1
John Clay
Redshirt sophomore John Clay showed Bret Bielema Saturday that he is the Badgers' top back and was rewarded. Clay will start this week's game against Wofford after splitting time with junior Zach Brown in the first two weeks. Against Fresno State, Clay rushed 21 times for 143 yards. Half of those yards, however, came in Clay's fourth quarter, 72-yard touchdown gallop. Both Clay and Brown will have their hands full this week, though against a Wofford defense that has, so far, controlled the run game well. The Terriers allowed Charleston Southern just 113 yards on the ground last week. Then again, Wisconsin is no Charleston Southern. Clay must have another solid performance this week to keep up his impressions on the coaching staff and his position at the top of the depth chart.
2
Defensive Rollercoaster
After almost allowing NIU to steal the game in the fourth quarter two weeks ago, the Wisconsin defense struggled last week against Fresno State. It's hard to say that the Badgers played poorly when they collected three interceptions in the game. However, it's hard to say they played well when the team allowed Fresno State to convert eight of eleven third downs. This week is Wisconsin's final chance before the Big Ten season begins to prove they possess a defense which can play an entire 60 minutes. The Badgers have already shown flashes of brilliance on the defensive side with the extraordinary play of seniors Chris Maragos and O'Brien Schofield. Maragos broke up a pass against NIU to end that game and intercepted Fresno State's final pass this past week to set up the game winning field goal. Meanwhile, Schofield has already collected 6.5 tackles for a loss, in just two games this season. The rest of the Wisconsin defense must begin to step up as well this week and play a full four quarters against Wofford.
3
Getting Healthy
Bret Bielema now admits that as many as 40 players were sick with flu-like symptoms last week. Along with sophomore Aaron Henry unable to play against Fresno State because of the flu bug, fellow cornerback junior Niles Brinkley also had to battle through the game with a hamstring injury. They weren't alone. Junior center John Moffitt and defensive ends freshman Brendan Kelly and sophomore Louis Nzegwu have all been fighting through various injuries. The absence of Henry and injury to Brinkley left big gaps in the pass defense for the Badgers, and though Moffitt's replacement, freshman Travis Frederick, has been solid, Moffitt will certainly be a welcomed aid to the run game. It will be important this week to continue nursing the injured back to strength while also keeping the rest of the team healthy.
4
FCS
Wisconsin last faced a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) team in the 2008 season finale. It took overtime for the Badgers to pull off an embarrassingly close win against the Cal Poly Mustangs. Anyone remotely familiar with college football will also remember the Appalachian State versus Michigan game two seasons ago in which the 1-AA Mountaineers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in all of college football history, defeating the Wolverines in Michigan Stadium. The fact is a handful of schools in the Championship Subdivision, like Appalachian State, field excellent teams year after year that are more than capable of beating Division 1 teams. The Badgers and Bielema are certainly aware of this and will bring their A-game this Saturday, regardless of which division their opponent is in.
5
Wofford who?
Don't be embarrassed if you've never heard of Wofford before. You're not alone. The Terriers, who call Spartanburg, SC, home, belong to the Division 1 Championship Subdivision and the Southern Conference. Although home to just 1,500 students and a football stadium that wouldn't even hold the Wisconsin student section, don't brush off the Wofford football team. The Terriers have twice captured the Southern Conference Championship in the past five seasons, including a share of the title with powerhouse Appalachian State in 2007. The Terriers are 1-1 so far in the 2009 season, and last week the team racked up 469 total yards in a 42-14 victory over Charleston Southern, including an astonishing 400 yards on the ground. Rest assured the Terriers will be fully prepared and determined against the Badgers this Saturday.
