Badger of Honor
Fansided

Wisconsin Football: Matchups Wisconsin will dominate against Illinois

By Steven Tondi

CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 28: Garrett Groshek #37 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs the ball and delivers the stiff arm to Patrick Nelson #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 28: Garrett Groshek #37 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs the ball and delivers the stiff arm to Patrick Nelson #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Wisconsin Football
MADISON, WI – NOVEMBER 18: Chris Evans #12 of the Michigan Wolverines is brought down by Ryan Connelly #43 and T.J. Edwards #53 of the Wisconsin Badgers during the fourth quarter of a game at Camp Randall Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

T.J. Edwards vs. A.J. Bush Jr.

What more can you say about inside linebacker T.J. Edwards? He is without a doubt the best player on the Wisconsin defense, making plays all over the field.  Edwards can get after the quarterback, make tackles in the middle and drop back into coverage effectively.  Even with another sub-par performance by the defense, Edwards continues to stand out among the mess.  I expect him to come out hungry this weekend against Illinois.

Jim Leonhard has realized that Edwards needs to be involved and be the centerpiece for all the schemes he implements into the game.  Whether it be blitzing Edwards or spying the quarterback, Edwards needs to be the primary defender.  Against Nebraska and Michigan, Edwards is finding great success in getting after the quarterback, he has registered a couple of sacks in each game.  It is refreshing to see after witnessing the absence of a pass rush in the first couple games of the season.  Leonhard seems to be pulling out all of the stops to get this pass rush going.  And he is looking no further than T.J. Edwards.

Quarterback A.J. Bush Jr. is an explosive athlete who can make a lot of guys miss with his legs.  He has struggled to become a consistent passer, but he is a lethal weapon when he finds a hole in the defense.  This is exactly why I expect Edwards to spy Bush for the majority of the game. If the secondary can prove to Leonhard that they can handle the passing game with much help from the underneath linebackers, Edwards can play with free reign and target Bush.

Bush Jr. is key to the success of the Illini offense.  He has been inconsistent throughout the year but when the offense is able to move the ball, it’s because of Bush.  If Edwards can limit the amount of Bush’s quality running plays early on, it could shut down the Illini offense for the rest of the game.  Forcing Bush to sit back in the pocket and beat you with his arm is a recipe for a success for any defense.  Expect Edwards to be in the backfield often as well as running down Bush when he decides to take off and run.  I would not bet against Edwards in this matchup.