Wisconsin Football: Tale of the tape vs. Central Michigan
Offense
Wisconsin
Putting 49 points on a Charlie Strong team is a pretty good start, especially on the road. Wisconsin’s offense just has so many weapons. The offensive line is solid, but if I had to find a knock on them, I’d say the pass protection looked a little shaky at times last week, but that can be cleaned up. It doesn’t help that the starting left tackle Logan Bruss will miss the game due to injury, but I think David Moorman can step in and be just fine.
Jonathan Taylor had a great start to what is hopefully a Heisman season. He played just over half the game before coming out and still totaled 135 and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. And now he has a role in the passing game as well, catching two passes, taking them both to the house including one with two seconds left in the first half to put the Badgers up 28-0 at halftime. He will be tough for this Central Michigan defense to contain.
On the receiving side of things, it feels like a pick your poison situation. The “Fatal Four” all contributed last week and Jake Ferguson was also in on the fun, although he coughed the ball up. With a defense who has some young players, look for the Wisconsin football offense to attack early and pull away.
Central Michigan
It’s tough to tell how good of an offense the Chippewas are. New coaches, new quarterback, and playing a lesser school can make stats a little deceiving. On paper, they look like they are a pretty well-balanced offense. Running back Jonathan Ward had a great start to his senior season, running for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He is also involved in their passing game, catching three passes for 53 yards.
The Chippewa’s receiving corps’ production came mostly from a pair of younger players. Redshirt freshman Tyrone Scott had five catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore Kalil Pimpleton added 8 catches for 40 yards. These are two different types of receivers. Scott is 6-3 and 190 pounds, while Pimpleton is just 5-9, 160 pounds. The Wisconsin defense will need to keep an eye on these two throughout the game.
At the end of the day, I think Wisconsin football’s defense is just too tough for the Central Michigan offense to get a whole lot done. Wisconsin’s offense will have a much easier time moving the ball.