Wisconsin Badgers vs. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: Final Thoughts From The 28-0 Win

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The Wisconsin Badgers and their fans enjoyed a 28-0 victory over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in a rare night game at Camp Randall Stadium. The Badgers returned to their roots with a powerful running game, and the defense kept Hawaii off the scoreboard.

READ ALSO: Photos From Wisconsin’s 28-0 Win Over Hawaii

Traditional Badgers Return

Wisconsin overpowered Hawaii at the line of scrimmage throughout the game. For the first time this season, the Badgers finished with more rushing yards than passing yards, something Wisconsin did in all but two games in 2014.

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Dare Ogunbowale and Taiwan Deal have steadily progressed as a backfield duo since Corey Clement went down with an injury. Deal received 26 carries, 11 more than Ogunbowale, for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Both backs averaged 5.7 yards per carry, and it seems like Deal has worked his way to the top spot in the backfield. His performance led to Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.

Miami (Ohio), Troy and Hawaii do not exactly have the best run-stopping defenses, and the Badgers struggled on the ground against Alabama. Wisconsin will be tested again on Saturday in the Big Ten opener against Iowa, who has the No. 12 ranked run defense, allowing 84 yards per game on the ground.

Alec Ingold Impresses

True freshman Alec Ingold recently made the transition from inside linebacker to running back, and he played well in his college debut on Saturday night. Ingold was inserted to the game during the Badgers’ final drive of the game to run out the clock.

While it was a small sample size, Ingold carried the ball seven times for 60 yards. He broke off for gains of 19 and 26 yards, which were the longest runs of the game. Ingold also had a 30-yard burst that was called back for holding. Ingold is the fourth freshman to burn a redshirt year this season. Others include linebacker Chris Orr, safety Arrington Farrar and nose tackle Olive Sagapolu.

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  • Ingold must have impressed the coaching staff because redshirt freshman Caleb Kinlaw moved from running back to cornerback, and Ingold entered a game before fellow true freshman and four-star running back Bradrick Shaw. Ingold played quarterback at Bay Port High School and was named Wisconsin’s best player by Gatorade and the Associated Press.

    Defense Shuts Out Rainbow Warriors

    Wisconsin turned in its second shutout of the season, and the Badgers received solid performances from their safeties. Tanner McEvoy had a career-high six total tackles, and Michael Caputo had a half a sack with a whopping four pass breakups.

    Joe Schobert continues to dominate on the outside with a pair of sacks on Saturday night. Hawaii’s first drive ended with an eight-yard sack by Schobert, who picked up his second in the first drive of the third quarter.

    Wisconsin limited the Rainbow Warriors to just 15 rushing yards, and the Badgers have given up just three points in the last three games. Those contests were against teams ranked No. 123, 121 and 107 in scoring offense. With the conference opener on Saturday, we will get a better feel for the Badgers’ defense.

    Next: Badgers Climbing AP Poll