Wisconsin's defense can't rest even though LSU is missing its best player and play-caller
TAMPA – Can anyone legitimately argue that Wisconsin won’t benefit significantly from LSU being without Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock in the ReliaQuest Bowl?
Daniels in 12 games this season passed for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns and rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He is preparing for the 2024 NFL draft.
Denbrock ran an offense that during the regular season led the nation in scoring (46.4 ppg) and total yards (547.8 per game).
He has joined the Notre Dame staff.
“But they still have a really good team and a lot of really good athletes and really good players,” UW safety Hunter Wohler said. “Their receiving corps is the (best) in the country. That is going to be a great challenge for us.
“(But) it is a great opportunity for us to prove ourselves and get better and grow.”
The game is set for 11 a.m. Monday, with television coverage on ESPN2.
Badgers will be without three defensive starters
Is UW’s defense, which finished the regular season in the top 20 nationally in points allowed but too often struggled early in games, up to the challenge?
The Badgers will be without defensive end Rodas Johnson (transfer), inside linebacker Jordan Turner (transfer) and nickel cornerback Jason Maitre (preparing for the NFL draft).
They enter the bowl game allowing 18.9 points per game, but they haven’t faced a team with an offense in the top 30 nationally in scoring.
Ohio State finished the regular season No. 31 at 32.8 points per game and Washington State finished No. 38 at 31.7 points per game.
UW lost both games, but the defense held up well in a 24-10 home loss to the Buckeyes. Washington State handed UW a 31-22 loss in Week 2, though one of the Cougars’ scores was a defensive touchdown.
Nevertheless, UW has allowed too many big plays, hasn’t been sharp early in several games and surrendered crucial scoring drives with the outcome of the game still in doubt.
The Badgers led after one quarter just twice this season – at Purdue and at home against Rutgers.
UW led Purdue by 11 and led Rutgers by three points and won both games.
The Badgers trailed after one quarter against Washington State, Illinois, Ohio State, Indiana, Northwestern, Nebraska and Minnesota.
UW went 3-4 in those games.
“We need to start out fast,” defensive end James Thompson Jr. said. “I feel like a lot of our games we was trailing in the first quarter. A lot of the stuff that happened was major mental errors.
“You can’t just let a wide receiver be open. You can’t just vacate a gap. You’ve got to be able to contain the pocket. You’ve got to be fundamentally sound.
“If you get off to a fast start the whole game is different. Coach preaches that we have to be a second-half team and everything, but the first half is important, too. You can’t just let that slide.”
Mike Tressel’s defense allowed an average of 4.9 yards per play and 16.3 points per game in the first six games regular-season games. That unit allowed 5.0 yards per play and 20.0 points per game in the final six regular-season games.
The Badgers allowed a combined 27 second-half points in the final six regular-season games. Ohio State scored 14 of those points.
“I think the biggest strength that we’ve had is our fight," Wohler said. "Obviously, we struggled early on in games. But the relentlessness and the ability to put that behind us and move on was a huge strength for us. And then just trusting each other as the season went on.”
Mike Tressel's Wisconsin defense gave up to many crucial scoring drives
Wohler's assessment was accurate. However, UW gave up too many crucial scoring drives.
Immediately after seeing the offense forge a 10-10 tie against Ohio State in the third quarter, the defense allowed a 75-yard touchdown drive.
Immediately after seeing the offense score to trim Indiana’s lead to 10-7 late in the first half, the defense allowed a 71-yard touchdown drive.
Immediately after UW took a 3-0 lead in the opening quarter against Northwestern, the defense gave up a 79-yard touchdown drive. The Wildcats scored on their first four possessions for a 24-3 halftime lead.
“I think the biggest thing when it comes to eliminating big plays is just execution,” Wohler said. “A lot of big plays come from busts in coverage or in your assignment. So, we have to be sound, do our job and take care of our assignment. And then just tackling and competing.
“That is ultimately what it comes down to. You can have the perfect call. But we have to be able to challenge (them) and we have to be able to trust ourselves and play fast. So, we do those things and I think we’ll be fine.”
LSU has failed to hit the 30-point mark just twice this season, in the opener against Florida State and on Nov. 4 at Alabama.
But the Tigers had Daniels and Denbrock during the regular season.
They still expect to have wide receivers Malik Nabers (86 catches, 1,546 yards, 14 touchdowns), Brian Thomas Jr. (60-1,079-15) and Kyren Lacy (24-463-7) and tight end Mason Taylor (29-260-1) in the bowl game.
“You have a receiving room like that,” Wohler said, “good running backs and a good tight end, the quarterback can figure it out.
“We’re going to have to prepare like we’re playing a top 15 team because we are.”
Is UW’s defense up to the challenge?
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's bowl opponent LSU tough even without WB Jayden Daniels
