Wisconsin Football: Outback Bowl Interview with Fly War Eagle, Part 2
By Jim Oxley
New Year’s Day is creeping closer and closer, and with it comes the match-up between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Auburn Tigers in the 2015 Outback Bowl.
To continue our preparation for the game, we again sat down with Fly War Eagle, the Fansided Auburn website, to get more insight on the bowl game as it sits just days away.
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Thanks again to Nicholas Ian Allen, Fly War Eagle’s editor, for taking the time to answer our questions.
Be sure to check out Fly War Eagle on Twitter, and see our answers to their questions here.
BoH: It’s been a few weeks since we last talked together about this matchup. How has Auburn looked in preparing for the end-of-season contest?
FWE: By all indications, the Tigers have practiced well in preparations for the Outback Bowl. I think this team is hungry to play, and to pick up their first win over an FBS opponent since November 1.
BoH: Auburn recently landed Will Muschamp as it’s defensive coordinator. How much impact, if any, will he have on this bowl game?
The way the Auburn secondary has played in the second half of the season, they would probably be worried about any team’s passing game.
FWE: Muschamp won’t coach in the bowl game, but his presence has already been felt and he’s had a positive impact. Reportedly, the defense has practiced with extra intensity in order to get off on the right foot with their new defensive coordinator, who has been on hand to observe. In the long run, Muschamp should have a huge impact given his reputation as a defensive whiz, master motivator and top notch recruiter.
BoH: News broke this week that Auburn will be without Duke Williams, who was suspended for the game. How will Auburn move past the suspension of its top wideout, and who should we expect to pick up where he left off?
Wisconsin Badgers
FWE: Losing Duke Williams will definitely hurt on the field. The junior college transfer led the Tigers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns this season and was a security blanket over the middle of the field and on third downs for quarterback Nick Marshall. Williams also provided an excellent compliment to Sammie Coates, making it unwise to double cover one or the other. However, the Tigers have played two games without Williams this season, and he didn’t participate in any on-campus bowl practices, so the team should be well prepared to replace him.
BoH: Clearly Wisconsin looks extremely one-dimensional at this point. Is Auburn worried about the passing game, or are they just focusing on Melvin Gordon?
FWE: The way the Auburn secondary has played in the second half of the season, they would probably be worried about any team’s passing game. That said, it would make a lot of sense to load up the box to limit Gordon and try to force the Badgers to beat them through the air. The Tigers are used to playing a lot of man coverage in the secondary, and though it hasn’t worked out well for them recently, we’ll likely see a lot of it again Thursday.
BoH: Speaking of Gordon, what’s a realistic expectation for Auburn against the nation’s top back?
FWE: The Tigers rank in the bottom third of the SEC in every major defensive statistical category and they’ve struggled all season with tackling. Add a Heisman Trophy finalist and perhaps the best offensive line Auburn has played this season to that mix and it doesn’t look good. Gordon is almost assured 100 yards and 150-200 wouldn’t be a shock at all.
I think this team is hungry to play, and to pick up their first win over an FBS opponent since November 1.
BoH: Prediction time: how do you see this game going?
FWE: Despite the layoff, I think both offenses will play well. Gordon will give the Tigers fits, but Nick Marshall, Cameron Artis-Payne, Sammie Coates and the Auburn offense has a pretty good track record as well. Expect a close game and a lot of points in the second half with the Tigers winning 34-31.