The Wisconsin Badgers did not get the blowout win many expected, but the Badgers were in control throughout their 28-3 victory against Troy on Saturday. Here are three of the Badger of Honor’s final thoughts from Wisconsin’s Week 3 victory.
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Joel Stave Keeps On Rollin’
The quarterback whisperer Paul Chryst continues to show his expertise with Wisconsin signal callers. Joel Stave completed 13 of his 17 pass attempts to seven different receivers for 202 yards and a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Traylor. Stave also scored on a four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Wisconsin has now finished with more passing yards than rushing yards in every game this season. Through three games, the efficient Stave has a 67.4 completion percentage with a 150.9 efficiency rating. Stave will have his best season as a Badger.
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Chris Orr Takes Advantage
True freshman Chris Orr replaced Leon Jacobs in Troy’s second possession of the game and made a great impression in his first opportunity with meaningful playing time. After Jacobs was flagged and ejected for targeting, Orr stepped in to the inside linebacker spot and led the Badgers with 14 tackles. He finished with 11 solo and three assisted tackles including a tackle for loss and pass breakup.
Orr’s performance was reminiscent of Jacobs’ breakout game last season when starter Marcus Trotter sat out with an injury on Oct. 11 against Illinois. Like Orr, Jacobs led Wisconsin in tackles in what was his lone start of the season.
Coming into the season, depth at inside linebacker looked to be an issue with Jacobs being the lone player in the two-deep roster to have played in a game. While Orr’s performance is a small sample size with just one game against Troy, responding the way he did being throw into the game, his performance was certainly promising.
Betsided
Tanner McEvoy’s Versatility
For the third consecutive game, Tanner McEvoy is listed as Wisconsin’s starter at wide receiver and free safety in the depth chart. On defense, he contributed with four tackles against Troy, including two solo and two assisted.
McEvoy did not record a catch, but the Badgers are doing everything they can to use his athleticism on the offensive side of the ball. With Stave split out wide, McEvoy took the shotgun snap at quarterback for consecutive plays in the third quarter. After a nine-yard gain on the first play, McEvoy swerved through the right side and used solid downfield blocking by Alex Erickson and Derek Watt. McEvoy slipped through a tackle and dove into the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown run to give the Badgers a comfortable 21-3 lead.
McEvoy carried the ball zero times against Alabama, once against Miami (Ohio) and twice against Troy. His rushing attempts should continue to increase in the coming weeks as one of the most explosive players on Wisconsin’s roster.