Wisconsin at Washington State: Badgers look to avenge 2022 loss to the Cougars
WISCONSIN (1-0) AT WASHINGTON STATE (1-0)
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington.
TV: ABC with Mark Jones (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analysis) and Quint Kessenich (sideline).
Radio: FM-97.3 and AM-920 in Milwaukee and a state network with Matt Lepay (play-by-play), Mark Tauscher (analysis) and Patrick Herb (sideline).
Line: Wisconsin by 6 1/2
Series: UW leads, 2-1.
Coaches: Luke Fickell (2-0, first full season; 65-25, seventh season overall) vs. Washington State’s Jake Dickert (11-9, second full season overall).
FOUR THINGS TO WATCH
Can Washington State slow Wisconsin's tailback tandem of Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi?
When the teams met last season in Madison, Washington State’s defense limited UW to 4.0 yards per carry and 174 yards rushing. Braelon Allen gained 98 yards on 21 carries but did not score. Chez Mellusi gained just 44 yards on 15 carries, an average of 2.9 yards per carry. Mellusi and Allen combined for 298 rushing yards and four touchdowns last week in the opener against Buffalo, with Mellusi averaging 12.1 yards per carry and Allen finishing at 8.3 yards. They combined for 30 carries and only one of those carries resulted in lost yardage.
“I don’t get a chance to see everybody,” Washington State coach Jake Dickert said, “but I’m not sure there is a better two tailbacks on the same team in the country than what Wisconsin has…These guys can really play. That has always been the identity of Wisconsin offenses. They are doing it in unique ways to get these guys space and last week you saw both of those guys hit really big runs.
“We’ve got to try to – I think there’s no secret – start there by cutting the head off the snake and stopping the run. That’s always been the successful (starting) point of any defense I’ve ever been a part of.”
Wisconsin defenders must keep quarterback Cameron Ward in the pocket and make him uncomfortable
Quarterback Cameron Ward overcame three sacks and two lost fumbles in the opener against Colorado State to pass for 451 yards and three touchdowns and rush for 40 yards and another touchdown. As Ward goes, so does the Washington State offense. Ward can scramble for yards if no one is open and is also dangerous on designed runs, though Dickert said he does not want Ward to be the Cougars’ leading rusher.
UW’s defenders must maintain their rush lanes and avoid opening a seam that allows Ward to sneak into the open field. The Cougars rely on quick passes so sacking Ward won’t be easy. But when he has to hold onto the ball on longer developing routes, UW’s linemen and linebackers have to pressure him.
Jake Dickert wants Washington State to be able to establish the run with someone other than the quarterback
Washington State’s top two quarterbacks – Ward and backup John Mateer – combined to rush 17 times for 56 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. The four running backs who carried the ball, led by former UW tailback Nakia Watson, combined for just 44 yards on 19 carries. Dickert knows his team must run the ball more efficiently vs. UW.
“At the end of the day it’s toughness,” Dickert said. “We need to be tough. We need to be physical. We need to trust our technique and ultimately finish. Finishing needs to be a habit.”
Badgers must make fewer mistakes than they did last season against Washington State
UW’s overall performance in the 17-14 loss to the Cougars last season in Madison was laden with mistakes, both physical and mental.
The Badgers were assessed a total of 11 penalties for 106 yards. Five of the calls went against the offensive line, for a total of 56 yards.
UW lost two fumbles – one after cornerback Jay Shaw intercepted a pass at the Badgers’ 43 and the other at the Washington State 12-yard line after tight end Clay Cundiff gained 24 yards on a reception.
Washington State turned Shaw’s miscue into a touchdown drive for a 17-14 lead. The Cougars then ran off the final 5 minutes 14 seconds of the game after Cundiff’s fumble.
HISTORY LESSON
Bret Bielema was in his second season as UW’s head coach when the Badgers opened the 2007 season against visiting Washington State.
A crowd of 81,547 saw UW score two touchdowns in the first, second and fourth quarters en route to a 42-21 victory.
Quarterback Tyler Donovan, in his first season as the full-time starter, passed for 284 yards and three touchdowns. P.J. Hill and Lance Smith combined for 144 yards rushing. Luke Swan caught eight passes for 170 yards, an average of 21.3 yards per catch and two touchdowns.
DID YOU KNOW?
UW’s defense limited Buffalo to just 2 of 15 third-down conversions in the opener. That was the best mark by a Big Ten team and the No. 9 mark nationally in the opening week. Washington State, coincidentally, converted 11 of 17 third-down chances in its opener.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin at Washington State: Badgers look to remain unbeaten
