With only one non-conference showdown left before conference play opens up in two weeks, it is last call for the Badgers to polish up their act before playing the Ohio States and Michigans of the Big Ten. After narrowly escaping defeat at the hands of not-so-talented Northern Illinois last week, many new questions have arisen in the Wisconsin locker room. Although their record remains a perfect 4-0, head coach Barry Alvarez and the rest of the Badgers are hardly content with the up-and-down play that has characterized the last month of football. Here are five things Wisconsin will need to focus on if they hope to finish non-conference play undefeated and charge into the Big Ten schedule with the necessary confidence.

Win the war in the trenches

After rushing 37 times for 184 yards against Fresno State in the season opener, Anthony Davis has been held below the 100-yard plateau for three consecutive games. This stretch has included a career low in rushing for the sophomore who only managed to gain 49 yards last week. If the Badgers are to continue to open up their passing attack, they must reestablish their dominance on the ground. The dismal play of the offensive line has also left room for concern among the UW coaching staff. Last week, Brooks Bollinger was sacked 10 times by Huskies defenders, a number that is going to have to drop significantly if the Wisconsin offense hopes to walk over Arizona’s vulnerable defense.

Get ahead early

Wisconsin has been the beneficiary of two last-minute comebacks in their first three games at Camp Randall. Their only easily decided game at home came when the offense erupted for 27-second quarter points in UW’s 34-17 rout of West Virginia in week three of the season. The Badgers, who benefited from a few fortunate penalties in each of these final drives, cannot get too comfortable coming from behind. Arizona arrives at Camp Randall posing a much more dangerous threat than Fresno State and Northern Illinois, and Wisconsin had better get in the habit of getting the offense involved early in the game.

Stop Jason Johnson

Arizona’s quarterback has been unstoppable so far this season. Ranked fourth in the nation in quarterback rating, the senior has notched 797 yards in the air while completing 63 percent of his passes for five touchdowns in just two games. This will be the first big test for the Wisconsin secondary, who hasn’t seen a quality quarterback throughout their first four games. It is vital for the defensive line, who played nicely last weekend, to put pressure on Johnson while the secondary locks down on receivers Bobby Wade and Andrae Thurman, who have accounted for 521 of Johnson’s 797 passing yards.

Find some consistency in the offense

It can be argued that Wisconsin is the worst 4-0 team in the nation. The Badgers made the plays when they had to, but their overall offensive attack has been extremely sub-par against less than worthy opponents. When the running game has failed, the passing game has flourished and vice versa. Arizona (2-0) might just be their most formidable non-conference opponent of the year, and the Badgers can ill afford to show up with an inconsistent offensive effort. If the Badgers can figure out a way to implement success on both their ground attack and air assault, the fans in Madison will finally be able to see the unbelievable explosiveness and potential this offensive unit has been dying to display.

Take advantage of the home crowd

Getting the crowd involved early could spell a quick end for visiting Arizona. The inability of the Badgers throughout the game last weekend to ignite the 74,000 at Camp Randall allowed Northern Illinois to remain poised and nearly walk away with a victory. Wisconsin has only played one quarter of quality in the first three home games, and the cardinal-and-white faithful are dying to see the big-play capability of the offense that has been hyped since the end of last season. If Davis, who hasn’t broken open a huge gain yet this season, can get going early, and Bollinger can connect on a few passes downfield, it’s going to be a long day for our friends from the south.