1. Big Plays Early
In order to have any kind of shot at an upset, Northwestern needs to come out and score early and often. This could give the Wildcats a huge confidence boost and take the Camp Randall crowd out of the game early. Sophomore RB Tyrell Sutton, the Wildcats' leading rusher and third-leading receiver, is the team's most explosive player and biggest threat to break one. Sutton has piled up 455 yards on the season along with four touchdowns, and averages an exceptional 5.6 yards per carry behind a solid veteran offensive line. The big plays will most likely have to come on the ground or on special teams, as the Wildcats have yet to convert on a passing play of more than 39 yards this season.
2. Show them who's boss
On the other side of the ball, the Badgers will need to come out right away, establish the pace of the game and thwart any thought of an upset that Northwestern has coming in. One way to do this is to run the ball and control the clock. Last week, the Wildcats surrendered 233 rushing yards to Penn State in a 33-7 loss. This week, Northwestern will have to stop the freshmen RB tandem of P.J. Hill and Lance Smith, who have combined for 736 yards and nine touchdowns. UW has a huge advantage at the line of scrimmage as well. The Badgers' starting offensive line averages a healthy 319 pounds per player, while the Wildcats' starting defensive line averages a meager 284 pounds. Wisconsin's O-line should win this battle and establish ball control for the UW offense.
3. Who's that starting under center?
Northwestern is one of only two Big Ten teams that are playing a first-year starter at quarterback (Penn State is the other). However, redshirt freshman QB Mike Kafka, the Wildcats' second leading rusher who averages 6.1 yards per carry, did not start last week at Penn State due to an injury. Teammate Andrew Brewer started instead, and had a less than stellar debut. He completed only 14 of 30 passes for 157 yards, threw a pick and averaged only 2.4 yards per carry for an offense where the option is a staple. Brewer will be making his second career start in front of a hostile Camp Randall crowd, and is facing a solid Badger secondary that has allowed only 135 yards per game and two touchdowns through the air in the first five contests.
4. Forget the past
The Badgers have always struggled with the spread offense and have lost two of their past three games against Northwestern. Last year, the Wildcats embarrassed the Badger defense in a 51-48 victory at Ryan Field. The Badgers, who came into the game undefeated and ranked 14th, surrendered 11 plays of over 20 yards and allowed quarterback Brett Basanez to throw for 361 yards and run and throw for a combined four touchdowns. Sutton ran wild for 244 yards and three scores. Things are looking up for an improved Badger defense, though, as they will have the home-field advantage and a first-year quarterback under center for the Wildcats.
5. Make UW win through the air
Playing a standard 4-3 defense for the entire game, the undersized Wildcats defense will have trouble containing the Badger running attack. Northwestern will likely need to put eight in the box to stop Hill from running wild and will have to force UW QB John Stocco and his receiving corps to beat them. The Badger receivers are young and unproven, but Stocco has shown he can make the right decisions, having completed almost 60 percent of his passes for over 900 yards and seven touchdowns thus far. If wide receiver Paul Hubbard and tight end Travis Beckum can duplicate their performances from a week ago, it will be a long day for the Wildcat defense.
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