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Five things to watch for in Wisconsin football’s opener

Asher Low
·4 min read

Wisconsin football is finally here! As head coach Paul Chryst once said, “there’s 12 games on the schedule,” and one of those 12 takes place tonight at Camp Randall Stadium. 

The Badgers will be featuring a defense with limitless potential and a number of new faces. On offense, attention will be on how third-year starter Graham Mertz looks under center while the running back room helps to lead the way.

Against an FCS opponent such as Illinois State, what can Badger fans look to take away? While the outcome likely won’t be in question late into the Madison night, there are a number of key areas Wisconsin can show improvement in. Here are five things to watch for in the Badgers opener:

What does the backup quarterback situation look like?

Franklin quarterback Myles Burkett committed to Wisconsin immediately upon receiving an offer in January.

After an injury to backup quarterback Chase Wolf that will likely result in missing the entire season, where does Wisconsin go at backup quarterback? This is a game where a second quarterback may come in late with the outcome already decided, but which quarterback will it be? The two options are freshman Myles Burkett and redshirt-freshman Deacon Hill.

Hill has the stronger arm and a year of experience under his belt, but has Wisconsin high school star Myles Burkett, who grew up idolizing Russell Wilson, done enough to move up the depth chart? Let’s see who the second quarterback is on Saturday.

New faces in the secondary

Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Jay Shaw (1) shows the Badgers W before the team photo as part of Wisconsin Badgers football media day at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022.

Jay Shaw and Cedric Dort are two transfers looking to make an immediate impact as starters in the secondary. Shaw comes to Madison from UCLA where he spent the last four seasons.

Dort has 25 starts at Kentucky under his belt heading into Madison. The two will be integral parts of a secondary that has a number of new pieces earning significant playing time.

New kicker? New kicker!

Wisconsin has a new kicker! Arkansas transfer Vito Calvaruso comes over to assume the field goal duties this season. He was dealing with a leg injury late into summer practices, and the junior was never a primary field goal kicker with the Razorbacks. Instead, he took on the role of kickoff specialist that will go to Jack Van Dyke for the Badgers.

Let’s see if we get a chance to watch Calvaruso nail a couple kicks on Saturday.

Does a new offensive coordinator mean different red zone outcomes?

Oct 16, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz (5) rushes for a touchdown in front of Army Black Knights linebacker Daryan McDonald (30) during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

If you wanted to diagnose one issue for Wisconsin in last year’s Week 1 loss to Penn State, red zone offense might be at the top of the list.

New year, new offensive coordinator. Can Bobby Engram’s crew finish drives in Week 1? Sure, it won’t be the toughest defense they face this season but the Badgers can make a statement by not allowing their new kicker to see the field much.

New starters at linebacker

Wisconsin Badgers linebackers Jordan Turner (54) and Maema Njongmeta (55) run through drills during the University of Wisconsin spring football practice at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Thursday.

With how much Wisconsin lost, specifically in the linebacker room, it’s remarkable how we are talking about this defense headed into 2022. The expectation is for the Badgers to be right back near the top of FBS in total defense.

Losing Jack Sanborn (Bears) and Leo Chenal (Chiefs) to the NFL is massive, but Jordan Turner, Maema Njongmeta, and C.J. Goetz are more than capable of sliding in well. Nick Herbig will lead the way for a unit that still has a lot to prove early in the season.

Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire