10/3 Update:
Here are the game grades from the Northwestern game.
QB: B-
Overall, I thought Bollinger played a bit better than his numbers might indicate (though his numbers weren't too shabby relative to what they have been). While again he was a little late at times in delivering the ball, he generally got it where it needed to be. Take out the receiver drops and his numbers look really solid. He also added about 60 or so yards on the groud and generally displayed pretty good pocket presence. His one fatal mistake was not throwing the ball away on the Bentley TD.
RB: A
I must say this crow has been some of the most tasty crow I have eaten in some time. Michael Bennett continues to show more and more of the pure tailback skills that I questioned whether or not he had. Bennett ran hard and seems to be growing ever more confident.
WR: C
Both Evans and Davis had their moments, Davis in particular with a couple of nice grabs late in the game in the endzone. However, Davis dropped a potential TD in the endzone, and the receiving corps in general came up short when it came to big plays.
TE: B
Pretty good job of blocking by the threesome, though limited involvement in the passing game after an early TD catch by Retzlaff.
OL: B+
While the line wasn't what you would call consistent, it can hardly be a surprise given the shakeups they have gone through. Wisconsin ran for over 300 yards and Bollinger generally had adequate time to throw. Ben Johnson really shored up the tackle spot and picked up pressure pretty well.
DL: D-
Not only did the DL put limited pressure on Kustok, and not only did they fail to gain any significant penetration despite a lot of 5 man lines (limiting double teams), but perhaps most importantly, they continually allowed Kustok and Anderson to break containment on the outside which was the key element of the NW attack IMO. The DL seemed puzzled and confused at times, and often were out of position as the misdirection went by them. Favret supposedly played well, though to be honest I didn't notice anyone standing out on this unit today. Ben Herbert had a rough day.
LB: C-
While I don't think they played an incredibly strong game, I think some of the criticizm of them is a bit harsh after watching the replay of the game. For one, there were generally only two of them on the field, which is a lot of room for each to cover. Secondly, they were left at the mercy of the DL all too often, forcing them to take some bad angles to the ball. Given these constraints, I thought Nick Greisen played pretty well as far as reading the holes and plugging the gaps. Still, too many missed tackles to give a good grade to.
DB: F
Blown assignments, soft coverage, penalties, and big plays while matched up against a below average receiving corps. One of the worst secondary games I have seen in a few years.
Special Teams: D-
Fumbled punts, blocked kicks, missed key field goal, and limited success in the return game. Stemke was solid though for the one bright spot.
9/24 Update: Here are how Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game panned out against Northwestern.
1.) Keeping Bentley and company off balance
While Bentley had a pretty good game, Wisconsin was outstanding offensively. They predominantly ran the ball of course, but they also threw the ball pretty well despite missing Chambers.
2.) Exploiting the middle
While they still did not make a habit of going over the middle, they did complete some big plays down the middle of the field in some key situations. Look for this to continue next week with Chambers back.
3.) Make Kustok beat you, not the scheme
Kustok played about as well as he is capable of IMO, but was not the key factor. Instead, the scheme gave Wisconsin fits. Utilizing a wide array of misdirection out of the shotgun formation, Northwestern limited the defensive line penetration, allowing Kustok time to make some plays.
4.) Continued special teams dominance
Complete and utter failure. Two fumbled punts, mediocre kickoffs, a botched extra point, and a missed field goal all were important aspects in the game. Despite the poor defensive play, Wisconsin wins going away if they receive typical special teams play.
PREDICTION:
The OL did play very well, even when Costa went down. Nick Davis made a few plays, but I would say his day as a receiver was subpar to say the least. While a reasonably close game did not surprise me, I was totally dumbfounded by all of the mental and fundamental errors, particularly on defense, that led to a poor team putting up 500+ yards and 47 points on the Badgers. I expected containment of the NW offense, but clearly I wouldn't call 30+ points in regulation containment (even though the offense "gave" them 14 points).
9/23 Update: Here are Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game against Northwestern.
1.) Keeping Bentley and company off balance
Northwestern's linebackers are very active and pretty talented. If Wisconsin is not able to generate much offensive flow (as they haven't quite often this year), look for Bentley and company to really flow to the ball, taking away many of Bennett's rushing lanes. While I don't expect a total opening up of the offense, they will need to show more than they have so far to keep the chains moving.
2.) Exploiting the middle
In the same regards, much of this can be accomplished by using the middle of the field in the passing game, something Wisconsin has been reluctant to do. With (fingers crossed) better pass protection due to a complete OL and the return of Nick Davis and Michael Bennett, the middle of the field could be a key battleground due to a weak Northwestern secondary.
3.) Make Kustok beat you, not the scheme
Northwestern has gone to the spread attack that Wisconsin has seen so often this year. Unlike Deontey Kenner, I don't believe Kustok is talented enough to make plays on his own. Playing assignment sure football and tightening up on the outside, forcing Kustok to make plays down the field is vital.
4.) Continued special teams dominance
Wisconsin has a history of beating the Cats in the area of special teams as of late. And, with the offense still looking to gel, the special teams needs to continue to put points on the board. Northwestern's kicking game has been subpar in general so look for Davis to get some good looks.
PREDICTION:
Sadly, I think we are in store for another sluggish game. I expect the OL to play better with the expected insertion of Ben Johnson, but I still am not sold on Nick Davis as a big time receiver. If he can make big plays, look for Wisconsin to control the game early. But, if he is not as much of a factor as I suspect he won't be, then look for another 4 quarter battle. Wisconsin will control the NW offensive line, keeping Kustok running and Damien Anderson contained, but NW will also have some success up front defensively as well as Wisconsin cannot seem to hit offensively. Bennett will finally gain the upper hand early in the 4th as NW's smallish defensive tackles finally wear down, propelling the Badgers to a 21 to 13 win.
The Howell computer projection has Wisconsin as a 21 point favorite with an 84% chance of victory. Projected score of 33 to 12.
9/22 Update: Here is how the Wildcats and Badgers compare nationally:
Team Passing Offense: Wis 113, NW 81
Team Rushing Offense: Wis 18, NW 26
Team Scoring Offense: Wis 57, NW 45
Team Total Offense: Wis 83, NW 54
Team Passing Defense: Wis 106, NW 29
Team Rushing Defense: Wis 14, NW 94
Team Scoring Defense: Wis 41, NW 58
Team Total Defense: Wis 59, NW 65
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