Grading Every Position Group on the Badgers After Week 1

The Badgers pulled out a win in week one against Western Michigan by a score of 28-14. There is a lot to clean up moving forward, however, so which position groups looked the best in the season opener.

Quarterback: D

Tyler Van Dyke's first game as a Badger was underwhelming. He didn't take any shots down the field and even his accuracy on short check-downs was sometimes questionable. There were several poorly thrown balls that could have been intercepted and 58% completion percentage is just disappointing considering how many dump-offs he threw. The quarterback will need a better outing against South Dakota before facing the juggernaut of Alabama.

Running Back: C+

The tandem of Tawee Walker and Chez Mellusi certainly had some strong plays, including Walker's powerful touchdown run, but overall the duo only managed a lackluster 4.1 yards per carry against a MAC school. The longest rush of the night between the two was only 11 yards, so there's a lot of room for improvement.

Wide Receiver: C

There were a couple of drops by the wide reciever group in this game, including one by the usually sure-handed Will Pauling. Trech Kekahuna was the highlight of the group and looked impressive in his limited opportunities. He's sure to receive more work as the season progresses.

Tight End: B-

Both tight ends hauled in two passes for 22 yards. Neither Ashcraft nor Nowakowski figure to be a huge part of the passing game though, so not a bad night considering.

Offensive Line: C+

The offensive line only allowed one sack, but they also allowed five tackles for loss and didn't inspire much in the run game. For a group as experienced as this, you'd have hoped for a better performance against a mid-major.

Defensive Line: D

Losing James Thompson Jr. to a group that was already probably the weakest part of the defense looks like it may spell disaster for the Badgers. The Western Michigan offense hardly felt any pressure all night and was able to rip off big runs in the process.

Linebackers: C+

The edge rushers weren't able to generate much pressure but showed some promising signs. We'll need to see more from transfers Leon Lowery and John Pius.

Secondary: A

The secondary for Wisconsin was firing on all cylinders. They only allowed 141 yards through the air and Ricardo Hallman Jr. wasn't even targeted. Freshman Xavier Lucas sealed the game with an athletic interception.