Coming off their best performance of the season, the Badgers’ defense deserves a break before the Big Ten season kicks off.
After giving up 455 yards just a week before to Northern Illinois, it was unclear how the Badgers would fare in the Big Ten. However, all questions were answered as the defense shut down Arizona last Saturday.
“It’s nice to see us come back and bounce back after playing the way we did last week,” defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said.
“That is what we have to do. We can’t take a step back or stay the same;we have to get a little better every week.”
The Badgers did not just improve; they dominated. The defense completely regrouped from a horrific game to allow only 292 yards. The Wildcats could do little with the ball in the first half; six drives resulted in five punts and one interception. The second half saw more of the same as Arizona only got the ball in the red zone once for a field goal.
The Badgers’ defense yielded only one major mistake to Arizona running back Clarence Farmer, who broke a 70-yard touchdown run. Other than that, the Badgers owned the game in a 31-10 romp. The secondary stepped up big time, allowing only 129 yards to quarterback Jason Johnson, who had thrown for over 400 in his previous two games, as cornerback B.J. Tucker intercepted him twice.
“It’s good to get the turnovers, but I’m just going out there and trying to win games,” Tucker said.
“We know where we’re at, and we know we can get a lot better. It’s all about going into the Big Ten right now.”
Some wish the Badgers could start the Big Ten season this weekend after playing their best game of the year. Instead, the team gets a bye week before facing Penn State Oct. 5.
“We had a couple more non-conference games this season, so it’s just like two seasons,” cornerback Scott Starks said. “We just finished the first and are getting ready to go into the second in the Big Ten.”
The time off is much deserved for the undefeated Badgers, but it is no time to get complacent. The team is pleased with its performance so far but knows there is still room for improvement.
“They can all get better, and they will continue to get better,” Cosgrove said. “We want them to stay hungry.”
The Badgers must stay focused and continue to work if their success is going to continue. The team is currently ranked 21st in the nation, sitting at 5-0, but all records are cleared now that conference play begins. The defense is fifth overall in the Big Ten in yardage at 352 per game and second in scoring, giving up barely 15 points per game. That is good enough for 19th in the nation, as the Badgers have shown they bend but don’t break.
The savior for the defense so far has been turnovers.
“It is one of the things we put an emphasis on,” Cosgrove said. “We keep on getting them, so something is going right.”
Tucker’s two interceptions last week put the Badgers in a tie atop the country for most turnovers gained on defense at 16. They lead the Big Ten in fumbles recovered, interceptions, and turnover margin at plus-2.6 per game.
With their impressive victory over Arizona, the Badgers finally proved they could control all four quarters of a game. The high-powered offenses of the Big Ten will pose a much tougher challenge, but if the defense can continue to give the ball back to the offense, the Badgers’ winning streak should roll on.
