It seems like the Badgers haven’t played a home game in ages.
Sure enough, when No. 24 Wisconsin (4-1 Big Ten, 6-2 overall) takes the field at Camp Randall this Saturday against Brigham Young (6-2), it will be just the second home football game in the past seven weeks.
Despite the welcoming atmosphere, the Badgers will face a hostile opponent.
The Cougars are on a five-game winning streak and have averaged 38 points per game in that span. Their recent success has vaulted them to the brink of the AP and Coaches polls.
Dual threat sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill leads the BYU offensive attack. Hill is second in the nation among quarterbacks in rushing yards, averaging over 100 per game. His passing skills have steadily improved throughout the season.
After completing fewer than 40 percent of his passes in the Cougars’ first three games, Hill has since posted a cumulative completion percentage of 65.
The Wisconsin defense got some practice against a dual-threat quarterback last week with Iowa’s Jake Rudock. However, Rudock left the game in the third quarter with a knee sprain and was on his way to a mediocre performance. Hill will most certainly provide a much tougher challenge.
“He creates plays with his feet,” freshman cornerback Sojourn Shelton said. “Just moving around, he creates extra space for the receivers to get down the field.”
While the defense is banged up, all signs indicate that redshirt senior linebacker Chris Borland will return to action this week after missing one game and the majority of another with a hamstring injury.
In Borland’s absence last week, redshirt junior Marcus Trotter came off the bench to record nine tackles and prove that he could perform when called upon.
“We have really good chemistry on the team, and they’re like all brothers to me,” Trotter said. “It’s the kind of mentality that you don’t want to let your brother down.”
BYU is one of the few solid opponents left on Wisconsin’s schedule. A big win Saturday could substantially improve the Badgers’ slim hopes of a BCS at-large bid.