1) Rushing attack against vulnerable defense
After accumulating a career high 259 rushing yards from Saturday’s loss to Northwestern, Heisman candidate Melvin Gordon will look to continue to shred yet another defense in the Big Ten.
Illinois comes into Saturday’s game on a two game losing streak and with a vulnerable defense. Currently having a rush defense ranked 119 out of 128 FBS teams, and allowing a whopping 249.5 yards per game with a favorable 4.77 yards per carry, Gordon and company should have little problems running the ball.
Corey Clement could have a nice bounce back game. He only went for 22 yards on six carries in Saturday’s loss to Northwestern, but the sophomore has proven in previous games this season that he can be a nice complement to Gordon, particularly in the win against Bowling Green where he amassed 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
2) Shaky quarterback situation
Quarterback play against Northwestern became a major issue for the Badgers in Saturday’s loss to Northwestern. Starting quarterback Tanner McEvoy struggled yet once again in the opening half of the game. starting the game with 4-of-10 for 24 passing yards and an interception.
Because of the slow start, recently activated quarterback Joel Stave was put into the game, only to further complicate and worsen the quarterback situation. The redshirt junior finished the game 8-of-19 passing for 119 yards and 3 interceptions.
Throughout the game, Stave did not look ready to face a stingy, Big Ten defense. Most of his throws were erratic and he threw two interceptions that essentially sealed the game for Northwestern.
Andersen said Monday both McEvoy and Stave will see playing time in Camp Randall. However, it will be interesting to see if the passing game can improve and complement UW’s running game.
3) Can defense improve as a unit?
Coming into Saturday’s game against Northwestern, the Badgers boasted one of the top defenses in the entire country. Ranked No. 22 in the FBS in terms of rush defense and only allowing 3.8 yards per carry, it was expected that Wisconsin would contain Northwestern running back Justin Jackson.
This proved to not be the case. The freshman running back collected 162 rushing yards on 33 carries and simply looked like a veteran college running back as he showcased speed and excellent awareness throughout the game.
Illinois comes into Madison this weekend with an atrocious rushing game ranking 115 out of 125 FBS teams in total rushing yards.
If the Badgers cannot contain Illinois’ rushing attack this weekend, the panic button will need to be pressed.
4) Avoiding slow starts
So far this season, the Badgers have struggled to start off games fast and haven’t been putting up big numbers on the scoreboard in the first and second quarters. This week’s loss to Northwestern proved this as the Badgers were shut out 10-0 in the first half.
This slow-start trend has been seen throughout the season, particularly in the first quarter. The Badgers have only produced 29 points in the first quarter in its first five games while allowing 23 points to opponents. In the other three quarters, UW has outscored opponents 141 to 55.
The Badgers must learn to correct these slow starts and must make an early statement against Illinois offensively and defensively in order to win and avoid a close game.
5) Injury to star Illinois quarterback
Illinois quarterback Wes Lunt has been a bright spot for the Fighting Illini. The emerging star has tossed 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions through six games. Lunt is currently second in the Big Ten in passing with 1,569 yards this season.
However, after Sunday’s home loss to Purdue, it was confirmed that Lunt broke his leg and is expected to be out four to six weeks.
Erratic backup Reilly O’Toole will take his place in Saturday’s contest against the Badgers.
The senior is notorious for his inaccuracy, completing only 52.6 percent of his passes this season as well as throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in his four-year career at Illinois.
With a nonexistent run game, and now an inadequate quarterback situation, the Fighting Illini should be held in check throughout the game.
