We are just one day away from the battle for the Heartland Trophy. The rivalry between Wisconsin and Iowa is a fun one and there's always a ton of intrigue whenever the two face off. This time around, the two sides will face off in Iowa City and the Badgers need to post a strong performance.
Last week, as everyone knows, it looked like the Badgers were going to post an upset win over the Nittany Lions, but James Franklin and Co. dominated play in the second half to come out on top. It was a major bummer for Wisconsin, but it's time to flush that loss.
On Saturday against the Hawkeyes, the Wisconsin defense is going to have its hands full trying to contain Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, who has looked like one of the best RBs in the country this year. Think Luke Fickell is nervous? Not so much. When asked about the Iowa talent, Fickell indeed brought up the Hawkeyes as a whole and stayed away from focusing on just Johnson.
Luke Fickell and Wisconsin will have their hands full with Kaleb Johnson
"It's not something that you see every single week. I think that's where they have become more unique. People would say they haven't changed a lot. Well, they haven't. But, a lot of the game around them has, and so it makes even what they do now, I think, a little bit more unique than the things that they did eight, 10, years ago. Because there were more people, within the Big Ten in particular, that were similar in what they did, and they're the ones that have kind of stuck to their guns and continue to thrive in doing what they believe is best."Luke Fickell via Badger Blitz
Thus far this season, Johnson has looked unstoppable, running for 1,144 yards and 16 touchdowns. Not only that, but he has also been averaging 7.8 yards per carry. With Cade McNamara missing this contest due to a concussion, Brendan Sullivan will be posting his first start.
It won't be a surprise to see Iowa stick to the running game, which has been the case throughout 2024. Johnson is going to be fed the rock early and often. Wisconsin will have its hands full trying to slow him down, but Fickell and his staff will be ready for the task at hand. If they let him get into a groove, though, then it could spell disaster for defensive coordinator Mike Tressel.