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Will Wisconsin Badgers Win Turnover Battle Against Meticulous Western Michigan Broncos?

By Taylor Johnson

Oct 29, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Sojourn Shelton (8) celebrates during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Sojourn Shelton (8) celebrates during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Both Wisconsin and Western Michigan rank in the top ten in turnover margin, with the Broncos tops among FBS teams. Will the Badgers be able to win the turnover battle in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic?

A lot has been said this season of the Wisconsin Badgers defense and the turnovers they create. But the team standing on the sideline across from them actually has a better turnover margin. It’s the Western Michigan Broncos, and as much as people want to talk about their explosive, their defense needs a lot of praise as well. That group has been flying under the radar, but the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic could come down to who comes out on top in the turnover’s created department.

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Sure, the Badgers have done a tremendous job putting themselves in great position to create turnovers on defense. A big part of that is the play of Leo Musso, whose five interceptions are best on the team and has seemingly come out of nowhere. D’Cota Dixon and Sojourn Shelton were right behind with four a piece. The Badgers also forced 13 fumbles, recovering six of those.

But the offense has not been too efficient of taking care of the football. They have 10 interceptions on the season and also have six lost fumbles on the season. Not horrible numbers by any means, but you would like to see the interception number down a tad. Their turnover margin of +11 on the season has them ranked ninth among FBS teams in the country.

Western Michigan has done an excellent job on creating turnovers while taking care of the ball on offense themselves. The Broncos offense has controlled the ball well as quarterback Zach Terrell has just three interceptions on the season while the rest of the unit has lost just four fumbles this year. Speaking of fumbles, this defense has forced 12 fumbles this season, recovering 11 of those. Seven players have forced at least one fumble, with defensive end Keion Adams leading the way with three. And of those 11 fumble recoveries, nine players have secured at least one.

Interceptions are a different story as that number is not as high as the Badgers or other teams near the top, but they’re not too far behind with 15 total on the year. Cornerback Darius Phillips leads the team with four picks, while linebacker Robert Spillane and safety Justin Ferguson are right behind with three a piece. Add everything up and crunch the numbers and the Broncos, as of this writing, lead the country with a +19 turnover margin.

Next: How to Watch Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

It’s easy to see that both teams create plenty of turnovers. Wisconsin has a ball-hawking defense, but at times have trouble taking care of the football on offense. Western Michigan forces-and recovers-plenty of fumbles while making little to know mistakes offensively.