory over the University of Central Florida, senior running back Anthony Davis rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. However, he suffered an eye injury late in the first half and did not return because of blurred vision, and is now expected to miss the next three weeks. Sophomore back Booker Stanley filled the vacancy last week, and ran 12 times for 47 yards, a 3.9 average, while true freshman Chris Pressley had eight carries for 22 yards-all during the fourth quarter after Wisconsin pulled its starting unit off the field. With Davis sidelined this week, look for a steady mix of Stanley and Pressley, with the possible addition of true freshmen Jamil Walker and Marcus Randle El to lead the ground attack against the Rebels. The program's loss of Dwayne Smith could not have come at a more inopportune time, as four inexperienced backs may be forced into action in UW's run-oriented offense.
2. Weathermen
In an ugly 23-5 loss last year at a soaking wet Camp Randall, the Badgers turned the ball over five times, including three fumbles and two interceptions, leading to 20 points off turnovers for the Runnin' Rebels. If UW hopes to inflict revenge on the visiting Rebels this year, the offense must minimize its turnovers and limit the time the defense is on the field. Look for the offensive line, which performed admirably in last Saturday's victory, to control the line of scrimmage and expose UNLV's weak run defense. If UW can establish the run early on (and there is no torrential rainstorm), it will allow sophomore quarterback John Stocco to open things up and use his big play receivers. Bad news for the Badgers-Saturday's forecast predicts thunderstorms.
3. Keep Brimmer to a simmer
When the teams met a year ago, senior strong safety Jammal Brimmer seemed to have a better understanding of UW's offensive playbook than the Badgers. He returned a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown, intercepted two passes, recorded eight solo tackles and had two sacks for 18 yards in losses. Brimmer, 6'1\ and 215 lbs., was named the Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year the last two seasons and recorded 11 tackles in the Rebels' 42-17 season-opening loss to Tennessee. The Badgers will have to account for him on every snap and not allow him to shift the momentum in the visiting team's favor.
4. Instant irritation
The recent addition of instant replay received a lot of attention after its trial run last week. Replay did little to benefit the Badgers on Saturday as a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown by junior linebacker Dontez Sanders was called back upon review. Also, there was nothing ""instant"" about the replay system when a five minute delay was needed to determine the spot of the ball after a long run by Davis, making it difficult to establish momentum in a game that the Badgers led 10-3 at the time. The lengthy decision time conflicted with earlier comments by Dave Parry, the coordinator of Big Ten officials, who said last month that the goal is to have a decision in one minute. However, replay is something the players have no control over, and the focus needs to be on executing plays and playing well rather than on the officiating.
5.Steady Stocco
Stocco's numbers were not glamorous after his first collegiate start last week, but the QB's composure and consistency kept the Badgers' offensive attack in sync all day. Touchdown passes of 16 and 52 yards to Jonathan Orr and Owen Daniels, respectively, made the highlight reel, but a dump-off to Davis for a 12-yard gain on fourth down showed why he won the starting job this spring. Stocco left room for improvement after throwing 8-for-18 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, but he never tried forcing unnecessary throws in the win and seems to have good game smarts. If Stocco continues to make the right decisions and lets the game come to him, he has enough talent around him to be extremely effective. The Badgers will need another solid game from their signal caller this Saturday.
