To stay undefeated heading into the Big Ten schedule, the Badgers will have to do many things right in the desert this weekend. Here are five things that Wisconsin must accomplish to pull off a win for its first road game Saturday.

1) Start strongly: Going on the road is never easy, no matter who the opponent is; so it is paramount for the Badgers to get off to a good start Saturday. If Wisconsin can shoot out of the gate, it will quiet the Arizona crowd and could limit their impact for the rest of the game. A strong start will also get into the heads of Wildcat players and snowball from there. With a strong contingent of Badger fans making the trek to Tucson, a strong start may also give the contest a feel of a home game, which would no doubt give the team a boost.

2) Keep the pressure off Stocco: This game will only be John Stocco’s third collegiate start. Even though he has looked solid so far, the Badgers have to continue to limit the pressure he feels in the pocket. His first game on the road, Stocco’s comfort level behind the line is especially important.

The most important way that the Badgers can help Stocco out to that end is to establish the run and prove they’re able to consistently pick up solid yardage on the ground. This will be a challenge with Anthony Davis still out of the lineup, but true freshman Jamil “Dynamite” Walker showed some speed last Saturday and should get plenty more chances to show his ability this weekend. Booker Stanley will have to be more successful on the ground this week as well. A successful ground attack will open up the passing game for Stocco, making his job much easier.

Stocco will probably face a lot of blitzes from the Wildcats on Saturday. First year head coach Mike Stoops was known for running aggressive blitz packages at Oklahoma and will probably be able to use more of them this week as his players get more comfortable in their third game of the season. Offensive coordinator Brian White will have to give Stocco many quick options and run a lot of 5-10 yard patterns to give the slinger easy throws to make — but he also has to continue to keep the defense honest by still taking a few shots over the top.

3) Don’t worry about the heat: The Badgers have played in two fairly balmy contests so far, but they will seem like November games compared to the expected weather in Arizona Saturday. With the match moved up to a 1 p.m. start, the game will be played under the sweltering mid-afternoon heat. Temperatures are expected to be on the verge of triple digits at kickoff. The team must be prepared to handle the heat, lest it become a distraction. Both teams are going to be playing in the same conditions and the Badgers cannot let the temperature give the Wildcats too much of an advantage.

4) Limit mistakes: So far Wisconsin has avoided turnovers pretty well. The Badgers have only turned the ball over twice this year with one fumble against UCF and one interception against UNLV.

They have had problems in the field goal game though. Senior Mike Allen has been inconsistent thus far, and the field goal unit has cost the team at least one field goal already because of a bad snap. The team cannot afford to squander scoring chances on the road and must convert their field goal opportunities if they fail to get in the end zone.

Wisconsin has been very solid in the punting game and freshman Taylor Mehlhaff has been outstanding on kickoffs. The Badgers can ill afford to give up big plays in the kicking game, especially on the road.

Staying away from penalties and avoiding turnovers will make the game much easier for the Badgers to pull out.

5) Defensive domination: The defensive unit has been very impressive for the Badgers so far. The defensive line has been able to consistently pressure the quarterback and tie-up blockers, which has been of great benefit to the linebackers and the secondary.

The Badgers will need to put pressure on Arizona’s young sophomore quarterback Steve Heavner and allow the linebackers room to chase down ball carriers.

Arizona might be without their leading rusher, junior running back Mike Bell, but whether Bell plays or not, it will be very important for Wisconsin to shut down the Arizona ground game and force Heavner to take it to the air. If the Badgers can make Arizona one dimensional, they should be able to tee off on the quarterback and walk away with victory number three.