Despite the news surrounding Corey Clement’s prognosis and the looming excitement of the first night game in Madison in three years, the football game still will be played Saturday night.
The matchup: No. 22 Wisconsin against Hawaii. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since Dec. 5, 2009. The Badgers won that game 51-10 in Honolulu and lead the all-time series 5-1, winning the last five.
The Badgers (2-1) will look to extend their home winning streak to double digits, as the current mark sits at nine consecutive victories in Camp Randall.
Hawaii (2-1)
Head coach Norm Chow leads his team into Camp Randall with a winning record for the first time in his entire tenure as head coach at Hawaii.
Since Chow took over four seasons ago, Hawaii is 10-30.
The reversal of fortune this year comes at the hands of quarterback Max Wittek, a transfer from USC, and running back Paul Harris.
Harris has averaged 87 yards per game on the ground, and Wittek has thrown for five touchdowns and five yards over the first three games of the season.
The challenge Hawaii presents, Badgers defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said, is their ability to spread the defense out and their ability to call either a run or a pass out of the same formation.
“They spread you out,” Aranda said. “They line up those No. 1 receivers outside the numbers.”
That, Aranda said, forces the defense to run a single-high safety, which Wisconsin will employ Saturday night. It leaves defenses susceptible to big plays if receivers can break a tackle after a short pass on a slant or a hitch.
Against No. 1 Ohio State two weeks ago, Hawaii fought hard for three quarters, trailing 17-0 going into the fourth.
UW head coach Paul Chryst said Hawaii’s physicality makes for a good challenge.
“I think they’re a team that loves the physical part of the game,” Chryst said. “I think their schemes play to that and I think they’ve got some really good football players.”
Game information
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m.
Where: Camp Randall Stadium (80,321), Madison, Wisconsin
TV: Big Ten Network (Joe Beninati, J. Lehman, Jay Wilson)
Radio: Badger Sports Network (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas, Mark Tauscher, Patrick Herb)