Last week UW finally got its first Big Ten win in four chances, and now it must turn its attention to the high-flying Iowa Hawkeyes, who sit high atop the conference standings with a perfect 5-0 conference record and a No. 9 ranking.
The Hawkeyes are on a roll, coming off a 34-9 thrashing of Michigan. Here are five things the Badgers must do in order to win their second straight.
Keep the Hawkeyes grounded in the first quarter
Iowa has owned the first quarter this season, outscoring its opponents 129-21. The Badgers meanwhile, have sputtered out of the gates most of the season until last Saturday’s 21-point first-quarter explosion against Michigan State.
On the road, Wisconsin cannot afford to get off to a slow start and fall behind early. The Badger offensive attack is best suited for playing with a lead, not making a large comeback.
Ride the hot hand
Anthony Davis and the Badgers’ running game have awoken in the last two weeks. Davis broke out against Ohio State with 144 yards and then ran wild on Michigan State for 170 yards in the 42-24 blowout.
In conference play, Davis is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 117 yards per game. He is running as well as he has all year, and the offensive line is starting to dominate in the trenches.
With Lee Evans done for the year, the Badgers will need the running game to set the tone and take the pressure off the passing game. “A.D.” is on a hot streak, and the Badgers should feed him the ball.
Stop the other little guy
Like Wisconsin, Iowa features a diminutive halfback in 5-foot-8 Fred Russell. Russell’s average of 115 yards per game this year is a big reason why the Hawkeyes are the biggest surprise in the Big Ten.
While the Badgers have game experience against top backs such as Clarence Farmer, Larry Johnson and Maurice Clarett, they may get their best preparation for Russell in practice, in the form of Davis.
Just as opposing defenses do against Davis, Badger linebackers will have the added challenge of finding Russell amongst the much larger offensive linemen.
Contain Brad Banks
The senior Hawkeye quarterback will present a unique challenge for the defense based on his multifaceted abilities. Not only can he produce through the air, as his near-200 passing yards per game show, but he can also burn a defense with his feet.
Banks is the team’s third leading rusher, averaging 5.0 yards per rush. He does not give the ball away often, as he has thrown only four interceptions to his 18 touchdown passes.
Jake Sprague, Anttaj Hawthorne and the rest of the Badger defensive line will have to keep Banks under control while at the same time putting enough pressure on him to disrupt the Iowa passing game.
Badger defenders have registered nine sacks in the past three games. The Iowa line on the other hand, has surrendered just eight sacks in nine games, three of those sacks coming in the loss to Iowa State.
The Badgers will need to bring their pass rush with them to Iowa City to dethrone the conference leaders.
Win the turnover battle
Without a doubt, the best barometer of Wisconsin success this season has been the turnover margin. When Barry Alvarez’s team comes out ahead in the turnover column, it adds to its win column.
In all six Badger wins, they have forced more turnovers than the opposition. Iowa State was able to hand the Hawkeyes their first and only loss of the season thanks in part to three Iowa turnovers. The Badgers in all have forced 22 turnovers this year, which is good for first in the Big Ten.
The Wisconsin defense will need to continue that trend Saturday and put the offense in a position to win the game. If the rest of the year is any indicator, turnovers will be the telltale factor in the Badgers’ upset bid Saturday.
