Forecast: Wisconsin Football Week Three
The Badgers make their first ever trip to Utah after dispatching Florida Atlantic, 31-14, at Camp Randall on Saturday. Will Wisconsin’s first trip to the Beehive State be a success when they take on BYU?
Last week’s game was never in doubt. The Badgers had a lowly FAU Owls team heading into Camp Randall.
FAU was coming off a sound defeat in week one as well as Hurricane Irma on their minds as it was barreling down on Florida.
Apparently everyone else thought this as well:
95% of the money at the 108 William Hill sportsbooks in Nevada is on Wisconsin to cover as 34-point favorites against FAU 👀
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 9, 2017
Not only did FAU cover the 34-point spread, making it a very good day for Vegas, but the Badgers looked a bit shaky as well.
Alex Hornibrook wasn’t able to hit open receivers when he needed. Receivers were dropping relatively easy passes. And at one point, a slight thought of doubt that the Owls were in the game crept into my mind.
However, UW got the job done and closed out FAU to move to 2-0 on the season.
Related Story: Who will be Quarterbacking the BYU Cougars on Saturday
Now the Cardinal and White turn their attention to their first road game of the year in Provo, Utah against BYU (1-2).
This game is a bit of a unique one, not just for Wisconsin, but for the Big Ten as well.
Not only is Wisconsin football visiting the state of Utah for the first time, the Badgers will be the first Big Ten team to play at BYU
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) September 11, 2017
The Cougars are coming off a home loss to in-state rival, Utah, by a score of 19-13. They mustered just 233 total yards of offense in the game while allowing over 300 through the air and over 100 on the ground to the Utes.
BYU has struggled this season offensively, totaling just 33 points over three games to begin the season. That ranks 125th out of 130 for points-per-game in the country.
While all the signs point toward the Badgers coming away with another big victory, there just seems something fishy about this game.
It’s not just the first time for a school, but the first time for an entire conference to go to BYU. Wisconsin will have to go into the Rocky Mountains with no comparison of teams they have ever played against to watch film on.
Next: Seven Questions with Lawless Republic about BYU
This sounds like I am preparing for the worst but I do believe Wisconsin will leave Utah with a win. The defense will show its strength once again and hopefully last week was a wake-up call for the offense. Expect a low-scoring, defensive struggle in this one.
Prediction: Wisconsin 24, BYU 14