Wisconsin Football: Key matchups to watch vs. Nebraska
By Steven Tondi
Three matchups that will decide the outcome when Wisconsin football takes on the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
After a long and relatively quiet bye week, we can now look forward to some Wisconsin football again this weekend. The Badgers will welcome 0-4 Nebraska this Saturday night under the lights of Camp Randall. Wisconsin will look to build upon their impressive win in Iowa City two weeks ago.
The Badgers rebounded quite well after their disappointing loss to BYU at home in a game where Wisconsin seemed overwhelmed in the trenches. Against Iowa, they returned to the powerful, physical football team that Wisconsin fans have come to love and appreciate over the years. The offensive line did not have a flawless performance, but they showcased the ability to dominate opposing defensive lines. Alex Hornibrook turned in an impressive performance, making many big throws and exhibiting his veteran leadership. Overall, a solid performance by the offense.
Jim Leonhard’s defense struggled a bit in the Big Ten opener. The secondary seemed to have a couple communication breakdowns that turned into big plays downfield for Iowa. The youth in the secondary makes these lapses understandable, but they need to be cleaned up as better teams are approaching.
The defensive line held their own for most of the game but got pushed around on a couple of key runs. There was little to no pass rush all night, allowing Nate Stanley to sit back in the pocket and find his receivers. The injury to Andrew Van Ginkel contributed to the lack of a pass rush, but this could be an issue down the road.
T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly are absolute animals, that is all I have to say about them.
Nebraska will be coming into the game looking to secure their first victory of the season. They will also be looking to avenge the disappointing loss last year when the Badgers ran all over them in the second half. Wisconsin ran for 353 yards with Jonathan Taylor running for 249 yards in last year’s contest. The Nebraska defense will have to turn in a much better performance defensively if they want to come away victorious. Scott Frost is certainly trying to turn things around.
https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraSip/status/1046904968769359872
How exactly this game will play out is hard to predict. The Cornhuskers have not won a game this year, but I am sure that this will be a game that they will be highly motivated for. Wisconsin definitely has more talent, but Nebraska has the weapons to make this game closer than the experts think. The Badgers need to take control of games early and put away inferior teams from the first snap. This is a great opportunity for Wisconsin to show the nation why they are still the premier program in the Big Ten West.
Let’s take a look at the most important matchups between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.