Wisconsin has one of the best defenses in the country, and it's not some sort of homer thing to say. It's statistically true. The Badgers are a top-20 defense in basically all the major defensive categories, and a top-25 is basically anything else you want to find. Wisconsin has multiple defenders up for major awards and skyrocketing up NFL Draft boards.
The Badgers defense is elite, but how elite comes down to a few major stats. Let's dig in.
Wisconsin is No. 16 in FBS in Points Per Game Allowed
This is the stat that matters the most. Limiting a team to not many points is literally the mark of a good defense. The whole point of football is scoring more points than your opponent, so stopping them from scoring is priority one, with priority two being to score some of your own points.
Wisconsin has only allowed 16.3 points per game this season; it's the 16th-best FBS school in this category. The fifth best in the Big Ten. Wisconsin has only allowed two teams to get past 30 points on them (Notre Dame and Iowa). They've had five games where the opponent has scored 10 or fewer points.
Wisconsin is No. 19 in FBS in Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game
Wisconsin absolutely dismantled USC in this department, shutting down their whole offense by not letting them establish a run. The Badgers are No. 19 in all of FBS in rushing yards allowed per game and seventh in the Big Ten. Just slightly more than 100 yards per game.
That stinker of a game the Badgers had against Iowa is really dragging this number up. The Hawkeyes rushed for 140 yards, and it was the worst mark of the season for Wisconsin. That game aside, the run prevention has been pretty solid, and it's hard to run against this Badger defense.
Wisconsin is No. 25 in FBS in Passing Yards Allowed Per Game
The worst stat Wisconsin has for its defense is in passing prevention. It's at 185.2 yards per game, and that's still pretty low. In fact, even though it's No. 25 in the nation, it's No. 5 in the Big Ten. So, among their own peer group, it's pretty legit.
It's actually quietly been one of the surprise spots on this defense. It was hard to know going into the year how the passing defense would perform, but holding teams under 200 yards through the air week after week is legit.
Wisconsin is No. 14 in FBS in Total Yards Allowed Per Game
This stat is the second most important stat on this page. What your rush-and-pass defense does as a unit is vital. Sure, you can stop the pass, but if you can't stop the run, then your defense still stinks, or vice versa. A defense that can stop the run and the pass at a high rate is elite. That's the Badgers who are No. 14 in the nation in total yards allowed per game at 286.2. It's good for sixth in the Big Ten.
Add in the fact that Wisconsin has a top-3 pass rusher in Sebastian Cheeks, who is third in the nation in quarterback pressures. Throw in Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano as semifinalists for the Bednarik Award (only Georgia and Wisconsin have more than one player on the list). Throw in the fact that Javan Robinson and Marvin Burks continue to rank among the top pass defenders on PFF.
All this adds up to Wisconsin having an elite defense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google