It’s now or never. Having lost four of their last five games, the Badgers’ season may very well rest on Saturday’s game against Illinois.
With a win, the Badgers would get that magical seventh win and become bowl eligible. However, another disappointing loss may just put the team over the brink of throwing in the towel and calling it a season.
“Definitely, to become bowl eligible is first,” cornerback Scott Starks said. “I really don’t care if we win by one point as long as we win this game. We’re going to be bowl eligible after this.”
The Badgers (6-4,1-4) are still searching for their second conference win, which should be easy considering the Fighting Illini (3-6, 2-3) are coming to town. But, this will be no simple task for the defense. Surprisingly, Illinois boasts the second-best offense in the Big Ten and the 11th-best in the nation. Gaining over 445 yards a game, the Illini are putting up 29 points a game.
This is not good news for that “Red Storm Rising,” which will most likely be without inside linebacker Jeff Mack once again. Losing the former leading tackler for what will be his fifth-consecutive game certainly does not help. Mack is still nursing nerve damage in his neck, but is not out for the season.
“The only thing that can remedy it is time,” Mack said. “That’s one thing I don’t have. It’s something I’m pretty upset about, but the guys have stepped up without me.”
He said the numbness in his hand has gone away but is still working on getting his strength back. No timetable has been set for his return. Alex Lewis, who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, will get the start again at the middle position.
Last week the Badgers gave up over 400 yards to Iowa, but only allowed two touchdowns. Even so, the defense didn’t stand a chance when the offense only put three points up on the board.
“We held a high-powered offense to 20 points, but are we satisfied with that — no,” defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said. “If we shut them out, we win the game. That’s our attitude, and that’s the way we need to go about it.”
The secondary looked lost at times in the game, as Iowa’s receivers found themselves wide open. The Badgers cannot afford to make similar mistakes this weekend.
“It’s mental busts,” Mack said. “We play really well, and then we’ll go into a mental lapse. We’re making mistakes out there, and that leads to points or first downs. We never play a full game of just solid defense. There’s been glimpses of that, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.”
Illinois’ high-powered offense revolves around a passing game that is tops in the Big Ten. It averages over 276 yards a game, with 101 of those going to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd leads the conference in receptions and is third in yardage, needing only 93 yards to break 1,000 on the season.
The Badgers are ninth in pass defense in the conference and must somehow keep this big-time receiver contained. They must also get the ball back to the offense. The defense relied heavily on turnovers early in the season, but those opportunities are beginning to dry up.
“We have to go after the ball more like we did in the first five games,” Starks said. “The quarterbacks aren’t throwing it as wildly as they did back then. We’ve just got to create them, because they’re not going to give them to us.”
After getting over three a game in their first five games, the Badgers have had only six in conference play. They still lead the Big Ten in turnover margin, but must find a way to the ball if they’re going to get back on a winning track. In every game that the Badgers have won, they have gained more turnovers than their opponents.
“Turnovers are a perk,” Mack said. “If they don’t come, then as long as we’re playing good, solid defense it doesn’t matter.”
It has mattered, as the Badgers’ must-win situation will not be easy with the Illinois passing attack on the horizon. If the defense cannot come up with the ball, then this red storm may just be setting Saturday.
