Overall B+
After going down 14-0 after the first two possessions of the game, the Badgers were able to bang out 51 straight points to defeat the Thundering Herd of Marshall. The Badgers’ success was due to the emergence of a passing game, which was dormant the week before against Akron. Led by Allan Evridge, Wisconsin’s offense was able to put up 487 yards and helped keep the defense well-rested in the second half. The secondary also stepped up for UW, including two interceptions by sophomore defensive back Niles Brinkley and one by junior Shane Carter. After struggling initially, the Badger defense gave up a mere 75 yards on the ground and kept the Marshall passing game at bay. With the successes on both offense and defense, the Badgers look to keep their momentum running into a gut-check game at Fresno State next weekend.
Offense A-
The 51 points the Badgers put up against Marshall was mostly due to their aerial attack. Wisconsin’s three-headed backfield monster of P.J. Hill, Zach Brown and John Clay was able to rush for 158 yards, but most of their success came in the second half after the passing game was established. In the air, Evridge threw for 308 yards and one touchdown. The Wisconsin tight ends were also able to make up for All-American Travis Beckum’s absence by putting up a combined 167 yards.
Defense B
For the second week in a row, the Badger defense looked a little shaky. Although they were able to settle down after giving up the first two touchdowns, there are still a lot of issues to be addressed. The secondary gave up 211 yards, which could have been more if Marshall had been able to connect on a handful of close plays. If the Badgers are going to be able to defend against some of the more high-octane offenses of the Big Ten, they’ll need to pressure the quarterback more and lock down on opponents’ receivers.
Special Teams A
One of the major question marks going into the season would be how well the special teams would perform after the loss of kicker Taylor Mehlhaff and punter Ken Debauch. However, it seems as if they have come through. Punter Brad Nortman averaged 47.7 yards per punt, including one for 57 yards. Kicker Philip Welch’s 45-yard field goal against the wind at the end of the second quarter put the Badgers up for good and helped relieve any worries about special teams going into the rest of the season.
Game Ball- Allan Evridge
With the running game failing at the beginning of the game, Evridge helped revitalize the passing attack. He was 17-for-26 for 308 yards and one touchdown. Throughout the game he was able to distribute the ball to several receivers, keeping the Marshall defense on its toes. He hooked up with seven receivers, including a 42-yard bomb to sophomore receiver Kyle Jefferson. If Evridge is able to escalate his status above game manager, look for him to open up the offense for a more balanced attack with both the running and passing games.
Next up: Fresno State
Next weekend, the Badgers will have a gut-check game against No. 21 Fresno State in Fresno. This year, the Bulldogs have already upset Rutgers and are perennially favored to upset major conference teams. If UW is going to survive a Big Ten schedule in which they play Michigan, OSU and Penn State in three consecutive games, they are going to need to be able to beat Fresno State to gain some momentum going into the conference season.
