Last week, head coach Paul Chryst stressed that even though the team lost its opener to Alabama, it would be more prepared for game two, saying that the biggest improvement comes from Week 1 to Week 2. After the Badgers smoked Miami (OH), Chryst sang a different tune this week.
“But like we’re going to tell the team ... the biggest improvement will be from Week 2 to Week 3,” Chryst said at a Monday press conference, laughing.
Chryst may have been joking at the time, but the Badgers (1-1) certainly have room to improve Saturday against Troy (1-1).
The most glaring area for improvement is certainly Wisconsin’s slow start running the ball. By the end of its game against Miami, Wisconsin’s running statistics looked formidable, but the vast majority of rushing success came in the second half. UW’s 62 rushing yards in the first half are underwhelming when compared to the Melvin Gordon-centered offense of the last few seasons.
Redshirt junior running back Dare Ogunbowale felt that the slow start might have been due to a lack of preparation and only going off one game of tape to study. He ventured this week that “being more prepared for what the defense is going to give us” will allow the running game to start off with a bang.
Many Badger fans have been surprised by the new look of the offense this seasons given its solid start in the passing game. With a new coaching staff, there’s been a lot of speculation if this is a permanent change, but the internal consensus is that it’s just a product of opportunity.
“You go in with a plan, and you run, pass, and kinda play to what’s going well,” offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph said. “It’s a group where we’ve gotta play to their strengths sometimes and we’ve gotta mix it up sometimes.”
Based on their early season performance, the Trojans will likely struggle against the run, but will have solid protection against the pass. Against North Carolina State, the Trojans allowed two touchdowns through the air, and five on the ground. NC State is not as strong of a team as Wisconsin, but is a Power Five team all the same.
Troy’s offense features a spread attack that is unlike what the Badgers will face throughout the conference season.
“They’re a real effective screen team, they’re a gadget team. They make you nervous, the pace is fast, they’ve got athletes at receiver. [Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brandon Silvers] has settled into his role and I think they trust him and depend on him now,” defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said.
Silvers set a record for highest completion percentage for a freshman last season, completing 70.5 percent of his passes. The numbers don’t lie, and Wisconsin linebacker Joe Schobert had a great deal of praise for his opponent.
“He just makes good decisions, he doesn’t try to force the ball in places where you may need a perfect throw all the time. He’s got the arm to make great throws but he’s smart,” Schobert said.
If Troy does rely on the arm of its heralded quarterback, it could play into a budding strength for a Badger defense that had three interceptions last week. The lack of turnovers was something the coaching staff stressed as an issue with last year’s squad, and in the offseason there was a great deal of talk about bettering the team this year in that aspect.
The Badgers will take on the Trojans at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
